The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-03-24
THE AmERICAN GIRL.
why she is Not what She Ought to Be
Philadelphia Times.


The amphitheatre of Jefferson Medica
college hospital, on SAMSON street, was
thronged last night with professors and stus
dents and their lady friends to hear the annu-
al address to the alumni by DR.. Hamilton
Osgood, of Boston, graduate of the college,
whose subject was "The Necessity Of Radi-
cal Change in the Training and Education OF
the American Girl" At least fifteen hundred
persons we're present, nearly one-half of them
being ladies.
The greatest rror, DR.. Orsgood said, in the
training of the American girl is that she is
allowed to become woman before she knows
it. One day she is child the next, all I'M
prepared, all ignorant of what it means, she
is woman. Take the average girl of to-day,
at the age of nineteen; we will say. THIS
girl, who would blush if obliged 10 confess
Ignorance of somo fourth-clsss character
Of mythology, viii calmly admit that
she not only knows nothing
of tho physiology of her functions, but IS
perfectly Indifferent about it, This is mon
strous error-one into which our girls would
by no means be allowed TO fall. They
should be SO trained between their twelfth
and furteenth years rs not only TO be mem
tally and physically perfect for the me-
tamorphosis which is coming. Inc Amerl-
can girl should know how to live physiolog--
ically and gradually be taught the great and
divine meanings of womanhood. She
should be impressed with q feeling Of rever-
ence for her highest mission in life, in spite
of as many women's rights doctrines as
might fill the shelves Of Bodleian library.
The women Of to-day who are striving TO
put off and fly from the true mission OF
women remind one of the boy who, in or
der TO rid himself of an aching tooth, filled
it with gunpowder, put slow match to it
and then ran. From the age OF twelve to
the day of her marriage a girl should be
made TO feel her responsibility towards her
future and those whose lives will one day be
in her keeping. If the boy be father, the
girl is in a double aense mother OF the man
"a A NATIONAL REQUISITE.
TIE supreme end of nature. Herbert Spel-
Ger SAYS, is the welfare of prosperity. The
first REQUISITE to success in life is to be u
good animal. The American girl should
| know that to have nation eff good mothers
is the first requisite of national prosperity.
SIZE should be taught her share in this desir-
able result which is to
be attained only through conscien-
tious care of her body. She cannot escape
| from herself. she cannot change her sex.
| The reslessness go common among our cult-
waited women is mistaken and fruitless in
subordinatiop; an endeavor TO escape the
duties which are the glory and should con
stitute the chief joy Of woman.
! Need / tell you why change, radical
change, in the education and training of our
girls is necessary? Look at the young
women of sixteen to twenty who pass us by
hundreds as we walk the streets. Whether
they be rich or poor, what is more
rare than fnely formed girl,
with firm step, bright ego and ruddy
cheek? When these are lackng what is the
reason of their absence? 9Th, irst obser-
walton Of European who CONES to Ameri-
Ca" says DR.. Clarke, in his "Sex in Educa-
tion," lis that our women are a feeble race,
and if physiological observer, he is sure to
add that they are responsible for a feeble
race succeeding them" 81 never saw SO
many pretty girls together" said LACY An
berly to Dr.. Clarke, during visit 10 Bos.
ton school, "only," she added, "they III
looked sick"
THE DIFFERENCE.