The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-11-12
EducatIon of Girls.

Ali success rs mean Desiue
LOUISE INoGES Quincy.
Educauon of Girls.
That girl has the best education
who is most thoroughly qualified to
take care of herself in a hand-to-
hand contest with the world; who
has basis of good judgment, prac-
tical knowledge and common sense,
in which TO start in her self-sustain-
ing career; who is armed with the
able weapon of a trade or profession
with which she is familiar. Such
a girl has fortune in her own right
which no huctuation of busines
circles can depreciate and who can
never be drag upon opulent and
unwilling relatives. With health
and strength and fair start in the
race of life she will reach every mile
stone of success nor wear out nor
become discouraged by the way;
and not infrequently she will out
run her Wanting brother, and even
stop to lend him a helping hand.
The properly balanced, well edu-
Gated girl is aware that she can do
one thing well, and she bends all
her energies towards its accomplish
ment. She concentrates her forces,
instead of scattering them, and has
something to show for it. She is
the best accountant, the cleverest
writer, or the most successful sales
woman. or the hardest worker in
the sciences physic, law
whatever her talents destines her
for. She studies with an aim, and
understands what she learns. The
wretched system of forced culture,
in which a girl learned little French
and Latin. smattering of mathe-
MATES, little of polite literat ure,
and a great deal of poor piano play
ing, has been abandoned in favor of
a more sensible curriculum COM
measurate with her value as CO.
worker with her brothers.
Sensible German parents have al
ways brought up their children
to be producers as well as
consumers in the domestic
economy. 1t is only the American
parent who has made the kitchen
unattractive TO his daughter, and
gave her no possibility of employing
her talent, except in the few lady
like departments sanctioned by con-
servative custom. The time is COM
ing, nay, has already come, when
the sign Smith & Daughter" will
merely indicate that all of Mr..
Smiths boys were girls, and he had
educated them as he would have
done had they beer boys. And
that Smiths girls, instead of dwad-
ding around the paternal mansion
until some young men could be
found far husbands, have wisely
gone into business with their father,
and have never found time to be dis
contented with themselves.
When Edison, genius and invent
or as he is, had given two weeks of
his valuable time to going up and
down on the New York elevated rail
road, trying to discover what caused
its noise and a cure for it, he gave
up the job. Then a little woman
took it. She rode on this cars three
days, was denied place to stand
or the rear platform, laughed at Cor
her curiosity, and politely snubbed
by conductors and passengers. Bot
she discovered what made the noise,
invented a remedy, which was pat
ented, and she was paid sum of
$1,000 and a royalty forever.
Her name is Mrs. May Walton,
and she lives in New York city.
This is what she says of her educa-
ton: my father had no sons, and
believed in educating his daughters.
He spared no pains or expense to
this end. My fathers brother once
said to him, Why do you waste SO
much money on your girls To
which my father replied, " My boys
all turned out to be girls, and | am
going TO give them as good an edu-
cation. that they may turn 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 recommended
ton. Any girl who understands her
own capabilities will do her work as
well as it is possible to be done. No
boy can do better than that. Work
is without sex. Certain departments
of labor are claimed exclusively by
bows and men because they have a
legendary right in them. No COM
petition has entered the list against
them If a woman can make good
horse shoe, she can open a forge and
make shoes. No one has right to
say she shall not. There are men
who are milliners, dressmakers, and
who sell dry goods, and they do
these things so well no one disputes
their right to do them.
The girl who has educated herself
TO fill some niche in the mercantile
world, may marry and never carry
her knowledge any further than her
own nursery. What then ? She is
well fitted TO teach her own sons and
daughters the rndiments of CONNER
cial knowledge, to counsel and ad-
wise with her husband, and if left a
widow, to take the care of her own
estate, There is no vaster heritage
ofignorance and uselessness than the
array of thread-and-needle accom-
piishments which for generations
has been considered the correct dow
er for lady-like young person.
Consider your girls as responsible
fellow-citizens, and educate them ac-
cordingly.