The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-10-17
A ScI.OOl-Girl

A school girl, we are inclined to think
is creature very imperfectly understood
Jealous Naturalists have devoted years
20 a study of the dispositions, habits and
capabilities of little animals that are sold
two for farthlng, but the schoolgirl
has formed no chapter in their systems
Of Animated Nature. Mothers gener-
slv know little about her: fathers know
less. and teachers, least of all. There IS
confused notion, to be sure, that give
schoolgirl time and plenty of bread-and-
butter, and she will become a woman,
and people have modestly contented
themselves with be!ieviRgit, and have
turned their attention to matters less GER
tain and more important!
The world is full Of schools for girls,
but we have never found a dozen men
perfectly agreed as to what is best for
schoolgirls, or in fact, as to what school
girls are for. One man thinks them
juvenile angels in disguise, a"d associates
with them the i'll as of muse and dan
cling. Another believes they were born
to be cooks, ant sets them up as angels
still: the divinities of the Kitchen A
third has an idea that they are destined
TO be talking animals, and suggests
French and drd,cip1 ROOMS. 4 fourth
has no doubt that every no;her's daugh-
ter of them all will become clever man
if you only give her chance, and talks
of vote and an Grafton.
But while they arc all busy considering
what she shall do, they take no thought
of What she may srfer. The small mar
.yrdom, without any crown, which she
cultures daily ii the hands of teachers
Who forget they ever had any childhood,
to be forgotten; Inexperienced, over
tasked, undcrvslued; entering the for
midsbls presence in recitation-rooms
18th her heart in her mouth, and leav-
ing it with no heart anywhere; the slight
curling ofpretty neither lips at her, that
wounds her like Indian arrows; the
whispered ridicule of her poor dress or
her unfortunate nose; all these things and
a thousand more, leave their image and
superscription upon her heart and life,
that outlast all science and all accom-
plishments.' Boys can rough it; they
wear bocts and can kick, but girls must
suffer silently; we wish we could add,
must suffer and be strong
Tho schoolgirl demands protection,
not from the wolf, but from Sho school
girl from the bitter rivalry, the heartless
vanity. tue cruel pride of her own kind.
No one will misunderstood us unless he
tries, schoolgirls are better, we believe,
than school boys; give us Jane instead of
john, any time, ut n venture, but then
schoolgirls are capablo-they must all
forgive us for what we arc going to say
are capable of being more hateful in
little nameless ways Of their own, than
almost any other creature. Boys fight
It ont, and use bad worls from Flanders,
but girls can wrap up deadly weapon
in smile. and turn q syllable into fish
ook, as no boy ever dreamed of doing
Schoolgirl friendships are fervent enough
but then how briefthcy are, while school
girl rivalry and Jealousy, persecution ard
suffering outlast the long vacation.
How much of chool,girl life the teacl-
or never secs; how often is the sweetest
kcart turned to fsunt lin of Marah, BY
those noiseless influences that are never
named: how often are the wings of many
a springing intellect :ruelIy broken by a
hand the teacher cannot SEQ. And vet it
is his business first Of all to take care
that the schools girl is neither oppressed,
nor misunderstood that the course of
her true love for duty always runs
SMOOTH and if he cannot keep her il. the
pleasant sunshine all the while; il he can
not reconcile her toll and her happiness,
he has mistaken his vocation, and cannot
enter upon his vacation too soon.