The beloved and honored name of Arnold, dear to every liberal educator of every sect and name, has set the example of a religious training that is based entirely on the common‐sense system. And probably there is not a man living or dead whose influence has been so extensive in guiding public opinion on this subject. Without openly denying the articles, or forsaking the established church, Whateley, Arnold and their associates have warred on the Augustinian theory and its offsets more energetically and effectively than any two men that can be named. Thus, it appears, that the people themselves, and the chief leaders in popular education, have decided that no teaching that conflicts with the system of common‐sense shall be introduced into the common schools. CHAPTER XLIX. THE POSITION OF WOMAN AS CHIEF EDUCATOR OF MIND. One of the most important indices of religious change is the advance in the character of female education during the last thirty years. Fifty years ago, to read, write and cipher, and a few accomplishments, were all that were attempted in the school education of women. A little history and one or two other branches were added in some of the higher schools. It being assumed that the _equal_ culture of _all_ the faculties, so as to insure a _well‐balanced_ mind, is the chief aim of all education, it is probable that the mental culture of women in this country for the last thirty years has approached nearer to the true standard than was ever known in the experience of any other nation. The training to the handicraft of the needle, even if only for ornament, the measure of domestic duty that most young girls learn to perform, the culture of the musical taste and the art of drawing, the combination in female schools of mathematics, languages and general knowledge, and the immense variety of culture from lectures and general reading, all have tended to develop the female mind on a scale of advancement and equable culture never before known. The result is a generation of women well trained for high and independent thought and action. At the same time, it is probable that there never before was so large a proportion of the best educated women who were so decidedly conscientious and religious. It is granted by all, that it is to woman more than to man, that is committed the chief business of training the human mind at its most important stage of development. It is granted, also, that in order to success in culture, both physical and mental, it is the first step to understand _the nature_ of that which is to be trained and developed. The first question, then, to every woman, in reference to her first duty is, what is _the nature_ of the minds given us to train?