The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-07
EVENING CHAT
BY RUTH CAMERON
To the Girl Who Is Planning to Teach
School, Any School or College,
North America.

OCuOOl, any SCHOOL or COIeSe,
North America
That's what I'd put on the envelope
if l were addressing today's letter.
And since I can't put it in an en-
velope and send it to her, I'll just
breathe a hope that it will fall into
her hands.
When L meet young girls at college
usually ask them, What are you
going to do when you are graduated?"
And in-well, to put it conservative
ly-six out of ten cases, the substance
of the answer is Teach
And in at least four cases out of
the six, that answer is given in a form
that shows the speak entire lack of
enthusiasm.
Such as, Il don't know what else to
do, so 1 suppose I'll teach" or 4
guess I'll teach Everybody does"
Dear girls everywhere, high school
and college girls, who are saying
things things like this, who are plan
ming to teach, not because you think
you are especially qualified for the
work or will particularly enjoy it, but
| just because it's the easiest and most
conventional thing to do, just because
/ everybody does" [ want you to
change your minds
| What you are planning to do isn't
fair to you and it isn't fair to the
children you expect to have under
your care.
1t is bad enough to do anything just
to earn your living and not for love of
| the work, but to teach in that spirit
| is even worse, because it will mean
| loss to many helpless children, as we'll
as to you.
Mary Lyon. that wonderful woman
and queen of teachers who founded
Mt Holyoke, believed it was almost
wicked to teach primarily for money.
| Never teach the immortal mind for
money" she advised her girls. IF
money making is your object. be dress
makers or millinerS, but teaching is a
sacred, not mercenary, employment"
| Anyone who thinks that sounds
rather grandiloQuent. may be interest
ed to know how Miss Lyon lived up
to her own advice. She founded Mt.
Holyoke and was its president, po
sition involving tremendous work and
responsibility in those pioneer days of
women's education, and yet she in
sisted on doing most of the work for
love, receiving as her highest salary
$3.50 a year or about 1910 a day.
wouldn't she be grieved and sad
dened if she could see how hundreds
of young women each year take up
the profession of teaching just be-
cause they must do something to bring
in a monthly pay envelope in the cas-
lest and most conventional method?
Dear girls, for everyone of you I
know there is something that you can
do really well and will really enjoy
doing. 1t may not be anything as
easy to get a start in as teaching.
But it is something that will give
you infinitely more happiness than
merely following the line of least re-
sistance and being an Indifferent or
mediocre teacher.
! Maybe you have no idea yet what
| this work may be.
But 1 believe. that if you make up
! your mind that you will not follow
that line of least resistance into an
! already overcrowded profession, but
will find your own niche, and if you will
keep ever alertly on the watch for any
| hint or suggestion within or without
yourself that may guide you to that
niche, that the way will surely be
/ opened unto you.
| Won't you try it