The sun., 1890-10-08
Tho COLLEGE Girls.

Barnard College, or the woman's annex
OF Columbia College. opened on Monday
with freshman class OF twelve and twenty
new students in special courses. This Is an
encouraging showing for an institution 30
young. 1t indicates that the experiment is
to be very successful, the college supplying
demand which ought not to be neglected.
What these young women students Of
Latin and Creek. mathematics, and the
sciences propose to do with their acquired
knowledge does not appear. Probably the
majority Of them, like the great majority Of
college boys have no definite plans for
their future. They are studying for the
sake Of study. and not for practical benefits.
They want simply to improve their minds.
The minority alone may look forward to the
career OF the teacher, and II they are capable
girls their college training will be Of sub
stantial advantage to them in the higher
walks Of the profession.
Formerly they would have been pursued
with ridicule as bluestockings who had got
out Of their true sphere and were unsexing
themselves; but now their matriculation as
college students is taken as a matter Of
course. They are only few Of great null
titude Of girls equally ambitious for intel
lectual improvement and anxious to engage
In all the activities of life as competitors
with men.
A new edition OF MARY WoLLsToNE-
CRAFTS Rights Of Women" is an
nounced in London, one hundred years
after its first publication. When the
book appeared originally it brought down
upon the author the fercest condemnation.
She was treated as a sort Of monster; but in
our day her views Of the subject seem al
most commonplace. Nobody now is fright
ened by the thought Of women's seeking
careers outside of the domestic circle and
cultivating intellectual tastes which cookery
books and ANIMALS OF fashion cannot sat-
isfy. Nobody Is shocked even II they be-
come platform orators, doctors. lawyers
merchants, or bankers. They can follow
their bent as to employment without pro-
voking criticism as oddities and unsexed
characters.
1t has been a very radical change, and 1t
has taken place chiefly In our own time.
This generation has seen the transforma-
tion, and the movement is proceeding now
faster than ever before. The first women
who broke through conventional restraints
to assert their rights were not rep
resentative Of the mass Of their sis
ters. They were radicals in all things.
and under social ban; but now girls
from the highest ranks of fashion,
from the circles Of society which are
most conventional, are boldly follow
ing their lead. At the convention OF wo-
mems clubs young ladies' belonging to the
company described by vulgarity as the Four
Hundred were conspicuous among the de-
baters. The old-time ban has been removed,
and intellectual development and business
activity have become fashionable. Women
are tired Of confinement to domestic en-
ployments and social recreations, and they
are stepping outside to exercise their capaci-
ties in broader and more varied sphere.
Mrs. STARRETT contends, in the last num-
Der OF the Forum, that both the safety
and happiness OF our daughters are to be
found In their emancipation from every fet-
tering condition." and she expresses pre-
vailing opinion. Women are rebelling
against dependence. and thus, as she very
truly says. they are the better fitting them
selves for companionship with men and to
secure the respect Of men. They are learn
ing to take care Of themselves. and that is
q great gain for them even in marriage.
They are not less lovable. but more Instead
OF unsexing themselves they are becoming
all the more attractive In their self-depend-
ence The old bugbear raised up In the days
OF MARY WoLLsToNECRAFT has been de-
stroyed by the proofs OF experience
Lot the girls go to college. then. II they
are 30 minded. and more especially II they
thus usefully employ time which otherwise
would be thrown away In frivolous and
childish occupations They will be all tho
more fascinating as bachelors OF arts and
sciences.