The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-09-14
Education of Women.

The eminent distinctions that have been
won by women Of late in English schools,
and the increased educational advantages
given to the sex in our owa country, are of
the most gratifying character to all who
are interested in the growth of intellectual
culture in the whole body polite. This
widening and broadening of opportunities,
which promises to bring about many social
changes, is undoubtedly partly due to the
greater enlightenment which the law has
thrown upon the relationship between the
two sexes and upon their rights and respon-
sibilities. The state of women even less
than century ago was anomalous and
painful; scanty provision was made for their
welfare, and in many respects they were
subjected TO fragrant and shameful injus-
tice hardly credible to modern ears. But
one by one their disabilities have been re-
moved; and in proportion as laws have
been enacted py states enabling them to
make contracts, to hold property, and to act
as If they were entities and not chattels it
has been realized that in order to live up to
this newly enacted liberty they must be
titly prepared and equipped for it. Hence
the movement for their elevation need not
be regarded as a mere chivalrous senti-
ment: but rather as something which
would naturally follow what statute law
had decreed.
A few weeks ago Mr.. Gladstone made an
address before the pupils of the famous
burlington school for girls, near London,
IN the course OF which he said some things
which, although they would not be accept
able to those who wish to see woman
launched on the stormy sea of politics and
working IN every field of human action.
will doubtless be accepted by all who are
looking 10 the good of the community, and
not to the triumph of some wild and i'm
practicable idea. Speaking of the changes
that have taken place in woman's condi-
tion, and of the still greater changes that
are now being discussed and to which so
many are looking forward with eager an
ticipatlonS, he refrained from undertaking
10 say whether these movements would
ultimately result in the good of society, but
he did say, plainly.
Il believe that anything that attempts
or affects to alter the fundamental rela-
tons which the Almighty himself has es-
tablished, and the designs which he has
marked outain our constitutions and capac
tiles, to draw woman out of her own sphere
and expect her either to exchange it for the
sphere of man or TO act in both with the
presumption that she can act in both with
efficiency that schemes that involve
changes of that kind, for my own part,
contemplate neither with approval-if
may speak of anything so insignificant a.
my own approval of so great scheme-nol
with a sanguine expectation of happy re
Suits
There certainly can be nothing extracted
from this which indicates want of sym
patty with the efforts which women ar,
making to become more useful in tn,
world. MIR. Gladstone observed that al
eminent physician had said to him NOR
hnp +hn+ ,as- b0,,+ .,
nor the Tories, but the mothers of Eng
land, would save the country; and he sup
plimented this argument by adding tina
the mothers Office is such that no adj
tions that we could possibly make to
woman's functions, can ever stand for
moment in comparison with it as regard
the very vital bearing upon the formation
of character in everyone of us; and wba
is the formation of character except tina
for which God sent US into the world! |
is the sum and substance, the beginnin
and the end, of the whole matter: and it i
TO the formation of character that il is tn
bright aud glorious function of women
partly a teacher, and largely as teacher
but infinitely more as mother, to con
tributen
So far there has been nothing disclose,
in the opening OF new avenues to women I,
justify the fear that womanly grace an
nodesty, and those tender affections whic
find their outcome in the glow Of heart
and home, are likely to suffer from cor
tact with =sterner duties. True educatio
is that which elevates, at the same tim
implants, a higher idea of responsibility
and woman, with her sphere OF usefulnes
yearly growing, may yet I'LL the dream c
the poet, rising from one height to an
other,
Till at last she set herself to man,
Like perfect music unto NOBLE words.