New-York tribune., 1875-10-09
WOMAN'S EDUCATION.
WOMAN'S ART STUDIES.

OCCUPATIONS IN ATT T-BoAEDING-noUSEs-PLAIN
ROOMS AND sEIF-HEIP-A RICH MANS oProR-
TUNITY.
roths Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: think you will give room for few
words which want to say in response to the good
and timely editorial entitled 1.-The September Rose
IN your paper to-day. II so happens that all the
morning and at our talk midday meal this
very subject Of the education Of women which shall
enable them to feed and clothe their bodies and give
some sustenancc to their souls rs well, has been
strenuously pressed on my notice. In your article,
for which thank you in the name of all earnest
women You say: "1here many trades, the lighter
handicrafts and above all etching wood engraving,
aud lithography, with which if she had been taught
she could have earned her living and remained in
The shelter of home" To this YOU might add the
higher decorative arts and manufactures III which
there il at the present moment a strong interest
awakened. With tho ample opportunities furnished
by the Cooper Union the various studies schools ana
teachers there is lack of means for the instruction
Of Young women in this city. but there is
a very embarrassing want of the proper homo or
shelter or dwelling wherein the young women may
abide while receiving this instruction. Without
making reflections on the young girls OF oar own
CITY, think that those desiring real and available
knowledge will be found mostly to be the dauchtcrsof OF
families scattered widely through the country
Some whom know have come through many dill
cultcs from the far Western States, full of talent
determined not to be dead weights on the men ut
home TO take back to the mother whcrewithal TO
buy her new dress Instead of letting her turn the
old one to furnish her Rose with pretty gewgaws
They have perhaps. either through their own thrift
or the generosity of the father or brother brought
with them a certain sum of money for lessons III
drawing. engraving illustrating, &c, &C., and it is
TO- n
these or the useful arts; but, alas! there is the
boarding-h house question: and the girls coming from
sweet and honest country homes hate New-lOrk
boarding houses There is no resource hut to take
the cold and crbbed hall bedroom at $40 or 81 per
week washing not include. feed at the gregarious
boarding house table. spend much precious time IN
fixing up" the cuffs and collars and dresses so "a
not to appear poor to the lynx eye OF the eX-
perenced female boarder and for want of an eligl-
BILE escort to go out in the evening one must shut her
self in the dismal bedroom, or still worse alterna-
tive sit in the detestabe atmosphere of boarding
house gossip and the inane if not wicked, company
most usually assembled in the boarding house parlor
Having as little time to waste In words as you
space for them, will speak my thought aS briefly
as may Is there i'll this great, generous helpful
CITY some one who will give home t0 one or two,
or r. or 20 girls, who come with the purpose and
the capacity to be living useful, independent wo-
men instead of helpless, useless dependent weights
on the male victims of their own households, or the
possible pitiabe husbands OF the futureG sald give
n home and i'm some cases a perfectly gTatuitous
provision may be necessary for a little time,
but no brave-spirited. honorable girl land
only such are worth helpngl would be con-
tented TO accept this moment longer than she
could help. The class of young women who would
be aided have, as said generally some small means
on which to depcnd-and a Home begun III the
simplest and most practical manner, but quite unin-
numbered by debt at the outset, can, under
proper direction be made, by less than half the
usual price of board. nearly if not quite selfsup-
porting IL some of the princes of our city whom
the gods have permitted to retain heart with their
millions could see what great things might be done
for women by this very simple and prosalc help,
think it would be DONE The theory OF evolution
inot DarwInianl might be admirably demonstrated
here From the plain house in respectable neigh
borhood. where young ladies would do ther own
small and simple but good and wholesome cooking,
keen their rooms in order, do their marketing
thus learning many useful things at once-and
thence 90 to their studios. ateers, or work
rooms with free minds and light hearts,
might grow the palace Union Home Tor
student women, the safe, well-ordered shel'er
which shall rescue them from the dreaded boarding
bouse and protect them in their efforts to be women
in the truest highest sense. Do you THINK my gen.
erous and much respected TRIBUNE, that perchance
some merchant prince has already had a dream OF
making such a beautiful gift to women, and was un-
happily kept from turning 1t to reality by the night
mare like and gigantic proportions which 1t as
sumed Just whisper in his ear "Try 1T again on
a smaller scale, Mr.. Swell Smith wewill say
give us pretty house in quiet street all nicely
furnished and ready to begin, or even take corner
slice from the big vision, fit that up and say to the
girls with the strong wills, the ready hands, the
honest hearts, Come stay in this good home, while
YOU learn to fill the worlds honest need for good
wives good mothers, and most of ALL good and
happy, because busy ard useful single women"
New-York Sept. IS 1879. NJ d.