Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-10
SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
SOME THOUGHTS CONCERNING
VASSAR COLLEGE RESULTS.
Effects of Education upon Marriage
able Girls-Young Ladies ofForty
Independence Of the Sexes.
Correspondence ofthe RECORD ux1os.I

ton is attended by girls from all grades of
wealth, turns out graduates who are sup
posed to represent the highest standard of
female intellectually in these days. and is
probably more widely known than any
school for women in America. Two years
ago its faculty published full long list of
its alumne. An Eastern journalist inter-
ested in social science topics proceeded to
ascertain what effect education had made
upon their after school life, by mailing to
every one set of printed questions. Near
ly seven-eighths of the circulars returned
filled out, the missing ones being accounted
for on the hypothesis of not having reached
their intended destination through change
of name and address. The most startling
discovery from statistics returned. is that
only about one-tifth of those answering had
married The question will now naturally
arise as 10 why this is thus, that so large a
proportion of accomplished, intelligent
women remain single, when domesticity is
their natural destiny. Is it because. as
newspapers frequently state, that men find
ing equal comfort and less care in club life
are becoming more and more averse to
marriage? What reason has any one to
assume that such conditions exist as q re-
suit of
PREJUDICE AGAINST MARRIAGE
By men only? If the girls remained single
through choice, in what way have they
been influenced thereto by their superior
educational opportunities? Should ex-
tended observation show that education
aral1,r l;e,rnl;nog 60
colleges would soon fall from favor with
women themselves, except among those
who attend with a view of utilizing their
education for the practical purpose Of self
support. As far as men are concerned,
there probably will never be a time when
they will seek heipmeets from a mental
standard, knowing that their wives will
equal if not exceed them in knowledge.
Though men expect all possible power in
domestic administration, power in which
they never acknowledge as requiring talent
equal to that applied in their own affairs,
they want this talent kept in the back
ground and headed by real or apparent
helpless mentality that shall bow down
before theirs as the superior judgment in
all conditions. They do not reason it out,
but they unconsciously recognize as a fact
that when a woman's mind has been for
years trained to observing causes, to reflect
ing upon events, to deducting therefrom
conclusions, to formulating opinions, that
she is bound TO possess originality which
she will strive to maintain whatever may
be his effort to bury her ideas by his at
tempted control. Many men want to
RULE THE DOMESTIC ROAST,
To be looked up to as superior beings, and
are, with good cause, afraid to tackle girls
whom they know are quite equal in hoeing
their own intellectual row. ANY girl who
possesses sufficient individuality to make
any man afraid of her, should thank her
stars for it, and be equally afraid " to
trust to him for that companonship which
is the only foundation for happy mar
riage.
1t is, however, more than probable that
these maidens are such from choice Look
ing over history, we will see that it is only
in those nations where women are kept in
utter ignorance, in new countries where
the social standard is necessarily low
through absence of civilized advantages,
and among eifeminate races, that the Gus
tom exists of marrying girls while very
young. In India girls have customarily
become wives at II years of age; but of
those who have within the last decade been
given educational advantages, their aver
age mas advanced to II for marrying. One
reason is that when girls are busy with
books, having their minds interested in
some regular pursuit, with q tangible OBJ
ject in view, Satan has no time to find some
mischief still for idle hands to do. Her
studies keep college girl busy until at 81
to % she holds the coveted diploma. In
school her reflective faculties have been
constantly exercised. She has become
accust ID to 4o.ghing considerations on
every subject presented, TO following
courses of reasoning and to question what
results will follow from specified acts.
Owing to this training, she is, on entering
the world, not likely to be
OVERCOME BY NEW EMOTIONS,
But will take any important step only after
cool elaboration as to pro and con. If she
has home or property, she will want to rest
awhile from school work and see some
thing of life before assuming domestic
cares. BY the time she is rested she real
ICES that her education will earn her living
and decides not to marry, unless for rea
companionship or unusual social advan'
tages, and that she can afford to wait unit
opportunities appear suited to her taste. L
she is poor and must at once begin sup
porting herself, she finds that school train
ing rouses an ambition TO best possible EN-
ployment of her abilities, and soon see.
that by her work it is possible for her to at
tain happiness and independence without
a husbands espionage. The more she oh
serves the devices which most wives arr
compelled to employ to get money for thei
domestic uses the more she thanks kline
fortune that she can earn and use her Owl
means without having to beg or account fo
anything and is consequently disinclineC
to marriage.
The day has come when women are M
longer sneered at for being old maids. TIL,
many avenues of labor constantly openin!
TO them, the heartiness with which the!
are welcomed into professional pursuits
has largely decreased the number of thost
who marry only because they must b,
supported. The world no longer ostracize
a single woman on the supposition of he
being SO disagreeable that no man woul,
have her. 1t recognizes that women work
ers are generally single from preference
when it sees that their independence pre-
serves in them an attractive appearance ant
youthful, girlish ways, far past 4 time pos
sible TO overworked mothers. Public opin
ion adverse to celibacy drove counties
thousands into marriages of misery, bu
the
OLD MAID Is HAVING HER DAY,
And 4 merry heyday ii is, for with on
hand she snaps her fingers under the nose
of club men and holds on with the othe
hand to her purse, which, if not full, ha
IT iSsici Il GtlStIlul jungle support is III
least consideration of her lot She is no
now an old maid, but girl, even if she i
= 40 years old, and is accorded privileges tina
were hers while in her teens, with other:
added. She may attend amusements, tax,
journeys, come or go where her mean
allow or taste leads, and though she MAJ
miss something in agreeable company, he
course is perfectly proper without nal
escort
The entire topic may be summed u
in this: The more schooling girls get, tn
less likely they are to make early, conse
Quently foolish, marriages. Every nation
that advances in social ethics every elias
where culture attains strong sway. lend t,
late marriages both practice and approval
In them thoughtful people see the onl,
hope of the worlds salvation from certain
undesirable conditions of existing moderl
life
Inventions are continually iRereasin
whereby combination OF cams and cog
contracts the work of twenty men to on
man. Machines seem animated with tina
living intellect which created them, Will
they perform not only physical but menta
labor so perfectly as to be almost startling
Nothing can stop the human mind in hi
era it has just begun of applying Mature
newly discovered forces TO mechanics