MR ALLEN'S ADDRESS AT THE GIRLS' HICvH KOHOOL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10239, 22 December 1894, Page 2

MR ALLEN'S ADDRESS AT THE GIRLS' HICvH KOHOOL.

TO TI!R I^jriTJli- I

Sin,—l am gltta indeed to rc-o t-nat Mr Alien a extraordinary addt-jss hsifi not bst-n i>.ilo\ved to pass unnoticed, and I congratulate "Ex-High School Gill" on her truly ttdinirable letter in your issue of Thursday. I trust, however, that she will pnrmi'; a sister to point out in all good feeling that sho, with sill her earnest desire for progress, physical and mental, has fallen into the common error of supposing her stage of progress the right and wise on«. In reference ] to dress reform she says, " If '.here are women who dispense, with the outer skirt sill that cau be ?ii(l is thai; &s t-bere are fuols amoiig tnoa, :io there are fools among wamt-n." Pardon me, fchtjre it! very much mere to be sniil ; and " ExHigh School tjirl" but shows that she. has not yet uudertdkeii a serious consideration of the matter. To her I could say, as she to Mr Allen, "Let 'Ex-Hifeh School Girl' walk on a windy day in rsvtious.! drees, and than give us her opinion," &J. Sir, I speak of what I know when I assert that even the reform t-hifc " KreHigh Selioul Girl" has adopted and now chf.mpions is not the iilouX —not bj a long, long way ; and she, like others of her sisters, wi!l find hersalf eocapt'lk'd to carry out her rtason ing to its logical ultimate, even at the risk o being called by those she loves and works foil--a fool

I trust that my remarks will be accepted in j tbe spirit that I write, them in, a.r.d ao conclude, j a3 I began, by beaitily endorsing—save on tha nne point to which I draw attention—" XxKigh Sshcol Girl's" much-needed criticism of the strangest Sp;euh Bay utterance it evsr waa my lot to listen to.—l am, &c, Dunectiu, December 20. A. S. M.

TO THE BDITOB,

Sre, —I have read with pain and disgust " Kx-High School Girl's" Utter in Thursday's isoue, in which she casts reflections and utters murmurs at some of the remarks iv Mr Allen's address iv dealing with the question of the higher education of women. Such letters, Sir, to my ruind, don't ss.y much for the charity, good-breftdicg, or modesty of " Ex-High School Girl." Mr Allen's remarks on the advanced education of women, as to the rcsnlis, were well-timed and much needed at present, if professional positions, wealth, dress reforms, and amusemeuts are to ba cho sole outcome of their training. If faith and t.rua religion are to bo kept in the background we shall m-ver attain to true prosperity and righteousness, which alone exalteth a nation, and is the only sure basis for the remodelling of society.—l am, Dunedin, December 20. Glasgow.

TO THE EDITOR

Rib,—Seeing "Ex-High School Girl's" excellent letter in your last issue, I write far the purpose of endorsing the remarks she has made, and of expressing my satisfaction at finding that I am not tho only ex-High School girl present ou that occasion who wss pained and annoyed by Mr Allen's i!l-tiiaed observations. Net that Mr Allen made any very dreadful accusation against ths modern woman —he was too prudent for that; but bis manner was disheartening and unpleasant to a dfgree, and I think he ventured on subjects, such aa dress, for instance, which he se-jmed to know very little about.

If Mr AUea wishes to exercise his talent fosdenunciation, let him give ns a discourse on tho follies of the society woman, or the misery of those girls who, having never learnt ?.n occupation, ara forced to merry for the sake'of a homo; but let him spare us the vague uneere against female clerks or female doctors. I hope, however, thafs some one more sympathetic aud less old-fashioned than Mr* Alien will be found to address us aii our n-,st breakup.—l am, &c,

Another Ex-Hicih School Giel December 20.