Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-11
THE LIBRARY TABLE
~ the B0ohioter

secondary schools and junior collrgea
Illustration Of tla differences is 10 he
found in the samples of school cata-
| lueucs In existence, al veil as n the BIZ
osraphles Of some pioneer educators
An early book, partly fiction. partly
didnctic essays whose pages IN the hrai
editions are now yellopad and spotted
with age. gives good idea Of what was
( expected Of boarding school girls ~
/ 1893. In that year was published This
Boarding School or Lessons Of a Pre-
| ceptres5 TO Her Pupils by a Lady Of
| MassachuSettS The Lady n IaSsa~
| chusetts Naa Mrs Hannah Webster
/ Foster wife of Rev John Poster 1l
Brighton Mass. In her preface She
/ says that tbs author has employed
part of her leisure hours 10 collecting
| and arranging her ideas on the subject
Of female department" In the first
! chapter she creates the slender flcllOnai
/ background for her disc0uTscs by m
venting q precoptrcsS q Mrs Williams,
the pirtuous rclict Of a respectable
i clergyman" who starts q boarding
/ school for young ladies Mrs, Williams
circumstances were easy she possessed
a little patrimony 10 which she retired,
after her husbands dCCcaSe, but de-
/ sire Of preserving this for her children
and q wish TO promote their advantage
and enlarge their society induced her
/ TO open q boarding school As she had
! an eye no less TO the social pleasure
/ than to the pecuniary profit oi the
/ undertaking she admitted only seven,
at time tn the privilege Of her tuition.
These we're all young ladies' Who had
/ previously received the FIRST rudinents
of learning and been initiated into the
polite accomplishments which enbel-
| fish virtue and soften the cares Of hu-
man life" When the seven young ladies
/ are secured Mrs. Williams plans the
routine Of her school with the lofty aim
to cultivate the expanding flowers and
10 prune the juvenile eccentrlcitie5
which we're disseminated among these
/ tender plants or, to speak without
figure, to extend and purify their ideas,
to elevate and refine their affections TO
( govern and direct their passions
/ 10 polish the mental part, 10 call forth
7 tine dormant virtues, TO unite and ar
( range the charms Of person and mind.
! to inspire 2 due sense Of decorun and
propriety and to instill such principles
/ Of piety, morality, bereVolence, pru-
dence and economy as might be useful
! through life" The object Of the cur
/ riculum is certainly comprehensive end
! not unworthy the efforts of a serious
/ and high minded woman.
/
The daily schedule at Mrs Williams
| School makes no allowance for INDECENT
! habits Early rising is considered con-
/ ducive both to health and character de-
/ velopment. SO the young ladies leave
/ their beds at am. but as breakfast is
( not until Z and the two intervening
/ hours are at their own disposal" per-
| haps extra maps are INDUCED in, After
/ breakfast. which is seasoned with the
uureStrained illusions Of good humor
! and sociabllity." all the students ex-
/ cept one take their needleWork and the
/ chosen one reads some amusing and
/ Instructive book for the benefit and en-
| tertainment Of the rest" From IL to
/ they have another hour at their own
/ disposal. then comes dinner, after
which readings and discourses occupy
/ the afternoon The young ladies pre-
! sent pieces Of their own composition,
| which are criticized by Mrs. Williams.
! both as regards their sentiments and
I their form of expression. Pastinles are
| abundant and include all innocent
/ gratif1ca ton such as the Sprightly
/ dance. the sentimental song, and indeed
every species Of pastime consistent
/ with the decorum of the sex The
| various charters Of the book give the
| discourseS of Mrs Williams to her
| pupils. They cover the subjects Read
| ing, writing and arithmetic, music and
| dancing. miscellaneous directions for
/ the government OF the temper and
manners. dress, politeness. aInusements,
| flial and fraternal affection, friend
| ship love and religion. Though the
/ modern girl might object to so much
moralizlng as prevailed In Mrs, Will
! liams' School. she would undoubtedly
/ con. slider that in comparison with Mrs.
| williams pupils she herself is obliged
! to work much harder and is granted
| less free time
Some of Mrs Williams maxins COM
! tanned in her discourses are educational
nuggets. Schools today which have
dress regulations might secure some
helpful points from the following
! ANY assumptions of the masculine
habit are unbecoming. Dress and man
ners should he correspondent.
| NeatnesS and pfopriety should he the
main objects for lovelinesS needs no
! foreign aid 10 give IL passport Solid
| reading is favored by Mrs Williams
Novels are The favorite and the most
| dangerous kind OF reading nov adopted
| by the generality Of young ladies'. /
/ say dangerous because the influence
/ which. with very few exceptions. they
| must have upon the passions Of youth
| bears an unfavorahie aspect on their
purity and virtue Conduct II q mat
/ ter of supreme importance in Mrs WI
| lans estimation Make 1t an in
| variable practice To retrace the actions
| and occurrences Of the day when you
t,xs ~ ftIf
| own hearts for the Use and improve
ment Of the past hours "Flattery Is
| dazzling meteor which casts a delusive
glare before the eye and which Sc
duees the Imagination. perverts the
/ Judgment and silences the dictates Of
| sound reason BE not ostentatious
| Of your charms either of person or
mind. Let modesty. cifndence and pro-
| priety regulate YOU IN regard 20 each
| You should always be- attentive 30
| those with whom YOU are ConverSant
/ let their rank and standing be what
{ thev NAV Never suffer your ewes to
/ he charmed by the mere exterior nor
/ ceiude yourselves with the notion OF
| uncomfortable love" In 1925 the idea
was not vet prevalent that parents owe
/ everything to their children and chill
dren little or nothing 70 their par
| entS. for Mrs, Williams tells her Young
| ladies' THE virtuous and atfectionate
! behaviour Of children Is the best COM
! pensation In their power tor that un~
Vearled care and solicitude which par
! enfs only know Upon daughters,
whose situation and employmentS lead
| them more frequently into scenes of
/ domestic tenderness. who are often
called TO smooth the pillow Of sick and
aged parents apd to administer with
a Skillful and delicate hand the cordial
restorative to decaying nature. an en-
! dearlng senSibility and a dutitul ac-
auiesence IN the dispositions, and even
peculiarities OF those from whom they
! have derived existence are ndispensa-
| bly, incumbent