Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-04-17
WHY WOMEN FAIL.
Need Of Special Training for Ordi-
nary Occupations.
An Englishwoman's View of the Situation
In Her Own COuntry-Superhcial
VS.. Useful Knowledge-LoOk-
ing to the Future. ~
"I wonder anv man alive
Should ever rear a daughter.

"I wonder anv man alive
Should ever rear a daughter"
Even so long ago as the date of this old
opera. we unfortunate women were felt tC
be an inconvenience and perplexity, and
the recent correspondence on the subject OF
"Our Daughters" in daily paper has
clearly proved that a quiverful of daugh-
tcfs is by no means regarded as an unmltl-
ga ing blessing
Some of the correspondents wrote as
though drowning were tride too good for
thc Lulucliy surplus-some eight or nine
hundred thousand-for whom there are no
huabands available. 1 think it is time that
SOHO woman should protest against the
cccirnonly-received idea that all English
ri are brought up to regard marriage as
IL end and aim Of their existence. Provi-
deuce created the woman as a helpmeet for
the man, it is true. But that was when
there was only one man, and even then
Providence granted her separate soul and
an Individuality Of her own.
Ow that there are more, far more, En-
gli,hwomen than there are Englishmen, it
is surely time that we should look things IN
the face and recognize the fact that there
arc too many Of US to be disposed of matri-
monially. With sentiment that was part
ly composed of chivalry, and partly arose
from reluctance to place women on thi
same Intellectual footing with themselves
men have for &C INJURIES kept us back, sup
ported us by their own labOrs, and sur.
rounded us with every comfort possible to
their efforts, denying us only the delicious
luxury of independence. Legally, we were
classed with children and fools. Until few
years ago, women with husbands had no
property of their own. Every thing be-
Icnr rraI 10 tho rloa1p in tho 11npunal
bargain. The laws concerning us were
framed upon the supposition that we were
unfit to deal with property. ---.-.--
But OF late a JusUer ana more equitable
state of things has come about, thanks to
the kindly eXertlons of some few men, who
perceived the injustice of treating women
as though they were idiots. But men at
large are now beginning to reap the harvest
they themselves have sown Had daughters
been given half tho chances bestowed as a
matter of course upon sons, the present gen.
GRAFTON Of girls would be at leastas self-sup-
porting as their brothers. But fathers have
not yet awakened to the truth that their
daughters could and would make their way
in the world quite as well as the sons. The
outcry as to what they shall do with their
daughters is merely the natural consequence
of what they have done with them hitherto
luc OIulNlIN idtllCI luluhS llO has uOH6 all
his duty by his girls if he has them well-ed-
ucated at some fashionable school, where
every girl is taught exactly the same things
quite apart from her special capacities or
her individual tastes.
The sons are brought up to professions, as
a matter Of course Money is lavished on
them; so much money, in fact, that the
father is often unable to execute the insur-
ance on his life that would make some pro-
vision for his daughters in the event of his
death. We all know what happens when
the bread-winner dies No need to describe
the miserles endured by girls who have al
ways been sheltered in happy home, and
who find themselves thrown on the cold
world without any equipment against its
rigors.
But fathers are now beginning to awake
to the eXigencies of the case. Sensible men
realize that the education obtainable at the
ordinary fashionable schools is no education
at all IN the true sense of the word 1t is
laying on rather than a bringing out. What |
a girl needs is that whatever talent lies |
within her shall be brought forth, developed |
and cultivated to its very highest pitch of |
perfection. What is her favorite pursuit, |
next to novel reading, tennis playing and /
sweetest Every girl has some |
ol'NNiHA bPNANhhNf etliN III ~ ohOulu DC ICIOk-
nized the germ of future independence.
Even the so-called stupid girls can do |
some one thing better than other things, and |
the full battery of education should be di- |
rected straight upon the one point, instead |
Of being fruitlessly wasted upon the newt
able piano, water-color drawing and the
usual smatterrng of continental languages.
Why on earth should every glrllearn musicl
Nine-tenths of those who do are absolutely
destitute of the musical sense To them it
IS unmitigated drudgery, and of what possi-
ole use is it to any one elsel Who has not
suffered from them and their dreadful
y practicing" 1t is pure waste to teach
hem, and the miseries endured by their
Hretched instructors can never be esti-
mated. The false notes that Jar upon the
musical ear; the heavy, soulless
ouch; the repetition of precisely the same
Notwithstanding constant correc-
ion; these things must make the life of a
music teacher hard one. And why should
,very girl be taught to play on the planol
II is by no means the ideal instrument at
Is BEST and nowadays no one who can
lelp 1t ever listens 10 an amateur The
ime that is devoted to such lessons would
'e much better spent in learning some
more congenial lesson.
Perhaps the root of this universal piano
earning is that men are supposed to like
wives who can play. But the inefficient
'erformers invariably "give up their music''
when they marry. Fortunately for their
rear neighbors the piano is seldom opened.
{ is but loss of time TO learn il, unless
here is decided taste for music. Dancing
9 necessary accomplishment Of course.
> Girl Fots On IN society who docs not
N fifN '' ft'f ei rH- rl Tho lit..t.-.,
"a ts-s.A--il, "a t41 49,
concluded on fourth page.)
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