Collegiate Alumnae.

Many persons habitually and without thought, make fun of "sweet girl graduates" and of all that pertains to their collegiate training. It may be of interest to the general reader to happen upon a short account of one phase of the practical good that is being accomplished by the movement for the "higher education of women." On January 14, 1882, sixty-six women graduates met in Boston and organized an "Association of Collegiate Alumnae." The object of this association, as expressed in its Constitution, is "to unite alumnae of different institutions for practical educational work." The regular members, 420 in number, are women graduates from the academic departments of Cornell, Michigan, Wisconsin, Boston, Wesleyan, Kansas, Syracuse and North-western Universities; Oberlin, Vassar, Smith and Wellesley Colleges, and the Mass. Institute of Technology. Four regular meetings of the association are held during the year in different cities. The members live scattered through thirty states and territories, and thus the work is necessarily accomplished mainly by means of special committees and distribution of circulars or pamphlets.

The first object to which the association directed its attention, was the physical education of women. A schedule was published giving an account of the methods used in the institutions represented in the association, to promote physical education. The discussion of this question led to an investigation of the general health of women graduates. This was begun by sending a series of printed questions to 1,300 college-bred women. The 705 answers received were tabulated by the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor and results have been recently published and distributed in pamphlet form. Essays and papers on various subjects have been written for the association by prominent women, and in many fields great activity and usefulness has been displayed. Connected with the association are clubs, for the study of political science, and of sanitary science. Under a direction of a committee of specialists, several members are engaged in the study of local history in different sections of the country. One advantage enjoyed by the members is the opportunity offered at the meetings, of coming in friendly contact with graduates of other colleges and thereby of broadening and liberalizing their own ideas, - a benefit which would be of great service to many of our narrow-minded men graduates.

The last meeting of the association, held recently in Brooklyn, N. Y., was most successful, and excited much interest in the minds of educators throughout the country.