The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-19
THE COLLEGE-BRED WOMAN.
A Plea for University Education for
the Weaker Sex.

Plea for a University Education for
the Weaker Sex.
The sending OF our daughters TO college 10
make them practical is an idea that it may
take a long time to implant in the average
parents mind. The dreamy girl graduate,
with her head in the stars and her feet
stumbling over the difficulties Of every day
life is as much out Of fashion as the delicate,
sentimental woman Of the Byronic type.
No doubt, some college girls will be unprac-
teal. as a conservatory course will not
make musician. The point is, however.
that other things being equal, the college
bred woman IS more practical than her
home or society-bred sister.
Take the matter Of executive ability. See
a college girl run a society, or, to particular
iza, conduct a meeting. The meeting IS
called TO order, ard, what is more, held in
order in proper parliamentary fashion.
There is no branching off TO other subjects
than the one under discussion There is no
irrelevant talk on the same subject. She
has been trained TO an appreciation Of the
value of time. She knows the utmost that
can be got cut Of a certain number OF min
utes. Size has discovered the elements
necessary to an efficient committee. aud the
proper apportiOning and limiting of the
functions of each member She herself
can work Systematically and tremendously
With her colleagues. She has learned TO
subordinate personal considerations TO the
general welfare Of the undertaking; ii is
nothing to her whether she sells flowers or
peanuts provided the entertainment is
success; she will act the part of maid as
cheerfully as AramiDta, mistress and
heroine. She has acquired ingenuity,
originality and experience in the many pro-
iects she has bad TO engineer IN her college
life with no aid, financial or advlsatory,
from father or brother. She can engage
band or public speaker
OF course there are fathers, old-fashioned
perhaps. who do not want their daughters
TO direct wOman's exchanges or Century
clubs. That is not the question here, how
ever. We are considering only the in-
creased power of the college girl to Go
whatsoever her hand fndeth TO do.
When she marries she may not know
what cut Of beef to buy. but she has mind
that has been taught how to learn. If
she has been to Wellesley she has studied
domestic science under Miss Talbot, an d
can discover defective drainage without an
attack OF typhoid 10 point il out She can
discover il and also remedy it. her studies
in the principles and practice OF drainage
and plumbing have made her master of our
common enemy and aut0crat, the plumber.
She has studied methods of yentilating and
heating, house-furnishng. the Chemistry Of
cleaning, melnOuS OIL preserving IOOd ana
detecting adulteTatiOn, household art and
domestic service. If she takes an active
part in the administration of local chart
ties her course in economies has taught her
the benefits Of wel-directed charitable and
social efforts aud the evils coming from i'll
devised and utOpian reform.
When she has children. she can take more
intelligent care Of them for having followed
in her Alumn8 Association the investiga-
ton Of Mrs Annie Howes Barus, Mrs
Frances Fisher Wood, and others in infant
psychology and physiology. Sir William
Gull of England bears witness to the prac-
tical value of college studies, at the same
time that he pays tribute to the superior
health Of college women, in saying that the
benefit derived from university education
makes women and their children stronger
and better, and that the percentage of child
less marriages is less with educated women
and the percentage of children that survive
infancy larger. L. X. L.