The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-11-07
The Education of Girls.

1hot girl mas the best euucatfOn,
who Is the most thoroughly qualified TO
take care Of herself in hand to hand
fight with the world. Who has q basis
ofgood Judgment practical knowledge,
and common sense, In which to start
In her self-sustaining career. Who Is
armed with the able weapon Of trade
or profession with which she Is famil-
lar. and whose conduct is governed by
exaoting principles OF natural integrity.
Such girl possesses fortune In her
own right which no fluctuations of bus
iness circles can depreciate. and who
will never become drag upon opu-
lent and unwilling relatives. With
health and strength and fair start in
the race for life she will reach every
milestone Of success. Nor wear out.
or grow discouraged by the way; and
not infrequently she will outrun her
vaunting brother, and even stop to
lend him helping hand.
The properly balanced, well-educat-
cd girl is aware that she can do one
thing we'll and she bends all her ener.
gies toward its accomplishment She
concentrates all her forces, instead of
scattering them, and has something to
show for 1t. She Is the best accountant
or tho 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 un-
derstands what she learns. Her mind
is a storehouse, not sieve, and she en-
deavors to absorb quality rather than
quantity, and comprehend to her own
enlightenment what she studies. The
wretched system Of forced culture in
which girl learns little French and
Latin, smattering of mathematics, q
glance ut polite literature. and q great
deal of poor piano playing, has been
abandoned in favor Of more sensible
curriculum commensurate with her
value rs a co-workor with her broth
ers.
Sensible German parents have al
ways brought up their daughters to be
producers rs well rs consumers In tho
domestic economy. 1t is only tho
American parent who made the kitch-
en- uuattractive to his daughter, and
gave her no possibility of employing
her talent, except in the few lady-like
departments sanctioned by conserya-
tive custom.
Tho time is coming. nay. has already
come. when sign reading Smith &
Daughters" will merely indicate that
ali MIR. Smiths boys were girls. and he
had educated them Us hc would have
done ii they had been boys. And tho
Smith girls instead OF dawdling around
the paicrnal mansion until some young
men could be found for husbands. have
Wisely gone into business with their
father. and have never found timo
to bu discontented with themselves.
When Edison, genius and inventor
rs he is. mad given two weeks Of his valu-
able time TO going up and down on the
New York Elevated Railroad, trying 10
discover what made its noise and
cure for 1t, he gave up the job. Then
little woman took It. She rode ON tho
cars three days, was denied II place 10
stand on the rear platform, laughed ut
for her curiosity, and politely snubbed
by conductors and passengers. But
she discovered what caused the noise,
invented n remedy. which was patent
cd. and she was paid sum OF $4,000
and u royalty forever! Her name is
VAk ., " titpu. anu bh6 llfcS III NOW
York City. This is what she says of
her education:
My father had no sons and believed
In educating his daughters. He spared
no pains or expense to this end. Ny
fathers brother once said to him,
'Why do you waste SO much money on
your girls?" 10 which my father re-
piled, My boys all turned out to be
girls, and am going to give them as
good an education that they may turn
out to be as good as boys"
As good rs boys is here used in
general sense; rs good rs some boys
would be very poor recommendation.
Any girl who understands her own Ca
pabilities will do her work rs we'll
as it Is possible TO be done. No boy
can do better than that Work is with
out sex. Certain departments OF labor
are claimed exclusively by boys and
men because thev have legendary
right to them. No competition has en-
tered the lists against them. II wo-
man can make u good horse shoe she
can open forge and make shoes. No
one has the right to say she shall not
There are men who are milliners,
dressmakers, and who sell dress goods.
and they do these things so we'll no ono
disputes their right to them.
The girl who has educated herself to
fill some niche In the mercantile world
may marry and never carry her knowl-
edge any further than her own nursery.
What thenp She is we'll fitted to toacR
her own sons and daughters the rudi-
ments OF commercial knowledge. to
counsel and advise with her husband,
and II left widow to take care of her
own estate. There is no vaster heritage
OF ignorance and uselessness than the
array OF thread-and-needle accomplish
ments which for generations has been
considered the correct dover for LADY,
like young person. Consider your girls
as responsible fellow-oitizens. and edu-
cate them accordingly.