Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-09-25
##isftlla''.ons. e
For the American.
The Benefit Of an Education.

Experience and observation teach Us
that those who receive liberal educa.
ton, succeed better in life, stand upon
higher plane in society, and exert
witer influence in the world than those
who are unlettered, and who are will.
ing to drift along with the common
current of humanity. Who live only
for the present, satisfied if they pos
sess enough to eat, drink and to wear
pampering the body, and starving the
mind. This class Of people see no
good to be derived by spending months
and years in poring over books /; believe
it is no use for person to devote 60
long time pent up within the walls
OF the school room, or study, but had
better be engaged in come useful busi-
ness. Such people want their boys,
- soon AS their physical strength is
sufficiently developed, and often before
that time, to learn some trade. How
often you hear them discussing the
subject, and urging their boys to be-
come a blacksmith, shoemaker, \
carpenter, or stone-cutter, and thus
they go on enumerating the worthy oc.
cupations to which they may aspir
We would not degrade those employ.
ments III the least, for the honest la
borer is to be lauded at all tunes; but
the question arises has aparent right
to deprive his children Of an education,
especially at these times when so much
IS demanded Of every one, and when
society is becoming every year more
and more enlightened? Many schol.
ars are taken from school by the time
they are fifteen or sixteen, to assist on
the farm, or TO tend the store A little
arithmetic. geography and gram mar
through long division perhaps in Green
leaf s Common School the shape Of
the earth; the parts Of speech, but
nothing of their construction, or Of
the correct use Of language, and all
the beauties Of thought, that are capa-
ble of being expressed, are never ad-
mitted By these parents to be necessa-
ry, or at least they seldom express any
| desire in that direction. Now it il
J e'iuent II those parents were educated
persons, they would be more desirou.
that theiT children should be so. tba,
they should not lead the humdrum life
oil drudgery from morning till night,
year after year, as they have done but
on the other hand they would be anx.
:ous for them TO receive a liberal edu-
cation, stand higher in life, and con-
sequently possess far more influence.
and greater power Of doing good in
the world. We would not convey the
idea that scholars never rise from un-
.ducated parents, and from humble cir
'uinstances, for many instances might
'e cited 70 the contrary. Some of our
greatest men, such as Roger Sherman,
lincoln, Banks and Wilson were bred
poverty, Injured to hardships, and
billed day after day at some manual
ibor, that they might continue their
s,ld.es, and thus be able TO rise higher
al higher as the years rolled on. But
tie weight Of argument seems to lie
o. the other side of the question, g.
aarger number of our scholars rise
frm the higher and more cultivated
clsses of society, than from the low.
ersrades. Thus this thought should
inde US to gain knowledge, that if We
do'ot possess riches We may become
entitled TO something far better, and
tina which will give us more lasting
happiness in the end than if we had
'hesealth of Cresus. Poverty is an.
No' """ wealth. Is OIten curse
Out sound mind in sound body is a
lastig pleasure. No insurance policy
IS nfessary to its safe keeping, no
ahxrs days, or sleepless nights need
be sfnt in planning how to increase
1t. al how " retain it within our
grasl
vile we acknowledge that an edu-
catiois Of great value, still we are
apt think of the time and money
that nst be spent in acquiring it, and
may Cen ask ourselves whether it be
right not 70 let SO many years of
our lifpass away, ere We take our
stand nong those who are struggling
in the orld. Let the experience Of
othersaswer, and We shall rest satis-
fed th'it is no loss in the long run.
Inc encrowns the work. A person
ascends the craggy sides of some
LOFTY luntain occasionally glances
upward' see il the summit is nearly
attalneond thinks himself already
there. wn in fact he is far down its
sides ang the rocks and crags, and
must stisoil on, at times making a. 4
most fruess attempts to scale some
stesp divity, and becoming faint !
and weai is al but ready to relin. !,
qulsh hisforts /; but no he still tolls
upward tthe last height is surmoun- +,
ted, and hold he stands far above .
the surrsding country, and looks .
down updhe smiling valley below. =
Thus pom must plod on in the r
path Of hwledge, step by step, ~ :
the yearsontinue to roll in their
ceaSele60 lrae vhon et 1.ef thu =.