AMERICAN COLLEGE GIRLS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 205, 23 May 1908, Page 11

AMERICAN COLLEGE GIRLS.

It is a pretty description of her visits to American Girls' Colloges that Miss Mary Richmond gives, and it makes one wish that some wealthy woman hero in Now Zealand' would endow a Women's College after the pattern of. Wellesley. But sho would havo to.be exceedingly wealthy, for Wellesley is of rcga)l rank. It is not very far from Boston, three-quarters of an , hour s journey by train perhaps, and it has a park of its own of 1400 acres', with lawns,'rolling downs, plantations, and ornamental waters.

The Collcgo 'buildings l are picturesque antl beautiful, and finely situated, on rising ground. Dotted about in different localities are; the dwelling houses of the students, which thoy call, quaintly enough, "dormitories,!.' though it is not to bo supposed that the hours spent within their-walls are always' hows of sleep. Most of the lecturers . are graduates of the Collego, and the courso followed is usually a literary one. The'students havo a dolightful time all tho year round. , They live in rooms furnished'without luxury, but comfortably, and with great tas|e, and in. their sparo tinio they have all tho lovely grounds to play in, with every sort of gamo to play, and a lako of their own provided with boats.

, In • fact, says Miss Richmond, "Wellesley College reminds one: all tho time of Tennyson's' "Princess," and sho gavo a: description of how ono morning, at' tho beginning of .tho term, invited by the,President,-she attended early servico'at the Collego's own chapel,, the Houghton; Memorial Chapel. ShcVwas there before the doors were opened, and.nothing could havo boon prettier than'the sight of all tho girls grouped on the steps. Tho beautiful undulating park, ,tho green trees and grass, tho sunshine and tho cTear air, and tho crowd of joyful, hopeful faces eager to begin the now year of work> and achievement mado a picture not to bo forgotten. When , tho doors opened, all the juniors passed in firsthand took'their seats. Then a processional hymn was sung, and the seniors entered two and. two in a very sorious and dignified manner. Tho chapel, which 1 held .six or soven hundred people, was quite full, and tho, only man, present was tho organist, for so far Wellesley does not seem to have .found a woman to take'his'place. Last year thoro.wero 1200' students at Wellesley, and it was expected that this year thero would bo still more. The views of tho magnificent buildings and grounds of Wellesley suggest that heavy fees aro paid by tho students, who are fortunate enough,to,go there, but it seems that here, as in nearly all American educational institutions,- the aim has been thoroughly democratic, to mako tho privileges accessible to all classes, and the oost of a year in. that beautiful place would not amount to more than £100.

Tlio Simmonds Collego in Boston is of a different type. AVellesley stands for general culture,-Simmonds, which is only six years old, .was founded with the idea of providing girls, who, must oarn their own living, with the means'of independenco, and all sorts of practical, training are given there. There are classes for. librarians, and women who wish to become teachers, typists, librarians, skilled or secretaries, will find first-class instruction at Simmonds College. Tho College is heavily endowed, and tho equipment of the buildings is perfect. As to how far the students turned out by these colleges devote their training to the good of tho community, Miss Richmond could not say, but during her stay in America she had bean vory, much impressed with tho way in which men and women of education and fino culture interest themselves in social questions, and devote themselves to social service.