Letter to students

This 1891 letter reflects the late 19th-century movement to professionalize childcare and education for women. It frames kindergarten teaching not just as a job, but as a 'discipline for life' that offers higher wages than other work available to women at the time.

The document highlights the social expectations of the era, addressing the 'average young woman' and contrasting her potential for professional work with 'frivolous occupations' or remaining a dependent.