The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-15 00:00:00

EDUCATIONAL FITNESS.

In this allusion to the advantages of a suitable education
for each and every class of society, the writer does not
wish to be misunderstood. If social reformers of former
days neglected to impress on parents and employers the
benefits that would accrue from having their sons and ser-
vants mentally qualified for their respective pesitions in
life, some, of our modern philanthropists seem desirous of
rushing to the opposite extreme. They would not only
have people educated for positions beyond those designed
for them, but, in many cases, they lead the ignorant to
suppose that education is to do everything for them. Such
assurances are not only illusory, but dangerous. If by the
application of mental knowledge to natural talent or genius,
certain poor men have become, as others may become,
great and eminent, it is absurd to argue, by the same
rule, that education would develop in the many what
nature has given only to the few. Education may
perfect the shoot, but cannot plant the seed of genius. Those
who would makd mechanics and artizans classical scholars,
or invest cooks and kitchen-maids with drawing-room ac-
nmplishments, are not social reformers, tut social revolu-
tionists. They would destroy law and order, and disturb
the peace of society rather than consolidate it. Servants
who acquire a superficial knowledge of what they are not
qualified, either by nature or position, to practise, are them-
selves seldom satisfied with their own situation in life, and
seldom satisfy those whom they engage to serve.
Even so with young people who beguile themselves on
another subject—a reliance on others, instead of on them-
selves. The poor mechanic who has learned to read and
write and to do a little in vulgar fractions, and who com-
placently believes himself to be a man of letters, is no more
an object of self delusion than that youth who places his
trust in the reputed wealth of friend or relative, either for
his own permanent advancement, or for a position of future
independence. The simple circumstance of a lad being
blessed with wealthy or independent parents cannot, in
itself be a misfortune, although a greater misfortune can
scarcely befal a youth than to make his own knowledge
of such wealth or independence an excuse for inactivity or
idleness. This declaration is founded on personal obser-
vation. I look around me for the old and middle-aged
men, who nearly forty years ago played—with the writer—
their youthful parts in the house of Fountain, Pillar, and
Branch. What were -the prospects of those young men
then? What is the position of these old men now? Of
about two-thirds of the staff, lam usable to speak. We
are either separated by death, divided by country, or lost to
memory through change of occupation, or change of appear-
ance. But one-third, or about seven of my warehouse com-
panions are still before me. Three of the number are not only
independent, but very wealthy men—one of them a mil-
lionaire. The remaining four are anything but inde-
pendent. One is, or rather was a few weeks since, in
the wine trade, and has, in his time, been in a variety of
other trades; another—a fine grey-headed, well-educated,
old man—is canvasser and collector for the proprietors of
a metropolitan publication ; another is in a very small, but
has been in a very large way of business; and the last of
the number is often recognised at the corner of a certain
street in the city. He never fails to recognise any old
friend or acquaintance, of whom he is ever ready to receive
anything in the shape of a gratuity, from sixpence to a
sovereign.