The Courier-Review.
111
LITERARY.
The Influence of the College Woman. [Summary of Mrs. Kingsley's address]
The subject was introduced by considering the main purpose of an education; not the possibilities of gaining through it material success, but the development that ought to come through it, of culture and character.
The man or woman whose associates are the best models of all literatures naturally has higher ideals than one whose life is spent in contact only with the national interest of daily work.
For this reason there ought to be found in the ranks of co-educational institutions women who have the leisure to devote themselves to work beyond the limits of the curriculum Women feel now that a life without active interests is no life at all, and in the future college women will surely do new and strong work in all fields of advancement. In fact, college women today are really re-creating the system of philanthropy and are doing the best work, through the college settlements in this country. A description of the work in the Hull House of Chicago, illustrated this statement.
The power of the Higher Education is no greater in the world outside the home, than within the homes. Whole communities of mothers with "the knowing and thinking mind" as President Dwight calls the college bud mind, would do more to insure the permanence of our nation than any other condition, because this bears in it elements for transmission. Young women still within the college may and ought to do a very high work in raising the standard of social life in this Alma Mater. For the good of society we need an elevated standard of inter-course between young men and women and it ought to be from co-educational institutions that the world be taught the true meaning of that relationship called friendship.
Among college youth, should be a clear understanding of the vast difference between sentiment and sentimentality. It should be therefore the aim of college young women to elevate
this standard of comradeship. This they may do by their refined and dignified deportment during college life. Education must be united with social culture and refinement to be a force in the world, Emmerson's essay on Behavior presents this with great power. This culture the college woman must acquire through her own observation, self-reliance and self-government. If she bend her energies and perceptions to acquiring this culture, she will not only receive a symetrical culture, but the world will be richer for an added moral force.
Each young woman's loyalty to her Alma Mater, and her interest in its future influence should incite her to the upbuilding and ennobling of the social side of college life, and at its close she will have a higher education that will be a culture united to an education that elevates and relieves the taste, arouses the sympathies and intensifies the sentiments.
Through the dissemination of such culture throughout our land by our college women, society will be founded upon a social purity that will make men noble and women the polished stones of the corner.
A College Boy.
In the Freshman's class he entered, Looking green as oft they do: But he all his powers centered On the thought of getting through.
Here he studied late and early, In his classes led them all. In the gym he was the leader Best debater in the hall.
Then the Sophomore to Junior. Took all the prizes as they came, Graduated with the Seniors. Well upon the road to fame.
Ten years passed—where is our hero?
Sure he was for Congress born—
Is he there? No, he's in Texas
With a blind mule plowing corn. - Ex.