leave the public school to
go to the university, womanhood still is a very white and sacred thing,
in presence of which a mere man or boy can but be bashful and awkward
from very reverence and consciousness of inferiority, even as it surely
was a quarter of a century ago and as, at the same time, it as surely
was not to the youth of the United States. Again, of course, in both
countries there are differences between individuals, differences between
sets and cliques; but I am not mistaken about the tone of the English
youth of my own day nor am I mistaken about the tone of the American
youths, of the corresponding class, with whom I have come in intimate
contact in the United States. Their language about, their whole mental
attitude towards, woman was during my first years in America an
amazement and a shock to me. It has never ceased to be other than
repellent.

The greater freedom of contact allowed to the youth of both sexes in the
United States, and above all the co-educational institutions (especially
those of a higher grade), must of course have some effect, whether for
good or ill. It may be that the early-acquired knowledge of the American
youth is in the long run salutary; that his image of womanhood is, as is
claimed, more "practical," and likely to form a better basis for
happiness in life, than the dream and illusion of the English boy; but
here we get into a quagmire of mere speculation in which no individual
opinion has any virtue whatsoever.

I am well aware also of the serious offence that will be given to
innumerable good and earnest people in the United States by what I now
say. This is no place to discuss the question of co-education. I am
speaking only of one aspect of it, and even if it were to be granted
that in that one aspect its results are evil, that evil may very
possibly be outweighed many times over by the good which flows from it
in other directions. Even in expressing the opinion that there is this
one evil result, I am conscious that I shall call down upon myself much
indignation and some contempt. It will be said that I have not studied
the subject scientifically (which may be true) and that I am not
acquainted with what the statistics show (which is less true), and that
my observation has been prejudiced and superficial. Let me say however
that I have been brought to the conclusions to which I have been forced
not by prejudice but against prejudice and when I would have much
preferred