The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-02

the faculty. This IL no jest II Is not with
any levity we make the remark, or with any
disposition to give pain. We do so only be-
cause we feel that we should either point out
the defects of the institution 30 far as we know
them, with the view of having them removed,
If possible, or be silent on the subject alto
gether. At the same time it is but just to say
that the professors of Yale do not err exclu-
sively on the pretentious side on some occa-
sions their modesty has quite as bad an effect
on the students as their arrogance or ped
antry.
Thus, for example, the Professor of Latin
sometimes prepares for his lecture side by
side with the members Of his class, so that
stranger entering the class room could not dis
tinguish the teacher from the pupils by any
other means than the age and size Of the for
mer. The truth Is that in instances such as
we allude to no stranger having any know
ledge of . literary institution Of much less
pretension than college would suppose for
moment that there was any teacher, tutor or
professor there.
II 1t be right for a professor to sit down
among the students of his class with tho
text book containing the 'lesson" which
he is to teach 10 half an hour on
one knee and the dictionary on the other,
while he was to look at the latter nearly If
not quite AZ often as at the former, then we
are wrong. But 1t seems to US that this is
one of those instances In which one ought to
do his best to conceal his ignorance. A pro-
lessor who has to study during one hour the
lesson which he is to teach the next should
have some such continuance as sentry-box
which he could enter at the proper time If he
cannot secure privacy by any other means.
Otherwise the students will be apt to question
| the genuineness of erudition which is of so
recent date. Indeed, it is difficult to under
stand how the professor himself can assume
| much authority in deciding any knotty point
before class whose members he has thus
familiarized with the fact that half an hour
before he was probably as incompetent to
make any such decision as they were them
selves, perhaps more incompetent than some
of them.
Be this as it may, we assure our readers
that we do no injustice to Yale, that we
attribute no fault to it on mere hearsay. Far
from doing anything of the kind, we abstain
from presenting many facts which would sug-
gest the necessity of s'new departure" quite
as much as any we have mentioned, having no
other object than to make some suggestions
which the new president might turn to adj
vantage if so disposed. Professor Porter
should insist on the simple adage that there
is no royal road to learning. If bis assistants
did not study sufficiently in time, it is better
late than never; but in carrying out the latter
precept they should observe at least ordinary
discretion. They should use their dictionaries
and interlineal translations in their private
rooms, not in the presence of the students,
lest the latter may think that it is time enough
for them to study hard when, through the
influence of their friends-because they belong
to a particular sect or a particular party
they become professors.
When the professor is able to translate one
book or satire nearly as we'll as the next to
it, or can assist the student in rendering any
passage he may open without the humiliation
of having to refer to dictionary in his
presence to make ont the "hard words" then,
if so disposed, he may edit text books and
have them praised by the same parties who
praise the college, or he may write eulogies
on them himself, as he does on "Alma Mater"
declaring them superior to all others. The
professor who undertakes to teach all colleges
before he has learned to teach his own class
deserves no better than to be laughed at for
his pains.
But Yale is but one Of the institutions which
it behooves to make at least half a dozen
new departures, and the New Haven faculty.
graduates, alumni and oil, may rest assured
that We will give our impressions of other COL
leges and universities quite as freely as we
have of Old Yale, but with no other intention
or wish, in any case, than to contribute as
much as possible to elevate the standard of
our chief literary institutions so that they may
deserve to be ranked with the best similar in
situations of the Old World.
THE HARVEST IN EUROPE. Some facts have
been published by the European journals re-
garding the harvest prospects in the grain
growing countries of Europe. In Prussia the
prospects are not at all favorable especially for
the early crops, and the late ones have suffered
severely for the want of warm sun. As is
the case in this country, there has been little
or no summer in Prussia, and this has had its
effect on the crops. In Saxony, however,
matters are different, and the prospect of a