New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS
HuxLEYs CRTTIoUEs AND ADDRESSES.

The chief interest Of the present volume IS founu
IN its illustration of the versatile gifts OF the author
rather than in the value of its contributions 10 any
special department Of physical science. IL CONSISTS
Of a collection of his miscellaneous essays ana a'
dresses in which various scientific points are l'e.ou
in critical instead of a systematic way sho"lns
singular acuteness of perception, eminent power
of analysis and turn for metaphysical discussion
which is rarely combined with taste Tor the re-
searches Of positive science. Professor Huxley, how
aver is NOT mere observer Of external nature His
devotion 70 science is not inspired by the love OF de-
tails. The calculation of principles awakens no less
keen an interest in his mind than the investigation
of facts He has taste for subtle theological
distinctions and neverhesitates to defend the claims
Of science against dogmatic suggestions Several OF
the papers which form the contents of this volume
are devoted to the aspects of education In Great
Britain and possess only an incidental interest Ior
foreign readers. Others have been called forth 10y
the conflicts of recent science with ancient tradl-
tion and may be considered as models OF spri'eu'
but temperate controversy on themes Of intellectual
import, rather than of practical bearing. E,oL ,
when the question relates to matters less Oh
than of special interest the author is always IcI'no
in suggestion and often cOndense the sharpeSV Gum
mon sense IN brief but pregnant, paragraph mus
in reoard t artificial rewards for literary services
we have the following frank and sane eSpresSion
rodi,id,ouv Ihave no love for academies on the con
,,1epti model and still less for the system OF uecOb
ing men of distinction in science letters OF a' uyaf
orders and titles, or euriChing them WIN slhecui. 49,
men Of scencc want IS only fair days wages lot O
tbon fr I1y work; aud most OF us, suspect N 0uu
he well content n. for our days anu nsus VI a. Iass
rpssry clerk earns without any obviously NY sii"n
upon has faculties. The sole order OF n02'y %Th, ch IN
my iucgntnt. becomes philosopher Is lhtt ItIh ~
he holds nm the estimation Of his tehOW-WOrheIs, WIZ
All Cyier lowered themselves when the one accepted
an idle kuighlhOOd and the other became DatVu vi '
Empire The great men who went TO IAet graves 1S
Michael FdTdddy aud George GI0te seem 10 uo ~ .ahO
understood the dignity OF kuOWleuse DcIee "N0 my W
clined all such meretliciOus uappings'
Professor Huxley throws out some valuable hlnts
on the importance of physical training as part oil
the regular business Of the school. Too much I'M
porance hc insists, cannot be attached to this part
of education for the children Of the poor IN large
towns All the conditions of their lives are I'M
favorable 10 their physical well-being. They are
badly LODGED. badly housed, and badly fed. They
live ON from one year to another In bad AIR with no
chance for change. They have no play grounds,
nor scarcely any appliances to learn the Tree use OF
their limbs An ehectual remedy for this would be
the teaching Of drill and the practice Of the simpler
kinds Of gymnastics.
Whatever doubts people may entertain about the
efficacy OF natural selection there can be none about
artificial selection; and the breeder VINO snou %
the conditions 70 which the children OF the poor are
exposed would the laughngstock even Of the 6uooo
mind. Parliament has already done something ln tins
direction by declining 70 be an aeeomphcc IN the as
grant school in which the cubieal contents OIL the
sch0oLrOOm inadequate TO allow OF proper Iespra-
ton. should like 10 see 10 make another SUI IA lue
came direction, and either refuse 70 give grant 10 d
school in which physical training is not part OF the
programme. or any rate offer 70 pay upon such Ia-
ing IL some lug the kind Is not DONE the Engllsh
physique. which has been, aud is sun on the Whole
grand one will become extinct as the dOdo IN the great
towns. Aud then the moral aud intellectual ehtc OF urn
.nry G 6r tGBs 70 do Is to catch hun and get hin
Uul rU
Ia, hand % colts have something else to do
with their heels than to kick them up whenever they
feel SO Inclined; aud TO discover that the dreadful
human figure has no desire TO devour or even 10 DaJ
him, but that ia case Of attention and Obedience
he may hope for patting ana even sieve OF oats
But, your "strcet Arabs" and other neglected poor
children, rather and wilder than colts for
The reason thar has only his animal III
WaJs lender over him ana never home drunk and
kcked hun ~ her ne while me SnSols lnP6e9 Dy
may have doue all that and more. So on me Whole,
NAV probably be more eXpedeut ~ Desn your at
TENN to ge al The h CHER nature Of the child than az
that of the colt from the physical side.
OF equal consequence, in the opinion Of Professor
Huxley is the instruction Of girls in the elements
nj household work and of domestic economy, both
for their own sake and for that Of their future en-
poyers.
Every one who knows, anything Of the life OF the
Euglish poor Of the misery and waste caused
by their want OF knowledge Of domestic economy ana
~ their lack Of habits Of rugaIty and method sup
pose ID no exacgeration 10 say that poor French
woman would make the money when the vile OF poor
same time turn out twice a. palatabe dinner. Why
Engshmen, who are 50 VIGOROUSLY fond OF good living,
should helpessy incompetent IN the art Of cookery
OF the great mysteries oil nature but from the
varied denominations OF the railway Tefreshment
20 the mOnotOnoUs dinners OF the POOR English
feeding Is either wasteful or nasty, or Doth
And 10 domestic service, the grOans Of the house
wives Of England ascend TO heaven! In five cases out
Of six, the girl who takes place. has 10 be trained by
her mistress I'm the first rudmen or decency ana Order
and IL mercy If she does not turn up her nose at any
thing like the mention OF honest and proper economy.
Thousands OF Young girls are SAID TO starye OF worse
yearly IL London; and at the same time thOus anus OF
instresses Of households ready to pay hgh wages
woman; and can 10y no means get what they want.
Surely If the elementary schools worth anything,
they may put end TO state of things which Is de
TuOrazHg the DOOR, while il wasting the lives Of those
better of in small worries and annoyances.
With regard to religious teachings in schools, the
author takes sides neither with the advocates of
"secular7 instruction. nor with their opponents.
The abolition of all religious teaching in order to
avoid dogmatic perplexihes, he describes as burn
ing the ship 10 get rid Of the cockrOaches" No hu-
man being and no society, Professor Huxley urges,
ever did or ever can fulfill the ends of their being
without the love Of some ethical ideal If were
compelled he says, " to choose for one Of my own
children. between a school in which religious in
structon is given, and one without 1t, should pre-
fer the former even though the child might have to
take a good deal of theology with it," Hence when
the great mass of the English people declare that
they wish to have the children in the elementary
schools taught the Bible he sees reason to oppose
IT. He further declares that he knows no way in
which the religious feeling can be kept up without
the use Of the Bible. THE Pagan mOralists lack
life and color, and wen the noble Stole, Marcus
AntOninus is too high and refined for ordinary
child. Take the Bible as whole; make the seyerest
deductions which fair criticism can dictate for
shortcomings and positive errors; eliminate, as a
sensible ayteacher would do, if left to himself, all