Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04
THE TIRELESS WOMAN
ADVICE TO LADIES WHO SPEND
DAYS IN INDoLENCE.
To Arouse the Energies and Awaken
the Intellect One Of the Aims Of
Education.

From the London Chronicle.
And ell lhAr say, without use this shining
woman lived" BLAKE.
There must be something utterly wrong
with the education of our Diddle-class girls
nowadays, since most OF them ore content
70 spend their lives In a lethargic Indolenhe
an apathetia uselessness. Education as It
ought to be Is analogous TO preparing tho
ground for the reception OF seed and SOW
Ing II I'm such manner as VIII favor its
growth into healthy plants Educatsof. As
II Is leaves the ground hard and rocky.
There Is no digging and delving about 1t.
A number Of facts are thrown to the stu
dents just as grain Is thrown to chickens
Some of them are picked up and agslml-
lated. Some are not The garden of the
mind Is left untitled, vet that tillage ought
TO De the principal task of the teacher, To
arouse the energies and awake the INTEL
lect should be the great aim Some few
have the knack OF this. but the great ma
teach, and naturally fail in inspiring any
Mismanaged Lives.
Young minds, often eager and alert. crnv-
ing knowledge and full of interest in the
great world about them. are too often
thrown back upon themselves. crushed be-
meath a load of facts dumped upon their
intelligence as builder dumps his bricks
The result Is that the learner begins to hate
learning. and develops apathy instead of
interest, an inert and lazy habit of mind
for the former wideawalSe eagerness and
receptiveness. This is how we get thu
lazy girl, the indolent woman, who are but
half awake to the splendid possibilities of
life and work. whose whole nature suffers
from lack of development. whom ''sloth-
fulness easteth into deep sleep" There
ara of azh f~1c
our midst. Robert Louis Stevenson knew
this. What does he say9
Into how many houses would not the
note of the monastery bell dividing tho
day into manageable portions. bring peace
OF mind and healthful activity of bodyl
We speak of hardships but the true hard
ship Is to be dull fool and permitted TO
mismanage life In our own dull and foolish
manner"
Said friend to me: I'VE spent a week
In q Bayswater clearinghouse. and were
astounded at the inconceivahle Incidence Of
the women and more especially the girls
The manager had been Obliged to impose
fine on all who were not down to break
fast at 10 O'Clock. and as the hour was
striking we could hear them rushing down.
stairs just In time to avoid the fine. Some
of the mothers were generally down in
good time. the girls never. and their whole
day was lounged away without occupation.
II made us feel miserable TO see them"
Defects of Training.
This is no overdrawn picture. but an ac-
curate statement Of facts. and there is no
reason to think that the case is excep-
tional. The girls are to be compassionated.
They have been brought up to think time Of
no value, a thing to be got rid Of killed
Whose is the blame? Such girls as these
are throwing away their lives. They are
absolutely useless. One cannot depend
tuality, the keeping Of an appointment or
q promise none OF these things need DO
expected of them. They Involve clear
idea and such ray Of light as this has
brains. Incidence is an ailment that lie all
the more dangerous from It's painlessness.
II is not recognized as a malady by those
whom It nun1bs and deadens, those to
whom Clough said:
Poor alabsster chimney piece ornaments under glass
Come. q Gods name. come dOwnl The very
Puts you to shame with ticking; the ire irons
Break your glasses, ye cant Come down. ye are
Come, in Gods name. come down. 10 anything
but be somethingl
But what can we doq' some girl might
ask. IF we work for money we take the
place of some girl who needs it for her
livelihood" There is however. plenty Of
work In the world for the young and strong
without interfering with those who work to
live. There are dull lives into which bright
ness may be brought the blind girl to be
read to. the crippled children In the homes
to be amused and played with.
The Joy of Work.
Work soon comes to those who look for
1t. And should there be home objections
TO philanthropic work. look inward and see
IL nothing needs doing there. To learn
French or German is by no means TO throw
away the time thereby employed At least
1t keeps the mind awake. and saves the In
tellect from extinction. What says Vol
taire?
s'oceuper e'est sayoIr jouir:
L'ouivete pese ct tourments.
Lame est IN feu gull faut nourrir,
ct qu seteint 81 ne s'augnente
Discoutent is the daughter of idleness,
ana this may account for the gloom and
duIlness that spoil so many pretty faces
IN the park on these bright mornings one
wonders at them. Life seems to have show
en- They are good to look at, well dressed,
and with friends. Why should they seowi
at the world In generalf It Is because their
mental vitality is low: their energies are
the way to happiness. because. they have
missed the way TO work. the blessing so
few appreciate at its full value. Mankind
at present seems to be divided into those
who 90 too much and those who do too
little Few find the happy medium of do
ing Just enough to keep capacity employed.
But Of the two exertmes. It Is TAR better
TO do too much than to 90 too little. Work
awa1kes and lights up the energies just as
owe awakes and lights up the heart With
able to do even one think well IS a step
gained, q movement toward self-respect
70 rust out Is despicable. It IL worse-it
S criminal. We need not fuss through the
world, but every one of Us should md some
use for the faculties with which We have