The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-21
Collegiate Education for Women.

The New Smith College for young wo
men at Northampton, Mass, was dedicated
on Wednesday. Its president, Rev. l..
Clarke Seelye. delivered the main address
of the occasion. lie alluded, in opening,
to the site of the College, surrounded by
mountains, "those unsalaried professors"
says Pres. Seelye, "whose lessons so rich
ly supplement our human learning" The
main object of his discourse was to show
that collegiate education equal to that now
and for long time supplied to our young
men, should be extended to our young wo-
men. He ably argued the necessity for
the same thoroughness of culture for wo
men as for men, and, in order to secure it.
for the same standard of admission to col
lege, to be followed by curriculum of
equal completeness and variety.
OF course much of his discourse was
equally an argument for admission of
young women to the colleges established
for Young men. He said:
Many doubtless will sympathize with an
intelligent gentleman who said to me 81
admit the force of all the arguments in ia
vor of higher and systematic female ed
ucation, but should be afraid of such wo-
men. Think of wife who forced you to
talk perpetually about metaphysics, or to
listen to Greek and Latin quotations." His
feelings are not uncommon.
The horror of blue-stockings has not
ceased; and there is some ground, we ad-
NIT for tho horror Womop hos
ly, in her efforts to satisfy her thirst for
knowledge, been obliged to ostracse her.
self from society, so that often, uncon-
sciously to herself, she has become coarse
and repulsive. 1t is not to be wondered
at that one should seriously question the
wisdom of sacrificing the graces of refined
womanhood for greater knowledge of
classics or mathematics. Is this sacrifice
one which higher mental culture requires
knowledge itself is refining. Good tastes.
keen perceptions, well stored and disciplined
minds are attractive. May we not pre-
serve the social graces and add to them
those which come from intelligence. Are
gentlemen of culture perpetually talking
metaphysics, or employing Greek and
Latin quotations so that their collegiate
training generally dminishes their social
attractionsS
1ne tcu0tuCJ VI tuut tTdliluS, ~ ~ Uc
not thwarted, is to increase the fitness of
any man for social, as well as professional
life. at prepares him." says one whose
eloquent words illustrate their truth, "to
fill any post with credit and to master any
subject with facility. 1t shows him how to
accommodate himself to others, how to
throw himself into their state of mind, how
to bring before them his own, how to infu-
ence them, how to come to an understand
ing " it'll them. how to bear with them.
He is at home in any society; he has com
mon ground with every class; he knows
when to speak and when to be silent; he
is able to converse he is able to listen he
can ask a question pertinently and gain a
lesson reasonably when he has nothing to
impart himself; he is ever ready, yet never
in the way; he is a pleasant companion
and a comrade you can depend upon; he
knows when to be serious and when TO
trife; and he has a sure tact which enables
him to trihe with gracefulness and to be
serious with effect"
Is not the training which tends TO make
aman all this, as valuable to woman, and
is such training likely to deprive woman
hood of its charms?
Considering the question of health,
President Seelye admitted that it would be
an objection to the higher education OF
woman if it is seriously endangered her
health, but said that study properly pur.
sued is healthy. Intelligence is a benefi,
to the body. Educated men are the long.
est lived Students, as a class, are less
exposed to disease. Statistics clearly show
there is less mortality among the youth in
our colleges than among those of similar
age in other pursuits. Those familiar will
our colleges understand that it Is not gen
orally the regular routine of college worl
which affects unfavorably students health
1t is the various forms of dissipation t.
which young men are prone; it is the cram
ming for special examinations, working fo
prizes, preparing for public exhibitions
which bring physical injury-all of which
we hope to do away with.
In spite of these things, however, / bea
witness from personal observation of tel
years at Amherst, that the health of tn,
students, as rule, improved from fresh
man to senior year. There is no reason
why similar improvement may not tax,
place among young ladies. The incon
sistency of those who consider the stud,
of Greek too severe strain on women
and yet encourage their own daughters il
fashionable and wearing dissipation wa
pointedly exposed in this connection.