, 1874-03-21
LITERATURE.
8gx md EtlNCatsOns

In tho spring Of last ycnr DR.. =. II. Olarko road.
byinvitatlon, boforo tho Womntl' Club Of Boston,
MI ossay on tho rotation Of sox to tho education
OF womon. Tho paper oxcitol m unexamp]cd
amount Of discussion, oliciting various and con-
tftcting criticisms. Encouraged by thts urox-
poctod expression OF interest. tho Doctor wnB In
dnccd to oxpnnd tho essay into little volume,
which waa published IN tho ensuing autumn.
The local attention which the essay awakened
Immediately bocamo general. and tho volume re-
ceived from tho thoughtful everywhere tho most
oarnost consideration. The time was ripo for IL.
Peoples minds already full Of agitation on all
Questtons OF RETURN, were prapAral to ontar
upon careful Investigation Of this, which IL
ouo Of The most vital. THO health Ut American
women, and the manner III winch it is sffectod
by popular methods ol education, Ia q subjeo&
sl,at touches most nearly tho interost Of every
American oltizon.
Naturally the book passed. under tho most
,oarchlng scrutiny. Tho authors 1anguago.
oEio. aud evidence were ecauned and Bifto1,
n,ra,ed on every side, and hold in every light.
Seldom is q work 80 vigorously in-
,poctod and sorupuloualy measured. This
waa just wlnt the Doctor must havo antioi-
patei anti most desired. 10 aronBc Thought,
provoke comment, avalon antagonistn oyet, w1s
progressive ago, to faston tho attention upon
any crying OWL Is to Insure ita amo1totation as
fur and as fast Us enlightened opinion can &C.
complish tho object. --.
Nobody could dony Dr.. C]arke's statements
exhibiting a disastrous condition OF health
among American women. A limited observation
sui,ices to confirm their testimony. Some ex-
ceptions we're taken to tho plainntss with which
these statements Wero made, n1id tho pocullas
publicity g1vcu them. But tho oritcisul hal no
FGuutqef,on Tlr C1nrtn'a 1lnt,l,1r rytla
luvarlnbly modest aud hIB language dolicntely
choscn. Ho Ind important truths TO toll, and
he must convey them in tel7la that would bo un-
mistahable. besides, ,Yl.en women arc pressing
inLo seats in schools. at tho olni, at tho bar, in
lilo pulpit, in all public places, by The s,do Of
and In competition with men, they 1nunt expaot
that subjects which arc excluded from the re-
hned, rose.ecantcd atmosphere Of the drawing
room viii continually arise for opei. dtscnss.on
complain. 1t is tho legitimate result Of sharing
with mon tic fruit Of the trea OF knowledge. II
women arc to assist mon in making laws they
must freely debate with mon all ovalB which
compel tho necessity OF laws. But lot woman
retain hor purity, nt1 sho Gnu afford to lay Asile
prudery. Thero are TO topics within the zango
Of hunlan intelligence TINT nlny not DO appro-
priately mud proiisab!y discussed by men and
womon under the safeguards of daconcy and
ducorun1.
There has been universal expression of
gratitude for Dr. C1arko's yoln,ne, eyon by those
who most warmly dissent from it's conclusions.
Women who arc auxlous for tho welfare Of their
He1 nro glad to hayo public attontion called to
ca n,'a,, ars onfoohl hw a;sss.. nncn1ar r.
in for1;u;ra a. o,"at,o ihat an tha cnus"s
this goneral inyalidism may be discovered, and,
rodr',,. ~ I';s ro1oaao"1I axnar;anno on,sr.s
tH, -.aainud, ~ 1;so"sn h. ia oh;or, o,r,,,.1 ~
H. nn.odr"a,inn ~ ~ III" Serns. tiat ;a ~ Tia
;dantica1 cinsat;on N If ,,irlH an') hora 1io odt.
~ ,'nas ~ amman asanst Tia r;oht or nro.
nrn,v ] n ~ wnnan.s arnring M n1ofnnnsl am3 ~.
ttnns;ya m n,Incation M hnr brntl,nr. hnt Ia
ar,nvs aIl hia fnrcn nca;,,st lar nron1,pp II nc.
conl;n,s to tje san1e 1nothodss Haro ia tRo nnint
against which general hostility liza 6oen loygod.
tielr ~ beaiR, nsrs,1o tIer education N tho man.
nor ostablisbuI il, existing schools nnd colleges,
It la felt that fatal blow s aitnod at their intel
iect,,ni nrorress. 0~" ~ '>''''0~> 1A'"1
Able essays IN opposition to this opinion have
originated from nadny sourcea. IN giyn ti,nin
liz strength ind Influence OF combination. \
number Of The bost-tlir.oou- been unito'lin
tlIo ynlnmo whom titlo hands thia notice ;Tnev
ave from such Bkillful writer's an Nrrs. Horace
Mann, Oarolino Il. Dali, Elizabeth stuart Phelps,
Ti1onas wentworth Hirrnso1,- etc. oi., 1hcta,oc
Of most OF thom ia tcnipoi ato. fair. and car,dul.
Evary mint in Lie whoio jrngt,, of Dr' CInrc's
oreuineut il chuIlonccd: !: oyery weak anI in
sound placo is exhibited mud. when all il done.
thcro IL m dcnvino int n 10 nratt,, tInrounht,
domo,is;,od. # liz Gtarko he thn 2onost f,fand
Of women. which oyery paro IL in bis book 9I acarea
bc a Ia ws mt ho cbersn., ovor liz JaFnat
liz wiil bo satiHiied With hayine stimuIats,I an
rrdent controversy, % and instgatod sasacious OBJ b.
seryers iIro hnsoir II ,,n;t6 in trac5nT ~ 3,o;,
rirht so11rca ayia wi,;c Mi ,nust donInro md a
al nxious tn oraloata. ta' A'' '''' N'p'01' 0Do ~
Dr. Clarko's urrnnnont aca;nat characterization
~ H., ynxoa no. g ,,n ~, s 1880; ~: .rio.A ,tia
Amorcnn g,rls pprst,o thcir ptuas IN tie samc
mannor M i,ova. and t,,at r, nraat ,naior;tnnS
caans thn;r hao hnfaxs, ~ soas or aann
their scl,ool.courso is ended. In rei,,tne 'j tho
doilnct;on from tnsc nrnnnai,ions 1,;s 6,,,n .ao
nents nTo fai1ed to sow ,r;t' auI;cans e cpp'
ness tho utter falptv Of the iirat Of tham' Amnr-
mn irls do mi rrio thar stndoa ~ ia sa,
n,an1cr M Ioxa rbov nov nttond Il to iue sao sa1
schools, and 70 thro,1e}, TIM s"n,o curric,am Hso
Int thoir hahta ~ ,osa ~ ,ys ad ~ a,.d,,
arn raicaIIv tTrront anil hera IL anr w o' t
whoin trombto Iins, W." A''1' 40 "A''o 'no
~ t,'a n,ut ,,nao oa' ,,;-,, oa.,,,.o,, 4,,.;
ami cnnatr;ot iho;p Ss vGptoss .ne'r wn1ssa
md Lnot thair hrn,ra with rrnsa ~ cnrio n.5
braids, tilt their bodies forward Mt m nnnntnrui
nnt.lo with hirII-hcoIcI shoca. md. in manifol<l
80 ;,,..a,,;an.'n .. f , ~ - t'4"toia
,naI a ninie + MasS ueSaou w reshom lam