The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-02-06
ESSAY,

READ BY MRs. p. KNoLE TRAVIS AT THE TEACH
zRs' NsurUrE, HELD IN HARTFORD, JAN. "A.
The subject upon which have been invited
to write is, Is collegiate education for women
failure? to which promptly reply, No; en-
phatically, No! And amid the abundance Of
It's success I wonder that any one should ask
such question; yet know there are multi
tudes OF people whose limited minds, never
pressing beyond the range of thought which
their fathers and grandfathers occupied, would
answer yes as promptly as do no. In fact,
our habits of thinking are like our habits Of
eating or scting-when tue mind once gets in
to deep ruts pit is as hard to change its manner
Of thought as to refrain from eating those
things which we have long considered harmless
and healthful, even though they are proven to
be otherwise; or OF dessting from doing those
things to which We and Our parents have be-
come habituated through the centuries that
have come and gone, even though we are con-
vlnced that we and our sres have degenerated
wonderfully through their effects upon the
system. So say that if there is large num-
Der who would shake their heads at my no, il
is not so much to be wondered at since amid
all the light and liberty of the nineteenth CEN
tury there still fingers the degrading relic Of all
the heathenism, barbarism, and slavery Of all
the ages that have passed to prejudice the hu-
man mind and hold il in the same old grooves
OF thought in which il has ever moved; and
so, although 1t seems very much like attempt
ing to prove an anxiom, suppose must sus-
tain my point by facts and arguments.
First, then, although but few years have
elapsed since women have been permitted to
enter any OF our colleges and even now but a
few Of the most enlightened Of them are open
to her, and although every conceivable obstacle
has been thrown in her way, yet quite large
number, comparatively. have availed them
selves of the long coveted opportunity; aud so
far from breaking down in mind and body un
der its protracted rigors and labors, they have
come out strengthened and Invigorated, pre-
pared to make q success In life,-thus proving
that collegiate education for women is not o
failure. Many OF those who have graduated
have become successful teachers; others eff
cient doctors, and others, lawyers, OF which
there are are now eleven or twelve doing q
prosperous business, two Of whom, Lovinis
Goodell, of Wisconsin, and Belva Lockwood, Of
Iowa, have bsen admitted (after . long struggle
for the right, which the men opposed, fearing
their competition, suppose,) to practice in the
Supreme Court OF the United States, and now
have suits pending there. Prof. Maria Mitche,
is . successful Astronomer. Others have tsken
professorships in our Universites. Says .
Pennsylvania psper: 1.-THE Woman's Medical
College OF Pennsylvania has already graduated
over 800 women rs physicians, and these grad
yates are now dong successful work in private
practice, IN clinics and hospitals" Says an
Ohio paper: "Oberlin now has nine hundred
and forty nine students. Thirty-fve young
women are taking the hard aud long classical
course arranged for the male students. The
Leader, Of Cleveland says that the young wo-
men are, in many cases, abler students than
the young men," Miss Sara Ensign delivered
the master Grafton at the Iowa University
Commencement. Caroline Laura Rice, dsugh-
ter of the Rev. DR.. Rice, OF Springfield, MASS,
graduated at the Wesleyan University this year
at the head OF her class, which was chiefly COM
ing and ball playing, taking exercise to enable
them to get health enough to pass through
their studies, this young lady Of brains was
quietly preparing to distance them all. Less
boat racing, less ball playing and more study,
young men; brains are what wins, not muscle.
Neatly put, by the University Reporter Qowa
University: Last fall there was division OF
the Freshman Latin class, containing thirty
SIX students, nearly half OF whom were ladies
in looking ever the records we find that there
we're nine members OF the class who earned a
standing OF 100, aud that seven of these were
PLAIN because you swear, we never say word
against you because you chew tobacco, and we
might in time, become accustomed to your
wrestling in the halls; but when you beat us
in scholarship, you are carrying the joke too
far!" The daughters of Woman Sufragist
mothers stand foremost in educational institu-
tions. The Cornell lady student who won the
Greek prize in the first Inter collegiate con-
test, was the daughter of DR.. Mary A. Thomas
OF Indiana, one Of the earliest woman suffrage
workers. Florence Perkins. daughter OF Mrs
NJ. 8. Perkins, OF Cooperstown, N. T., was cho-
sen vaedictoran Of Vassar College the yeaI
she graduated. Harriet Eaton Stanton was
awarded the same honor last commencement
while Emma Perkins, sister Of Florence, was
valedctorian the present year. Strong
minded mothers endow their daughters with
bright intelects. Let us have more OF them
The Kisg's College (English) lectures to Ia
dies continue to be very successful, the average
number OF entries in eacs term being $50. The
Executive Committee now propose to offei
special diplomas to those ladies' who after at
tending lectures for at least two years anc
passing all examinations, shall gain first o.
second class in five courses besides divinity. A
the annual meeting the Principal, Canon Barry
spoke highly OF the ladies' examination papers
aud described them as quite as good as thos
he was accustomed to receive from the othe
sex, and at the same time infinitely better eI
pressed. The womsn's prize list for next yea
Just completed by the Cambridge, England, ex
aminers, shows that women are not only ca
Ii