Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-11-26
Educating Young Ladies',

on the idea OF mere adaptation to a
particular sphere or work must
necessarily be defective. In theory
it degrades a human being into
mere machine, IL subordinates the
man to his work, and though it is
Impossible that such result should
be reached practically, yet the system
has its effect in stunting the growth
of the individual 1t may safely be
assumed, as a general rule. that the
more knowledge one has acquired,
from whatever source, the more
mental discipline he has received, of
whatever kind, the better he is fitted
for the duties ofany position IN which
he may be placed. Only a slave,
sublugated man, is the better slave
for being ignorant
If, then, it is unwise to narrow
down a mans education approxima
tely TO the routine of the business by
which he Is to earn his bread, when
he can choose his own calling aud
follow il at will, how much morn un
wise Is ii 10 narrow down the educa-
ton OF young lady, when it is un
certain to what position ia life she
may be called. The latest cant on
this subject is that as most women
are destined tor marriage they should
be educated for wives and mothers:
which Is little more than a truism.-
The social status Of the wife must
follow that of the husband; and the
duties of wives and mothers are as
widely varied Us the positions of men
Moreover, the bride of u millionaire
may becoma the widow of q banks
rupt. And a mother might be able
to instruct daughters in all sorts of
needle~work and household economy
and be compelled to send sons 10
school 10 learn their letters.
In our eventful American life each
generation beginsa new account with
Fortune; and IL is unsafe to educate
child for any special position IN
I'll his powers are SO tar developed as
to show decided bent in some one
direction. The best and safest
foundation for success in life .s broad
ana liberal culture, q symmetrical
expansion of all the capacities of the
mind. With this to start on. one
may the more easily turn TO any
work and be the better prepared to
execute it.
Another kind OF cant is that which
harps forever upon the necessity of a
knowledge ofkitchen work, and stops
there. Cooking and dishwashing are
Ike writing plain hand; there is no
particular credit in understanding
| them, but it is great shame not TO.
Ana the duties of the kitchen are no
more the end of u women's existence
than the mere counting of dollars
and cents accurately is of a mans
lt man 30 far loses sight of the
ultimate object of his labor as to take
delight III the mere processes of his
business and IN casting up columns
OF figures, we say he has degraded
the highest part of his nature, stunted
his manly growth and become of no
more account than the tools with
which he works. But the same thing
IS true OF woman chained down to
house-work and taught to keep her
thoughts from rising above il. The
cooking OF dinners and securing of
pots and kettles must necessarily be
done, and the work properly falls to
woman. But it is mere drudgery.
after all and the sooner she can get
through with it and be released, the
better. There are schools for young
ladies in which, with the idea of edn.
eating them practically, the pupils
are required to take turns doing dif>
ferent parts Of the house, work. For
instance, one will have the care of all
the lamps for a month, and spend
perhaps an hour day trimming and
SLING them. Now, any one can learn
IN hfteen minutes to fill and trim IA
lamp as we'll as it can be done and
beyond that all the time spent at it
by these young ladies was wasted
the work might better have been
done by servant, leaving the pupil
to pursue her studies or practice
something at which she was not per-
fect. When one has learned to per
form any task as well as he is capable
OF doing it, further repetition is mere
drudge )rk. and contributes moth,
ing to the growth Of the individual.
The art Of housekeeping, then,
though Indispensable to the proper
education of a young lady, is not the
whole, nor, indeed, any considerable
part Of it.