Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-04
ACADEMIC TRAINING
Does MOI Complete the Education of
women 1t Merely FOrges the
ArmOr and
Tempers the Weapons for the Battle of
Life In Labor and Independence.
Woman's Mission.

aht " NdpOua "a
! Life in Labor and independence.
WOman's Mission.
The following is the text Of the address
| delivered before the graduates from the Pub
| lie High School at the Theater, OF Thursday
night last, by Mr.. Dabney Scales:
Address 10 the Graduating Class.
| With the close Of these exercises, and the
presentation OF your diplomas, you sever to-
/ night your connection with our city schools.
1 On behalf OF the Board of Education l con-
| graduate you upon the successful tsrmlDa-
! ton of your course in these schools; and
would assure you, not only OF the deep in
| terest with which We have marked your
| progress in the past, but also OF the earnest
! solicitude with which we shall watch your
careers in the future, as you go out from
| among Us into the busy world which lies
/ beyond, ENJOYS, so TO speak, ladened with the
| fruits that you garnered while you tarried
/ with Us. The time-honored proverb, "By
! I seir fruits We shall know Them" is no less
| trDc Of institutions OF learning to-day than
| il was OF individuals, when made sacred by
ga u,terance Of Divine lips more than 1900
| yen ago. Is 1t not then natural that
We ~Eould be deeply concerned in your
| futu.= since upon ii will, in part
| depslL the judgment OF this cOmmu-
| nifty upon our work, whether We have
! been wise stewards slowthful servants.
| Let this regard Tor your future, and the well
! fare Of our schools, be my excuse Tor the
| few words which, 10 response 10 your vale
dictory, on the part of the Board OF Educa-
| ton, l feel called upon to speak TO you TO-
night. Though the diplomas which We
| award you are the highest honor that we can
1 confer vet they are but certificates Of scholar
| ship, attesting your proficiency IN the
| branches OF study which you have pursued
, - IL
| prime objects OF this course Is to teach you
| hour TO think, how TO reason and to inYesli
gate fer yourself, and to pass judgment upon
| the various questions and affairs of life. l
would especially impress this idea upon you,
| young ladies' That academic or even coll
legiate training does not complete your educa-
! ton. 1t merely forges the armOr and iempers
the weapons for the battle of life. Let me
then, with all the earnestness which l can
command, r1ra you against the too common
error OF using them merely Tor
PERSONAL ADoRNMENT,
or to masquerade in petty social triumphs-
worse than idle firt&tions; instead OF achiev-
| ing with them noble victories in a worthy
! cause. Think only think, of the sword of
truth, rustng in its scabbard and dangling
| idly from the belt of the ballroom belle.
trust that in the forging of your armor, you
have not omitted the "shield OF faiih," and
lual your weapons pOsseSS lEaL Ceteol4al
temper" whose touch, like that Of lthuriels
spear,
mo falsehood can endure
You will need the srmor of sound phi
losophy to shield you against the taunts and
sneers of the so-called lions of society-"the
wealthy, curleG darlings of our nation
who rail at learned women and pirate about
woman unsexing herself by every honest
and courageous endeavor 10 achieve equal
rights for herself in the fields OF labor, and
independence of thought and action. This
would-be king of beasts is merely masquer-
aiding under the lions skin, and he is wont
to roar at woman : the sleek and shining
creature OF the chase" and alright her
timid soul to prove his own feeble claim to
superior order of being. But be ye not dis
mayed, for the better education OF woman Is
teaching your sex to detect the assinine form
beneath the lions skin.
SIR ARTHUR HELPS,
one of highlands profound thinkers and
writers of the present dsy, IN speaking of
the great needs OF the nation, puts "a better
education for women" among the first in i'm
portance. IAN education" said he, (which
should develop in them the qualities and
powers which they are most deficient in, such
as stern reasoning, which is at the foE nda-
ton Of justice, and which should Tree them
from that absurd timidily OF mind, more
than Of body, which prevents their seeing
things as they are, and makes them, and
consequently men, the victims of conven-
tionality." When was there ever greater
need for patient accurate educational train
ing for woman thsn there is to-day. In
proportion as the civilizing light of the
nineteenth century dawns upon us, in the
same proportion does woman's work and
woman's power "in this march OF mind"
become fell and acknowledged a factor in
human progress Her worth and capacities
have been acknowledged in all ages, and by
the best writers OF our language.
JOHN RUsKIN,
one OF the frat critics of modern times, has
pointed out the fact that Shakespeare-tha
mirror of nature-has no heroes, but only
heroines. He says that there is hardly a
play that has not q perfect woman in it. |
steadfast in grave hope and errorless pur
poge-"Cordelia," "Desdemena," Isabella"
"Hermoine," Helena" and last, and per-
haps lovliest, "Virgilia," are all fau!tless,
conceived in the highest heroic type of hu-
manity. The catastrophe of every play is
caused always by the folly or fault Of man
the redemption, if there be any, is by the
wisdom and virtue of a woman, and failing
this there is none. And so it was with Sir
Walter Scott and all the great writers of fc- |
ton, whose chief merit is that they portrayed |
human nature in truthful colors-their per-
feet characters are all women. 1t has now |
become a matter of surprise when one looks |
back to earlier ages that woman has not al |
ways been accorded equal educational ad- !
vantages with man. To-day she may receive |
training in the Coeducational universities |
and colleges of the North and West-at Vas |
sar and at Wellesley Colleges, and even con- |
sentative England has her GirtOn College
FOR WOMEN.
1t must be confessed with regret and not |
without shame, that we of the South are far |
behind the rest of the world in this regard. |
For if we have not the means OF founding |
universities for woman's education, We |
should at least admit her to those We have
already established. Many of the universe
ties of the North and West have adopted the
coeducational plan with excellent results.
II is no longer a debaiable question that
woman may, with credit to herself, pursue
any occupation in life for which she is
physic ally qualified. IL we will only pro-
vide for Ter the proper mental training, and
show a proper esteem Tor those who have
the courage TO disregard irrational conven-
tionalitiea, and be the pioneers for their sex
in the new avenues of employment which are
being opened and made practicable for
women-if, / say,
MEN AND WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
will do Ihis-their plain duty in this regard
we shall cease to hear Of marriages de con-
reRancs, followed by suits for divorce; or
miserable lives OF wretchedness and despair
We shall cease to hear of the everlasting
"Stitch, stitch, stitch, in poverty, hunger and
dirt" and in their stead We shall hear more
of happy homes and hearts made glad by
sense OF independence and worthy ends at
tanned To quote the words of one of our
profound thinkers: 'What is the use Of cleo
trio lamps, telephones and the telegraph if
seamstresses by the millions, stitching their
fingers TO the bone, can scarcely earn eight
cents day by making shirt, lead the lives
of galley-slaves, and eat their bread in tears
and despair" ITO prepare US for complete
living" says
HERBERT SPENCER,
dis the function which education has TO
discharge, and the, only rational mode of
Judging Of any educational course is TO
judge in what degree it discharges such
function"
And in speaking of the advantage
of acquiring an accurate knowledge OF
the science in education, the came writer
says: THAT which our school courses
leave almost entirely out, we find to be that
which most nearly concerns the business OF
life. All our industries would cease were
it not for information which men begin TO
acquire as they best may, after their educa-