The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-03-12

weapon forged by centuries OF subordl-
nation-the faculty of meeting condi.
tions. In the hands OF a really clever
woman this is tact; in those of the in
/ ept and ignorant, deceit and subter-
/ fuge. II is only ostentatious clever
ness, not cleyerness at all in fact
which is a deterrent to the exercise OF
any charm or talent. There is never
an hour in the life of woman when
/ the best education her powers will
permit OF is not an advantage. In the
/ heyday of youth control OF emotions
and clearness Of insight have directed
many a ship pennanted with beauty
and vitality which would have been
driven on the rocks. And what shall
/ be said of the years which follow,
crowded with opportunitles-nay, ne
! cessities-for a reasonable dealing
with the questions of life? No woman
can be her husbands friend and help
er without logic to which he may ap-
peal and an intelligence which COM
/ pletes and supplements his OVID. And
this education of character, as of mind,
is not taught in a school which gradu-
sends them out without either mental
| resource or control.
Geometry teaches the logic of life
and over blackboard problems Rosy
| Cheek learns to be the mother, wife
and citizen, which every advanced
civilization demands. This is the ed
ucation which is developed by a seri-
Gus, adequate curriculum and by
none other. The special training Is
/ another matter. equally important, as
I 1t prepares a woman to meet the re-
/ sistless law which links happy useful
ness with occupation. The choice OF
/ study should of course be adapted to
/ the individual learning Of the stu
/ dent, and II indeed there is a mental
| constitution differing from that OF
man. this fact should be recognized in
! fitting her for her probable duties and
her possible use of talent or ability.
| The increasing number of eclectic
courses of study gives an added free
! dom and breadth Of opportunity most
desirable and necessary and if right.
/ fully understood should entirely re-
move the popular prejudice that col
| legiate education, per Sc, fills a wo.
mans mind with useless knowledge.
| A college education should mean tho
| best education possible, and its vari.
ETY. should only be equaled by its
thoroughness. The ordinary finishing
school for girls cannot train the mind
adequately because of the briefness or
| a. l.. -
| Parent and teacher are alike respon-
sible for this, neither demanding, as
a rule, anything approaching a rigor-
Gus standard of education.
1t is sometimes fairly astonishing
| to note with what shallow and care
less consideration the whole subject
of girls education is dismissed. Ono
wonders what results can be expect.
| ed from such lax attention to a su.
premely important matter. Can a few
weeks of science" skimming of
| philosophy, dig the channels of train
| ed and habitual thought? Can germ
of talent, literary, mathematical or
| plastic, be taught to grow by a brief
| planting and a briefer tending? Cm
an occasional composition" even a
certain fluency in the attractive aid
harmless" literature of the modern
languages, give correct and elegant
| forms of expression or teach the his
tory of the words we use? The un-
differentiated adjective of sweet ,6
may pass amid it's ripping Taught It
and it's maiden grace, but how abo' It
the woman whose vocabulary is still
confined to exclamation points pune
tuating the eternal reiteration Of
awful" Wonderful" fascinating"
and the like?
A young girl may, indeed, run a
fairer chance Of getting husband Il
her charm Is not endangered by an
awkward reputation Ct cleverness, but
the married woman needs every bit
of intelligence she possesses.
The women of America are enfran.
chised by the customs Of the country,
If not by the prejudices of the SO.
called upper and better classes. Lib
erty and responsibility are ours and
sooner or later we shall be called
upon to fit ourselves for them. The
working women know this and are
rising to the demands of both necessity
and opportunity. But, first and fore
most II our daughters are to be given
the dangerous draught Of knowledge,
they must learn to subordinate 1t to
charm. There is no impossibility
about this-only the most vague and
illogical prejudice against it. Every
woman should be taught first and
foremost, that in all social relations
knowledge must be subordinate to
sympathy, merged into the charm
which listens first and then expresses.
All greatness is simple and, above
all, unostentatious, as all strength,
IL balanced and serene, is sweet. True
education teaches this, as it develops
harmony with law, which is the
tl,r hot ri ~ a