Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-09-15
EDUCATION USEFUL VS.. ORNA-
MENTAL,

LII 14OH ODhI I'LL Vbt OhN h
MENTAL.
We remember-it was long ngo-as
the children so prettily and simply say
"ever so long ago"-the first time we
met the word Utilndriqn. Standing
gaunt, tall and stiff among group OF
poor lite monosyllables which seemed
so awed and BUNDLED in its presence,
that queer looking word, we must con
fess, did frighten us. 1t was long
time after our first introduction, before
We became well acquainted with its
meaning. Indeed we feared to pro.
nounce it lest we might be shipwreck
ed among its many syllablcs. At last,
however, we caught its Specification.
Its strangencss wore away Its odd
look became familiar. But we do not
think that ever before to-day we had
the courage TO write the word. In
books and speeches, in pamphlets and
newspapers, in grave works and in
light works we have met the word a
thousand times. 1t would generally
make its appearance in this sentence:
"Our age is utilitarian; and then
what changes would be rung on the
strange sounding word 7 We think
now, however, that there is a great
deal Of humbuggcry about the word ;
and not little of the same attribute
in those who so frequently uso it.
lNa L., No t,,nnn.s tkt.,lr fkae ou..
age is so very utilitarian. We have a
well grounded suspicion that to call ii
so, is TO vainly boast We do think
that, in many, if not in most things,
our age is Of we may use word as
strange) orndmentdrian. We believe
that the useful has turned servant TO
the ornamental Ornament, we opine,
is the queen, and utility has become
her vassal, especially in Education.
Now, Ornament has no right TO the
throne, in the palace of knowledge, in
the Kingdom OF mind. She has
usurpcd the position, and we, for one,
rebel against her authority, and intend
TO dispute her claims Ii Ornament
is so anxious to rule, let her rel IN in
Dress, Let her revel amid ribbons,
and flowers, dainty hats, lovely bon
nets, diamond ringed fingers, bored
cars, frizzled hair, waterfalls, chignons,
panniers, &c, &c, but let her not dare
TO intrude herself into the domuin of
mind. If she does enter there, let il
be as pretty page waiting or the
rightful monarch-Comm
~ sviy mucn rear tnat many OF our
Educational Institutions, Protestant
and Catholic, have entered into con-
spiracy against the good, old King
Common-Sense. Queen Ornament has
placed them under the spell of beauty
Around her throne they gather and
they bring into her service the minds
of most OF their pupils. Their educa-
tion is but training in the ornamen-
tai. And, infatuated with the orna-
mental the rising generation looks
down, with unconcealed contempt,
upon the plain and homely usetm
This should not be so.
Yet it is so in nearly ali our Educa-
tional establishments.
Our teachers dress up their pupils
as they would so many dolls, in gay
aud fashy ornaments, and thus dressed,
they present them on graduation day,
to their parents and guardians as per
feet wonders of wisdom but unfortu-
nately the brains of the graduates,
like the brains of the doll babies, con.
tain nothing better than saw.dust.
They can spout speech, but they
do not know how 10 think They can
finger the piano, toy with the guitar,
play the harp, make beautiful Par.
isian bow, embroider pair Of slippers,
daub a canvas, but they cannot de-
Gently hem a handkerchief; aud as
for making a cup Of coffee they know
as much about it as doll
They evince the very perfection of
taste in placing the right colored flow.
or in tho right place on their heads
but tho poor heads, alas a vacuum
without an idea.
In writing a love letter they cannot
be surpassed, but to write single line
that contains any common sense is a
task beyond their power.
Years are given 10 the ornamental |
part of education, but the useful, solid, |
is almost, Vt not wholly neg !
lectcd.
Months are spent in preparing for
what is 30 justly called an Exhibition
and what do they exhibit Varnish
nothing but varnisb the shallow
aud super6oial-nothing else.
They play hide-and go.seek among
the figures of Rhetoric before they
thoroughly know the rudiments Of
Grammar. They soaramong the stars
Of Astronomy before they know the
Geography Of the earth where they
must make their bread and butter.
They write long, fash essays
strings Of words too weak to bear the
burden of solid idea, before they
have learned bow to think
They thump on the piano before
they understand the mystery OF thread
ing a needle.
They grope through the high prob
ems of Geometry when they could
not, without many a stumble, move
among the elementary principles Of
There is terrible fault somewhere.
We can scarcely blame the scholars,
when the teachers persist in giving
such an education, and when foolish
parents are as persistent in demand
ny il.
What sort of men and women will
such an education formy Is it any
wonder that so many of our young
men become, live and die, dandies aud
oafers
Is il at all strange that, to be n
pretty flirt with a great amount Of
mail talk and no sense TO be dnin-
y coquetic and TO dress finely, and TO
snow how TO twirl a fan or boar a
narasol elegantly, seems TO be the lof.
hest ambition of 80 many young la
lies Is IL any wonder thai thrra il