Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-08-28
For the Freeman.
A Chat with Farmers.
No. 90.
BY AGRICOLA.

Having gained the ear of the mothers
who have in charge the education of our
daughters, venture to make some further
suggestions to them.
/ have insisted that, first of all, our
daughters should have thorough and
practical domestic education; that they
cannot be regarded as educated without it.
[ will here add, upon that point, that this
part of her training must be ut home. The
school may claim TO educate its pupils in
household duties, but it can never do it
The object of the domestic department
even ut Mount Holyoke, is not to teach
housekeeping, but to reduce the expenses
to the student, and it is very doubtful
economy. after all.
also suggested, in my last article, the
desirableness of extensive culture for ou
daughters. The next question that nat
orally arises is, Vhere and ho,O shall W,
educate our daughters? l answer, in thi,
home education great care should be taker
to lead to the formation of such habits n!
tend to develop a healthy, vigorous anC
womanly form. The habits which produce
leformily, sickness and death are too com
mon in many families, and the worst part
of the evil is, mothers are often response
BILE for these terrible consequences. When
the mother worships ut the shrine of fash
ion, the daughter will be apt to kneel be
side her, and, it may be, sacrifice her own
life upon that altar. Tight lacing If
dress is fashionable suicide. The daugh
ter may as properly apply the structure
about her neck rs her waist. The result
10 h,1t n nj
more fatal. This ruinous habit is some
times carried so far that free respiration
and blood circulation are absolutely i'm
possible. There is no remedy for thi'
class of evils except in the watchfulness
and care of mothers at home. Indulgence
in this habit is almost sure to result in cur
vature of the spine, nervous prostratior
or consumption, which renders life bur
den and carries the victim to II premature
grave. All our daughters have Il right tc
protection from these evils under the care
and authority of their mothers.
The sending daughters from home tc
secure special educational advantages is q
delicate matter, and the intelligent mother
will be very careful in the selection of hel
school. allude to the dangers TO which
young and inexperienced girls are exposed
at this period of life. AT home the mother
can watch over them; Can advise and con-
troll their associates, correspondence and
intercourse. They need this counsel and
controlling influence from opening girl
hood to mature womanhood. Now the
question is, in which class of schools can
this guardianship be best secured? In
the large mixed academy, or in the sepa
rate boarding school? That the separate
school affords. at least, equal advantages
for culture and solid learning, cannot b'
denied. Which then, otfords The creates
moral security? In the academy for botl
sexes, young girls are liable to be brough
in contact with young men OF doublfu
character, and the arrangements for board
ing and self boarding, are usually so ire
gular that the faculty have no power Il
control the intercourse and correspondent
of the parties, here the mother can neve
know what will be the character OF these as
sociations. Wholesome regulations touch
ING such intercourse, cannot be enforce
in The mixed academy. In the separat
seminary each young lady is under tn
personal oversight of the faculty; tempta
lions are removed from her, and her cor
respondence and intercourse with the eX
ternal world, are positively regulated an
controlled. All that is proper or desirabl
is freely allowed, and all that is perilou
is prevented. 1t still remains the right {
intelligent mothers to determine where
educate their daughters.