Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-10

cult newspaper, rlue bicycle, Keep store,
farm, keep books, clerk, canvass, be a stump
| speaker, steamboat captain, blacksmith,
deputy sheriff, barber. or engage In o
hundred other avocations, everyone of which,
besides those have named. are now being
followed successfully by women in various
| parts OF our country.
'I must say that I am inclined to think
we educate our daughters too much. I
mean that too much valuable time and effort
is expended by them in the pursuit of knowl-
edge that can never be of any benefit to
themselves or others. Geometry and trigo-
nometry are studied by girls who can never
have the slightest use for either. Latin and
Greek are pored over by other young women
who will not be able to decline q noun or an
adjective in either language two weeks af-
ter marriage, and who would not be able to
darn their husbands socks to any better ad-
| vantage it they could. Young ladies who
have no music in them are kept drumming
away at the piano for years while others,
who can never by any possibility have the
slightest conception of true art, are kept
drawing away with brushes and colors.
'The education Of our daughters, then.
resolves ITSELF to my mind, into what is
most practical and therefore best for each
individual. So far as ornamental branches
are concerned, should regard art as the
most important where there was any talent
| for it"
GoDDESsEs OF THE HOME.
'Every young woman who desires to be
and to appear intelligent must be we'll read
in the general information of the day." said
Mrs. James Mcmillan, wife of the junior
Senator from Michigan. "At the same
| time 1 think great many young ladies' de-
vote great deal too much attention to read
ing newspapers. This class of publications
is now so voluminous, and their contents is
so largely made up of personal gossip, that
one may read and read and yet gain very
little that is of any practical advantage
that is worth remembering, or that can be
| remembered without a severe mental effort,
because it is so trifing in character.
''The great object of a girls education
should be, OF course, to fit her to perform
the duties of home. 1t is not necessary for
| the requirement Of this knowledge that she
| should scrub floors or 60 into the kitchen to
| scour pots and pans and wash dishes. If a
girl is brought up where she has an oppor-
tunity to observe her mothers manner Of
experimenting domestic affairs she will
readily learn all that is necessary for the
mistress of household to know. think
very we'll Of the requirement of the modern
languages. Their study Is not only good
mental discipline, but knowledge of them
may be of great practical utility. If a
young lady pursues them far enough she
may become competent to teach them, and
thus be self-supporting.
SHOULD HAVE TRADE.
Mrs. Senator Cushman K. Davis, of
Minnesota, like Mrs. Payne, is a strong ad-
vocate OF the practical in the education of
girls. 81 believe" she said, "that above
everything else every GIRL care not what
her circumstances in life may be-should be
educated to earn her own living. In this
country, where reverses of fortune are SO
sudden and so frequent, this must ever be
the most important part of education for
the rich as well as the poor. 1 imbibe my
ideas in this respect from an old Scotch aunt
who took my two sisters and myself when
we were left orphans at an early age and
brought US up as her own children. Born
of wealthy parents, and accustomed during
the greater part OF her life to every luxury
that money could buy, she had been reduced
by unexpected reverses to comparative pow
erty at the time when she took us in charge
Utterly ignorant herself of every art by
which she might have added to her slender
income she resolved that we should all be
self-supporting. Two of my sisters she
made school teachers, while was fitted to
teach music.
cat an early sge she bought me q doll
and materials for its dresses and told me
must provide dolly with clothes. set to
work and eventually succeeded in clothing
her neatly. When I was 10 years Of age
aunt bought me a pattern, some navy blue
cloth and some black velvet, and told me
must make myself gown, which I did
greatly to her satisfaction and nv own and
the envy of my little playmates. From that
time to the present day have never paid 1
cent to dressmaker or milliner, nor has
anyone else done so for me. Every dress,
hat and bonnet wear is made and trimmed
by nv own hands"
A QUESTION OF INTELLIGENCE.
Mrs. Senator Nathan T. Dixon, or Rhode
Island, one of the most charming ladies of
Washington society, laughed musically
when asked her how her daughters should
be educated. THAT is funny question to
ask me-" she said merrily, "when you take
into consideration the fact that never had
a daughter, but on the same principle that
David Cop Lerfeld's Aunt Betsy Trotwood
was constantly telling her nephew what his
non-existent sister Betsy would have thought
and said and done if she had ever been
born, suppose I may venture to give my
views on the question you have proposed.
First of all, believe that education is
largely question of natural intelligence
If that is present in marked degree little
education will achieve wonderful results.
IL IL ls lACklHS cuuCdtlOu 70 alIuOSL any e4-
tent is comparatively useless. To illustrate
my meaning may cite the case of EIihu
Burritt, the learned blacksmith, who with
out any instruction whatever acquired
great number of ancient and modern Ian
guages. On the contrary, know a family
OF children, of ignorant but wealthy parents,
who, though they have had every advantage,
cannot speak six words OF their own lam
guage correctly nor write respectable
letter.
"There is a peculiarly bright and quick
natural intelligence, intuitive in perception
and electrical in comprehension and gener-
alization, learning instantaneously from
everything it sees and hears; mentally pho
tographing everything within the range of |
vision. It learns OF fact and generallzes |
from it as quickly and naturally as colt |
runs at play, and its conclusions are as |
pressing as a bloodhound's scent. A thing |
once told is never forgotten, mistake once |
corrected is never repeated. |
'Tf girl possesses this natural intelli- |
genee her schooling matters little. She will |
learn for herself more readily than any in |
struetor can teach her. A girls best |
teacher should always be her mother, and |
her best schoolroom the family circle of the
home"
AN ECONOMICAL CRACKER.