Evening star., 1937-12-12

Paris is so well known that 1t does
not need much defending; in fact
our ridiculers seem quite reconciled
to this city as an educational center.
1t is Florence that stimulates the
questioning; the idea appears to call
forth a muddled picture of group of
bored young women trailing In and
out Of old churches and galleries, hap
hazardly glancing at works of art and
scribbling notes which they never
look at afterwards; the reason? so
they can murmur: "Giotto's ma
donna uh, yes; it's in the uh-
don't recall" Or so say our men-of-
the world. If this were true, then
they have every reason to criticize;
but 1t is not so, and we will endeavor
to prove it.
First. the question: Why go to
school for an extra year-much less a
Finishing School,? One has con-
ceivably finished school in graduating
from Pennington, Walkers or where
ever one has spent four years. The
name finishing school is a misleading
one; what it should convey is this: !:
A girl leaves boarding school at the
age OF Is or IT, She is too young to
make her debut, and has therefore a
year or two before her which she
could easily waste and that is
where the European plan comes in.
Desire for knowledge
Is Age-Old.
Everyone has hobby. Everyone
has desire to follow this hobby
down varied channels, opening new
interests, revealing new angles. Every
one has an innate desire to broaden
his or her knowledge along certain
lines, to make themselves more inter-
esting and to make life more inter-
esting into the bargain. In the Mid
die Ages there were professors and
artists, musicians and philosophers
IN every court to instruct the royal
men and women for as long as they
lived, creating cultured atmosphere
and a group Of extremely intelligent
people. There were also the converts
and monasteries, havens of learning
Tor those who wished to devote their
lives to intellectual pursuits.
Today, it is not necessary that q
girl should take the veil in order to
study: nor is it possible for her to
obtain an education through court
professors. However, her wish to in
crease her interests in varied direc-
tions is still strong, and year abroad,
after eight or more years of general
education is the answer.
Florence is undoubtedly the reality
OF James Hilton's mythical Shan
gri-La, that treasure chest where
many of the worlds works of art were
preserved for all to wonder at. It is
q city OF the immortals . the most
perfect example of the great differ
ence between ownership and pos
session. It does not matter who DOS
sesses the priceless paintings, sculp-
ture and writing of the worlds great
men -. they are the worlds to own,
no matter to whom they may belong
by law. The atmosphere which per-
vades Florence is thus; everyone who
goes there must feel that it is an in
teinational city, beautiful gallery
throwing open its doors for every
one to enter in and marvel at where
the splendors are shown forth to their
best advantage. Yet, it is more mar
velous than any gallery for the
city itself is in such a perfect setting,
with the silver river Arno winding its
way between the rolling hills on which
the town is built, and the dark cyp-
ress contrasted against shimmering
olive trees and gay gardens lending
. cOlorful note in the glorious land