The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-16
MAKING OLD MAIDS.
SCHOOL MA'AMS FIND THEMSELVES
IMAM EMBARRASSING SITUATION
They Surrender Their Hearts Without
Knowing That Natrimouy Disq Qualities
Them From Holding Positions as
Teachers in the Public
Schools of Wichita.

"Well, ladies, how many of you are 60
ing to explore the geography OF the matri,
monial state during the holidays!" asked
an EAGLE reporter of q bevy OF scnooi
teachers yesterday.
Five heads shook at once.
"What! None?"
Five hearts sighed simultaneously.
"Well, we'll; how is tbat?"
Five pairs of eyes flashed fire ana nVe
fists were pointed at an imaginary SCHOOL
board. Finally one said:
''It is all the fault OF you men"
"How is thats Won't they propose"
"Propose? OF course they'll propose.
But what's the use when twelve lordly
tyrants have doomed us to celibacys"
"Celibacy? Oh, horrors!"
eyes, celibacy - c-e l-l-i-b-a-c-y," said
she, spelling the horrible word on the tips
of her fingers.
Shame, Nina,'' said her comrade,
there is only one y in celibacy."
II dou't care" said Niaa.
"Who are those twelve tyrants ?" asked
the reporter.
"Why, the board of education, OF
course; and, if you are friend to our sex,
you'll roast 'em to fnish-excuse the ex-
preston, please Pm on my ear today-oh,
excuse me again; l am too hot under the
collar to express myself coherently."
Shame, Nina" said her chum, you
mean you are 100 excited"
Excited! OF course am excited. Who
| wouldn't be excited under the circum-
stances? Whut were we girls born for but
| to get married."
"Very true; but why can't you get mar
ried, if you want to-"
"Then would lose my position
"Whys"
"WhyS Why. because you men are
| lot of cranks Don't you know that the
| board of education has ordained that the
moment we girls cross the threshold OF
matrimony we are barred from teaching
SCHOOL,"
mo; don't know any such thing?"
swell, you ought to know it; aud you
ought to make it hot for them"
"What is their excuse for such pro.
ceeding?"
"Tneir excuse is very thin: entirely too
gauzv. They say that married women
should be supported by :heir husbands,
and not by the public. Did you ever hear
such a thins9 Haven't we got just as
good right to support husbands by
teaching school as other women have by
| washing?
OF course you have. Are the male
teachers subject to the same tyrany?
No, sir, and that is just why we are
kicking. Don't you think we have kick
coming to use
''Shame Nina" said her chum, 'you
mean that we have grievance"
IL mean what l say. Exactly what
say. II l meant grievance I'd say griev
vance. / said kick. l mean kick snd
Insist on kick. The worm Is
| going to turn one of these days
and when we get in the
saddle will make you men hard to catch.
Faith they are hard to catch. now, said
her chum, forgetting to upbraid Nina fol
her slang
Chow many young ladies are doomed tc
fade away in this manner" asked the re-
porter.
"Ninety-three," said Nina, 'and more
coming. The Normal school-that grea'
| incubator of old maids-will soon turn oul
ten or fifteen more" When Nina's ex
element and rage had spent its force the
reporter obtained some curious facts from
| her,
Six of the lady teachers of the public
schools were engaged to be married dur
ing the holidays. They said nothing te
the board of education about it, not think
ing, naturally enough, that it was any OF
l fa Io de
acquainted with the facts. Some mem
bers of the board heard OF it. however, anc
il soon became noised about In school
| circles that the young ladies in question
would be discharged the moment they left
the nuptial alter Dismay followed and
the betrothed ladies, nearly all of whom
desired to continue teaching, consulted
| the members of the board with reference
to the matter and ascerfained that all
of them were against having married
ladies as teachers. This caused still
greater dismay. The young ladies prom
| ised their intended husbands 70 wed them
on certain days during the holiday vaca
ton, and all Of them being ladies OF their
word. they mean to keep their promises
TGey also Intended to keep their positions
as teachers, but in this they will probably
| fail. They are, truly, in great dilema,
and are anxious to find way out. 1t is a
question of losing a husband or a position,
and the matter will be watched with in
| terest in school circles.
| The excitement is no less intense among
the young ladies In the substitute
| list. If the other young ladies
get married they will get their places. pro-
viding the board Of education still insists
| in not retaining married ladies as teachers.
| or course they are at heart against the
policy of forcing school ma ans to become
old maids, but at the same time they
would like to have permanent situations
and, consequently. are saving wood and
fixing their fences for the approaching
vacancies.
DIR. Richardson told reporter for the
| EAGLE that there was no established rule
| against the employment of married ladies
| as teachers, but it was a custom of long
standing with the board of education.
President Ward admitted that he knew
of the intentions OF at least six Of the
young lady teachers to get married, and
| had heard many members of the board
express themselves in the matter. Ee
said nothing about what he would dc
| himself, but it was his opinion that mar
riage will bar the young ladies from re-
tanning their positions As scnoo. teachers
The question will probably be brought
| I'D st a meeting of the board previous
10 the holiday vacation. and the
sentiments of the mem bers expressed for
the benefit of tho young ladies. II the
BOARD still cings TO its custom-and it
is very probable that it will-tne old
maids coiouy in the Cherokee strip will
"A yX-i.hita q Rrnitf,,l Eald % rarrr,;. u,