ABSTRACT
This chapter considers Evans in light of her cerebral rhetoric. Conversely, Mildred Rutherford asserted that Evans works have in many instances stimulated her young readers to study history, mythology, and the sciences, from which she so frequently draws her illustrations. Edna/Evans holds faith with her female readers that they are educated enough or intellectually hungry enough to embrace the erudite text. Dee Garrison discusses Evans pedantry and makes three invaluable observations that pertain to Edna, which apply equally as well as to Beryl. Evans believes that women's intellectual gifts must be shared with the world. In this respect she echoes Margaret Fullers sentiments (1845) that women should not be educated just to be better wives, companions to men, and mothers but to develop into perfection all of the gifts that God has given them. Bluestocking was first used in 1752 to refer to men and women of great wit and knowledge.
