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Kansas University Weekly.
cessful" men and women have shown of their capacity to fill a place, to teach or to administer, before the power to do so was placed in their hands. Perhaps we might begin with the new president of the University most talked of at present. As a professor at Yale had he ever shown the organizing power which has characterized his steps in his new position? But on account of that should he have been condemned as unfit or incompetent for his present place? Take another man—him under whom Harvard has changed its ideals and aims within the last quarter of a century. Could any one forsee the breadth of action that has characterized his course when he taught chemistry at Boylston Hall? Surely none but the most discriminating. "It takes a genius," says the old adage, "to catch a genius."
To come to women who have shown themselves competent—to those only who fill public positions and hence may be adverted to. Did any one forsee when the president of Bryn Mawr was studying fifteen years ago at Leipsic that she would manage and develop with much ability the college over which she now presides? Or did the former president of Wellesley, when she taught history and aided Moody and Sankey revivals in the beginning of her life at the college, evince the tact and advisory capability that marked her afterwards?
In the instances I have quoted the individual responds to his or her environment in answer to the appeal which time and circumstance put upon him or upon her. It would be illogical to suppose that these were the best four fitted for the four positions out of our population of
sixty millions. There are doubtless scores of men who could have done as well as these men have done and scores of women who could have done as well as these women have done. Fortune and chance happened to put these duties in their hands and our thanks are due them that they have answered the demands so nobly.
We are so much the creatures of sentiments floating in the air, of ideas caught flying,—we are every one of us so much a result of the spirit of our time that he would indeed be vain glorious who thought his accomplishment a result of himself or his brain unaided.
But some glib opponent says the instances we have cited have nothing to do with the trained specialist—it is the trained specialist who are lacking. What then means the European study which has been pursued by many women for many years? Does it not mean the same or equivalent knowledge with men? When I was in Berlin fourteen years ago many women had been before me in special studies. Bismark had closed the Universily to women. But much else of private hearing and study could be had. And now when Dr. Bosse, the Prussian Minister of Education has granted to sixty-seven American women the right to listen to lectures at the University of Berlin—when fifteen women students heard lectures at Göttingen last winter—upon what ground shall the assertion rest that we have not well grounded specialits for women's, and co-educational colleges? KATE STEPHENS '75
Philadelphia, Penn.
LOGALS.
Don't forget that next week is quiz week.
The Juniors are laying plans for a promenade. The Phi Psis entertain at Frazier's Hall, February 14.
The Senior class is meeting regularly and making extensive preparations for something next spring.
M. Z. Kirk will probably return the last of February.
W. N. Logan left last Saturday to take charge of the Hartford High School during the absence of Supt. W. D. Ross. It is complimentary to Mr. Logan to be chosen as a relief for Supt. Ross.