The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-14

Of the franchise. which has been seen. In
every case. to entail new responsibilities OF
a serious and irksome sort while proposing
to confer only the most unsubetantial and
cvanescent Of political benefits.
What IL tho Best Education9
The ladies Of sorosis discussed last week
the puxzling question. What 10 the best
kind Of education to At women for the
duties OF life ? II applies to boys no less
than to girls. and hence Is problem Of
which every household where children arc
growing up is anxiously seeking tho solu-
tlon. Great numbers Of parents have como
to US for help in solving II, and II 6orosis
can settle the diflioulty and conclude tho
discussion by telling them exactly what to
do. It will riee to immortal fame.
The general principles laid down by these
feminine philosophers are sound absolutely
and eternally. Tho best and highest
development Of the individual 10 that which
develops most completely his capacity for
usefulness. and the education which pre-
paree him for the fullest and freest use OF
his special faculties and abilities 10 the most
desirable for him. He is best trained when
he Is trained for the uses for which he u
by nature best fitted. That 70 about what
they think. as we gather from their remarks
on Monday. and they could not think more
correctly. The trouble is to discover the
special faculties and limitations and then to
find the best education for the purpose Of
developing them most thoroughly.
As q matter Of fact. very few boys hAve
any extraordinary aptitudes which furnish
an indication Of the careers most suitable
for them. Yet. undoubtedly. II 1t could be
found out by the human discrimination.
there Is In every child special fitness for
some special use In the world. use which
he can fulfil better than any other. Tho
misfortune is that 1t Is 90 rarely disooverable
that society is full Of people who seem
utterly misplaced. They arc, trying to do
something which they were not made to do.
and generally something which is as much
above their capacity a. 1t Is outside Of 1t.
As to women. their function In the world
Is determined by nature itself. Their nat
ural career Ia plain and obvious. They arc
made to be the mothers Of tho race: and
therefore an element of perplexity which
exists 90 far as men are concerned Is re-
moved In their case. But the preponderance
OF women In old communities Of o compli-
Gated civilization absolutely forbids the mar
Rage Of many Of them and prevents their
pursuing their natural. happlest. and most
useful career. They must provide for them-
selves in life instead Of being provided for
by husbands. and they must work to
earn their own living instead Of caring
for their children and their house,
holds as faithful wives and mothers.
The vast majority OF them. also. require re-
munerstive employment during the years
while they remain maidens. though after
ward they enter upon their natural career
in wedlock. As they are to be the mothers
Of the race. 1t is Of supreme importance
that their moral and physical education
should be the best for the development Of
their characters and their physical health.
lectual training. First OF oil. they must be
good women; then they must be healthy.
and. finally. they must not be fools or silly
creatures whose brains are faccid from lack
of use. The education of girl for her true
career is therefore much simpler matter
than the education Of boy. whose most
suitable career cannot be foreseen with any
approach to exactness.
The trouble arises when 1t Is necessary to
prepare for the emergency Of q womans
having to support herself Independently of
marriage, and 1t grows more serious as 80
ciety grows older and communities moro
populous. That difficulty Sorosis could not
solve. and no wonder: for it is insoluble by
q debate after luncheon at SHERRY's.
whether the disputants be men or women.
The only contribution we can mako
to the discussion Is to advise such
women to seek the employments where
they come least into competition with
men, those for which feminine abilities
are more especially adapted. One OF
these Is domestic service. They will DO
wrong II they despise 1t as beneath their
ambition. It is not only the flttest employ
ment for women. but there Is none more
honorable. and none in which higher Or
dor Of capacity may be displayed and exer-
cised. It is great thing for women to
have the shelter OF household and not to
bc obliged to 80 abroad into the market
places to fight for their bread against the
competition of burly men not incapacltated
10y nature for the battle as they are.