Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-05-08
rExALE EpucArroN. |.

Nithout ucSifing 10 enter the arena
of discussion concerning tho arights
Of woman" or the rcmotcst wish tC
describe or circumscribe the peculiar
sphere for which she Is designed, We
propose to broach q few thoughts on
a subject intimately connected with
her welfare.
Judging from the various modes
in which the female mind in tutored
q system for the calling forth of III
intellectual capacities has yet 10 b
formed. Every variety Of effort
every scheme having the appearance
Of tangibility, is in vogue, and a mass
void OF form and shape--we had al
most added lights the result. The
question naturally arises = What
then, is the true mode of educating
this class? We answer, in true Yam.
kee style, by propounding query
ourselves -" What should be the
prime objects Of Female Education2'
TO the elucidation Of this point We
offer the following remarks
The system Of education adapted
for females, must be two-fold in ia
character and tendencies--it should
call forth the energies of the SOU, ,and
direct them in such manner as will
best eomport with the physical, men.
tai and moral constitution of woman
To develop the faculties and TO direcl
them is the Alpha and Omega Of mon.
tai progression.
The leading feature in female edu.
cation should be solidity rather than
ornament. SO much attention is Civ.
en- in some institutions TO the adorn.
ment of the form, 10 the care OF the
body instead of the mind-one, at all
sl<eptical would fain believe that, in
the whole course Of tuition, the entire
school had been strangers TO good,
hard, energetic thought. Others rec
ognize the necessity for basis 10
mental requirement, but their mode
Of erecting the structure is faulty
the finishing process is completed
precisely where the work should have
commenced. The towers and turrets
the cornices and mouldings-beau-
~ Of style, fancifulness of finish, and
symmetry Of externals are all clearly
brought 10 viow, but the whole rests
upon airy nothingness, there is nei-
ther breadth nor depth TO the mental
edifice. An illustration will proba-
bly, give our ideas more exactness.--
A modern lady informs her husband
that their daughter has just returned
from school and in recounting her
progress and position says" Julia
converses in French with fiuency and
ease; perform upon the piano with a
degree Of precision rarely excelled ;
has perfect knowledge Of music in
all its branches, whether simple mel
ody or the abtruseness and complex
ity of the opera; em5roiders beauti-
fully, etc, and now think it would
be advisable to procure for her an
English spelling boolxl' Many may
conceive the opinion that the picture
is overdrawn, but we will venture the
assertion that one-half of those fe-
males who have received strictly
''first class" $50 called) education can
not spell their mother tongue correct
ly. We have known those who
would pass as shining lights in bril-
liant society that had but to put their
pen to paper to sign their death war
rants.
When females are thoroughly vers-
cd in the branches Of writing, read
ing, spelling, arithmetic, composition,
&c, it is time enough to add psihyol-
ogy, botany, chemistry, and as many
Of the accomplishment" as the mind
can master. Here, as IN other depart
ments, thoroughness is desirable-su-
perfcially in any portion Of the
course of mental exercise, daily
proves the tritencss Of the adage, "a
little knowledge is a dangerous
thing" The practical is the want of
the age--we need less Of fashion and
folly and larger supply of common
sense, less Of frivolity and more real
study, fewer fine ladies and more wo-
men. If there is a sight on earth
around which we would draw the
curtain Of obscurity, it is that Of one
gifted with all graces which nature
lavishes upon her daughters, prosti-
tuting them at the altar of fashion
famishing the immortal mind with
the stale fattery Of hollow hearted
world; living a round Of gaiety and
dissipation, laying up as her only
treasure a miserable old age, frought
with remorso for the and not star
with cheering ray TO CLEAN athwart
the blaclkness Of the future.
Many may think that an educa-
tional course of this character for fe-
males would be useless--that the
sphere occupied by them is too con-
tracted for the full exercise of the
requirements attainable by such men,
tai discipline. Friends, the circle is
circumscribed because of the distance
at which you view it. Once approach
the centre, and the circumference re-
cedes, il is lost upon the shores OF
time and fingers amid the confines Of
cVernity.
The education of woman comes
then to question of being. What
ever the mother is, will, In greater
or less degree, exhibit itself in the
child. We may be allowed TO lay
great stress upon the position Of wo-
man as mother, for ON this pivot re-
wolves ihe destiny of her household,
and the proper fdlfllment Of this
station calls for a complete revolution
Of the modus operdndi in female edu-
cation. There Is too much Of silk
and satin greatness in It's composition.
The idea that the fingers were made
for wearing golden circlets, or the hand
merely for the purpose Of testing the
elasticity Of kid, must be eradicated
From the lips Of OMNIporEScE the
edict has gone forth-"In the sweat