The Washington herald., 1913-02-02
WHEN THE COLLEGE GIRL COMES HOME TO STAY

The daughter. little by little. realizes
tnat life for them has crystalized, that
she must accept II as II is. that II she
Is TO live with them II must be largely in
their way. and the parents slowly grow
to know absolutely and finally that their
way does not make her happy. 1t is
tragedy that is hard to put into words.
SO profound is II on both sides. These old
people have made possible a new life
which does not belong to them, and the
new life has come back to find condi-
tions which all OF youth and energy and
q, ambition cannot adjust.
Then comes the greatest test of the
value OF college education to this girl Is
she fine enough and strong enough and
developed enough spiritually to compTo-
mise? Has she held in her heart while
she was away love enough to see all that
Is big and true and noble in these brave
! hearted people? Has her soul grown with
her brain: Can she give them the happi-
ness they crave without losing all that
her four years away have brought her
Of development? 1t can be done. AS a
matter of fact, our colleges should train
our girls to return home happily to take
real joy to the parents
As yet our colleges do not always do
this. Larr ely in the past. as in the pres
ent. their attitude toward life in the
country has been supercilious. The aca-
demlc teacher has felt tnat the girls only
chance was away from home. and has
/ mourned with hcr when she had TO return
to the old lie. There have been tears and
hand-clasps and sentimental farcwells,
whereas a part OF the college training
should be To make the girl into the sort
. OF woman who could carry great happi-
ness and inspiration back to rural condi-
tions. finding much joy and opportunity
there to supplement her mental develop
ment.
But the college girl We are talking about
has not been so trained in college. The
chances are that the spiritual side of her
nature has been touched in only a super
iiClal picturesque way. If this tragedy IS
nOi TO rum the girls life as well as ner
parents, she must be of fairly stern
stuff. She must so bdCk to her people
with real love: she must take with her
cherished memories or her little girl
hood: she must through the kindest
/ eyes all the things that hurt her; she
must. in fact. reform herself very much
and her parents very little if the family
and the girl are 10 come together happily
over the fearful chasm of four years OF
college training.
She viii ha,r to learn that much of
her college lille was of little value ex-
! Cept to give her pleasure that fundamen-
tai in her parents life are qualities she
/ as yet scarcely knows the meaning Of
/ strength. herOism. kindness, and self
| SacTitic"- She cannot bring to them near
, iy as much as they hold for her II she
goes 10 them in the right spirit. In fact
| she must 80 home with her hands
| stretched out. with her heart open with
! her soul kindled. II she is in any way
| to reward them for all they gave her in
! their early days of great sacrifice for
what they have fOndly called her career
/ Education is really such a very simple
! thing. and 50 little of il is in books 1t
would be well always if parents stopped
! to think Of this in considering college
! life for girl. Can they not. many Of
them. give far more than any colleger
! But II the daughter must have this high
/ er education they should prepare her
! for 1t during the early years before she
leaves home. prepare her to see it in the
right light. as only one part of her prep
aration for life: prepare her TO know
/ that the development OF her brain Is
/ never SO important as the development
/ of her soul and her body girl so
| trained will come back gladly. will Set
! tie into her old life happily until work
or love claims her: will give literally 10
her parents of all that the college days
have given TO her. because she owes It
| to them. The word reform will never
! creep into her mind. And the parents
! who have sent her to school will not
/ await her homecoming with beating heart
and trembling hands. The summing up
seems to be that parents must prepare
/ their daughter for college and the coll
/ Iege must in turn prepare the girl for
| home.
| Copyright. 1918. by SturEis Walton Com
panyJ