Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-30
AS ONE WOMAN SEES 1T
The Good Bryn Mawr Has Done In
the Past and the Lies Told About
II That Can Easily Be Rofuted
and Lived Down
by SARAH ID. LOWRIE

/ Asst summer for over week END l was
- In small community on the coast OF
Maine, where nearly every cottage camp on
the rock bound shore" was the summer
home Of college professor. The Uniyer-
stiles Of Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Wis
consin, Michigan and Virginia we're all rep.
resented by men whose names arc well
known beyond the confines of their college
towns; men, too, who had played big
part in the scientific and diplomatic and
philanthropic side of the wars emergency.
Ihey were interesting to listen to on any
of their enthusiasms, but it surprised me
to discover that the subject about which
they were almost avidly interested to hear
was how the Summer School. Of English
and Economics and Citizenship for Women
IN Industry was working at Bryn Mawr
College.
1t just happened that I had lately been
with women who had been in very close
touch with that school, and that l knew
good deal from those responsible for its
inception about how the getting of the
scholarships and the choosing Of the students
from the trades union and other labor and
industrial organizations and the industries
themselves had been accomplished. The men
or the great universities of the country we're
Keen not only to hear about its indubitable
success, but enthusiastic over the idea. And
1t was quite plain that IL the faculty of
the great colleges had had the initiative in
the matter there would be more than one
summer course for the young working men
or the country based on the same plan of
scholarships that would cover at least the
pare necessities of women students, who, in
order to take the course, would have to
drop their wage earning for five or six
weeks of the summer, as well as pay carfare
and outfit expenses.
TT WAS considered triumph Of democracy
L on the part of Bryn Mawr College that
the radical type Of students who had ac-
cepted the teaching of that summer school
mad been made to feel rs at home within
It's c!assrooms as the students of the regular
college courses. 1t was also considered a
triumph in adaptability that the teachers
could make q course both profitable and
popular under the conditions Of time and
variety OF preparation of the students, many
of whom were not American born and most
OF whom had had no high school experience.
:. And yet, as one of the men who was
discussing 1t from all its viewpoints re-
marked, educatiOnally speaking, the school
had carried out an ideal that was the ideal
or every real teacher, inasmuch ns It made
right not only Of the few who had leisure
and money, but Of the many who had the
desire and the capacity.
solemnly:
"It is the most Christ like thing I know
lifetime as teacher. And it speaks every
thing for the spirit of that little college"
Now, although | am not q Bryn Mawr
woman, l had sense Of personal gratifca-
tion for that little college" OF course,
know that though he said big thing
about Bryn Mawr College, he was only one
man In n very big world. and the college
ne spoke of IL one of the smallest numerically
In the country-a little, little beacon light
OF education compared to the thousands of
thc world--so in that sense it was little
college But l also felt triumphant, for |
nave thought for long while that the
spirit Of Bryn Mawr was a big spirit. If
q clear and lambent and Christian one. of
iuihlllng the law Of Christ by n sense Of
one neighbor, and n sense of ones being
an instrument of God Almighty to serve
one : generation is criterion.
WHEN was girl there was young
W chap teaching philosophy in Bryn
Mnwr who was feeling his way rather sensa-
uonaliy through chaos into order in re-
llGion. He later became a very ardent
Christian and, In fact, Il minister. But in
the early days Of the college. when for
woman to be In college Mt all was somewhat
OF an experiment and therefore was a
temptation to the bizarre and freakish of
the sex, good deal that might hnve been
taken for what 1t was worth and shortly
forgotten was dwelt upon with n kind Of
unpleasant glec by the strictly orthodox,
and one was told of and, indeed, one met GER
tain very cgotistical and arrogant young
female thinkers who were said to have lost
their religion in the maZes of Dhilosophjr
discussions and ruthessly frank ANALYSIS of
the classroom. ! knew Of more than one
OF these cases and i followed with observant
curiosity the careers Of two. And 7 con
only testify that they would have lost every.
thing they valued most il it would have
made them more interesting to the on
lockers that they pretended to despise. but
lived to thrill.
Their wide flung doubts and SCOTS did
very bad thing for their college. however
for now and again the reverberation OF
their calls 10 the wild echoed in the minds
OF the serious and matter of fact fathers of
families. | know 1t did in the breasts of
some ] have known, with the result thnt
their daughters were sent to schools and
colleges that had at least reputation for
evangelical piety in the ciassroons wberc
philosophy was taught But, though have
known more than one daughter lose her
orthodoxy in the larger and more pro.
nounccdly sectarian colleges of the countrr.
| have known no single girl that has LOST
her religion in Bryn Mawr and h0yn KNOW
more than one who hNS found a very deem
and abiding faith in Christianity there.
T WAS interested to hear that In the loto
i Welfare Federation drive the organiza-
tion profting most directly from gifts in the
college was that Of the Young Womcu's
Christian Association because of what II bos
meant to the student body nor only ~ tho
opinion Of the girls, but in the eStimation
of that very shrewd and wise woman, the
president.
Perhaps the late attack on the Christian.
ity Of Iryn Mawr from a clergyman speak
ing in the full tide Of eloquent invectiye was
on the whole very beneficial, for il brought
an old smoldcring rumor out in the omen,
where 1t can be stamped upon finally md
rclcgated to the ashb!n Of oblivion. Maybe
the resurrection of that absurd reputation
and this Tapping Of it in the breeze hos
worked well for the college by strengtLcninr
the loyalty of the students and faculty t5
"lct their light SO shine" that those sccnc
their good faith and works may gorIfy%
not them. but the religion that insnircs
them. We shall expect IN even "raotcn
summer school for industrial workers md
business women next year. N