The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-30
SPIRIT OF THE PRHss.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
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LEARNED LADIES.
From che n. y. Tribune.

EsCN tHt ~ II AFtVU"o'
This being the annual saeson of University
iubilees, it would be impossible not to notice
the space which young women now claim in
the reports of those highly interesting cele-
brations. A great many girls, we observe, in
different parts of the land, are receiving the
degree of A. NJ, which, for obvious reasons,
in their case, seems to have been substituted
for the Baccalaureate 1t is utterly impossible
to call fresh, blooming, and beautiful de-
noiselle Bachelor of Arts, for the most
enthusiastic tea-drinker of the Sorosis must
see the solecism of such an addition. Neither
as we understand it, is the feminine "a. M.
10 be regerded as an initial expression of
'Artium Magister for that would be equally
improper. 1t signifies, as we are told, Mis-
tress of Arts and means about as much
when it is given to women as when
it is given to men-which is very little iu-
deed. We have always felt that this Mas
ters degree was about the absurdest Legacy
sent down to us from the scholastic
ages. We are tempted, about this time
nuelly. to enquire: -''Master of Arts, What
Arts? All Of them? Painting? Poetry?
Sculpture? Architecture? Law? Physic?
Theology? Civil Engineering? The Useful?
The Mechanical? The Liberal? The Polite?
The Arts of War or the Arts of Peace? Alas!
the cabalistic letters give us no information
upon these points respecting the fortunate indi-
YlQualS WHO nave De6u u6COTHl6u. n bbuu6ub
takes his "a. E., and goes Immediately into
the Goldfish Or cotton business. Three years
after he boldly approaches his Alma Mater
with the requisite fees in his hand, and de-
mands Of hen d Masters diploma. The CON-
plying dame hastens to grant his requests and
he marches proudly away, to the music of a
brass band bearing the attesting skin neatly
tied up with bonny blue ribbons.
We have looked over the programmes of
several Of the female commandments, and,
Tor all that we can see, they are exactly like
the programmes in the colleges devoted to
the other kind of young human beings.
These graduating girls, equally with the boys,
develop propensity TO select ambitious sub
iects, and what is reported of the exercise
shows the same queer aplng of profound
wisdom and the same suspicion on the part
of the writer's, that the reading of their per-
formances subjects the world to some danger
of premature contiagration. Here, for
instance Gin Chicago newspaper) we had
an account of the commencement of the
Northwestern Female College at Evanston
Every thing was according to the orthodox
pattern, including a 'Salutatory" Gin the
Roman tongue), "Music by the Band, and
''Ihe Yaledictory" The reporter is kind
enough to give his opinion of the
performances, as reporters are sure to do
upon such occasions. OF the ''Salutatorian-
ess" it is observed that cher motions
were extremely graceful" The next address
was well digested, and had q vein Of humanity
running through it." The third ''went on a
little too fast" In the fourth, Homer,
Cicero, Demosthenes, and several other we'll
known gentlemen now dead, were compli-
mented" The fifth ''was historical geo.
logical, astronomical. romantic, high-fown,
and comprehensive" The sixth (on "Geo-
logyO was written with dashing and flow
ing pen" The seventh regretted the un-
solved condition of the problem of the North
west passage The valedictory followed,
bringing tears to many bright eye, for it
was (says the discriminating reporter)
''coucbed in choice language, went straight
home, and was delivered in a feeling man
ner. Then certain young women were made
'Lsureates of Arts, and certain 'Mstresses
of Arts, and still others ''Mistresses of
Science;" the alumni had the usual dinner
and all was over!
We have but little to add to this account
by way of comment, but we feel that we
should show ourselves devoid of sympathy
and wanting in gallantry if we failed to con-
dole with tho young mistresses of the n. w.
University upon the extremely fiippant and
fiabby way in which all their fine things
(Which no doubt cost them gallons of md
night kero3ene) have been reported to the
country. But reporters who are of an iudo-
lent disposition, or who are pressed for room,
find q ready resource in adjectives, of which
their assortment Especially Of those which
are complimentary is usually Gas the haber-
dsshers say ''large and we'll selected" 1t is
thought to be quite enough to inform man
kind that a speaker was eloquent, or ''af-
fecting," or humorous" or that "his re-
marks were we'll received by large and
''apprecistive audiences" and what he really
did say is generally considered of but little
importance. But apart from curiosity, to a
fair amount of which we are willing to make
confession, we think it would be interesting
and instructive to know something of the
effect which quasi collegiate course of in-
struction has upon the minds of young
women. Does it, for instance, serve to de-
velop and strengthen the logical faculty in
which most women are deficient, SO that
hereafter, with these Mistresses of Art at
least, we may be able to hold high argument
without tumble of premises and conclu-
sions, without perpetual begging of the ques-
ton, and without that most irritating of ex-
pedients, the GrguDlentum dd hOmineAa? ? I'm
questionably, the Female University must be
a vast improvement upon the old-fashioned
boarding-school, to which misses were con-
signed with the "two towels and spoon" re-
ouired by the rules. Under any circumstances,
it is, at least il opportunity, better than the
curriculum of worsted work, painting on vel
vet with a very little French, music, and
drawing) which was formerly pursuedin in young
ladies' seminaries but it is an improve
ment only as it is likely to affect the
pursuits and tastes of more advanced period
OF life. TO be sure, the rule here j. the same
which, in common fairness, we must equally
apply to institutions for young men. If
student spends four years in acquiring az
elementary knowledge of the Greek language
and at once upon his graduation begins t,