The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-10
Hiaher Educa,i.n Of Girls.

If the true greatness of q nation de-
pends as much on its women as on its
men, too much stress cannot be laid on
the paramount Importance of educating
our woman in such a manner that they
shall be prepared by suitable physical
training and mental culture TO dis
charge their duties in the domestic and
social circle, aiding and counselling
their husbands and brothers, and
moulding the plastic minds of their
children into all the forms of goodness,
patriotism and self-denial. Thus pre-
pared, and thus discharging their posi-
tive duties, the question of the
privileges to which women are
entitled as members of the COM
munity, and TO which they may
Law claim in the body polite, will
admit of easy solution. The subject Is
suggested to us by a paper on the
"Higher Education of Girls" by Miss
Emily Davies, part of which is given
in the Massachusetts, Teacher for Novem-
Der. When a woman speaks to her sex
it is always with sincerity, and gener-
ally withknowledge of the theme which
moves her to address them. In the
present instance no fattery is used.
Actual wants and deficiencies are point
ed out, a distinct admission OF which Is
to he prelude TO the needful reform.
We arc told by Miss Davies of the
small esteem for their intelligence and
GOOD sense in which Eng
fish women of the middle class are held;
of a habit of exaggeration as a femi-
nine characteristic of mental weakness
not COMPENSATED for by bodily strength,
and of want of health so general i'll the
sex. Women, precluded frem whole
some sources of excitement in towns,
resort to such as are unwholesome, and
fall into indolent habits, with their re-
suiting dullness. In times gone by,
circumstances provided discipline
which is now wholly wanting, and
which needs to be supplied by
wider and deeper cultivation. Men
oyertax their own brains, and,
by n doctrine of vicarious rest, are
quite content that women should be
kent in n state of wholesome rust. This
system tells in different ways. Some
girls fret and pine under it; Others are
content to idle about from morning TO
night. acquiring "indOlent and desul-
tory habits, hard to break through when,
later in life, the demand for steady,
methodical exertion comes upon them"
what" asks Miss DaTies, "do ladies
talk about ut morning and evening par
tiesi Children, servants, dress ana
summer tours constitute the staples OF
conversation. which, after awhile, flags,
and leaves the tired countenances to
express the vacancy within" "Of lit
erature women of the middle class know
next to nothing"
Can we say much of that of the high
er classi The catalogue of boOksel-
ler,s circulating library, in which second
rate fiction largely predomlnates, Is a
fair criterion of the range and taste OF
lady readers. The assertion that news
papers are scarcely supposed to be read
by women ut all must bc received with
large allowances in this country, where
women are quite as much readers OF
newspapers rs the men. when politl-
cal or social questions are forced uTon
their notice, they commonlyjudge them
from some purely personal point ofvicw;"
an iniirmity, this, we may add, not con-
fined to the fair sex. We like much tile
sentiment conveyed in the following
words: The want of hearty sympathy.
not ONLY between the classes which are
divided by broad and easily-recognized
distinctions, but between those which
are separated by lines so shadowy that,
looked at from above or below, they are
scarcely discernihle, is one of the most
serious impcdiments to social progress,
and il is one which better and more
wide!y-difi'used culture might do much
to remove
As great things are expected from a
form in secondary instructions, 1t Is
reasonable to ask that such reforms
as NAV bepossible shall be on the wild
est basis, and not emitting any really
important section of society. No par
ticular scheme is offered to meet these
requirements, by n selection of the most
appropriate studies, and allotment OF
time for such. When the discovery of
n perfect plan is reached, SIT
will probably he found, also, that
the same course, is, in the
main. the best for girls and boys, the
object being substantially the same
that of awakening and strengthening
and adjoining the human spirit" 1t is
more especially important that the
period of secondary instruction should
be well spent in the case Of girls, whose
culture up to the age of eighteen years
when il ceases, should be wide and
deep and humane in the highest degree.
There is no university for them, as i'll
the case of boys. to make mp for the de-
ficiencies of school training.