The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-12-25

ing means and leisure for study, and
there was nowhere in the United States
Just the sort of instruction offered that
these Cambridge girls wanted while all
the time there was just the instruction
they did want, right on the ground, and
yet not to be had. Miss Gilman was
one of these Cambridge girls who was
ready for Harvard studies, if she might
have had them; and there was naturally
some conversation about it, more or less
casual, among the friends of the Gil
mans, with hardly any definite expccta-
tion of anything's coming out of it. OF
course many professors were among
these friends, and a good many were far
more in sympathy with the girls than
the government of Harvard was. So it
came about that one and another offered
to come to the rescue by giving private
instruction to Miss Gilman and such
other young ladies of Cambridge as
wished it, this instruction to be in every
respect equal to that given their classes
in Harvard So many professors and
tutors were willing to give their spare
time to such private pupils that it was
suggested they should arrange among
themselves course, or system of courses,
and average the price Of tuition, so that
q lady might pay one annual fee, to
cover all the instruction she received
from all the professors, and that an invi'
tation should be extended to all women
of suitable age and preparation to share
the advantages offered. Accordingly
the corps of instructors engaged in this
voluntary work agreed that they could
afford to give eight hours week of in
struction for an annual fee of 5000
these eight hours being selected at the
pleasure of the student from about a
hundred hours weekly offered by the in
structors. That is, thirty-nine instruc-
tors stand ready to give weekly certain
number of hours (some one, some four,
some six) to any qualified lady who shall
present herself for private collegiate
teaching, and the number Of hours thus
offered is in the aggregate, for the pres
ent year, ninety seven week. For the
regular fee of 5000 student may select
eight of these hours, and is at liberty to
take as many more as she can pay for,
at higher rates.
The offer was made known to the
public, under the name of "Private Col
lsgiate Instruction for Women at Cam
bridge" The success of the scheme was
surprise to its founders. The number
of women who presented themselves and
their ability was beyond what had been
expected by either instructors or outside
friends
RELATION OF THE GIRLS TO THE UNIyER-
| sITY.
Between 80 and 40 ladies are now
studying there and the sympathy of the
faculty of Harvard with the plan is in
creasing, as shown by the increasing
number who offer to join the corps of
instructors, and the increasing enthusi-
asm of those already engaged ip it The
authorities of Harvard, as Harvard,
have nothing to do with it; the certii-
Gates received by the students are not
issued by the University, but by the
committee which has charge Of the af-
fairs Of tho "Private Collegiate 1nstruc-
ton for Women" 1t is said that Pres
ident Eliot and the corporation have not
even been asked their opinion about it,
and, being gentlemen, have not given
any. 1t is the desire of those having
in charge the private instruction to keep
it distinctly separate from the Universe
ty, or rather to emphasize the fact that
it is distinctly separate; to have every
one realize that it is no more the bust
ness of the Harvard authorities to help
or to hinder, than it would be if one of
their tutors chose to spend his unoccu-
pied hours in calling on some Cambridge
lady and reading Plato and Schopen
hauer with her. It. is true that the
presence of the University makes posi-
bic this private instruction by bringing
the corps of instructors to the spot, but
SO does it make possible all the private
acquaintance and social occupations
that any professor has in Cambridge, by
giving him employment there. Recog-
nizing this, President Eliot, whatever he
may foresee of the way things are tend
ing, finds himself in position where
any criticism would be a criticism of the
private acts of private gentlemen, not an
official structure on the official acts Of
professors in the University. He and
the rest of the corporation are, therefore,