The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-09-13
FEMININE VS.. MASCULINE.

Bedford County has only 3 female teach
ers The official report says SO. Ye gods !
whittier are we tending Why bavn't We
more? One third Of The teachers 10 The state
are females. AT tins rate We should have sixty,
since we have 184 in all, Why havn't we our
full share. They would teach better, and be
clear gain in dollars and cents.
Female teachers do teach more skillfuliy.-
They seem just made for the business. With
them ability TO teach is natural with men it
must generally be acquired by practice or by
"RormaI instruction" They possess livelier
Esnsibihty and can sympathize with pupils
more readily. They are more refined in man
ner and feeling and they would drive out OF
our school-rooms much coarsenesS and vugarI-
ty with which they are now diseraced and poll
luted. They request; men command. They
win confidence and love; men enforce obedi-
ence. They govern by tact men by power.
All experience demonstrates their superior nat
ural ability to teach. Few deny 1t who have
seen the matter fully tested. There should be
more Of them inthis county and throughout the
central part of the state. The female teacher
is an article much needed in this market.
But where are they 10 come from Who
are they to be- We answer, they are NOT to
come from east Of the Hudson river they are
not to be Yankees. Yankees don't understand
our ways. We are Dutch and proud Of it they
are not and proud OF ii. They have different
thoughts and feelings. They have grown up
amid another civilization, and formed social
and domestic, habits between whick and our own
there is no harmony. They dislike US because
they don't understand US. They don't get "a
long well. We have seen them tried. We
don't want them. Give US home products
No other can do so well. Give US girls born
and bred among US, and consequently acquaint-
ed with our social habits and feeIings-with
our civilization. Send them away 10 be educa-
led if needs be, but WheP they are competent TO
teach, Jet them go home instead ct abroad. Let
every county and district supply ita own female
teachers who shall 1--we at home and teach the
schools they were taught in. The argument,
that one can not teach where he is well known,
is all twaddle-It is worse, il Is ridiculous and
ruinous. II only applies TO the incompetent.
These may find IT necessary 10 go where their
ignorance is not known and where for a brief
time they can cover it up. This ilinerancy
should cease, and especially among females
The skllful teacher can teach all the better for
being well known, and as he becomes better
l.
preciated. Give US home teachers. They sue
coed. We have seen them tried.
One hundred of the schools of this county
could be taught quite we'll by females and
this would be again OF many thousand dollars
annually. But, says the obJector, 'they can't
govern" But we know better. They can
govern. A skilIfuI lady can control any pupil
that is fit to be in the school-room at all
Think Of il. gain of several thousand dol
lars annually, and better schools to boot.
But" asks one, 'do you mean 10 say we
actually SAGE several thousand dollars in mo-
ney?" Certainly not, Mr.. Sttngg. You were
smiling at the prospect. Permit US 10 dIspel
the slckly grin which nothing but money could
coax across your acid countenance. We mean
no such thing. You are not TO save a single
"red.'' You need rot vince and wriggle so,
Sir Money Bags-we mean you, Old Skin Film :;
you that voted year afte- year to reduce salaries
till you got them down to starvation rates and
then raised the teachers board because, as you
said, "tarls IS high and monish scarce" We
SAID you should gain rot that you should saUe.
We will tell you how. The plan is simple
Employ females in most of the schools, taking
care 10 get none but :he BEST and pay them as
much as you pay now. OF course this can not
be done at present bat educate your daughters
till it can be done. Wake up, and in Eve years
you can do this in most cases without going be-
yond your own district. In this way you will
get the highest female talent for the same mo-
nsy you now pay for second or third rate teach
ers. Your schools will cost the same and be
worth fifty per cent more. And then, do not
t:y to starye your teachers on half pay. II
YOU do, they will get married, and quit teach
ing in disgust and 1t will serve you right too
This is the way you are TO gain. Try It,.
HELEN.
DIt must be very encouraging to the
friends Of pdncation fhrongbout tbm conr.u ~ .