The Morning herald., 1876-07-17
The Proper Trai.i.s Of women.
providence Journal.I

/ lAAVvAu0uCO JOuI0AlsI
| Inat women are % whole abnormally
developed as to afectional nature, aud need
the balancing power of sound mental train.
ing and occupation that shall interest them
and strengthen their minds, we thoroughly
believe. woman whose calm, cool judg.
ment modifies and controls her emotional
nature is not only happier herself, but more
useful, and In the long run more comfort
able bodyto have about than she who is for
ever throwing herself before the triumphal
chariot wheels of her idol, man, or Offering
herself willing sacrifice upon tho alter Of
bis pleasures. In short, women must learn
that they too are individuals, and not mere
echoes, or relicts. Educate women in the
widest sense Of heword, and they will after
a time cease to make fools of themselves.
They have 30 long been taught that God
made them to suffer, that If the world goes
with them tney are Ill at ease, as though
their mission was failure.
The other day rich, accomplished young
wife in London, aided by medical student,
whom she paid literally for his services, at
tempted to poison herself In such manner
as to escape detection, In order that her be-
loved husband. who seems to have been ig-
norant of her intention, might inherit her
large fortune. 1t was the traditional idea
of self sacrifice, intensified, we must sup
pose, by q course of sensational novel, to a
perfectly morbid degree. Her attempt
failed, and her punishment of six months
imprisonment will be likely to take the ro-
mances out of the situation and point &C.
we're moral for her. .Y
In the latter part of the last century
when the romance school had run wild in
Germany, beautiful German girl married
a man who gave some promise Of becoming
a poet of merit. She.was the life of large
and Intellectual circle. Her love for her
husband became an abnormal passion. His
poetic gift did not increase as she expected
it 'rrn d, and convinced that he only needed
HH-oGt sensation to kindle the dormant
spark of his genius into beautiful flame
that should cause the world to do him
homage, she dressed herself in bridal array,
lay down upon her bed and stabbed hel self.
Her foolish self-sacriAce proved wholly use
Ices. Her idol proved but poor sort Of
clay. He went into the army. and died in
obscurity.
Genius is fine thing, self-sacrifce to
noble ends when reqniredis beloved of God
and men; but grain of common sense ad-
ded makes life more savory. Give woman
mental and physical training of the best
sort. teach them self-respect, and due re-
gard for law and order, and the women OF
the new century will be better adapted to
"Human natures daily food,"
and to be mother Of nobler race, than
they who are all heart, and whose highest
asperation is to be victim. The Eve otssa
new paradise will live for God as well as
Adam. not be content to take spiritual life
at second hand, after the fashion of Milton's
model women. Let imagination and ten
derness have their due share of culture, but
be balanced by logical and scientific train
ing, and we shal see, or our descendants
will, the
'Perfect women, nobly planed."
The statistics given by Smith, Vassar and
Cornell colleges, 60 to prove that women
bear hard study as well as men. If few
weak ones were to be killed of by educa-
tion, 1t would be better fo- the world to
spare them, than to have all women rated
by their possibilities, or to remain morbid
sentimeutalists.