The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-24
copyright, 1911

einca we all listened and talked ABOUT
THE Higher Education az women. IL
hasn't been so long since we hoped as
we talked. about the result q 'the hlSh-
or education on woman. AI1f1i now. Tor
como time we have had the so caileu
hioher education for woman. AND Win
what result? Many a mother looked at
her Young daughter and thought: II
had only had the advantages that she
ebau haver If when | was a young
woman 7 had only been taught little
moro why. I should have been better
wife because / could have talked better
7 shouId have been q better ho1lsekeep-
or because I should have understood
the why and wherefore OF eVeTythihs'
and I would have been better woman
all around
And. then, this old fashioned mother
denied herself her new black dress
fresbened up an old bonnet, made the
Younger children's clothes all answer
for another season, so that there might
he money enough without botherlng Ia
Their 10 give the oldest girl the ad-
vantage of a college education. After
her first year at college much was not
av,,aoted of her. She told of the big
buildings, of the learned professors. OF
her own special friends, and if she lin
gered rather more lovingly over her &C
co,Int of a. game of basketball or the
sports in the gymnasium than she did
over the account given of her studies
the good mother thought it was because
it was all new to her.
Next year she didn't corn home for
the vacation, but as the loving mother
worked away busily at the winter ward
robe she thought with delight of the
new friends her child had made, and
did boast a little to her neighbors about
the fine folks that Jennie was visiting.
II hurt her a bit when Jennie wrote that
she'd better not bother about making
her dresses any more, as her methods
were rather countrifed, bur to send her
the money instead. And she wondered
if Jennie forgot that, while she could
find time to sew, it was not SO easy
to get ready money. But the next girl,
who lacked Jennie's ambition, so they
said. gave up her music lessons that
the money might go to the pride of the
family.
The next summer Jennie seemed a bit
of a stranger. She was a stylish look
ing young lady, whose mother was
Is bound TO feel proud of her appearance,
but who was forced to confess that she
was afraid that Jennie was not quite
so proud of the home folks. Then came
the time when Jennie was home for
good The younger sister. who was
supposed to lack ambition, though
busy teaching away in a kindergarten
so that she might have money for those
dearly loved music lessons, found time.
nevertheless, to make Jennie'S room
look like a dainty nest. waiting for this
bird that had flown so far away from
home.
And when she camel There was noap-
probation for the pretty curtains. She
threw her dusty bag, did Jennie. on
the pretty, white draped bed and her.
self into an easy chair, with scarcely a
greeting for anybody. And then-well,
then-nobody knew what to do.
Here was a strange young lady, q
young lady who might know a great
deal as far as books went, but who
knew very little as far as good manners
were concerned. The stay-at-home sis
ter had great piece of news for her
there was to be a vacancy in one of the
large schools. and the entire neighbor-
hood expected il to be offered to the
girl who had been to college and who
represented that higher education OF
women. But this young lady announced
that she didn't intend to bury herself
in any country hole.
This Jennie was a strange one to the
people about her. She did not hesitate
TO correct before other people the mis-
takes made by that dear mother, and
she hesitated less at snubbing every
girl who hadn't had the same advan.
tages as she. She forgot that as the
years went by ii was by no means un-
usual especially when the heart die
much loving and the heart continually
taught the brain the lesson of unself-
ishness. that those earlier lesson:
learned at school should be overlooked
And the mother who had denied hersel
many OF the necessities of life that hel
girl might be properly taught shet
many bitter tear when she learned
that her daughter was ashamed of her
And the others. who had hoped TO bt
so proud Of her. learned to dislike hel
because she continually found fault-be
lieved that there was nothing good ex.
cept that which came out of her col
leEe-
Oh how tired everybody got HEARING
about her college, And Yet Jennie wa,
not a well educated girl. Her knovl
edge. like that of many another cir
who was proud graduate of Jones col
lege or Thomas Brown university. wa,
entirely superficial. She could not writ,
well. she knew little of geography
while her brother Of u could correct he
spelling and arithmetic.
You think 1 don't know what I an
talking about, Here's a truthful state
nlent for you: Out of 500 letters writer
by graduates OF various COLLEGES in thi
country. 500 in writing and spelln.
would have been a disgrace 10 a girl o
l. years who had attended the public
school.
/ can't tell you whether the trouble 4
with the college or the girl. but the ay
erage graduate OF the feminine sex !;
seven times out Of ten either a bore O
a cad. Her conceit is UNPARALLELED
When she poses as learned lady sh
is laughing stock TO people who know
NJ