Proper Education
27
an unreal, an imaginary world. They become sentimental, and have
sick fancies. Their artificial life spoils them for anything useful. They
are dwarfed in intellect, although they may flatter themselves that they
are superior in mind and manners. Exercise in household labor is of
the greatest advantage to young girls.
Physical labor will not prevent the cultivation of the intellect. Far
from it. The advantages gained by physical labor will balance a person
and prevent the mind from being overworked. The toil will come upon
the muscles, and relieve the wearied brain. There are many listless,
useless girls who consider it unladylike to engage in active labor.
But their characters are too transparent to deceive sensible persons in
regard to their real worthlessness. They simper and giggle, and are all
affectation. They appear as though they could not speak their words
fairly and squarely, but torture all they say with lisping and simpering.
Are these ladies? They were not born fools, but were educated such.
It does not require a frail, helpless, overdressed, simpering thing to
make a lady. A sound body is required for a sound intellect. Physical
soundness, and a practical knowledge of all the necessary household
duties, will never be hindrances to a well-developed intellect; both are
highly important for a lady.
All the powers of the mind should be called into use and developed,
in order for men and women to have well-balanced minds. The world is
full of one-sided men and women, who have become such because one
set of their faculties was cultivated, while others were dwarfed from
inaction. The education of most youth is a failure. They overstudy,
while they neglect that which pertains to practical business life. Men
[38]
and women become parents without considering their responsibilities,
and their offspring sink lower in the scale of human deficiency than
they themselves. Thus the race is fast degenerating. The constant
application to study, as the schools are now conducted, is unfitting
youth for practical life. The human mind will have action. If it is not
active in the right direction, it will be active in the wrong. In order to
preserve the balance of the mind, labor and study should be united in
the schools.
Provision should have been made in past generations for education
upon a larger scale. In connection with the schools should have been
agricultural and manufacturing establishments. There should also have
been teachers of household labor. And a portion of the time each day