Being and Doing – 15 June – Education of Women

Note: The language of some posts about women are very much of their age and may be seen as victim blaming and mansplaining – even when written by women.  Please read them with care.

ALL SUCH knowledge should be given her, as may enable her to understand, and even to aid, the work of men: and yet it should be given, not as knowledge, – not as if it were, or could be, an object for her to know; but only to feel and to judge.   It is of no moment, as a matter of pride or perfectness in herself, whether she knows many languages or one; but it is of the utmost, that she should be able to show kindness to a stranger, and to understand the sweetness of a stranger’s tongue.   It is of no moment to her own worth or dignity that she should be acquainted with this science or that; but it is of the highest, that she should be trained in habits of thought: that she should understand the meaning, the inevitableness, and the loveliness of natural laws, and follow at least one path of scientific attainment, as far as to the threshold of that bitter Valley of Humiliation, into which only the wisest and bravest of men can descend, owning themselves for ever children gathering pebbles on a boundless shore.   It is of little consequence how many positions of cities she knows; or how many dates of events, or names of celebrated persons, it is not the object of education to turn the woman into a dictionary; but it is deeply necessary that she should be taught to enter with her whole personality into the history she reads: to picture the passages of it vitally in her own bright imagination: to apprehend with her…../

RUSKIN

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These quotes are from ‘Being and Doing’ A selection of helpful thoughts from various authors arranged for daily reading.

Collected by Constance M Whishaw and first published in 1908 for members of the Being and Doing Guild whose object is to do all they can for the relief of suffering and misery.

Most of the writers are 19th Century Christians from Britain and Europe who were committed to living their faith through deeds as well as words – Being AND Doing.

For many years these words have kept me company and encouraged me on the journey of faith.  I hope they will encourage others also.