The San Francisco call., 1905-08-13
School Girls and
Mathematics

taxed her powers. For instance, 1t IS
shame for d woman TO scream when she
sees poor little mouse scuttling as fast
as il can out of the closet. or to go into
fits when a bat or a spider or some other
uncanny creature crosses her field OF
vision. Women who do this are women
who have never had any practical drill
in self-control.
| once met d lady approaching middle
age, who boastcd that she had never re-
strained an emotion in her life. IF any
thing goes wrong l just go to pieces,
she said. land everybody has to fly
around and wait on me- She seemed TO
think this meritorious thing. In reality
it was disgraceful. The one duty be-
yond all others for you and me, Dorothy.
is to be equal to the occasion whenever
il comes, and to rule our own spirit. How
arc we ever going to rule anybody else
if we do not rule ourselves?
Having said this. let me add that 1
look upon mathematics very much as
the builder looks on the foundation ol
the house If you are planning to build
a beautiful mansion, with many rooms
and Corridors with a tower on the top
and windows open wide to the sunshine,
you must first of all dig deeply into the
earth and see that your underpinninS
will be safe and your foundation stable.
The whole OF education is built on the
alphabet. the multiplication table and the
ten commandments. On these you may
rear whatever beautiful editice you please
Ii would be a very one-sded develop
ment that a girl would have who knew
nothing except mathematics. once In
awhile this has been shown in the case
of some mathematical prodigy who mas
performed astonishing feats with figures
and has done nothing else. At one end
of the scale place mathematics for bal
last: ut the other give play to imagina-
ton and then you will have perfectly
balanced character. Do not make the
mistake of thinking that there is no vir-
tue outside the ledger. Every child VINO
solves a difficult problem should be told
a fairy story imme diately afterward as a
reward Whatever else you omit, be sure
YOU cultivate your mind in the region of
poetry and fancy.
A traveller was vending his way over
the mountains of Kentucky, when he
came at nightfall to a cabin in lonely
pass. He asked If he might find shelter
for the night. and the hospitality of the
mountains was at once extended TO him.
Food and a bed and asylum for man
and beast are always freely given by the
dweners in those hillside homes. Lying
at full length on the cabin floor and
cipherinS by the light OF blazing pine
knots was a boy who seemed absorbed in
his occupation. On inquiry it transpired
that this lad of H. who had had very
little schooling, was working his own
way through algebra. patiently tackline
every difficulty as he met il, and thus
far he had had almost no help. The
traveller discovered that boy had gen
uine love for learning; sthe sort of love
that pushes a student on whether he has
teachers or not He was able to give
him some suggestions, and after awhile
TO put him iii the way OF going to college
Il ffravt T1cl1
ed professor in a great university. prov
ing himself not only skihful in mathe-
matics, but able to master other studies
in many fields.
Dorothy. the real value of mathematics
for you will be to convince you that
whatever other girls have done, a girl
like you may do. Also. II may help you
to adopt the motto of the wisest of men
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, dc
it with thy might"