The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1921, Page 61

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 61

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mothers will take care of themselves and the race.
Let us, therefore, not neglect the girl. And since
it is a fact that no race of people ever rises higher
than their home, we should do all in our power to
make the home what it should be. And tell us, in
what better way can this be accomplished than by
training the girl, the future mother? For it is she
that will make the home what it is; it is she that
will influence the home for good or bad; it is
through her that the home will be uplifting or
degrading; she is the great factor in the home.
If we could but realize how much depends upon
the home in the progress of any people, we are
sure that then we would make it what ii should be
and, with respect to the Negro, train the Negro girl.

Taking for granted, then, that we all agree that
the education of the Negro girl is of the greatest
importance and consequence, we might now proceed
to ascertain what kind of an education shall be
offered to the Colored girl. Here again let us bear
in mind the future; looking forward to the time
when the majority of the girls of to-day will be
housewives and mothers. It will be best that we
proceed from this proposition.- his fact, to our
way of thinking, we must never lose sight of in the
education of the girl. ‘Therefore, the training
should be with this idea in view; namely, train the
Negro girl so that she will be prepared to take over
the duties of a wife and mother. On the other
hand, we do not believe that because of this she
should receive a training in home arts exclusively.
It naturally follows, and it is our conviction, that
such a training should enable her to act intelligently
in the capacity of mother and housewife. A mother
should also possess sufficient knowledge to give the

~ home the stamp of intelligence, both in the keeping

of the home and the rearing of children. ‘To this

- end she should be taught the common branches, as

arithmetic, grammar and composition, history, both
of the world and of the United States, geography,
and hygiene. Together with this let her be trained
in domestic science, which includes the arrangement
and keeping of the home, the economical and palat-
able preparation of meals, the care and training of
the child in its early years, and a short course in
practical nursing or care of the sick. Do this, and
you will have equipped a girl to make of the home
what this*term implies and means. She has thus
through her training been prepared to make the
home a veritable source of pleasure, comfort, in-
spiration, and hope. A school offering to the Negro
girl, or any girl, a course as outlined above, would

be one of the greatest factors in the development
and progress of a people.

However, by force of necessity and choice, not
all girls will be satisfied with an education as set
forth above. In the first place, it has been so ar-
ranged in the public school system of our country
that the vast majority of teachers are women.” ‘This
is true also of our mission-teachers among the
Colored. In every State, in every city, in every
community there is a great dearth of teachers.
These must be supplied, these must be trained.
And as was told us some time ago by a prominent
educator of the State of North Carolina, the private
and denominational schools must continue assisting
the State in supplying teachers. A nation dare
never neglect the proper training of its teachers.
Train the mother and neglect properly to prepare
the teachers of a nation, and you have paved the
way for the destruction of well-nigh all home-
training. ‘The nation will do well therefore to offer
to such as are to teach her youth the best that edu-
cation can offer. Hence a school for Negro girls
should also offer a course in the training of teachers.
Here we might also call attention to the fact that
there are many girls among all people who have the
inclination and desire to avail themselves of a clas-
sical course. We would say, offer them this also.

But we cannot stop at this. In the above we
have endeavored to set forth in all brevity what to
us seemed to be a way in which to train the girl,
especially the Negro girl, for life. What was stated
above purposed to be a training of the intellect and
hand, but we have purposely mentioned nothing of
the training of the heart. We reserved its treat-
ment until last for the sake of emphasis. With us
it should, it must, receive the first consideration.
Take this out of education, and you have succeeded
in cutting out its very heart. We refer to what has
long ago’ been set down as “the beginning of wis-
dom,” giving the girl above all a Christian training.
This we understand to include, not only a thorough
course in the doctrines of the Christian religion, but
also a Christian training pervading, influencing,

_transcending all education. To send a girl out into

life without having given her this advantage may
be likened to sending out a ship without a rudder.
For we cannot imagine a Christian home without
a Christian mother in it. And since Christianity,
specifically Christ, is the foundation, the corner-
stone of every true home, we are confident the
nearest way to make that home Christian is to have
there the influence of a Christian mother. And,