Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-19

streets, toward evening, when the young
folks were all abroad to the very corr
rect and perfectly turned sentences from
the lips Of all. even of those who dwelt
in the humblest homes, This is the
work of ourpublic schools. of the grand
scheme whereby the child of lowest cs-
tate is lifted out OF all poverty OF mind,
and is given that most enduring OF
r1chcs-a good education. 1t is noble!
1t is worthy of our great, free, advance
ing country! But as | watch these girls
of our land, everywhere l find ono
great blank. which the schools, and tho
books and the fine plan Of education
have failed to supply!
Pcrchance the .:hlrher education"
have that higher education without
another months delay! For verify for
one sweet, modest, quiet girl, whose
cheek can blush and whose eye droop,
who shrinks from the public presence
and seeks the background shadows.
whose voice falls gently, and who does
not assert herseif-we would give all tho
modern female "students," s%ixteen-
year-old ''essayists," classical scholars
and wondrous undergraduates"
We do not find the old-time school.
girl. She is not in any group in the
park, upon the street, or in the public
conveyance. There are no soft-voiced,
bashful, timid girls. who leave us at
nine in the evening. Oh, no.! The
modern girls talk loudly, stare boldly;
they are upon the sidewalk, or the
beach. or the hotel pia IA, as late as
)raEy one-they 90 up and down, arm in
arm, with noisy laughter and distinct
conversation; perhaps, even, with
snatches Of song from Some operetta.
Occasionally, during their promenade.
there occurs something comical, al
which they make no effort to repress
the laughter which attracts so much
attention.
Shall We neve have again our old
fashioned, retiring schoolgirl whom
we looked upon with pleasure, thinking
of the woman she would grow to?
Where does the fault lie? doubtless
with the mothers in most cases.
But We have thought much lately of
that ''higher female education" theory,
and wondered if our faithful, earnest
teachers might not add this TO their list
of duties-to teach the girls the great
value OF modesty and of quiet de.
can everywhere; to tell them of the
beauty of soft voices and gentle speech;
to give them instruction in that true
wisdom whose price is above rubies;
to show them their proper paths, lying
narrowly along the low, unseen valleys,
where birds sing and flowers bloom,
and not upon the thronged highway
where older feet must tread.
Would it not be the first great move
ment toward that .'higher education''
Of women, if u teachers should give
each day-side by side with mathe-
MATES and Latin, if you pleasc-some
careful instruction regardingth the Beauty
of Girlhood rs shown by modesty, by
unselfshness, by transformations care
for Others, and especially for those who
are older, by quiet ways and words in
all public places, and by gentle yield.
ing to those in authority.
Let the schools make it an important
study. Give it high grade. Let it b.
put into immediate practice, under the
watchlul eye of the teacher. Let OH,
girls be taught to be true girls, with
glrlhood ennoblod and gloritiea, and Sc,
apart for pure and special work.
Yes, we have come to believe in 5
higher cducation! We see tho need ol
it. Let our girls no longer be deprived
of heir rights. At fourteen they are
calable Of better and higher things.
Lee them be admitted to the .sful;
course" Let them 90 Us high as may
be, until they are surrounded and up
he'd by that rare and radiant atmos.
phere which widens and colors into per.
Zee; womanhood.
"hen may we walk into our street.;
AMI public resorts, and be no more an.
moved and ashamed-as we now are
at the bold manner and loud voice Of
our girls.-Jenuie Harrison, IN N. Y.
Observer.