New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-29
LEARNED LADIES.

the reports of those highly interesting celebra-
tons. A great many girls, we observe, in dill
fcrent 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 demoi-
selle Bachelor of Arts" for the most en-
thusiastic tea-drnkcr of the Sorosis must
see the solecsm of such an addition. Neither,
as we understand it, is the feminine A. NJ"
to be regarded as an initial expression OF
"Artum Magster," for that would be
equally improper. It signifies, as we are
told, "Mistress of Arts" and means
about as much when it is given to
women as when it is given to men-whlcll Is
very little indeed. We have always felt that
this Masters Degree was about the absurdest
legacy sent down to us from the scholastic
ages. We are tempted, about this time an
nually, to inquire: master of Arts! What
Artist All of theml Painting! Poetry
Sculpture? Architectural LawP Physic !
"Theology9 Civil EngineeringY The Useful !
"The Mechanical The Liberal The Polite !
"The Arts of War or the Arts OF Peace i
Alas the cabalistic letters give us no lntoriha-
ton upon these points respecting the fortunate
individuals who have been decorated. stu
dent takes his "a. b." 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
demands of her Masters diploma. The com
plying dame hastens to grant his request; ana
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,
for 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, de-
velOp propensity to select ambitious sub
iects, and what is reported of the Exercise
shows the same queer aping of profound WIS
dom and the same suspicion on the part OF
the writer's that the reading of their perform
ances subjects the world to some danger OF a
premature conflagratiOn. Here, for instance,
lin a Chicago newspaper we find an account
of the Commencement of the North Western
Female College at Evanston. Everything was
according to the orthodox pattern, including a
"Salutatory" lin the Roman tongue), Music
"by the Band" and "The Valedictory." The
reporter is kind enough to give his opinion
of the performances, as reporters are sure to
do upon such occasions. or the "Saluta-
torianess" it is observed that her motions
were extremely graceful" The next address
was well digested, and had a vein OF
humanity running through it, The third
went on a little too fast" In the fourth,
Il II. no,oOctbonos onH oaypral of her
" well known gentlemen now dead, were com
plimented." The fifth " was historical, geo
"logical, astronomical, romantic, high-iiown,
and comprehensive" The sixth ION "Geol-
ogyr) was written with dashing and flowing
"pen.n The seventh regretted the unsolved
condition of the problem of the northwest
passage" The Valedictory followed, " bring
"ing tears to many a bright eye" for it was
(says the discriminating reporter cOuched in
"choice language, went straight home, and
"was delivered in a feeling manner" Then
certain young women were made Laureates
8" of Arts" and certain Mistresses of Arts"
and still others "Mstresses of Science"
the Alumni had the usual dinner, and all was
Overt
We have but little to add to this account by
WAY III CDllllutuip Dub We lN'l tliht w Siohiu
show ourselves devoid of sympathy and want
ing in gallantry if we failed to condOle with
the young Mistresses of the n. w. University
upon the extremely hippant and fabby way
in which all their fine things (Which no doubt
cost them gallons of midnight kerosene) have
been reported to the country But reporters
who are of an indOlent disposition, or who are
pressed for room, find ready resource in adj
jectives, of which their assortment Especially
of those which are complimentary is usually
Gas the haberdashers say "large and well Sc
Elected" 1t is thought to be quite enough to
inform mankind that speaker was eloquent
or affecting" or Humorous or that his
"remarks were well received by a large and
"appreciative audience 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 a quasi collegiate course of III
struction has upon the minds of young
women. Does it, for instance, serve to
develop and strengthen that logical faculty
in which most women are deficient,
so that, hereafter, with these Mistresses Of
Arts at least, we may be able to hold high ar
gument without tumble of premises and con-
illusions, without perpetual begging of the
question, and without that most irritating of
expedients, the argumentum dd hOminem? Tn
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 u
required by the rules Under any circum-
stances, it is, at least in opportunity, better
than the curriculum of worsted work, painting
on. .-oIrnt luitL n Nnr, IiLiln EronnL Innsic and