Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-11-16
PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR WOMEN.

That physical training is an essen
tial part of mans education is ad-
mitted; that women need this tuition
seems to be a matter open to discus
sion. Ifwomen admit that such knowl-
edge is beneficial, they are slow to ac-
auire it. Why it is, they alone can
tell.
Women speak of their rights. They
wonder why their position is what it
is: that men seem to be masters,
while their own sphere is to raise and
rear children, and in many cases to
occupy positions that are little better
than those of servants.
AS a rule, the fathers, and not the
mothers, enforce the discipline in the
family. Children can more easily "get
around'' the mother. We do not, of
course, advocate harshness in the fam
iIv. A child will not love his mother
less if he is expected to obey the first
command rather than the fifth. Chill
dren love their parents, but the great
er respect is paid to the father on ac-
count of his physical strength. 1.-Two
men are willing to remain where they
are. they will be left there; if they
prefer ailments to sOundness of
physique, the choice is their own. If
they prefer to be more like servants
than companions in their homes, who
will decide to the contrary? In short,
if women will not rise mentally and
H. oh 4hoT, thoU ItthQU
won't, and there's an end ont" 1t
may be said, 'Ethe spirit iswilling, but
the flesh is weak" There is the rub:
the flesh is too weak.
Few women can do the mental work
of man, because their strength will
not permit. The brain requires large
per cent of the blood for its work. If
the body can not give it, there is a
failure. The world says that women
are not mems equals mentally. The
brief experience of women in colleges
shows that their minds are not only
as bright, but that in many cases they
excel, but their physiques do not pos
sess the vigor necessary to sustain
them in mental work. 1t can not be
denied that women, in spite of the
homage men pay them, are bound
down by laws they themselves make,
obey, and suffer from. They adopt
STYLES of dress and methods of living
that men will not sanction in their OWL
cases. They put corsets on girls, but
not on boys; they restrict girls il
many of their healthy sports which
tend to make boys strong. A girl must
simply because she is girl, refrain
from taking part in certain healthy
recreations. They must not forge
that they are young ladies. They pre-
fer paint to natures bloom -socia
laws first, health second. If Wome1
would rise above this, they must seel
education, and to acquire this bool
they must be stronger and healthie
in body. With health, the greatest o
all earthly blessings, comes beauty o
form and face. Health begets indie
pendence, and independence, with
good education, will help them il
their choice of life profession. Tn
women of the present day can not
perhaps, win all that health offers, bu
their children should. Train up a chill
as he should go, physically as well a
mentally To do this, put scientifi
physical education in the schools an
home. Happily the day is past whe
it was not right for women to be train
ed in the gymnasium. Our best col
Ieges and preparatory schools fc
girls and young ladies are not onl
spending money freely upon building
for this purpose, but they are employ
ing educated, competent women
teach. At Vassar, Smith, Wellesle!
Bryn Mawr and other leading institr
tions, much care and attention are be
ing paid to the subject of "training til
body.n