Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-31

dren are being studied hygienically with an
X ray scrutiny that our girls are urged
through their graduating year by the keyed
up, nervous prodding Of per cent examiua-
tions. No influence can 90 as much TO
change these conditions as The concentrated
effort OF a woman's club Any sensible
measure concerning the schools which
club, composed OF the best women in the
community, would launch and tactfully
push forward would not fail When enough
influential mothers unite In protest against
the wrongs In our present school curricu-
lum these wrongs will be rghted, and no
one will suggest that such EFFORT is not
within the sphere Of your womanhood
and motherhood.
Shall my daughter go 90 high school
Yes, If she is equal TO It physically. But
year Of complete rest between the grade
school and high school would often be
wise course. With firm health she can do
great deal OF hard study and valuable
work in a high school, But l beg Of you,
keep her out OF society at this time. En-
courage sensible athletics. early bedtime
and proper food These will tide her over
the hard places.
Her reading? SO much OF her future
tastes and ambitions depend upon her read
I ing at this time one shrinks from recon-
/ mending any course. Let her temperament
decide somewhat. II she is fanciful and i'm
agnative Offset this tendency with the lit
eral and practical; II prosaic and matter Of
fact, give her the poetic and imaginative.
! But strive that her reading be real litera-
| ture rather than the ephvmoral book Of a
! day
our little girl has grown UP. Can you
send her to college? Where? To a coed"
| In
sense that co-education means equal ad-
| vantages for the sexes on the basis Of right
and Justice, why, amen to co-education
| but when 1t means that the sexes shall
| pursue the same studies as "A preparation
! for life that admits o. discussion. | think
| there should be equal opportunity, but a
| different goal The omission Is vital. Some
day a college course for girls may come TO
mean. first, the science of health Not
! athletics to excel some rival team and 20
give mannish yells, but for the sake OF a
sound body. Every subject taken up by
college girls should be taught with an eye
to her training as a future homemaker.
| To be an intelligent, accomplished woman
and hold ones own in and out OF we'll
| managed home means much. Above art,
science literature or philosophy she needs
to know herself. Then. in her study of life,
every subject should include her needs in
the future home. Ia science any less Sci
ence because it embraces the chemistry of
cooking? Let me say jus, mere tnat every
young woman needs a year of kindergarten
training as pupil-teachcr before her mar
riage. Nowhere is the Froebelian philosophy
more needed than in home OF little chill
dren.
But IL my daughter wishes TO follow one
OF the learned professions? Then she must
take her place side by side with men in CO.
educational institutions and forfeit the BEN
I eft OF a separate wOman's college. But
would not have her enter upon the techni-
cal training of a profession under 20 years
Of age. and only then II health were sound
principles firm and temperament fitted to
stand alone.
speak from close personal observation
of large popular co-education university
when | say that the dormitory life there for
four years is injurious to the average girl
Entering at the Uniformed age OF II, she at
once becomes a law unto herself and inde-
pendently elects everythlng-her study
course, her men and women friends, her
way of spending evenings her attendance
upon receptions dances and theaters, and
is much guide to herself as If she were
steering a craft alone on the broad ocean
She can neglect and break, unchided. every
physical law and ruin her health through
late hours night spreads" and eternal
Judges" A chatting dish is a college idol
Do you ask why this regime? What is
the reason for permitting such unwise free
dom? Why, they are learning self-govern
ment and developing "self-reianCe.' Yes
at price that no young girl should be al.
lowed to pay. Some wisdom costs too much
They tell us that this is a womans age
that 1t is the era of her opportunities; let
us never forget that a woman is not 2 man
Let us teach our girls that to be broad
cultured, womanly woman Is the highest
goal for which they need to strive