Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-03-20
EVENING STAR.
houcation OF American School Girls-A
Horrible Discoverv

We have been suspicious for a long Will,
tnat we had failed to discover the great cause
| OF the miserable bodily condition az so msn-
young women in what is called fashionabis
| society. We had observed that a very laree
proportion of them, notwithstanding their
wretchedly chosen diet, and other drawbacks,
retained very comeiy appearance Of health
and rotundity when at school. which thew los,
as soon as they were allowed to commence the
| midnight dissipations Of the ball room. This
with our knowledge of the legitimate result,
was sufficient, and We considered the matter
settled
Lately, however, We have had the opportu.
nifty Of conyersing with an intelligent young
lady who has had the usual opportunities of q
fashionable education, and she assures us th at
there is an almost universal horror of being
tat, that causes great numbers Of them to
drink vinegar and eat chalk and slate pencil
dust to avoid gaining flesh She tolls us
that nearly all who desire to be s'elegant" In
their fsure adopt these borrid practices as
the resdiest means of avertipg the conse
quences they dread.
This we call horrible discovery indeed !;
that it was practiced, we were aware, among
many unfortunate young peoplswho had not
the advantages of careful domestic instruc-
tion; but when informed of it's general preva
lence, II strikes us with peculiar horror. That
in the very bloom and outburst OF her VIC
manhood, at that period when the Creator
designed to impress her with the crovnirs
glory of her true nature and His power, when
He has made the countenance speak love and
maternity, she should defy Him and cut of
the life current--this is horrible indeed and
the consciousness that the frightful practice
obtains general currency, is a sad thought for
the parent and the iife-teacher.
Very few persons imagine the extent to
which this suicidal perver2ion of the natural
instincts Will go, In young women who are
under the influence of their imaginary supe-
riors in what they consider graceful thinness
much has been said about ught-lacing, and
because the corset has partially gone into dis
use, people imagine that the compression of
the lungs has ceased; it is far otherwise
hooks and eyes and whalebone have taken
their place and the insane deYotee willingly
staryes herself by the year,
One designing woman, evious Of the beauty
of an associate to whom nature has given a
figure of beautiful rotundity and health, will
set two-thirds of her acquaintances half crazy
to emulate her bony proportions. heart.
less and vicious school girl has only to blow
up her cheeks and say "fstty," TO the weak
minded girl to when nature and a happy
home have given perhaps great personal
beauty, and who enjoys the degree of We geta.
tive life which can alone give her constitu-
tion that will fit her for the duties of wife
anu LAOtuSI-duu sne mas DeeQ Sung Dy
viper that renders her miserable for life
Soon the roses fade from her cheeks, the
beautiful rotundity Of her person decreases
and fades; the parents heart bleeds, sni he
consults his physician. He, either ignorant,
indifferent, or selfish, gives some absurd pre-
scription, and leaves her to her fate. Chlorosis
(the result of imperfect nutrition,) selzes her;
she loses her spirits and refuses to mipgle in
society, which, bad and enervatipg as it is IL
now her only hope, and her only chance fcr
life is marriage and N maternity-about an even
one between life and death.
Compare all this, which is SO commo, in
America, with the results Of the discipliR,, and
education Of young girls in England ,rhore
we find the daughters Of their ariste cracy
often leading natural and healthful lives.
wearing suitable clothing, and shoes with
soles thick enough to keep the electric force
of youth in the body, taking free exercise on
foot in all weather, miles and miles every
day, blooming with health and happiness, and
laughing and playing at blind mans buff
with their fathers and mothers.
Here, conceited, ignorant Of all useful
knowledge, cold, calculating and impudent,
the young girl is taught to look out for q rich
husband from the moment she enters Z" socie-
ty"-a horde Of over dressed and ignorant
people who eschew all intellectual pursuits
and live on vulgar emulation of their superiors
IN extravagant expenditure and ridiculous
pretension.
Such is the result of our American system of
education such will be the mothers of TIE
next generation Oh for a society Of educa-
tl9nal missionaries in this city -ScaIpet.