The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-07-29
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
BOTH SIDES.

BOTH SIDES.
Some Of the Objections Raised to College
Training for Girls.
The world seems Of late touched with
the mania Of gathering information by
means Of questions on all manner Of
topics addressed to all manner of peo-
pie. As way OF reaching average
opinion the ,postal-examination system
has merits, though SO many addressed
have no opinions, or no time to write
them, that it is, after all, only a minor
ity report which is thus made up.
But recent trial Of it has proved in
teresting as showing the average OBJ
jections to college training for girls
To the sweet girl graduate of high,
normal and private schools in large
eastern city four questions were ad-
dressed. They were asked if they
would like to 60 to college, if they
meant to 60, and if not, why not; and
finally what objections they had heard
urged against such training. Seventy
seven answered, and of these, sixteen
had no desire to 60, sixteen meant to
go, and the rest would like to, but could
not-chiefly for lack of money A few
were unwilling to postpone so long
their entrance into society; and one, q
normal graduate, was Of opinion that
though she might know more after four
years at college, she would be no better
fitted to teach.
But it is the answers to the last ques.
ton which are most instructive, as
showing the prejudices still ruling the
average mind. The chief objections
urged are: college training is unnec-
essary; women need to learn only house.
hold duties. They soon forget all they
learn, have no use for it in after life, do
not remain single long enough to profit
by it. 1t is useful only to those who
have to support themselves or who
enter profession. It makes women
masculine, causes loss Of pretty, lady
like ways; makes them strong-minded.
vain, independent disagreeable, dissat-
isfied with home life, Injuries the health,
units them to be economical wives, de-
stroys the maternal instinct, and him
ders them from marrying.
Now it may be useful to note how en-
tirely the social fallacy underlies most
Of these objections. Substitute '.men"
for women" in them and more than
half of them become absurd But is
education one thing for men and
another for women? Precisely, answers
society. A mans education is for his
individual profit in knowledge and
character, society gaining in turn from
his gains. A woman's training is for
the good of the home; she can not be
considered apart from her special mis-
sion as mother and home-maker. In that
case, our homes are still, In the main,
''dolls' houses" There are, Of course,
numbers of people who think college
training mistake; who oppose II
equally for boys and girls, urging, with
slight variations, these same objections
This is at least consistency If it Is not
good sense. But the people who be-
lieve in IL for the average boy. should
show cause why the average girl may
dot equally proAt BY it; why only the
Exceptional girl who means to teach Of
take . profession should be given it
The question indeed resolves itself in
to this; Has woman q right to life OF
her own account? II so, then the goot
Of society will give toher, as to hel
brother, the broadcast development, ant
trust to profit indirectly by her culture
rs it does by his; no more, bless.
A late writer in . magazine, likt
these DIRECTORS, lays the blame of de
clining marriage on college training
and the selfish ambitions it fosters
And, always with the good of societ,
in view, he recommends, as cure, ear
lier marriages. Let the girl be trained
in household arts SO that the youth car
afford to marry, and then let her b.
given home and children to absorb he
energies and the selfish ambitions,
which it is SO wrong for her to cherish
will wither But it is precisely the bes
mothers Of to-day, the most intelligen
and conscientious, who mourn ovel
their intellectual deficiencies, their i'm
perfect, old-time training, because they
feel these deficiencies with their chill
dren. They form classes and literary
clubs, because-"I want to know some
thing for my boys sake-my girls" L
the younger women want knowledge
for their own sakes, it is, perhaps, be
cause this reason has not yet come int
their lives.
Let us be rid of the idea that a col
lege training is only for teachers. Tht
boy goes, not because he is to be teach
err or lawyer, but because it is the bes
education of gentleman. Until hi
sister goes for like reason, because it is
the best culture of lady, we are still
in the backwoods. Let us be rid, too
of the fancy that the higher education
is, in some vague way, inimical to mar
riage and the common lot. If there i
comfort in statistics, they show tina
collegc-bred women marry like thei
sisters, only a little later. Statistic
long since disproved the ''injury t
health" objection. As for the moralist
who cry that women's extravaganza
und love of dress hinder marriage, the
must surely see that society life 70:
tiers these passions, while an intel
lectual one such as college trainin
should develop, controls them by sui
shutting nobler ambitions
Meantime college women are warne
by these objections not to be vain, di:
agreeable, independent or anxious t
occupy positions more suited to men.
There is, indeed, certain vaguenes
| about this last and we all know val