Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-11-09
MiScCIlan ny
ASGHOOE GIRL.

We take the following from the Chica-
20 j2yaaL 1t was in connection with a
u.dre Of a small volume "Louies last term
at st. Mary'e," of which we spoke a few
days ago.
\ school girl, we are inclined to think,
is a creature very imperfectly understood.
Jealous Naturalists have devoted years
TO a study Of the dispositions, habits, and
capabilities Of little animals that are SOLD
two for farthing, but the schoolgirl ha
formed no chapter in their systems Of Az
mated Nature. Mothers generally kIow
little sabout her: fathers know less md
teachers, least Of all. There is a condscd
notion, TO be sure, that give a schoolgirl
time and plenty Of brcad-and-butte, and
sue vail become woman, and pco'le have
modcstly contented themselves win believ-
ing it, and have turned their attention to
matters less certain and more important
The world Is full ofschools or girls, but
We have never found dozen nen perfectly
agreed as to what is best fo' schoolgirls,
or in fact, as to what Schoolgirls are for.
One man thinks them iuvnile angels in
disguise, and associates wih them the ideas
Of music and dancing Another believes
they were born to be co,ks, and sets them
up as angels still-Che diyinities Of the
kitchen A third las an idea that they
are destined 10 I4 talking animals, and
suggests French and draiciRg-rooms. a
fourth has no doubt that any mothers
daughter Of tlem all viii become clever
man if you 0nly give her chance, and
talks Of vote and an oratIOn.
But whlc they are all busy considering
what She shall DO, they take no thought Of
what Sic may suffer. The small martyr
dom, without any crown, which she en-
dure daily at the hands of teachers who
forget they ever had any childhood, or
never had any childhood to be forgtteon
m>apIrehcu4ed, overtaskcd, undervalued;
entering the formidable presence in recita-
uon-roOms with her heart in her mouth,
and leaving it with no heart anywhere
the light curling Of 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
thousand more, leave their image and su-
prescription upon her heart and life, that
outlast all science and all accomplish
mcnts Boys can rough it : they wear
boots and can kick, but girls must suffer
silently we wish we could add, must sui
fer and be strong
The schoolgirl demands protection, not
from the wolf but from the schoolgirl
from the bitter rivalry, the heartless vani-
ty, the cruel pride Of her own kind No
one will misunderstood us unless he tries /:
chool-girls are better we believe, than
schooi-boys give US Jane instead ofJohn,
any time, at 4 venture, but then school
girls are capable-they must all forgive US
for what We are going to say-are capable
of being more hateful in little nameless
ways Of their own, than almost any other
creature Boys fight it out, and use bad
words from flanders, but girls can wrap
up a deadly weapon in a smile, and turn a
syllable into a fsh-hook, as no boy ever
dreamed Of doing. Schoolgirl friendships
are fervent enough, but then how brief
'ley are, while school-glrl rivalry ana leal-
01sy, persecution and suffering outlast the
long vacation.
How much Of schoolgirl life the teach
81 never sees; how often is the sweetest
- - turned to fountain of Marah, by
I 1uoso IIolSeless influences that are never
ni,-lGr now often are the wings of many
LI a5Il-45,'s intellect cruelty broken by a
is his business first Of All to t,l-a ~ oaro ~ ~ -
the school girl Is neither or-roeroI . IL ', 10
misunderstood that the c6yrso of hOr hOr
true love" for duty alwsvs u ny. ~.
smooth" and if he cannot keep her in tbe
pleasant sunshine all the while, ifbe can,
net reconcile her toll and happiness h,
has mistaken his vocation, and canno
enter upon his racation too soon.