The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-04-16
THE EDUCATION OF GIRLS.

The Richmond, Va, Enquirer urges upon
its readers the importance Of female educa'
ton, OF neglected kind, in the subJoIned
facetous and sensible article, which we com
mend to our lady friends everywhere, partic
ularly to young girls who expect to be in
vited to preside over some gentleman,
domestic establishment;
an the model seminary which our fancy
has conceived, when young lady arrives
at tho age Of fifteen and goes TO the semin.
! airy, the first thing put in her hands should
be broom. We would first teach her to
sweep-not the pavements, (this they sue
coed in doing withOu, Instruction. but the
floor. After some progress in this, the pupil
ia prepared 10 devote some months in dust
ing and polishing rass-arranging furniture
and putting dls0rdered house to rights
We will suppose the young lady now to be
sixteen. She should at once receive in.
strHction in the use of the needle--nOt that
one which points to the pole, and directs
the mariner in sailing round the world
but that grand implement of civilization
which is used in sewing on buttons and max.
ments which young lady can acquire in
youth, there is none more pleasing and
beautiful than this, aud it is perfectly won.
derfuI how slow the female world has been
In discovering it.. Instead Of the French
professor in such school "a we are think
ing Of. We should engage the services of
some accomplished artist, like NJ. Zetelle or
NJ. Gerot, to teach the young Indies the
splendid art of COoaIug At seventeen a
Young woman should learn all that can be
learned about making bread and the high
est premium of the school-say a beautiful
coral nee klace or a lace pocket handkerchief
should be awarded 10 the best bread
maker Beaten biscuits are disappearing
under the new system Of freedom and we
are having instead an unhealthy compound
Of soda saaratus and -four. Now, let our
girls learn to beat biscuit, and We can set
the colored breakfast cooks at defiance.
Then teach the young pupil how to cook
beeistak-oh, heefstRks are so terribly treat
ed in our Virginia kitchens then how 70
boil eggs, 10 make coffee. to whip sylabub,
and to make pastry. The happiness Of many
sweet and lovely girl is prematurelY upset
by the exposure Of her Ignorance on these
subjects directly after marriage. Nothing
serves so well to make perfect and perennial
the love aud affection OF young husband
~ n tender and well considered beeistRk,
prepared By the hands Of the woman he
adores And, rs to any protracted domestic
sunshine with hard boiled eggs aud tough
beeistcaks, heavy bread and muddy coffee, it
would quench the enthusiasm of Romeo
II. l. l.. r Liz r..
those Accomplishments our Virginia girls
should add little knowledge Of arithmetic
They are expected to negotiate with the
market men for the butter, the chickens, the
eggs, the raSpberres, the vinegar which are
consumed in the family; and must learn how
to get things cheap, aud to make mental
calculations with rapidity and accuracy. II
will be chiefly necessary TO direct their at
tenton to addition, subtraction land detrac
tom, division and multiplication they soon |
learn. They have III our present female |
schools the air pump and Orrcry, and the use |
OF the globes and cruCiblcs, and the blow |
pipes and acids; for these we would subst !
tute the clothes.wrlnger, and the Italian bee
hive and the patent churn aud sewing ma
| chine. Pie making should cover the ground
now held by the piano, and gastronomy
should fill up the the time now devoted to
the guitar A good looking woman with
good pie amounts to great deal more than
good looking woman with a good tune.
We think the great defect in ancient sculp |
ture is the training after the ideal and alb
stract; if the Venus de Medici in the Ufflzi |
gallery at Florence only had an omelette in
her hands, it would have been the graudest
female conception ever originated"