The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-09-02


plea for the women of her section,
who she declared were in need Of odu-
cational advantages now denied them.
MISS CoNwAY's ADDRESS.
''In the North" said she," many of
the great endowed colleges arc open to
women, In the South, scarcely one.
The light of the present hour shows us
In the South the State university, in
which boy may find the bost, while
the sister of that boy, even though
she be his superior mentally, having
the same or higher ambitions, aspira-
tons, and hopes, must go to far-otf
college for full education, or must be
content with the superficial course Of
the town academy or the fashionable
boarding-school But she can get
married! you may answer. Can shee
How do you knowp Lot us suppose,
however, that she can and does marry,
and let us read her history u few years
later We find her standing alone ono
day in q world for whose fierce and Bit
ter contest she Is not armed; alone, save
for the little ones whose helplessness is
their best appeal. The mother instinct
Is TOO strong to let her die, and, rising
with the strength born of u woman's
love, she chokes down the rising sobs,
wipes the tears from her eyes, and be-
gins to look about for something to do
something by which to put bread in
to the hungry mouths of her children.
She may sew, you thinkp Unless one
Is an artist with the needle, to live by
1t Is a presses of slow starvation.
Then she can teach, you say. Let us
see. Suppose she comes to me. l say
in reply to her statement that she can
teach little children: Can you? Then
you are worth more than your weight
in gold. But let us see. What do you
mean by "teachP' How would you
beginp What Is the philosophy of
teachingP Name the powers of
child's mind in the order of their true
development She cannot, These
things are sealed book; but she is
willing to learn. What would you say,
business men, to one who, protesting
to be mechanic, should, without tools
and without skill seek work at your
bandsp These are parallel cases in one
sense-the lower and material. In the
higher spiritual sense they are as far
removed as pole from pole, for the
teacher deals with human souls; and |
have no word of condemnation strong
enough for the man or woman who un-
dertakes to mold human destiny
without knowledge of the material with
which he works. The teachers work
is sacred.
"But I am not yet done with the for
lorn woman who has knocked at my
door. and hoping still to help her, l
ask: Had you the advantage Of uni
versity studyP No. she answers sad
ly. 4 hoped for as much, but in my
girlhood the college doors were closed
against me- tell her am sorry, but
/ cannot help her. Were l city board
of education or county board of trus-
tees, and were she sister, cousin, or
an aunt, might mercifully find her .
place. But even in that case she hope
lessly founders on, the blind leading
the blind, the generous board of edu-
cation responsible to high heaven. Re-
member this is the self-same girl whose
aspirations were stifed in that bygone
time, but whose brother had the bless
ed privilege of full course in his ma
tive State. And yet, with or without
that course, any place in the Nation is
within his reach, from the anvil to the
pulpit from the pillow to the Presiden-
tial chair, while the college doors are
closed against the girl who would have
entered 1t, II only to eat of the crumbs
which fell from the masters table, o,
fathers Of our land, is this Just dis
elimination in favor Of your sons and
against your daughtersP Do you con-
slider that the fair, sweet girl at your
side may be this poor, unhappy woman
Of the futurep No father, here or else
where, even though he count his in
come by the millions. can give his
daughter an absolute guarantee
that in twenty years she shall
mot be poor and helpless, unless, in
deed. he be wise enough to cultivate
her best gift Unfortunately, we have
educated our girls to believe that their
very hslplessness IL the best appeal to
the helpfulnsss Of some man who will