HORTICULTURAL KDUCATION FOR WOMEN. 97 



Is it not apparent that excitement is the demand of the young 

 people of this age ; excitement in life, excitement in literature, 

 excitement in religion ? Sad evidence of a wrong ! 



True, we need girls in these shops and factories ; and there are 

 in fact thousands of good, modest girls going out to toil in these 

 places every day ; girls with homes and friends and others without 

 them ; girls, too, who support themselves well, and take care of 

 whole families besides. But there are enough, yes, far more than 

 enough, who are compelled to crowd to these shops and factories 

 to earn their daily bread — good, honest, hard-working girls and 

 women, working faithfuU}' in the places God has given them, and 

 these would be better paid were it not for those other girls who 

 crowd into their ranks, doing this not because they have no homes 

 and must — but — to get away from their homes ! 



There is no reason why these employments should be sought b\' 

 farmers' daughters, but every reason why they should not. These 

 unsettled, unhappy girls are crowding in where they ought not — 

 ought not because God has placed them where they would be 

 better women to remain. 



Can it be that there is in the education of the da}', and perhaps 

 also in the reading of the day, something that unsettles this 

 class of girls, and tempts them from their homes ; that causes 

 them to long for excitement and crowds ; that makes them bold 

 and independent at an age when they should be retiring and yield- 

 ing? Is not the tendency of the public schools, with co-education 

 of the sexes, towards this public life, especially when brought to 

 bear upon girls whose previous education has been in the quiet 

 country district school ? 



• Notice, when on an early morning railway train going into anj- 

 of our northern cities, the number of girls and boys carried in to 

 attend the large public schools. Day after day they go, perhaps, 

 for four years, wasting hours of that time in depots, or lounging 

 in places far from home or school, when the trains are not conven- 

 iently arranged to suit school hours ; making friends where they 

 ought not ; joking with railroad officials or other chance acquain- 

 tances ; at first, simple, truthful, honest girls, who see no harm in 

 it, knowing nothing, fearing nothing, but growing freer, bolder, 

 day by day. Here and there are girls who will not be hurt by it ; 

 faithful, modest girls, who may be trusted to the world's end. It 

 is not for these we fear, but for the sake of others we should 



