The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-06-26
WOMAN'S SPHERE.
fhe MisedHestieh Of Wemen--Does IL
Pay?

ray
A lady living in Norfolk, Va,
has written to the World for
advice which the World is
wholly unable to give her. But
her letter suggests Il great
wrong of SO common and so
persistent a kind, and one en-
failing SO much of hardsh ip
upon innocent women, that We
are moved to comment upon it.
The lady moves, as she says,
in "the best social circles" in
the Southern city in which she
lives. Her hundand's failing
health has cut off the greater
part Of his income, and the
wifo earnestly beseeches the
World to tell her OF some kind
of work that she can do III Eer
own home by which an income
of $40 or SIS a week can be
earned.
This woman is what is con
ventionally called "educated."
That is to say, she has been
carefully trained in a more or
less superficial way in a knowl-
edge of text books and in all
those Accomplishments" whic',
are supposed to fit women for
the "best circles of society"
But her education has in no
way qualified her to take care
Of herself. 1t has given her no
skill in the art of providing fol
her own physical needs. 1t has
not included instruction in any
bread winning work.
Such education is worse than
10 education at all. 1t makes
the mind sensitive, increasing
the caracity for suffering, while
it leaves the woman helplessly
to the contemplation OF beggary
or dependence as her portion
should the income fail. II
multiplies her wants, but in nc
way equips her with capacity
to supply them It makes a
helpless, DEPENDENT creature OF
her, to whom wretchedness is
always All easy possibility.
~ The World eau point this
lady to no work that she can do
because she has never been
taught how to do any work. II
she had skill Of any kink she
might employ it profitably
But in this age there is no wor
for dainty, umskilled hands to
do.
1t is scarcely less than a crime
to educate women in this way
and yet it is the usual way.
In recent copy Of the Pitts
burgh Post We read how "in
Germany a good brewer com
mands larger wager than d
Greek professor.
A Gottingen professor has
printed a statistical work on
the alarming increase in the
number of learned men in Ger
many, and shows that there are
now entered ON the rolls of the
German universities $4,000
students. He shows that fully
one-half of these hopeful yo this
are doomed to a life of poverty
aud disappointment. The vast
majority Of the $4,000 are ex-
pecting to bee ome lawyers or
doctors, Or pastors or school
masters, oc in some other way,
either in private life or as
servants Of the state, to earn
their bread by means Of the
education they are at present
40 laboriously acquiring"
The London Standard com
menting on the professor'A
statistics, thinks that England
and America may we'll consider
this problem "Does it pay?'
Man must have clothing, food
and fire. He must earn and re
ceive money s, he may bub in
the market place. What is
called higher education need
not destroy or prevent mans
usefulness. He must prepare
to live in this world-Iive well
To insure this he must acquire
knowledge and skill. He mus
know how to do something, aD6
do it so we'll that be draws
commands attention. He must
prepare to serve the great in
stitutions and industries of his
age. Without this knowled q
aud preparation he is helpless
The purpose of education i!
to fit its recipient for life
Education which does not in
clude training III the art cl
procuring the the means o
living does not fit its subjec
for life. 1t is not education
but misguidance, whether fol
man or woman, rich Or poor.
This has long been our view O
our present system of education
and it was the strong point W;
made in our speech at the clos
ing exercises Of Clement Mode
School a few weeks since.
Zach dau is. q h,.a nch of tn