Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-20

The EDUCATION OF GIRLS.
That girl has the best education,
who Is the most thoroughly qualified
10 take care Of herself in 4 hand to
hand fight with the world; who has
q basis of good judgment, practical
knowledge, and common sense, IN
which TO start in her self-susiaining
career: who is armed with the able
weapon Of trade or profession with
which she is familiar, and whose
conduct is governed by exactInr prlR-
ciples of natural integrity. such a
girl possesses fortune In her own
right which no fluctuations OF bust
ness circles can depreciate and who
will never become drag upon opn-
lent and unwilling relatives. With
health and strength and fair start in
the race for life she will reach every
mile stone Of success, nor wear out
or grow discouraged by the way:
and not unfrequently she will outrun
her Wanting brother, AID even stop
TO lend him a helping hand.
The properly balanced, welI-edu-
Gated girl is aware that she can do
one thing well and she bends all her
energies towards its accomplishment.
She concentrates her forces, instead
Of scattering them, and has some
thing to show for it. She Is the best
accountant, or the cleverest writer, or
the most successful saleswoman. or
the hardest worker in the sciences -
music, physic, law-whatever her
talent destines her for. She studies
with an aim, and understands what
she learns Her mind is store
house, not sIeve, and she endeavcrs
TO absorb quality rather than quaint
ty, and comprehend to her own en-
lightment what she studies. The
wretched system OF forced culture in
which she learned little French
and Latin, smattering OF mathemat-
les. glance into polite literature.
and great deal of poor piano play
ing, has been abandoned in favor of
a more sensible curriculum common
surate with her value as co.worker
with her brothers.
Sensible German parents have al
ways brought up their daughters to be
producers as well as consumers in the
domestic economy. 1t is only the
American parent who made the kit
chen unattractive To- his daughter,
and gave her no possibility Of employ
ing her talent, except in few lady
like departments sanctioned by con
servative custom.
The time is coming. nay. has al
ready come, when sign reading
Smith Il Daughters, will merely
indicate that all Mr. Smiths boys
were girls, and he bad educated them
as be would have done if they had
been boys. And the Smith girls in
stead of dawaling around the pater
nal mansion until some young men
could be found for husbands, wisely
went into business with their father,
and have never found time To be dis
contented with themselves.
When Edison, genius and inventor
as he is, had given two weeks of his
valuable time TO going up and down
on the New York Elevated Railroad,
trying to discover what caused
its noise aud cure for it, he gave up
the job Then a little woman took H.
She rode on the cars three days, was
denied a place to stand on the rear
platform, laughed at for her curiosi-
ty, and politely snubbed by conduc-
tors and passengers. But she discov-
cred the noise, invented q remedy,
which was patented, and she was
paid the sum of $40. 900 and a royalty
foreverl Her name Is Mrs. May Wal
ton, and she lives in New York city.
This is what she says of her educa.
ton:
Ny father had no sons and believed
In educating his daughters He spar
ed no pains or expense to this end.
My fathers brother once said 10 him,
why do you waste so much money
on your girlsy" To which my father
replied, my boys all turned out to
be girls. and am going TO give them
30 good an education that they may
turn out to be as good as boys"
AS good as boys is here used in a
general sense; as good as some boys
would be very poor recommenda-
ton. Any girl who understands her
own capabilities will do her work as
well as il is possible To be done.
No boy can do better than that. Work
is without sex. Certain departments
of labor are claimed exclusively by
boys and men because they have le-
gendary right to them. No competi-
ton has entered the lists against
them. If woman can make good
horse shoe she can open a forge and
make shoes. No one has the right to
say she shall not. There are men
who are milliners, dressmakers and
who sell dry goods, aud they do these
things so well that no one disputes
their right TO them.
The girl who has educated herself
TO I'LL some niche in the mercantile
world may marry and never carry her
knowledge any further than her own
nursery. What Them She is well
fitted to teach her own sons and
daughters the rudiments of CONNER.
cial knowledge, TO counsel and adj
wise with her husband, aud IL left A
widow. 10 take care of her own es
tate. There is no vaster heritage of
ignorance and useleSsness than the
array of thread-and-needle accom-
plishments which for generations
has been considered the correct dow
er for lady-like young person. Coz.
slider young girls AS responsible Eel,
low-cltizens. and educate them &C
cnrdinrlv