Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-10-14

made her long TO pass on 10 humanity
the benefits OF her education.
She went to her minister. Here"
she said, in effect, Ifs splendid
physique and about $4,000 worth OF
education. together with most whole
hearted desire TO be OF some use to the
world. How shall do it,"
The minister urged her to take part
in the activities of the church.
What shall do?" she persisted.
We'll, why not take the responsible
~ OF keeping the altar supplied with
flowers?r
And that was the method suggested
10 her 10 pass on to humanity the
benefits OF college education. The
girl had cost her parents about $4,000.
The great majority Of girls, she knew,
are produced for less than $1,000. She
had soothed her conscience by saying
to herself, that superior advantages
mean superior opportunities for SER
vice. And then she was urged to put
flowers on an altar. She had been
preparing these 20 years-for what?
This type OF girl appears by the thous-
and every June. Every September,
when the summer holidays are over,
the world wonders anew what on
earth to do with her. The world
knows well enough what to do with
the riffFaff Of childhood II puts
them-unwilling and unequipped-to
work. But this girl, eager to be of
service, and equipped with the best ed
ucation that modern pedagogy knows
how 70 giye-she is of no USE
- r.. 4
ultra-practicaI person. She can jolly
well get married. settle down and have
children" or course she can, and
probably she will without being told.
But for this no college education was
necessary; scarcely a single item Of
that education was directed toward
marriage and motherhood.
But says the old-fashioned mildly
liberal person, the college education
broadens the future wife and mother"
And most OF US accept that state
ment withent argument, for America
gives the girl the benefit of every
doubt. But TO De broad without hay-
ing anything In particular TO do is 20
be spread thin over life. TO be dab
bier, trifier. To be stimulated with
desire TO do unusual things and then
not to do them is to go to seed. From
a strict point OF view, in fact, the high
or education. makes marriage and
home life more difficult The college
: graduate is hardly content to live IN
her fathers house and scatter sun
shine. She scans her possible suitors
far more critically than her mother
ever did her list of contemporary ELI
gibles. She certainly demands a great
deal more OF married life than did her
mother, before she will admit that she
is happy and that matrimony may be
a success. In Fact, she Is probably a
good deal more of a nuisance because
of her college education. AS the suf.
fragettes say in their parade banners:
All this comes of teaching girls to
read and write"
America realizes this perfectly. But
America believes in the higher educa-
ton of women as does no other coun-
try on earth and in believing America
rs half consciously aiming at some.
thing. She knows perfectly well that
marriage and motherhood, paramount
as they are, are not to be the whole
OF this girls life. First, there are the
years between college and marriage.
often very considerable period. since
the modern girl insists on waiting I'm.
I'll she gets what she wants. Next.
woman OF this class does not spend
the whole "a hours of her day rocking
her babies and making a good man
happy. Finally, after the baby period
is over this girl is going to have Is
or 20 years of unimpaired vitality
when her children do not need-and
certainly do not want-her undivided
attention. She. has been given an
abundance OF surplus time and energy
time because Of the syndication of
modern life. and energy because Ieis-
ure and education have set going
within her dynamo of radiating en-.
ergy. America has created the prob
lens, yet America can offer no better
solution, as rule, than, keeping the
altar supplied with flowers
Yet America believes firmly in this
GIRL, ''she will contribute something
to life that the American woman has
never contributed. America has glad
Iy put the answer up to her, and we
believe will willingly accept her an
swer when it comes. Part of il is the
widespread demand for the vote. Part
OF IL is the demand for an independ-
ent, self-earned income, for a person.
al latch-key, for freedom from unrea.
sonable supervision. And the demands
will go farther, for civilization is only
the multiplication of human de.
mands.'
We 10 not presume to tell the Amer
. lean girl what her life must or must
not be. She herself must tell us, and
that after much earnest and painful
experimentation. She is trying her
best this very minute; this American
girl is trying to find herself, is enter
ing professions, demanding the vote,
becoming interested In politics, work.
ing in settlements, caring for war or
phans, picketing in strikes, fumbling,
laundering, dreaming and working her
mightiest TO make the world see, and
more than that, admit that she is a