The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-07-12
TOO BUSY TO MARRY.
college Girl. Ten why So Many of
Them Remain Unmarried.

The charge made by the Rev. DR.. E.
Winchester Donald, in . speech delivered
at Abbott academy, Andover. Mass. that
the methods Of education followed in
nearly all tho female colleges make pupils
unwomanly and too erudite has aroused
q torn Of agitation at Bryn Mawr,
Wellesley, and other institutions Included
in Dr.. Donald's arraignment.
There may be some basis for this ex-
traordinary criticism in the fact that she
percentage Of marriages of the student
class falls below that Of ordinary women.
and this may open a wide field for
thought among the educators OF this coun-
Try.
1t may be that college education does
mo- make young woman sslf-csntered
and that the influence Of marriage among
the graduates Is merely coincidence,
but the following statistics of the GLASSES
Of 9 and "a at Bryn Mawr would indi
cate that there may be more truth than
stry In DIR. Donald's severe accusation:
Class 'se-Ten yeArs out of school. aver
aging now 81 to 80 years Of aae; twenty
six members eleven married. two studied
three years to take the degree Of Phi. ID. /;
neither Of these has married.
| Class '94-Five years out of school, aver
aging now 81 to ss years of age; twenty
In class; three have married; three
studied one year extra to take degree OF
A. L.; one stayed three years TO take
Phi. D., thus shortening time for possible
j oourtship.
OF seventy eight women who have held
lfellowships ten have married, or Is per
lcent; of l61 graduates thirty nine have
married, or "a per cents of 2s5 girls who
did not stay to take their degrees, thirty
eight have married. or IL per cent; of ssl
) A, b. g thirty-two have married, or IA
er cent.
Fewer girls marry after taking the A,
B. degree than those who do not grad
uate. Whether or not the Bryn Mawr
students are guiltless Of DR.. Donald'i
charge Of uniNomanlines, one thing II
certain. they are, taught to keep secret.
for everything relating to Bryn Mawr ii
kept q profound secret.
When asked CONCERNING DR.. Donald
remarks, Miss NJ. Carey Thomas. presi
dent of Bryn Mawr., declined TO talk fol
publication. and said: 81 have no answer
or explanation to make"
Justice @. Strawbridge, president Of
the board of trastess, frigidly declined tS
discuss the matter. Each of tho students
approached made heroic effort TO b.
true to Bryn Mawr traditions. but their
manner indicated silent Indignation.
One Of the young ladies, who declined
to give her name. said; sit is true that
the proportion of marrying college women
is lower than will be found in the same
number Of society women. Taking all
college women together, about one-third
of them marry. Not that they are less
attractive, or less desirable as wives,
but they are busy, and the time and cir.
oumstanoes for courtshlr are lacking.
Once married, however, many Eof them
carry on their work as before. The Gen.
eral Association of College Alumnae wss
the first organization TO take up problems
of the home and OF domestic service"
Another Undergraduate said: "Gradu-
ates leave college at the age of 81 or %,
and are less likely to rush into marriage.
They think longer and look at maternity
more seriously. While must admit thai
there is great difference in the percent
age Of married women who graduate com.
pared to those who do not, do not think
that girls erudition scares young man
or creates a desire to remain single, but
makes u woman more sensible, and re-
strains her from rushing unheadingly
into wedlock. New York World.