So the following September Milly
was once more a pupil, enrolled in classes of "literature" (with a
handbook), "art" (with a handbook), "science" (handbook), "mental and
moral philosophy" (lectures), and French (_La tulipe noire_). Milly
liked Mrs. Mason, a personable lady, who always addressed her pupils as
"young ladies." And Milly was quickly fascinated by the professor of
mental and moral philosophy, a delicate-looking young college graduate.
She worked very hard, studying her lessons far into the night,
memorizing long lists of names, dates, maxims, learning by rote whatever
was contained in those dreary handbooks.
Even in those days this was not all there was to education for girls
like Milly. There were a few young women, east and west, bold enough to
go to college. But as yet their example had no influence upon the
general education dealt out to girls. Most girls whose parents had any
sort of ambition went through the high school with their brothers, and
then went to work--if they had to--or got married. Even for the
privileged few who could afford "superior advantages" the ideas about
women's education were chaos. Mrs. Mason solved the problem at the
Ashland Institute as well as any, with a little of this and of that,
elegant information conveyed chiefly in handbooks about "literature" and
"art"; for women were assumed to be the "artistic" sex as they were the
ornamental.
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