Philadelphia High School for Girls - Milestone Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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by which the foundations have been laid. lt is with pride in our own work- manship that we view the noble structure we are erecting, and we believe with proud hopes that our descendants will carry the work forward. 'Qs' THE VIOLET While walking through the woods one day, I saw a maiden by the way: She was so very sweet and shy, That every one seemed to pass her by. l stopped and looked at this maiden fair, l seemed to see her everywhereg She was the loveliest person I ever met, It was the little violet. -Hilda Clarke. 16

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schools were few. The boys were taught spelling, reading, writing and casting accounts. lt was not considered necessary to trouble the brains of the feminine element with more than spelling, reading, and probably a little writing. Fancy work and cooking were considered by far the more necessary accompl-ishments. Girls were trained to be useful wives and mothers of the coming generation. This training was indeed necessary, for the country was soon to meet a crisis upon which the balance of the nation's future existence hung. The Revolutionary War loomed up before the faces of an earnest, resolute people and threatened destruction to the very foundations of the noble structure of self-government, which they were erecting. ln 1775 the flames of war broke forth in all their blazing fury, and threatened to devour the nation as a whole. But though tried in the dread furnace of the white-hot Gres of savage war, these patriots, our ancestors, came forth bravely bearing the banner of liberty. Nlen's souls and works had stood the test, the nation had proven itself worthy. A Misfortune had united these scattered banks of colonists, and the desire for liberty had welded them together in an almost unbreakable union. Each man's thoughts then centered in the progress of a country, his very own. It is natural that in such a turmoil and readjustment of affairs a public school system and the progress of the higher seats of learning should be overlooked for the moment. But now, when the nation, having recovered from the terrors of war, looked again to the education of the youth, it found con- ditions in decided need of improvement. The public school system, to be sure, had progressed to some extent, but the management of these schools -.vas now at fault. The instructors of the school were often very severe in the discipline of the scholars,,and, in some cases, brutal. The colleges did not seem to increase rapidly in attendance. The number of students in the graduating classes of all the colleges together was scarcely more than that of a single university of today. But these faults were not lasting, for with this new era of liberty came a progress which bore all before it. Public schools were established all over the United States. The colleges flourished. New schools of medicine and law sprang up all over the country. In fact, America have excelled, especially in one branch of literature-the public papers of our great statesmen. The toil of establishing schools and colleges has not been in vain, for it has brought forth many noble men, whose eloquent speech and fiery pen have done much for the glory of our government. Men such as these were Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, Thomas Jefferson, and many other famous orators and writers. And so we come to the conclusion that education in the day of our forefathers was just as vital a force as it is today. Without it we should have been unable to lay claim to the great educational system that is ours today. With it as the base we are erecting a mighty monument to wisdom today. We do not at all wonder at the rather slow progress of education in the early days of the nation's history. We appreciate the untiring efforts 15

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rw .Q Qllewn nf 15113 M2540 PRESIDEN I ............. ............... VICE-PRESIDENT ....... 5I:CRI: I ARY ......... TREASURER ......... . . 40-'V Xvawwfi 4 .1 .........ANNA C. THUN MYRLE M. SCHOFER .......NIARIAN W. FEHR E. VIRGINIA SMITH Class Motto-Ad astra per aspera Class Flower-The Larkspur Class Colors-Blue and White 17