The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-07-28
useful IS. ornai,snt

I'VE remember-it was long ago-as tue |
90 prettily and simply say, sever
10 long ago n-the first time we met the
word UtilitSrian. Standing gaunt, tall
and stiff among group of poor little
humblsdtin its presesce, that aaesr.looking
word, we must confess, did frighten rs.
It was q long time after our frst introduc-
ton, before we became we'll acquainted
with its meaning. Indeed we feared to
pronounce it lest we might be shipwrecked
among its many syllables. At last, how
ever, we caught it's Specification. Its
wore away. Lea 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. It would generally
make its appearance in the sentence;
" Our age 10 utilitarian >" sapd then what
changes would be rnng on the strange
sounding wordi We think now, however,
that there is great deal of humbuggery
about the word; and not little Of the
same attribute in those who 90 frequently
use it. @'E93 r. ''''fSST
. We, by no means, think that our age is
30 very unitarian. We have. we'll
grounded suspicion that TO- cali it 90, is to
vainly boast. We do think that, in many,
if not in most things, our age is (if we may
use word as strangel oraamentarian. We
believe that the slsefas has turned servant
to the ornamental. Ornament, we opipe,
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 Kingd ON
of mind. She has usurped the position,
and we, for one, rebel against her authori-
ty, and intend to dispute her claims. If
Ornament is 90 anxious to rule, let her
| reign in Dress. Let her revel amid rib
bons, and-fowers, dainty hats, lovely bon
nets, acknowledged fingers, bored ears,
frizzled hair, waterfalls, chignons, panuiers,
etc., etc., but let her not dare to intrude
herself into the domain of mind. If she
does enter there, let it be as pretty Pag Q
waiting on the rightfnl monarch-Com-
| mon-Sehse.
We very much fear that many of our
Educational Institutions, Protestant and
Catholic have entered into conspiracy
against the good, old King Common-sense.
Queen Ornament has placed them under
| the spell Of her beauty. Around her
throne they gather and they bring into her
service the minds of most of their pupils.
Their education is but training in the
ornamentals. And infatuated with the
prettinesses of the ornamental, the rising
generation looks down, with unconcealed
contempt, upon the plain and homely
usetul. This should not be 80.
Yet.it is 80 in nearly all of our Edu ca
tional establishments.
Our teachers dress up their pupils as
they would so many dolls, in gay and
fasby ornaments, and thus dressed, they
present them ON graduation day, to their
parents and guardians as perfect wonders
of wisdom but, unfortunately the brains
of many, like the brains of the doll-babies,
contain nothing better than saw-dust.
| They can spout q speech, but they do not
know how to think. They can finger the
piano, toy with the guitar, play the harp,
I make D DSAuVltuk L AEaSi1u uOWt CuiViOEuCA
pair of slippers, daub canvas, but they
cannot deeently hem handkerchief; and
as for making cup of coffee they know as
much about it as the doll.
They evince the very perfection Of taste
in placing the right eolored flower in the
right place on their heads; but the poor
heads, alas are vacuum without an idea.
In writing love-letter they cannot be
surpassed, but to write angle line that
contains any common sense is a task
beyond their mental power.
Years are given to the ornamental part
of education, but the useful, solid, practi-
cal, is almost, if not wholly, neglected.
| Months are spent in preparing for what
is 30 justly called an Exhibition ; and what
do they exhibit Withdrawing but
varnish; the shallow and superfeial-no-
thing else.