SEPTEMBER 19 



with a governess, especially if the mother lays herself 

 out to share all her knowledge so far as possible 

 with her child. As she grows up, the child will be 

 the first to discover where she is at a disadvantage 

 compared to others. If she is indifferent about this, I 

 should say no one else need mind for her, and she will be 

 none the worse. But if she minds, and she probably will, 

 she can then acquire the belated knowledge in half the 

 time and with half the money spent on teachers that 

 would be required if spread out over a childhood more or 

 less reluctant to learn. Do try and stop the lady from 

 taking in " educational literature," for I'm sure it's not 

 only useless but harmful to fret one's conscience unless 

 it leads to conviction, and fortunately this mother seems 

 not convinced by the " professing educationalists." . . . 

 If the child is already fifteen or sixteen, the only modi- 

 fication I should make to what I have said would be 

 to recommend putting most forcibly before the girl 

 herself that if she has to, or wishes to, "take some 

 part in the real work of the world " she must utilise 

 her best faculties to the full and try to diminish her 

 deficiencies.' 



The burning question of what girls should or should not 

 read called forth a good deal of comment and opposition 

 The following was one of the best of the letters on this 

 subject : ' I think that, allowing for hereditary instincts 

 and inherited character, or want of it, there can be 

 no hard-and-fast rule as to allowing girl children to 

 read without restriction. So much allowance must be 

 made for the enormous difference in children, who are, 

 quite unconsciously to themselves, swayed by tempera- 

 ment or feelings the real nature of which they are 

 ignorant and innocent of. This question opens up a very 

 wide field, and perhaps in your book you could only 

 afford space for generalisation on such a subject. I also 



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