Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-11-21

ried, nor many to herproper preparation for
life after that event.
This idea demoralizes girls as any waiting
for good that the individual has no hand
in bringing about always does. If man
certainly expected, and had all his life been
taught to expect, that one Of these years q
ship would come into port laden with wealth
for his sole use and ownership, not knowing
indeed from whence she should come, only
that her coming was u certain event, it
would have an cneryating effect upon his
character. Where would be the use of cx-
ertion or study? His future is assured.
just so does the expectation of marriage of
ten affect a girls life. Her brothers future
depends upon his own character and his
own will. Hers does not. Where then
can be the use of making her character and
her will worth anything? 1t is not her
fault that her head is fuller of this than any
thing else. Mother and friends have per-
sistently held the idea before her that she is
to be married as soon as she grows up.
They have not intimated that any other des-
tiny is possible-so she is not ready for any
other To her, death seems almost better
than old maidism. So, when the day is far
spent, if any man does come, she does not
inquire whether he brings for her the holy
chrism of love. 1t may be asked whether
he is wealthy and respectable, but this other
question, without the answer to which the
union is unholy and dishonorable, is never
raised Marriage ought to be not more of a
power in a girls life than boys.
Just in line with this is another fault in
the education Of girls in wealthy families,
sometimes, too, in families that are not
wealthy. They are brought UP too deli
cately. Rather, they are not g brought up
at all, but are allowed to come up according
to their own will. They have no duties
whatever Love shields them from every
thing that can possibly ipjure and then gives
them nothing to fill their vacant lives. More
than once have / heard young ladies at
home express an underlined longing after
some sort of useful work. They had SER
wants to perform all sorts of offices forthem.
There was absolutely nothing for them to
do. If they were to die out OF world
where their existence seemed SO idle and
useless, how many persons would really
miss them? What would be left behind to
show that they had lived /?
Another fault to be indicated, possible
only in another sort OF family from the one
we have Just described, is that the girls arc
given no time in which to specially learn to
BE. A boys time is wasted If he is only
s.about home" doing whatever comes to
hand. These days of boyhood are the days
in which he must get ready for manhood,
in which he must make preparation for the
particular work he is to do do in the world.
He may be needed home, on the farm, or in
the workshop, or office, but shift is made
| to do without his services, that the much
needed education may progress. Or the
education may lie in these lines of work.
If he chooses to be mechanic or farmer,
as his father was, an opening is made and
he is put to that sort of employment. All
least this is the theory of boys training.
All wise parents put 1t into practice. But
It is not even the theory of a giil's educa-
tion that her character and bent Of thought
should be consulted before determining her
future lic She must do housework, or il
| is said that she does nothing. The present
writer would not, for moment, be willing
that it should be supposed that she, holds
the work that helps to make house,
HOME, in any light estimation. All house
hold services should be made a part o
every girls training, and should be entered
upon with the idea that they are to be tho
roughly learned, but that it does NOT re
quire oil the hours of every day for sucl
acquiremcnt. The baleful idea is that on
of the axioms OF mathematics is PRACTICAL.
contradcted, and the part made equal Il
the whole.
If Dick or Harry is home from college
and has any " studying up" or other liierar
work to do, his room is, for the time being
his sanctum, and mothers or sisters hesitat
to break in upon the privacy in which he
supposed to be so studiously engaged
Where is the corresponding privacy in mos
GIRLS lives? If they do not retire to thei
, rooms with book or pen they are not SUI
posed to be particularly engaged, and nt
body shrinks from intcrrupting their en-
, ployment.
What we would have, then, is that girls
well as boys should be educated for a pul
pose II is beginning to be felt that the ma
| who allows his sons to become men witho,
B possessing any usual calling, dsgraccs hin
, self and jeopardizes their happiness. Eve
| if he be rich, it is not certain that his CHI
dren will be rich after him. Nay, he ma
himself be dependent on their excrtions, b
fore he dies. And if they are idle and il
competent, people judge, and judge right.
that he is reaping the fruits of his own inc
: fcicnt training. But few people think
, applying such a theory to girls. 1t is tn
|, that they may be left to fight their own WI
9 in the world. Many fathers think of SUI
E contingency with a shudder. Why the
do they not arm them for the battle? III
v profession of teaching is oyercrowded al
under-paid. Let girls be educated for som
n thing else, unless they have shown for tn
e a special adaptation. Let them learn tel
' graphing, book keeping, nu sing; let the
r study medicine if their taste inclines til
8. way, or becoming practical printers-an
is thing that is honorable and that will Ike
,e the wolf from the door when it CON
al prowling for its prey, Let etthcm be broug
At up much as boy, to feel that such spec
es training is, as matter Of course, part
m their education.
st We do not mean TO take woman out
sc her place. When she is an honorcd W
er and mother, fully taking up her share
We the burden of the family, she is In the pc
ch ton where she will be happiest and m
list useful. But the wider her culture and
to pericnce the better able will she bc TO
ifc such place wisely. She will not b
1t worse mother for knowing how to Il
nd books or to set type, but a better one. Il
up look up to mothers who can do someth
of hnside bake bread and wash dishes If