Endowments have secured to young men not
only a thorough training in branches of litera-
ture and science which enlarge the mental pow-
ers, but also have served to honor and elevate
several of the trades and professions to which
they are devoted, so that they are now on an
honorable equality with the so-called liberal pro-
fessions. The scientific schools, the art schools,
and the schools of technology are fast elevating
many heretofore degraded professions to equal
honor with law, medicine, and divinity. The
more these various arts and professions are made
honorable by endowments to support learned
professors, the larger the number of honorable
and remunerative professions are provided for
young men ; and, as yet, woman (with one or
two exceptions) has had no such opportuni-
ties provided. To support such institutions for
young men, every State in the Union has been
taxed, and large grants of land made by the
general government, while individual benefac-



woman's profession. 83

tions have been still more abundant. Our old-
est colleges all count their endowments as val-
ued from half a million to four and five mil-
lions each. There are now more than two
hundred well endowed colleges and scientific
schools for yoxmg men, supporting many hun-
dred professors. The State of New-York has
twelve endowed colleges, having doubled the
number in twenty years. Connecticut has
three endowed colleges, and four endowed pro-
fessional schools. Massachusetts has four col-
leges and six professional schools for young men,
and other States in similar proportions.
