The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-31
Higher Education for our Women.


Editor OF The Times Dispatch:
Str,-'Truth Is truth. howc'cr 1t
strike" II Is u harbinger of good
things when the Mother Of States and
of statesmen. with her. sons well
for settlement for her daughters.
Colonial effort. still under the shad-
ow OF the English university. founded
William and Mary College. Later,
Thomas Jefferson. after he had formu-
lated the Declaration OF lndepcn-
dence." and seen 1t cemented in blood.
established our University OF Virginia.
and sent out his projectiles for a sys-
ten of common school education.
The Civil War began the contest for
the rights OF the negro. Then. in tho
great storm and stress of the times.
cheap buildings for both races dotted
the land. and bands of young women.
with a man here and there. were glad
80 teach at scanty remuneration tho
Impoverished children of the commu-
nifty.
Then followed a hard struggle for
existence. physical and mcntal-a cl2Ss.
hand-to-hand battle with poverty and
inexperience, nobly fought by men.
women and children. The results OF
such hardihood are seen to-day IN
much OF our ruling thought.
But the skies cleared and from FAR
and near the outcry came for men
educated and trained for positions OF
important And the state was aHN-
lOuS TO IurulSH suC!i iitoiieS 60 ;, -
ment as she could to meet the &c
mand. and was unstinted IN her ap-
probation and praise.
Meanwhile, the woman, lett IN op-
scurity, had no outlook nut me Soun,
try district school with Its minimum!
Three educational Governors have
been elected making their strong
point liberal education for the masses.
High schools have evolved from the
agitation, but the woman has been
ignored. Her sphere is necessarily SO
narrow, and her salary SO meagre that
may be done. the idea seems to be to
press the subordinates into mass
and make the schools mere machines
run by the schemes and fads OF State
officials.
warning Old Greece took for her
ideal woman the maid Or matron OF
whom nothing was said But classic
ed an illegal alliance OF Pericles with
the rare development of her times.
Aspasia--and to-day Greece boasts Of
no Ulysses nor Achilles, no SCION nor
Plato.
India limits the training Of the wife
and bows admirinEly at the accom-
plishments Of the nautch girl;
Our homes are the citadels of the
State. The Virginia q. gentleman e ,a dues,
lions er hoe Shall rsh not . the De aSas
makers be intelligent companions.
Helpful sympathizers. wise managera
NAY, more, what can moro effectual-
ly wine out the terrible scourge OF
White slavery than a trained and we'll
developed womanhood? We are our
brot hers keeper in nothing more than
in Legislation and education of all
Would not the divorce record grow
less, IL husbands and wives were cap
able OF real companlonship? IT the
out of-doop life and society life and
the simple lifo at homo We're in har-
mony and understood each by tho
other? Need the son outgrow his
homelife, and the sister he snubbed
as inferior after his few years of
study? Need the young people be
SO welded to the dance, the card table.
the light theatre. that there shall be
no time for Intellectual and spiritual
@ mon of Virginia.! o lawmakers! o
mon with human hearts! Hear the
cry of the Virginia woman when she
says:
My business is not to remake myself,
But make the absolute hest OF what
God has made"
CROOKED STICK,
Rural District. january "a.