The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-03-24
THE AImLESS EDUCATION OF
GIRLS.

From the Womans Journal.
The education of boys and girls is in
tended to be preliminary to the avoca-
tlons of life. The schoolingof boys has
always been prospective; their educa-
tlon has some definite end. They are
to enter on the practice of professions,
to acquire trades, to be actively epgag-
ed in the commercial world, to fill Of
hces OF trust and emolument. They
are to earn livelihood, to achieve
something TO hew their way to wealth,
distinction aud usefulness, and to help
the world on in its development.
But for what are girls educated ? Or
dinarly their tuition is superficial, and
includes such branches of education as
are mainly ornamental and pleasing.
A little smattcring of French and Ital-
ian, considerable skill on the piano, an
ability to dabble in oils, crayon or wa
ter colors, very thorough knowledge
o. the arts Of the toilet, and of dress,
with great proficiency in crochet;ns,
embroidery and light literature--these
generally make up the sum total of a
girls requirements, when she graduates
from the seminary or academy, and is
pronounced-educated. The aim of
this sort of education is very appsren.
it has reference to the catching vf a
husband, although few among teachers,
pupils or parents would be frank enough
to avow it.
But when it is otherwise, and when
girls are thoroughly and substau tally
educated in the most complete and ex-
tenslve schools of the Jay open to them,
for what are they educated? Their
education is aimless they are to go no.
where-they are to do nothing. The
customs Of society-and some assert
their own physical weakness, though
We dispute it-close to them the pro-
fessions, and trades, commercial and
mercantile life, even when fitted for<
them, and with tastes in that direction.
If compelled to earn their own liveli-
hood, they can teach, sew, set type, be
milliners, dress-makers, cashiers, libra
rians, book-keepers on a small scale, or
enter any Of the other under-paid and
crowded employments into which women
are perpetually remanded. Or, if they
do not need the pittance that comes
from these crowded occupations, they
may drone in elegant and demoralizins
idleness in their fathers house, till
they are taken thence by a husband, to
home of their own.
Is it strange, that under this inexor-
able rule Of society, girls sink into
frivo)ity aud nothipgness-or, worse
yet, fall into intriguing and dissolute
ways? Or, if endowed with heart and
intellect Of an order that hungers for
food, and cannot be nourished by the
pabulum that modern society offers to
the young woman, shall we wonder if
she beat the wings Of her spirit against
the gilded bars Of her cage, and grow
morbid and restless, bitter and sick Of
life, and consequently sick in body?
Need we wonder that so many girls en-
ter with giddy zest into almost the on
ly career open to them--that Of hus-
baud-hunting? '
The curse Of woman's aimless edu.
cation and dependent life is that it
perverts those sentiments and aspira-
tions which should be the highest and
hottest. It leads to marriages Of inter
est, and convenience, and necessity,
Concluded On Fo~rth Pase,