WOMEN'S EDUCATION 331 



The first paragraph is headed ' Definition of Physics ' — 

 two pages follow with instances of physical facts — but no 

 definition of Physics is ever attempted. So too with the 

 Chemistry Primer. 



To the Same 



June 5, 1897. 



I entirely agree with all you say in respect of the women 

 themselves ; — that the function of women in the scheme of 

 creation is not fully understood, by themselves that is, or 

 rather greatly misunderstood. What is wanted is, to raise 

 their standard of education throughout, without inter- 

 fering with their special function. I doubt, however, if 

 they have what you call ' a great future before them ' 

 (I do not know, however, what you mean by this), i.e. in 

 a strictly intellectual sense. No education will give them 

 originality, and scarcely intellectual individuality. The 

 Epicene man is a poor woman, but the Epicene woman is a 

 bad man, or nothing. (W T hat a miserable parody !) There 

 no shirking the great fact, that the woman's function 

 to be wife and mother, and that a degree certifying high 

 itellectual powers or qualifications is not that recommenda- 

 tion to the choice of a wife that it is to the choice of a husband, 

 rho must live and maintain wife and children by his wits, 

 lowever manual his craft may be. Now the drift of all 

 this very high education of woman is to lead her to ignore 

 her true place in the scheme of creation — and most un- 

 fortunately it is pushed on at the most critical period of 

 woman's life. The excuse is, that so many women must 

 either live by their wits, or, if they have money and do not 

 marry, must have some intellectual food to keep them out 

 of idleness and possible mischief. This is all very true and 

 points to a good reason for giving to those women who must 

 live by their wits a substantial degree of some sort (such as 

 they have at the L.U.). Hence I rejoice in recognising a 

 public stamp of intellectual merit in such cases ; but do 

 not in seeing a rich man's daughter having any title of the 



wrote The Unseen Universe, 1875, and was co-editor with Huxley and Roscoe 

 of Macmillan's series of Science Primers, himself writing the Primer of Physics 

 (1872), besides writing several successful text-books. He was one of the 

 founders of the Society for Psychical Research. 



