Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-08-13
What IL Girl can Do.
An Example OF " woman,s Right, !,

Am Example OF I" wonan,s Rights
From the Iasallc (n) Union,
In the year of our Lord 1862, fate
found us student in the Normal
University in this State. In COM
mon with about three hundred 9TH
ers, we patiently delved through the
mysteries of learning how to teach,
in order that we might teach how to
learn.
A queer set that three hundred
were-and very naturally, for at that
time only the queer ones ever thought
of becoming professional school
teachers. Those who did where eth.
er crippled, poor, or, like ourself,
both too poor and too lazy to think of
doing anything else, or have an am-
bition above the spelling-book and
ferule. Well, the profession has
looked up some time since then,
which may furnish reason why we
left 1T. There was in the school q
Heterogeneous class, composed of those
scholars who had been in school long
enough to graduate, but who, from
inattention or inability, had not kept
up to the average standard, and had
been put back to go over the ground
again. Some of them had been in
school three, some four, and five
years. They We're looked upon by
the regulars" 1. c., the students
who had kept up with the regular
course, with feeling of mingled
contempt and pity, and even the
scholars in the lower classes patroniz-
ed them. If any mischief was done,
the class of ''stupids" were pretty
sure to have II hand In 1t; on which
account they were not favorites with
the faculty.
One of the most notable Of this
class was young girl named M,
She was fair mathematician, q tole'
rable scholar, q good natured, rather
quiet girl. She had no trouble i'm the
lower classes, and it was not until
she came to those rhetorical studies
where composition Is required, thai
she stuck fast and hopelessly. She
could not write. Every year she
passed through the same examina'
tions, failed in the same place. was
not allowed to graduate; and at the
beginning Of the next year, took her
place where she had commenced the
year before, and, with docile perse-
verance that was funny to. think Of
went over, and over, and over the
same round of studies, with sober
demure and painstaking method.
She bade fair TO be what u great
many other girls become the eordina'
ry wife of an ordinary man. More
than once the faculty shook their
heads and declared that M--would
never, they feared, become an learn
est teacher. For five years she lived
this purposeless, dull and objectless
life, and then u change came.
Her parents lived in Bloomington
where her father carried on furni
ture store. He was stricken dowr
by disease, and, after long and lin
geIing illness, died, leaving M
the oldest girl, her mother, n young
er sister and two younger brothers
all of them dependent upon thei
sister for livelihood. People sym
pathized with her-sympathy is 81
cheap--and came to the following
charitable conclusions: ...
First. That she would have har,
time of It.
Second. That the best thing sh,
could do would be to get married.
Third. That If she couldn't d,
that she might be able to teacl
school.
Z And having thus settled her case
they left her to her fate.
Then the girls nature asserted 1t
self. Instead of selling Off the stool
which her father left, for what sh
could get, and living on ituntil some
thing turned up, she hired workmen
put the stock to rights. and sold 1t a
retail. People pitied her--but the,
bought her goods. People sympa
thized with her, as il it was dread
full thing for girl TO do what i'm
boy would have been thought highl,
commendable.
When the stock ran low, she aston
ished her friends by going to New
York city and buying larger lot o
furniture than any one ever befor
had had the hardihood to bring l.
Bloomington-and what Is more, sh
: sold 1t. For the first year the opel
sympathy and covert sneers of he
friends were hard to bear.
She succeeded of course.
The other day we saw her, afte
seven years of hard work. The sam
old-fashioned, quiet, good-nature'
manner, the same M, unpreten
tious, obliging, demure.
And yet she owns a store wortl
$4,000, in the upper story of whicl
she began her labors, but which j
filled from cellar to garret with he
goods. She purchased house som
time ago for $1,000, and can sell
now for $4,000. She has $4,000 ii
real estate, with stock worth $40, 90
more, and all paid up.
This is work of girl still young
who in school was looked upon onl
as possessed of ordinary abilities.
The secret was, she had persist
ence.