Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-07-14
= HIGHER CULTURE FOR NO
.UE.N'.

In his speech at the recent anniversary of
the Packer Institute in New York, George
w. Curtis said: All that was best in the old
times we have now. II Is the same old
world. / come into the Packer Institute
and find Lady Jane Grey studyingthe clas-
sizes. ] 90 into households and see Titania
embracing the ears of her beloved Bottom.
The stern critic denounces the eXlrava-
gauce of the woman of the present day.
But here is Queen Elizabeth, with 5000
dresses, dcnouncing extravaganza. We
have fears for the preservation Of our form
of government, and lament the corruption
of our legislatures. And yet, in those
days, long ago Robert Walpole was heard
to say that every man in the British Par
lament had his price. But here, last fall,
l heard Mr.. Mundela say that Mr.. Glad
stone, the real king of England, had not
even power enough to appoint post-oiiice
clerk. 1 do hope that the time may come
when, with reformed civil service, our
senators and representatives can say that
they have no time to appoint a treasury
clerk We shudder at the h9rrors Of Paris,
and think of modern civilization. And yet
tionally ruled nations of the earth peace
fully settling differences that it seemed
would never be settled without war and
endless hatred. OF these omens Of new
and better time, the constant and higher
estimate of woman in modern society is the
most marked indication. Why, when |
sec these nuns behind me, reflect that If
they had been Grecan maidens in the times
of Porccs, their presence here would have
been esteemed rs a preparation for life of
degradation. That tho highest intellectual
development was the,exclusivc prerogative
of men has been until lately the opinion of
the world. But now we have a higher cul
ture for women marked ont. There is no
inhumauity so revolving as that which says
to another, "Nou shall learn what ple9se,
do what command, and your moral and
physical nature shall be subject to my
pleasure" The reasons against selecting Il
cultivated wife are many. Dean Swift says
that tho lcyity Of the sex will, If woman is
educated, upset her reason, that she will be
very apt to despise her husband, that the
more she knows the worse she will be-
come. In Dean Swilt's time such was the
tenderness of woman that they consented
to remain ignorant, so as not to shame their
husbands. have no doubt that the inde-
cency of that period Of writing was induced
by the fact that men only wrote books, in
tending them to be read only by men. The
preudces against women have been very
slowly relaxed. We are told that women
can make light bread without knowing
Greek. Is it then true that the most ignor-
ant women make the best wives? Is it
possible for such a woman to be as fully "A
mother to her children rs one that is in
tellgent enough to answer their eager
questions ON every topic? The most nota-
BILE woman / ever knew fitted her sons for
college. Now, ladies, your presence here
tonight shows that you don't believe your
! greatest empire is simply to please men.
| Is not your womanhood as precious to you
as my manhood is to me. The only law by
| which women and men can be truly gov
| erncd is the liberty of perfect development.
You cannot know the sphere of any being
until he has the liberty of choosing Il
sphere Give women every opportunity
of education that men enjoy. And if there
be a woman with an overwhelming love Of
learning then that woman's true sphere is
not the nursery, but the shrine of science.
When a Miss of Nassar can educate herself
in medicine, she has the same right rs any
loug-haired, salow-cheeked boy in specta-
cles who hisses at her womanhood. Tie
golden age lies before us, and not behind.
We hear the words of promise TO the chosen
Il 81