The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-07-17
The Higher Education of Woman.


The following is synopsis of an ad-
dress delivered by Mrs. c. a. 1Soule at
the Ohio Universalist Convention at
Cleveland, June 4:
Why do women want TO go TO college?
is the question. Various answers to this
question come from the world. With
the sarcastic and the trifler we have
nothing to do. Our grandmothers did
their duty, and yet they did not go to
college. Our mothers did not, yet they
ordered wider range Of education for
their children. The question has been
been asked Of me: HAS your academic
education been of practical use TO you as
a woman "' 1t has been a help to me.
It has intensified my joys and lightened
my sorrows. IL has made even a flower
one Of the minor apostles of nature, and
helped me to understand the glory Of
the Father as it shone round about me.
Ii has served as a barrier between me
and cold, and hunger, and nakedness.
When at twenty-seven death came and
found me a widow, with five babies,
and bank book with a balance of three
hundred dollars, even then the ordinary
avOcations for women were eOvercrowded,
and my pen became my refuge. The
conditions of life vary with each sue
cessive generation; who would go back
to them? The education of my grand
mother did not answer for me; so my
education will not answer for my grand
daughters.
Boys need better advantages than
heretofore; and if boys, why not girls =?
The conditions of life have changed so
much within the past generation that a
higher education for women is an abso-
lutte necessity of the times. See the
progress of the age in regard to the de-
tails Of domestic life. The time has now
come for woman to stand side by side
with man in all the avocations of life.
The higher education does not contem-
plate the mere society adornments, but
the cultivation which will dignity al
domestic life. The history of many lit
erary women would reveal a domestic
experience rich and valuable. Tht
story of Mary Somerville, Of remarka.
BILE astronomical knowledge, reveals hel
interest in the ordinary details of life
Did she die at thirty Of consumption
Mo- She lived until ninety-three, anC
then died peacefully in the midst of bel
scientific pursuits. Experience demon
strates the necessity Of the higher educa'
tiOn.
A second question comes, shall we
send our daughters to the female schoo
or to the mixed college? In Other
words, shall we endorse the co-educatioI
OF the sexes2 Most decidedly, we an.
sweT, send them to the mixed school,
God never designed the world to be g
great Shaker meeting, with the men on
one side and the women on the other
God does not ordain that men and WON
en- should form monasteries and num-
neries, but He gathers the solitary into
homes. The college needs a woman
protessorship, not because she will teach
better, but because Of the application oi
the principles Of the textbooks to the
necessity of a girls nature. These girls
are 10 be the women Of theduture. Take
Physiology and Hygiene. These are
studies which stretch into the future
and they need loyal woman TO expounC
their principles, as soul speaking to soul
The sacredness of their own bodies, fol
our bodies are q sacred trust, and thu
world will never be cleansed from it
defilemeut until they are made pure
So Of the woman student of chemistry
She will find applications for her knowl
edge In many Of the necessities Of house
keeping which will render life NOR
agreeable and homes more happy. Ant
so Of many other departments Of knOwl
edge; they find their applications in th'
wants and necessities of human life. 4
good plea might be made for woman
professorship in q male college, foI
young men also need the example of ;
pure, loyal woman to not only shield
young men from temptation, but Il
MAJ maze them strong TO avoid temptation
anu anu 20 20 render their lives centers of pur,
ana holy Influences.
For fb.ro
higher education of women and tba sr' er'
dowment and full establishment oF tb,
Moman's Professorship in BncbteI coI
Iege.-Iotedo Sunday Journal vi