68 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Taking it altogether the fine women who as a whole make up our teaching 

 force exert a healthful influence over their boys and are successful disciplinarians. 



The woman is quite as apt as the man to establish that connection between 

 her mind and the child's which is the foundation of instruction. 



Even a woman's knowledge is apt to be sufficient, at least for the 

 high school. But it is possible that these virtues exist only at a low 

 rate of wages and take wings at an equal high rate. It is one of the 

 characteristics of arguments springing from the traditional view of 

 women that quite opposite assertions are made to fit the same theory. 

 Thus women are better than men and they haven't so pronounced a 

 moral sense ; they have no time for professions, and they waste time in 

 frivolity ; they are thrifty, and they are extravagant ; they are physically 

 weak, and do the physical work of the household ; in the case of women 

 teachers, they drive men out of the profession of teaching, and they 

 can not compete with men; and again: they are not worth so much 

 because they leave teaching to marry, and they are not worth so much 

 because they do not marry. Perhaps it would be safest to adopt the 

 high and equal rate of salaries even if it leaves man, as the superior 

 teacher, victor in the field, since in education we are concerned with the 

 best results obtainable. We sincerely trust and believe, however, that 

 even at an equal high rate of pay it will be realized that men and 

 women are needed in the schools as in the home. Woman is as much 

 a factor in human life as man, and her interpretation of life and knowl- 

 edge is just as necessary for a complete view. If there is no difference 

 between the masculine and the feminine viewpoint surely there is no 

 reason for discrimination. But the very possibility of a difference of 

 conception is of immense potential value educationally, and forbids a 

 lessening in value because of sex. Surely if we need the feeling for 

 and interpretation of the "Anna virumque cano," the destructive ele- 

 the feeling for and interpretation of the 



Prima Ceres unco glaebam dimovit aratro, 

 Prima dedit fruges alimentaque mitia terris, 

 Prime dedit leges: Cereiis sunt omnia munus. 

 Ilia canenda mihi est 



of the constructive element of civilization by representation through 

 fostering womankind, especially as arms are beginning to lose some of 

 their prestige. But as long as we regard education as a thing to be 

 provided, in large measure to be sure, but at as low an expense as pos- 

 sible, we shall encourage the cheap labor of women teachers and the 

 proportion of men and women will not be normal. As soon as we 

 realize that education is an investment whose returns are to be meas- 

 ured in quality and diversity of knowledge and of character, we shall 

 be glad to invest capital in that enterprise, though for intangible and 

 indirect returns, and we shall recognize that woman's share in the 

 product is as important as man's. 



