Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-09-14
EDUCATION oE WOMEN.
A Striking Illustration OF the Broadoned
Spirit OF the Age.

A Striking illustration Of the Broadened
Spirit OF the Age,
The incident of the bestowal by Co
lumbia, at its recent commencement,
of the degree of bachelor of arts upon
eight young women of Barnard college,
affords a striking illustration of the
broadened spirit Of the age as to wom-
ans capabilities and her right to an
equal chance in every sphere of activ-
ity and usefulness. The world Is rap
idly outgrowing the old-time conceit Of
woman, which subordinated her to the
caprices and authority Of the stronger
sex, and deprived her of the use of
natural opportunities OF development;
and IL is of the proud distinctions of
American institutions Of learning that
they have been foremost in the achieve
ment of this good result And no in
stitution has been more prompt TO rec
ognize, and respond to, the enlarged
conceptions Of the time in this particu-
lar than Colombia. In that institution,
as was stated by President Low in his
address to the graduating class, at is
now possible for young women not only
To obtain the college degree, but also
TO obtain the same long training and
careful preparation which that degree
implies when IL is bestowed upon young
men, In other words, the college af-
fords TO women all the existing
privileges of advanced education, and
SO places within their reach, In every
sphere, the prizes of honorable ambi-
tion. President Low happily stated
the far-reaching scope and influence of
this enlarged scheme when he said
that, The who has opened up to young
women the opportunities Of the higher
education has really done for woman.
kind something of the same service
which Columbus did for the middle
ages
"He has opened up to them almost literally
new world In which they may exercise as they
demonstrate their power TO do so the right OF
eminent domain. Nor need the parallel stop
there The significance OF the new world dis.
covered by Columbus has not been confined TO
those who have become It's citizens In u inou.
sand ways It has enlarged the life Of the old
world, broadening Its horizon, and making IL
capable Of new and greater things Even so,
think, the higher education Of women will not
exhaust Its meaning In Its effect upon the edu.
cation Of women themselves New lights will
be thrown upon many OF the problems Of life
and new strength will come in many directions
from the enlargement of the vision which recent
times only have made possible for the women
Of the race"
The same tho ut, substantially,
found expression the address of
President Gates, O. Amherst to the
graduating class of Wells college, when
he said: "a great deal depends ON the
attitude of woman us an important half
of the people toward ideals. The full
development of the race must be
through the family as unit Between
man and woman there should he
mutual reflection, each Of the others
virtues. The most perfect life is that
OF the man who unites some Of the best
qualities OF woman to his manhood"
II is because the world is coming to
understand these simple truths, aud act
upon them in the use of great intel
lectual and moral forces which have
long run To waste that its civilization
is taking on humaner aspects and be-
ginning to embody, in real institu-
tional forms, aspirations which touch
the loftiest and noblest ideals Prank
Leslie's Newspaper.