The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-17
EDUCATION IoR wonK1ve woMEx.
Zeal sud stud,ou,nr-- or the Pupils at the
Femnie Slight SEA ooIs.

Zeal .ud stud,ou,nr-- or the Pupils at the
Femnie Slight SEA ooI-.
The female night schools. as they are popu-
larry known, are enduring n vacation. II It
were any other school. ono would say that 1t
was enjoying vacation. But the femnle night
school regards It az q necessary evil and sim
ply puts up with II.
woman reporter for TINS SuN visited one OF
them tho other evening. II met in public
fourth street. between Eighth aud Ninth ave-
nues. Tho principal. Miss Charlotte Ecker.
was found at her desk in the empty assem- bly,
room. while n subdued hum came from half
dozen surrounding class rooms. At this one
school 40 pupils are enrolled. and there has
been an average attendance since the begin
ming OF October of over 300. No girls under
tho age OF III are admitted, except. to be sure.
in an occasional instance. where child comes
with its mother, The child is not the pupil in
this case, but the mother.
1t is positively pathetic TO visit what Miss
Ecker calls the adult class in reading and tho
adult class in writing. Certainly nothing could
posed Of women all the way from 20 to 40
years Of age When tho reporter visited the
W@rIs leni i and led" rron"nn e T Alike. n'
L-c-a-d. lead! lead! Led led. ledl' they
recited in sing.song chorus.
They were intensely in earnest. Most OF
them look ell tired. They could hardly fail to.
innsmuch. as thoy had been hard at work al
macy coored women. There are also some
foreigners: women who possibly can read
ihs,T oTn anEIas1 euy r MINI to Learn to rSSd
fifty were laboriously forming the old copy
book maXims. The session Of tho night school
and from S:i5 to G:l5 O'clock These women
arein two classes: one spends the fret hour
with the writing teacher while the other is
studying reading. and then they exchange.
From these two rooms Miss Ecker took the
reporter to the advanced reading and pen man
ship classes. They were much younger than
the adult beginners. Some OF their copy books
were marvellously we'll done. In the reading
writing. There are also two classes in book
keering and two in stenograIhy Some of the
studying bookkeepinG gin in the night school.
They studied with such good results that they
have secured positions. and now wish TO add
stenography to their accom- rlIshmentS
Here are .''U girls ana women VINO are 80
ANXIOUS for an education that they give no
pose. Ill of them work durlng the daytime.
Most OF them are shop girls. some arc do.
their employers. enabled to attend the school.
others are women who have families and
household cares, and can snatch time for
supper out OF the way. Some are widows who
bring their children with them. All Of them
Some Of the shop kris live too far from The
school to go home for supper. SO they have
to eat at noon in the shop asement. one girl
walks from Sixty nth street and hack.
1t was tho closing night Of the term whom
the reporter visited the school. and. therefore.
the pupils all gathered In the assembly room
for the usual Friday nights closing song. 1t
was q motley crowd. but they sang well. and
laughed till they wore tired when one OF tho
Thought OF the Chinese Question:, Then there
was a general interchange Of Merry Christ
masses and the school regretfully adjourned
until Jan. This unwecome vacation was
made necessary because most OF tho pupils
will be kept in the stores until 10 r. NJ. for the
next three weeks. The teachers hope to be-
gin a sewing class In January.
As the pupils poured out OF the gates. the
reporter met an old colored woman who was
hohbling along with cane.
How long have you been going to night
"Oh, | went yeah befo' las, but dldn' go
las yeah cause had rhenmatlsm. Pm goin'
to pussue my studies again now. It's right
good thing for them as hasn't had much edu-
cation. you know II used 10 be against the
law to teach us anything
Can you read nowF
Pretty well. :. answered the old darky. with
any OF putin in the time after days washin'"