The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-26


forth here that old ags y the time 10 60
TO school. Then you have leisure and
then you have little desire TO 60 fishing
or chestnutting.
So much we were bound to say In
introducing the Hon. w. M. STEPHENS,
Superintendent OF Schools In Sioux City,
La. He has just made a speech on edu-
cation in a way that wins the fervent APP
plause Of an esteemed Iowan correspond
ent, who commends the views therein
inculcated. They are straight as
trivet and sound as dollar, writes this
enthusiast. who signs himself Father.
What do fathers know about education?
In progressive world the opinion Of
the children is necessarily more valua-
ble But Mr.. STEPHENS il on his feet:
Sioux City parents are mad, because they desire
the education OF mind only
Danger turks in generalities; and
from our coign Of vantage as eclectic
educational agnostics we are permitted
to say that educators are the most elias
tic and comprehensive Of generalizers.
Do even some Sioux City parents want
the education of mind only2 II they do,
is that desire any symptom that they are
mad? Tomorrow we shall hear, as we
have often heard, some mighty plough
man Of the field of education believing
that the schools and colleges develop the
muscle OF their scholars too much and
the brains too little. The race Of girls
is growing and has grown tall, strong.
beautiful, making the inferiority Of the
other sex still more marked and CALLING.
But the athletic girls are intelligent,
while there are 80 many athletic boys
who will never set the Charles or the
Hudson on fire. The girls are more
conscientious students. Their tendency
to overdo in their studies is greater.
Perhaps that is all that Mr.. STEPHENS
really means.
Surely it needs no Superintendent
come from Sioux City to tell us that
girl might better fail ignominiously in
history than fail to keep her room in
ORDER although we can't see any ig-
nominy in failing in history. How does
Mr. STEPHENS know that the Sioux City
schoolgirls don't keep their rooms in
order? II they don't, it is the fault OF
their parents and another proof of the
validity OF our theory that the old folks,
not the young ones, should be sent to |
school. Mr.. STEPHENS would have
Greek, Latin and music forsaken for the
art Of cooking. Of keeping the room or
developing the body and otherwise
directing the mind away from what
Is usually considered the right mode
of feminine culture Forsake music
What is gymnastics but a branch OF
music? No doubt the art OF cooking is
higher than music or Greek or Latin;
md it is an old-fashioned dogma that
young women should be instructed
n the theory and practice Of it. Are
he female Persons and CAsAUBoNs
good plain cooks' Who knows? Babes
n arms preside at = the chatting dish
nowadays. Everybody cooks a little.
the apostles Of diet are
winning stomachs. We used to think.
With Mr.. STEPHENS, that girls ought
o know how to cook but we were
wrong. By the time most girls have
earned to cook, the civilized world will
rave ceased to eat. Breakfast has been
lbolished, we believe. Luncheon and
Inner will follow 1t as usual Long pig
8 gone. Beefsteak in going. Really,
here is nothing for Mr.. STEPHENS to
worry about.