River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-12-20
CO-EDUCATIoN.

Inc REPORT OF the Regents OF the
Wisconsin University that they find
that cO-educatiOn of the sexes threat
ems to be delusion, as the girls are
unable, without loss of health, to keep
their places in the class, has aroused
Mrs. Jane Grey Swisshelm, who writes
to the Chicago Tribune one of her
characteristic letters on dress reform,
female health, etc. 1t is not hard
study, she says, which mdermines the
girls health, &c. And
''Then they sit up flights, or other
wise encroach on the hours of rest and
recreation, to alter old dresses, repair
injury to trains, hem ruflleS and trim
hats-Moreover, they mend gloves
and hem handkerchiefs for the male
pupils, who sit and rest, while thought
lessly imposing this additional labor
on the already overtaXed bodies of
their class rivals, who embroider
slippers and make various articles, not
knowing that every stitch, or every
effort of the eye in directing the nee-
die, is a drain on their vitality. The
great trouble with women when brought
into competition with men is their in
ability to rest. They are never con-
tent to do mans work and stop, but
invariably supplement it by some fem
mime employment; and most of the
female competitors for the worlds
work do that of both man and woman.
This predisposition has come down
from mother and daughter, from the
earliest ages, through that general ar
rangement and division of labor by
which "a woman's work is never
done.
''The mother generally works six
teen hours out of twenty-four, and
sleeps the other eight with one eye
open-that is if all is we'll but in case
of illness, she works and thinks from
dawn to dawn, with such cat-naps as
she can catch. Her daughter inherits
from her the predispositiOn to eternal
vigilance and neyer-ceasing activity.
So, when you send her to school with
her brother, she sits up and sews on
his bottoms, while he lies abed and
snores. Then, next morning, he pitles
and patronizes her for being pale, and
nerveless. and weak, and only girl"
This is her remedy:
LET the Board require every girl
under it's care to suspend all her cloth
ing from the shoulders, to have as
much classroom inside of it as a boy,
to wear no skirt longer than six inches
from the ground, to abandon all flounces
and plaitings and all extra cloth which
adds weight to the dress without pro-
portionally increasing its warmth;
and the girls can keep up with the
boys without loss of health"
She would insist upon ali scholars
wearing uniform which would Sc
cure the required simplicity and n.y.
giene in dress.
She has not the slightest doubt of
moral benefit of the cO-education of
the sexes. She denies emphatically
and IN toto all charges to the contrary
"My own experience, both as pupil
and teacher, proves to my satisfaction
that the mingling of the sexes in
schools has an opposite tendency; and
have never conversed with teacher
of experience who did not agree with
me.
There are in many schools pupils
who need careful supervision; but
the temptation to Irritation is less in a
iiitNtu SCDOOl Ildll III Ollt exclusively
of one sex, because of the rivalries in
study, the jealousies growing out of
them and the familiar daily inter-
course which is the great disenchant-
er. are unfavorable to sentimentality
and love making. France educates
her higher-class women in converts,
and they are not superior to others in
purity of life"
sThese Wisconsin fathers propose to
bring up the young men to be hu5-
bands and fathers. the young women
TO be wives and mothers. Tocarry out
the plan, they must meet. Nothing is
more important to happy marriage
than previous intimate acquaintance
of eparties. Where shall they meet
In what way shall they become ac-
quaintedl Is the ballroom, and dane
ing better way of learning each 9TH
ers peculiarities than meeting in daily
recitations and sharpening each 9TH
er's wits by natural friction. "-TeIedo
Blade.