why go to college-第3部分

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Yet　this　is　largely　because　the　associations　and　studies　there
are　likely　to　give　her　permanent　intereststhe　fifth　and　perhaps
the　greatest　gift　of　college　life　of　which　I　shall　speak。

The　old　fairy　story　which　charmed　us　in　childhood　ended　with〃And
they　were　married　and　lived　happy　ever　after。〃　　It　conducted　to
the　altar；　having　brought　the　happy　pair　through　innumerable
difficulties；　and　left　us　with　the　contented　sense　that　all　the
mistakes　and　problems　would　now　vanish　and　life　be　one　long　day
of　unclouded　bliss。　　I　have　seen　devoted　and　intelligent　mothers
arrange　their　young　daughters'　education　and　companionships
precisely　on　this　basis。　　They　planned　as　if　these　pretty　and
charming　girls　were　going　to　live　only　twenty　or　twenty…five　years
at　the　utmost；　and　had　consequently　no　need　of　the　wealthy　interests
that　should　round　out　the　full…grown　woman's　stature；　making　her
younger　in　feeling　at　forty　than　at　twenty；　and　more　lovely　and
admired　at　eighty　than　at　either。

Emerson　in　writing　of　beauty　declares　that　〃the　secret　of　ugliness
consists　not　in　irregular　outline；　but　in　being　uninteresting。　　We
love　any　forms；　however　ugly；　from　which　great　qualities　shine。
If　command；　eloquence；　art；　or　invention　exists　in　the　most
deformed　person；　all　the　accidents　that　usually　displease；　please；
and　raise　esteem　and　wonder　higher。　　Beauty　without　grace　is　the
head　without　the　body。　　Beauty　without　expression　tires。〃　　Of
course　such　considerations　can　hardly　come　with　full　force　to　the
young　girl　herself；　who　feels　aged　at　eighteen；　and　imagines　that
the　troubles　and　problems　of　life　and　thought　are　hers　already。
〃Oh；　tell　me　to…night；〃　cried　a　college　freshman　once　to　her
President；　〃which　is　the　right　side　and　which　is　the　wrong　side　of
this　Andover　question　about　eschatology？〃　　The　young　girl　is
impatient　of　open　questions；　and　irritated　at　her　inability　to
answer　them。　　Neither　can　she　believe　that　the　first　headlong　zest
with　which　she　throws　herself　into　society；　athletics；　into
everything　which　comes　in　her　way；　can　ever　fail。　　But　her　elders
know；　looking　on；　that　our　American　girl；　the　commrade　of　her
parents　and　of　her　brothers　and　their　friends；　brought　up　from
babyhood　in　the　eager　talk　of　politics　and　society；　of　religious
belief；　of　public　action；　of　social　responsibilitythat　this
typical　girl；　with　her　quick　sympathies；　her　clear　head；　her　warm
heart；　her　outreaching　hands；　will　not　permanently　be　satisfied
or　self…respecting；　though　she　have　the　prettiest　dresses　and
hats　in　town；　or　the　most　charming　of　dinners；　dances；　and　teas。
Unless　there　comes　to　her；　and　comes　early；　the　one　chief　happiness
of　life；a　marriage　of　comradeship；she　must　face　for　herself
the　question；　〃What　shall　I　do　with　my　life？〃

I　recall　a　superb　girl　of　twenty　as　I　overtook　her　one　winter
morning　hurrying　along　Commonwealth　Avenue。　　She　spoke　of　a
brilliant　party　at　a　friend's　the　previous　evening。　　〃But；　oh！〃
she　cried；　throwing　up　her　hands　in　a　kind　of　hopeless　impatience；
〃tell　me　what　to　do。　　My　dancing　days　are　over！〃　　I　laughed　at　her；
〃Have　you　sprained　your　ankle？〃　　But　I　saw　I　had　made　a　mistake
when　she　added；　〃It　is　no　laughing　matter。　　I　have　been　out　three
years。　　I　have　not　done　what　they　expected　of　me；〃　with　a　flush
and　a　shrug；　〃and　there　is　a　crowd　of　nice　girls　coming　on　this
winter；　and　anyway；　I　am　so　tired　of　going　to　teas　and　ball…games
and　assemblies！　　I　don't　care　the　least　in　the　world　for　foreign
missions；　and；〃　with　a　stamp；　〃I　am　not　going　slumming　among
the　Italians。　　I　have　too　much　respect　for　the　Italians。　　And　what
shall　I　do　with　the　rest　of　my　life？〃　　That　was　a　frank　statement
of　what　any　girl　of　brains　or　conscience　feels；　with　more　or　less
bitter　distinctness；　unless　she　marries　early；　or　has　some　pressing
work　for　which　she　is　well　trained。

Yet　even　if　that　which　is　the　profession　of　woman　par　excellence
be　hers；　how　can　she　be　perennially　so　interesting　a　companion
to　her　husband　and　children　as　if　she　had　keen　personal　tastes；
long　her　own；　and　growing　with　her　growth？　　Indeed；　in　that　respect
the　condition　of　men　is　almost　the　same　as　that　of　women。　　It　would
be　quite　the　same　were　it　not　for　the　fact　that　a　man's　business
or　profession　is　generally　in　itself　a　means　of　growth；　of　education；
of　dignity。　　He　leans　his　life　against　it。　　He　builds　his　home　in
the　shadow　of　it。　　It　binds　his　days　together　in　a　kind　of　natural
piety　and　makes　him　advance　in　strength　and　nobility　as　he　〃fulfils
the　common　round；　the　daily　task。〃　　And　that　is　the　reason　why
men　in　the　past；　if　they　have　been　honorable　men；　have　grown　old
better　than　women。　　Men　usually　retain　their　ability　longer；　their
mental　alertness　and　hospitality。　　They　add　fine　quality　to　fine
quality；　passing　from　strength　to　strength　and　preserving　in　old
age　whatever　has　been　best　in　youth。　　It　was　a　sudden　recognition
of　this　fact　which　made　a　young　friend　of　mine　say　last　winter；
〃I　am　not　going　to　parties　any　more；　the　men　best　worth　talking
with　are　too　old　to　dance。〃

Even　with　the　help　of　a　permanent　business　or　profession；　however；
the　most　interesting　men　I　know　are　those　who　have　an　avocation
as　well　as　a　vocation。　　I　mean　a　taste　or　work　quite　apart　from　the
business　of　life。　　This　revives；　inspires；　and　cultivates　them
perpetually。　　It　matters　little　what　it　is；　if　only　it　is　real　and
personal；　is　large　enough　to　last；　and　possesses　the　power　of
growth。　　。A　young　sea…captain　from　a　New　England　village　on　a　long
and　lonely　voyage　falls　upon　a　copy　of　Shelley。　　Appeal　is　made
to　his　fine　but　untrained　mind；　and　the　book　of　the　boy　poet
becomes　the　seaman's　university。　　The　wide　world　of　poetry　and
of　the　other　fine　arts　is　opened；　and　the　Shelleyian　specialist
becomes　a　cultivated；　original；　and　charming　man。　　A　busy　merchant
loves　flowers；　and　in　all　his　free　hours　studies　them。　　Each　new
spring　adds　knowledge　to　his　knowledge；　and　his　friends　continually
bring　him　their　strange　discoveries。　　With　growing　wealth　he
cultivates　rare　and　beautiful　plants；　and　shares　them　with　his
fortunate　acquaintances。　　Happy　the　companion　invited　to　a　walk
or　a　drive　with　such　observant　eyes；　such　vivid　talk！　　Because　of
this　cheerful　interest　in　flowers；　and　this　ingenious　skill　in
dealing　with　them；　the　man　himself　is　interesting。　　All　his　powers
are　alert；　and　his　judgment　is　valued　in　public　life　and　in　private
business。　　Or　is　it　more　exact　to　say　that　because　he　is　the　kind
of　man　who　would　insist　upon　having　such　interests　outside　his
daily　work；　he　is　still　fresh　and　young　and　capable　of　growth
at　an　age　when　many　other　men　are　dull　and　old　and　certain　that
the　time　of　decay　is　at　hand？

There　are　two　reasons　why　women　need　to　cultivate　these　large
and　abiding　interests　even　more　persistently　than　men。　　In　the
first　place；　they　have　more　leisure。　　They　are　indeed　the　only
leisure　class　in　the　country；　the　only　large　body　of　persons　who
are　not　called　upon　to　win　their　daily　bread　in　direct　wage…earning
ways。　　As　yet；　fortunately；　few　men　among　us　have　so　little
self…respect　as　to　idle　about　our　streets　and　drawing…rooms　because
their　fathers　are　rich　enough　to　support　them。　　We　are　not　without
our　unemployed　poor；　but　roving　tramps　and　idle　clubmen　are　after
all　not　of　large　consequence。　　Our　serious；　non…producing　classes
are　chiefly　women。　　It　is　the　regular　ambition　of　the　chivalrous
American　to　make　all　the　women　who　depend　on　him　so　comfortable
that　they　need　do　nothing　for　themselves。　　Machinery　has　taken
nearly　all　the　former　occupations　of　women　out　of　the　home　into
the　shop　and　factory。　　Widespread　wealth　and　comfort；　and　the
inherited　theory　that　it　is　not　well　for　the　woman　to　earn　money
so　long　as　father　or　brothers　can　support　her；　have　brought　about
a　condition　of　things　in　which　there　is　social　danger；　unless　with
the　larger　leisure　are　given　high　and　enduring　interests。　　To　health
especially　there　is　great　danger；　for　nothing　breaks　down　a　woman's
health　like　idleness　and　its　resulting　ennui。　　More　people；　I　am
sure；　are　broken　down　nervously　because　they　are　bored；　than
because　they　are　overworked；　and　more　still　go　to　pieces　through
fussiness；　unwholesome　living；　worry　over　petty　details；　and　the
daily　disappointments　which　result　from　small　and　superficial
training。　　And　then；　besides　the　danger　to　health；　there　is　the
danger　to　character。　　I　need　not　dwell　on　the　undermining　influence
which　men　also　feel　when　occupation　is　taken　away　and　no　absorbing
private　interest　fills　the　vacancy。　　The　vices　of　luxurious　city
life　are　perhaps　hardly　more　destructive　to　character　than　is　the
slow　deterioration　of　barren　country　life。　　Though　the　conditions
in　the　two　cases　are　exactly　opposite；　the　trouble　is　often　the
same；absence　of　noble　interests。　　In　the　city　restless　idleness
organizes　amusement；　in　the　country　deadly　dulness　succeeds
daily　toil。

But　there　is　a　second　reason　why　a　girl　should　acquire　for　herself
strong　and　worthy　interests。　　The　regular　occupations　of　women
in　their　homes　are　generally　disconnected　and　of　little　educational
value；　at　least　as　those　homes　are　at　present　conducted。　　Given
the　best　will　in　the　world；　the　daily　doing　of　household　details
becomes　a　wearisome　monotony　if　the　mere　performance　of　them
is　all。　　To　make　drudgery　divine　a　woman　must　have　a　brain　to　plan
and　eyes　to　see　how　to　〃sweep　a　room　as　to　God's　laws。〃　　Imagination
and　knowledge　should　be　the　hourly　companions　of　her　who　would
make　a　fine　art　of　each　detail　in　kitchen　and　nursery。　　Too　long
has　the　pin　been　the　appropriate　symbol　of　the　average　woman's
lifethe　pin；　which　only　temporarily　holds　together　things　which
may　or　may　not　have　any　organic　connection　with　one　another。　　While
undoubtedly　most　women　must　spend　the　larger　part　of　life　in　this
modest　pin…work；　holding　together　the　little　things　of　home　and
school　and　society　and　church；　it　is　also　true；　that　cohesive　work
itself　cannot　be　done　well；　even　in　humble　circumstances；　except
by　the　refined；　the　trained；　the　growing　woman。　　The　smallest
village；　the　plainest　home；　give　ample　space　for　the　resources
of　the　trained　college