St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-06-21
Overr King SchGOs.Hirlss

"A luulclOuS pliN SISlaI was uob iuiiS
ago consulted by an anxious mother
whose daughters health was im..aired
by overwork at school. "Ihere Is Just
one thing to do" he said. .'Reduce
her studies. and keep on reducing them
until she can easily master them. A
girl cannot learn everything before she
is eighteen years old"
This was sound advice. The ten
dency in nearly all of our schools for
girls and young women is to crowd
work enough for lifetime into few
wears. Studies in languages, literature,
science, philosophy. as well as those in
the plain ..thrce RS" are piled upon
the unfortunate student, until the days,
heightened far into the night, are too
short for acquiring even superficial
acquaintance with any OF them. In
the case of boys, such unreasonable re-
auirements are apt to find healthy
co,lnterbalance in the exuberant animal
spirits of the sturdy lads, who will have
physical exercise. whatever becomes of
their studies. With girls it is different.
Generally more conscientious in study
than BOYS, they really try to master the
| prescribed course in spite of the warn
ing of paling cheeks and decreasing
strength. We have known school girls
to have no fewer than ten or dozen
studies in hand at once. in all OF which
they were ambitious to excel. But the
effort lett scarcely time for eating or
necessary sleep. Nor is this unusual.
| A similar state of things exists in hnn-
dreds of schools for girls. In one OF
the leading colleges for young women
in New England the curriculum is said
to be more comprehensive and difficult
than in any college for young men IN
the country. Happily, many OF the
students do not attempt to swallow the
full prescription. But many do, to
their cost.
Two or three years ago one of these
ambitious young women graduated with
honors from a seminary OF repute. She
hal maintained high standard OF ex-
cellence through her entire course, and
was warmly commended for her
superior scholarship. But the moment
the unnatural strain was removed. she
sank into mental lethargy from which
for months nothing could arouse her.
Gradually perfec: rest and ju.licious
entertainment restored her exhausted
| W,
girls have not been so fortunate. The
daughter of poor clergyman. who was
assisted through the college above re-
ferred to, graduated with credit, but
almost completely broken down in
health. She was sent to watering
place to recuperate, but soon heard OF
an opening as teacher, and at the
earnest solicitation of those who had
aided her felt constrained to take the
place, in spite of physical untltness:
But her constitution WAS SO weakened
by long and severe study that in three
or four months she died, victim to
conscientious oyerwork under bad
system. These are but two out ol
many instances; and the folly Is con,
stantly repeated, right in the face ol
warnings and examples OF Its danger
But hard study is not the only way IL
which school girls are overworked. =
teacher in a well-known school recently
informed us that she had had frequent
occasion to demonstrate with parent:
for allowing their daughters, while pur
suing their studies. to engage freely IL
various evening designations, such a:
attending parties, dancing till lat
nOuf III tHt nlSut, SoIuS w eho
, aud opera, etc. The livid faces and un
strung nerves of the girls showed
, plainly the pernicious effect of thes
, night pastimes; which untitled them
moreover, to carry on their studies witt
success.
!, Against all this overworking o
, schoolgirls, whether',by inordinates stud
or inordinate amusement. we enter on
, hearty protest. The bodily vigor OF tn
future wives and mothers of the Natio
!. is subject of profound public intere It
: Give the girls enough to do, but sto
there. Don't ovcr-tax their minds b
senseless multiplication of studies, re
!. memberng always that "a girl canno
!. learn everything before she is eightee,
> years old;h and do not let untimel
! amusements sap the foundations 9
health, on which so much of thel
future happiness and usefulness depend
N. Y. Examiner.
/