, 1874-08-16
Learned ladies.

II women BaOi4d grow 1tI1tapto II HCu1d Ue
no WONDER 20 cterna1ly are they discussed in the
newspapers of these latter days. Isn't it time
definitely to admit that woman has right to
study that which aho wizhes to study, the honest
wish being accepted as evidence Of the pto2riety
OF the pursuit a? let is there no end OF cheap
dialectics upon this point. Hera VIC have, in
fifty Journals, complaints of the eeyere course OF
study pursued at fhe Packer Institute or at nut-
gers School, at Eassar or other college for girls
compliant Of too much Latin and Greek, or of
too much attention to philosophy and the sci
epces. On tho other hand, il girl gives her
golden youth to the delicacies and e1egancies Of
acquisition-to music, drawing, dancing, tho
modern lauguages-stlo is denounced aa frlyo-
lous, o. laughed at as light-headod- So she hes
itstes whether to be Muse OF Grace, and fre-
qucntly the doubt disastrouRly results in ber
being neither. Another trouble of the young
ladies' is That they can never clothe themselves
to euir all sorts of philosophers. II they
neglect dress they n1e dowdy. II they make an
elaborate aud brilliant toilet, studied to conform
to their own personal style, then they are too
foud OF display; SO that between old-fashloued
notions Of what becomes young woman and
ncw-fash;oned notions Of what does not become
her, they are left at LOGS whether to be strong
minded or frivolous, forgetting sometimes that
theJ have need only to be earnest, and honest,
and 1aLuF1t. ~ EO0U h0oWiEAst VI tHt dlttk
and Latin literature may bo valuable to q woman
Just an to man this we say without stopping to
Tx its precise value to either. One would think
from the pother made about them that learned
ladies' wero absolute novelties, whereas they
have been common enough ever since the
revival OF learning. There are few
stock students of the feminine kind, cele-
brntcd as 1znnicnsely classical in their pursuits;
and arc not these always paraded IN tie Com
mcncement speeches at ladies' colleges? The
Tntn ln9t[Y
Queen Catharine OF AraGon to Mrs. Browning
from Aiargaret Roper, Sir Thomas Morc's daugh-
ter, down to the sweet srl-graduatcs OF the
present season. Invent We been told often
ve1sel in Latin, Greek. Hebrew. Cha'dee, Ara
bic, French and Italian i? Indeed, these English
ladies' Of classical requirements we're gery nu-
merons in the sixteenth century, even before
Queen Elizabeth set the fashions which, per-
haps, she did not so much set US follow. DAM
sells who wish to read Homer or Horace in tho
original need not lack for precedent. Only
when girl has gone rcsofutefr to work, and has
proved the ability OF her sex to acqulre
Greek, it must be rather discouragipg to her
to read in the newspapers that Ehe has wasted
her time and has been crammed to little purpose.
Why DO they not gay these things about pale
faced boys who have fed Themselves upon Greek
roots into 0 dyspeps!ae ? We are for all mauuer
Of experiments. After such pother, we trust
that Ill these problems are not to bo left unaoly
ed and uncertain.
In the second place, while foolish1y-extrav-
asant dressing is to be censured ard satirizcd,
it ought to DO understood aud admitted that
dress is OF vastly moro importance to woman
than to man, WHO Likes to see his sister, bis wife.
OF his sweetheart aIayed 1ike INTO Solomon
in all his glory. Is it. 1or nothing that, as 1fr-
Herbert Spencer observes, "tho decorative
element has contlnued to predominate IN
q greater degree among women than
amoDg men: - Suppose TINT this does arise
from the ''dcsiro Of appreciation '-is ap-
probation then thing to be condemned and
carefully avo1ded? Is a she.cJnic any more
tole,atle than a he-cynic II the love OF art be
desirable quality, IS there any reason why it
should not be shown in q statuesque arrangement
OF draperI OF in brilliant combination OF color3
we men like women sumptuously clothed, aud
why should ve pretend that ne do not like THIS
harmless display this show not merely harm
less but sometimes positively useful and ins.ruc-
tive?
Upon the whole re are beginning to be half Of
the opinion that women have not much OCCASION
to be grateful for masculine adyice. Opportuni-
ty, liberty, encouragement, the chance to be true
to her best inteutions-these ale what woman
wants. and not endless advice and doematical in
reference. II there be petty restraints, away
with them! II there be conventional aad mis-
taken dogmas, let them be discarded! II there
be ryrannicnl laws, the sooner VIC repeal them the
better! Woaa4o 1aust work out her oun saiYs-