Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-06-15
Girls at School

Glrls at Sch0Ol
II .. an happens that our graduated young
si!iee air not really thorough in anything.
Tney never will bs thoroughly taught until
ednca.ivn exists everywhere and until
par MIS- demand iess show, less sensation
and more s,udy. mother boasts that her
| II yea,-oid daughter will graduate IN the
! sp. ~ Graduate in what, madam ? 10
oue show piece of music, in one show piece
of painting or drawing, in one show compo.
siiiou. Sne ms studied some books and
knows almost enough to know that she
knows nothing HaIf of her school days
have tean spsntin preparing for commence
| neut exercises and public school exhibi
IONS. AZ her training, sil Ter smoiicn
.as e3 hei 10 hurry out Of chlGLood into
| Young lady hood. She has tried get an
education so she can get beau. Fl cen
vesr old school girls talk ABOUT d!, s and
parties aud beaux; but boys Of the same age
are 10: ing bali, shooting each other with
| toy pist lis. sud give no more thoughts to
eir,s than hey 90 TO the man in the moon.
The career OF a modern yourg woman is
ss fspd and rs distressing the career of
! Mr.. So on,Gn Gi, dr, VINO W born on
| ii MoDdey anf gslloped through life in seven
days So graduates in white silk and men
q, phiiosopns at II and has season or go IN
society. Is 90 she is msrlied, and st 25,when
| 9hc ought TO bo ia the very heyday of gra-
om-, wholesome, healthy young woman
h o3, she il tagged out home body and the
mother of lot Of babies. Her music is gone,
| her drawing is gone she cannot so much as
sse 'boo" IN French, and all ber boosted
eGrcai - is less than nothing When she
rrsdun; it W. J with fine flourish and
ane resd amid applause The pretty valedic-
tory, Fl om which discreet teacher had care
lll'- nrrned away all signs of originality,
esvine only the nicely phrased patitudes
md p -overbs that are respectable and not
TOO startling FOR unprcfe ssioDal life. But
now, alas! sbe doc not so much as look at
newspaper. She has no art ofthinkiDC, and
, 81 man st 25, she has accomplished
,.t.i1g % lie save diploma and hps-
bsnd. I = the most beautiful life Of i for
& vcnlpn. hat OF the wife and mother; but
th;s wifi carnot prt tssrve her charms in the
domestic circle if che has no; patiently and
.h0ugstidiie cultIvated them 10 make them
- She hurried through the yer best of
l. life L is done with I'd gone. Good
or ID cgy or sad, il s gone forever. She
can Geysr be- gi,. again. Vanity and ig.
Do,Npce rusned mr. through the rose garden
I'M, when hc blossoms were fair and the
Q ch .ls aofe .lli Of June's sweetness.
T r ally reoueb,fu and earnest teacher
b proud of having in her ranks young
v.omea If eighteen I'd twenty years Of age
THIS. d Ve minds that are beginning to act,
to move, 10 tliril These will be worthy
al ter teaching for they have broad
esd 10 something better than bangs
aad bcaux aud sending notes and
Chewing gum The public exhibition, the
recitation and essay, the fine diess, the
n. yvsr per report of it all, the weeks of ex
ci preparation for all this-why it is
enough 10 turn The head of 17-yenr old
ls:-l. And it does turn her head,
away iiom be: studies away f;om
the real why she is at school. What
hss soc leaIueG? Chemistry? Physiology :?
Bltany? Mathematics? Astronomy? Phil
@. OPUS Z? The history and all the sciences OF
hc word? Lord Lord What wise lit.
lie bead il is, pnd how sorry am for it un.
der IL curl papers and jeweled hai.pina and
powder These sweet girl graduates often
do no, know how to read a book or news
paper, or 10 carry on conversation. But
hoy do know all about dressing about
lookina iper then other girls, and having
tne most flowers, and about going to the
pl5Y and denciug the german by the time
L
in the street car because she is ashamed to
let it ha seen that she is still studying the
United Staie. history A mother boasts
thst he, gro ing girl sits up until midnight
or later studying, and that at this rate she
will flush school in year.
I, ia no. Disgrace to be school girl at
20 years and still studying lessons, but 1t
Is most disgrace for Us TO hurry our girls
along. graduate" them and have them
ready for all life's mysteries and sor-
rows Al an age when they should
!, still he scampering like colts through
,, the howery orchards in the June
, time of their youth. At the exhibit
ton, tho prondest mother is the one whose
daughter figures most frequently on the
stage, whose name is oftenest on the pro.
grsmme. How is che ever to learn that this
is all wrong; that the excitement and Wor,
rving preparation for all this educational
higbjinks is eli wrong anyhow-s waste OF
money, OF time and brain, and that the
school teacher, il only she dared, would be
the first one to cry out against it.
The very nature of her work cutiVates
faithfuness and honesty in the character of
a school teacher She is better satisfied when
her girls are true and high minded and
, thorough. They thus reflect her teaching,
and this is a high egotism that we all ought
to have. What greater good can you say OF
me- than that You are the better woman for
learning things of me, that you are trner
and more disposed to honesty because OF
knowing me. The teacher depIores to her.
self the time wasted on learning the flourish
inq music that will be show piece on exhi.
bition DAYS, the long hours spent in drilling
in dialogue that ought to have been devoted