The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-10-25
The Education Of Women.

/ 49, aaA AsGshASA ~ "
In all the civilized world this
question of the education of women
is being agitated. Learned men
who might shine in the arena OF
politics, or bring deep truth from
the study of theology, have taken
up this question, and written out
their masculine views of the proper
education of women. 1t is easy to
see where the shoes OF woman's adj
vancement pinches man. If the
women who outshone them in liter
ature were never derelict in the du-
ties of housekeeping they would
soon find something else about
which to complain.
Geo. Cary Eggleston has an arti-
Gle in the July Harper in the same
Dixian style, viz: that in the educa-
ton OF girls the essential thing is
that they may be trained so as to
fill chat "highest sphere of woman"
that they me be valuable wives
and mothers. And he seems to
think the health and usefulness of
woman as q bearer and rearer of
offspring is the one important re-
quisite in her education. We are
ready to Omit all he says as to
the physical development of woman.
There is every reason why women
should have good healthy bodies
and strong nerves. Without these
they cannot accomplish the intellec
tual feats we would have them as
pire to. But there is little more
argument for good health among
girls than among boys. If our
girls are to be the mothers of the
next generation, our boys are also
to be the fathers. Our girls, as a
rule, are as well fitted for the de
mands of motherhood, rs our boys
are for paternal duties and respon
sibilities. In stock breeding it is
conced that the male must be per
feet, for his traits are sure to be
transmitted to his progeny. OF
course, to rear fine stock-that
which is really perfect-both the
father and mother must be of good
blood; but if there is weakness or
''scrubbishness' anywhere it must
not be on the side of the sire.
Our moralists are much interest
ed in ''the coming generation" yet
they open not their mouths about
the habits of the garette- smoking,
cco-chewing, and beer-drinking,
idling, dudes who are to be the
coming fathers. All the tight-lac-
ing and face-painting of the girls
will have less effect on their off
spring than these destructive habits
of the young men they are some
time to marry.
Again, it is claimed that our civ
ilization is absolutely founded upon
the family and the wife and mother
the character. and life
of the family" If this is so, it
ought not to be. Why is a woman
more responsible for the happiness
of home than man? 1t a man wishes
to marry his hcusekeeper, he is at
liberty to do; so and ten to one, (if
she accepts him. he has the best of
the bargain. But men sometimes
choose to marry teachers, women |
who have earned their own living |
and earned it in a way that made it
for them to learn house
work. 1t is claimed that because
One of these is now a married wo
man she must give up her school
and her liberal salary as teacher
and keep her husbands house for
her board and clothes-a less re-
than he would have to
pay a cheap housekeeper? If she
likes the work and wants to do it,
that settles the whole question; but
there is no reason why it shall not
be said that her education has been
neglected if she don't learn to do
provided her time has
been filed with other useful occU-
1ations.
We do not believe that ''thou-
sands of girls are married every
7ear who do not know how to make
/ loaf of bread, or set table, or to
ron napkin, or make a bed be
There may be few
women who cannot do these simple
hings; but these things are by no
means the whole of housekeeping.
good housekeeper nowadays
must be cook, laundress, chamber
Maid, nurse and seamstress. In
he days of our grandmothers,
was quite different
fair. In these latter days we
7ould not call woman's domestic
ducation complete if she could do,
ell only the few kinds of work our
did; and no man
ow would be satisfied with this
mount of education in his wife.
The modern housekeeper who
L - Loan hnr.