The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-10
Cambridge will formally bestow its degree

Cambridge Will formally pestow lts ueRtoo
on wOmen!'
The student who has done the work for
the partial reward thinks that such time
will come most certainly, perhaps even the
holding of fellowship and tutorshlp; but
the women have already the substance OF
the university honors and perhaps they can
afford to wait for the full recognition. The
sometimes as when a girl appends to her
signature &c. Co. which the knowing are
left to interpret as "Girton Graduate" and
the unenlig htened as Good Girl" IN.
c. is altogether too equivocal to be adopt
ed by the graduate Of Newnham.
1t is explained that it is easier for an
American college to give its degrees to
women, because at Cambridge the degree
carries with it the right to vote in the uni
versity senate, and that means not only
voice in the government of the university,
but in the election of parliamentary mem
bridge have always moved with tact and
diplomacy, and one can trust them to
know when the next forward step ought to
be taken.
"Your own success must do much toward
removing prejudices.''
"oh, don't please; it was nothing. 1had
One thinks of Disraeli where he speaks of
merit and modesty and feels obliged to put
of, pro tem., the asking of pointed ques-
tions. Perhaps the tea comes in at this
juncture. What pretty china! One begins
to wonder what can look nicer on a thirsty
afternoon than quaint teapot in the hand
of such bright rosy girl.
did you teach your daughter mathe-
matics?" one ventures to ask of Mrs. Faw-
cett, who is rising by this time to keep an
| engagement.
No, Mrs. Fawcett had little enough edu-
cation, she assures you. in that line. She
had a governess at home over whom abe
| tyrannized. 1t was the fashion in those
days to learn Mangnall's Questions and
other things by heart. She rode with her
four brothers and played games and gar;
| very little systematic teaching.
And yet it may be doubted if the influence
| of heredity is often more strongly marked
than in this sensitive. refined, yet eager
and generous daughter, of a mother who
has been her child's friend and the friend
of her child's friends, and who in all
her twenty years on the platform ad-
vocating woman suffrage-Lord Derby said
the other day in the house of lords that the
| best political speech he had ever heard was
made by woman aud he meant Mrs. Faw-
cett-and in her study writing on political
| economy, has found time to be her daught-
ers best adviser and encourager, teaching
her common sense and self-rellance and a
high enthusiasm.
Miss Clough is the principal of Newn-
ham, Is she nOt?' one asks when it appears
that the subject of Cambridge may safely
be approached again.
yes, she is the sister of Arthur Hugh
Clough, the poet, and it is an education in
itself to be three years with her, Miss
Fawcett relates how Miss Clough managed
the campaign when the university was
asked to admit women formally to the ex-
aminations. That was nine years ago and
before her time, but the 24th of February
has been kept ever since as commemoration
DAY. The senate was to vote on tSS ques-
ton, and terrible rumors were atfsat rs to
the immense number of nonresident &em-
oers who would come up to sS>te against
the girls. On their side the women
whipped up every man they could count on
to come and vote for them, for defeat meant
almost certainly the total collapse of the
informal system under which the girl stu
| dents had mp to that time been examined.
The opposition went to pieces. the women
carrying the day 39e to 81, and after that
they may look forward to almost any vic
tory.
The girls, Miss Fawcett says, have gained
very high average Of success-her looks
deprecate any personal reference-and
the number in residence has in
creased steadily. Newman, which began
with i've Students had over 40 this
past year, and the demand for the uniyer-
sity degree could hardly be made more
modestly and yet more pointedly than by
showing as the women do what an excellent
use they make of what the wise generosity
OF the university has already given them.
You believe. then, that the prospects
are bright for the higher education of no.
men IN Great Britaip?''