The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-01
Well Ramble
BY y. L

An earnest young woman says that
co-education 10 all right but co-crdi-
nation is all She declares that
in co-educationaI institutions the
young men and maidens study to-
gether on terms Of perfect equality,
with never a whisper Of sentiment.
Whereas, she says. in coordinate In
stitutions. the sexes being separated
and taught In different class rooms.
Dan Cupid ia a mischief maker.
Separation leads to dirtations, h az
serta wherein there is nc inducement
to dirt with q fellow student In the
same room.
which In offered for what II is
worth.
But carried to a logical conclusion,
co-education or coordination has q
tendency to create mollycoddles and
milksops on one hand and on the
other decidedly self-reliant and self
satisfied young women. Some might
say hussies. But then II Is all &C
! cording to ones viewpoint. For In
stance:
IT'S simply a bit OF equation
And figures right down to a doti
For units OF opposite station
Must meet on O common-ground
lot;
] So why should we cavii at goods
And pirate on relation of sex
Leave that to the slow-heads and
dough-heads
And never your intellect vex-
To be sure there was once an opinion
That men were rude. rough, rather
brutes;
That woman a gentler dominion
Ruled solely-out pshawl that re-
flutes
The doctrine of rights in this nation:
A woman's as good an a mani
So why rail- at co-education?
TITS all in the paramount plan.
why should boys be rude, or girls
gentlsf
The matter la moving TO rairth;
II really was quite accidental
That one wasn't t'other at birth.
So what II some fogy afraid liz
And scolds with a peppery BENT
The girls are no longer young ladiesi
The boys are no longer young menl"
Or, merely TO put . touching little
refrain to the above ectntiliating lines:
oh. c~o-educationHs an excellent plan.
Twill answer In heaven-or hades;
The boys are forgetting the ways OF
a man. ,
The girls are no longer young ladies.
But II is q question that goes back
to the age of ages. A~ristophane@ had
lotm Of fun with L. His parliament
of Women written three or four osn-
turtles before the Christian era. has
stuff In II as fresh as If written this
week.
Well, they don't write such good
stuff these days. Even Gilbert. thu
famous librettist who caught the
spirit OF AristophAnes In his jingles, |
has not done better work than the
old Greek humortst. who caricatured
men. women. fashions and beliefs OF
his day. Gilbert. by the way, was a
worthy disciple OF Aristophanes. He
imbibed his style from the Rsv. Fred
goldshy Legends OF which The
Jackdaw of RheirnB" In probably the
most familiar. especially the famous
curse:
THE cardinal rose with q dtgnfisd
look.
Hs called for his candle. his bell and
his book.
In holy anger and pious grief
He solernniy cursed that rascaliy thief.
He cursed him at board, he cursed
him in bed
From the Hose of his foot TO the crown
OF his head
He cursed him in sleeping-that very
night
He should dream of the devil and
wake In a fright"
{And so on.)
Well, the Rev. Frederick WA in
sptred by A~rtstophanes and the Rev.
Frederick inspired Gilbert. So Gu
bert was e. worthy disciple of Aris-
tophanes. But msn are not the Sc
verest critics of ladies. Women are.
And, iorblessus! how suspicious they
are of widows! What a young lady |
may do without creating any comment
a widow may not do without drawing
upon herself tongues and tongues. A,
young lady Ia shy-a widow sly. Lake
this:
Simple the maid In who ties to O. teen;
Cunning. the widow o~dd-twenty:
One bears q label of: "Tnnocsnt-i
Greeni"
Tother: "Expericnce-plenty'"
Maidens are shy-widows are sly,
Watching their chances TO catch al
mans eye.
Coy as a raaideni" oh. excellent jesti
Bold as a. widowi"-another;
Con a few over-excIuding the rest
Handed to daughter from mother:
Maids are demure, proper and pure:
widows are nothing but brazsn, that's
sura.
Strange the distinction--but there, let |
IL pass;
Drop 1t. for quickly IL b~listers:
widows are men-tha sod and the
grass, l
Maidens are wye their sisters:
Faith, IL Is clear both are to fear;
Reckless the man who INDUCES al
sneer
: I