New-York tribune., 1873-06-26
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

n,vnpv- GEORGE EIIor's WIT AND WISDOM
ROPES or SAND" ,
rvRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE IRiHuNH'I
BoSroN. June 21.-The forthcoming huhoer
af 6ld aud Ncc dstinctivey an educatohal huhpcr'
80 interesling serials arc continued TO be sure
ard II has a good short story, two poems ana
variety of other artcesbut the most important papers
o tbose connected with education. The Introductory
one treats ably the method Of preparing boys for col
lcee which IL finds too dinUSye and too careless
"Win you let your undergraduate enter college
without any knowledge of Greeki VIII you ao
cent German as substitute, as they nave
done at Antioch college for many yearsF Ihese
Snestiops are ar0usng in various quarters, earliest
attention. Some puzzled inquirer asks why ol'noi IVA
guage must be omitted, and receives for ahSV' "'' ~
boy has time fOr three languages, BESIDES LIZ Wv" o
Greek. German aud Latin. IL Is taken lO' si""''N ~
four OF at most five, years 70 DC sIcu' " '"o nH
school OF some preparatory academy; and tnat nan
way knowledge Of Latin and quaItef-""l Au'"'u1o
~ Greek are all that can gained IN those lour OF uNo
years. Therefore TO add German wodd nc "osuiu %
IL would admits Od and Nctr, II the scnool uo "no
where on the average, go pupils are asslsueu " ouo
teacher and where that teachers knowledge OF "IeCA
and Latin is the average knowledge Of our college gtau
nate But are these conditions uuchangea0lef ANY
frsf-rate classical teacher would readily take an ouF
nary boy Of a. and undertake 10 fit hm TO read al tue
LATIN required for his entrance into college III 40
months, boy his only pupil, and Latn
were the chief work in hand. Twelve months moro
would suffice under the same conditions for the neces
sary Greek ana the amount Of mathematics required
al The best colleges could easily be attained while the
language strucuon was going on. Two years anu a
half would ample for the pupil Of the hrstrate
teacher II choose TO use four or five years tna is
because We choose TO economic money rather than
time Just what supposed rstlass teacher can do
with boy, he do better with two than with one
and better stl with three. But % increase his number
OF pupils beyond f0ur lyo greatly to lessen ms
tha %
mathematics no more satisfactory method has vet been
devised than than the best tutors in the English uni
vcIs.tIes.
one Of these gentlemen takes, perhaps. four pupils,
He meets no O'Clock. They SIT AZ the same taoie
cethtr Tie Interest ana lie OF the teacher quicken the
IUpu. The teacher shows the luph INC DGs' Wy % %
study AZ DO o'clock hc gives hs directions for MS PHI
Ilet A. ii O'Clock he meets c. At12 O'Clock he 4ee,s
ID. And at some oher hour lu Tie Gav ne 4ee.e leln
all and ucy a work together ioran ho9T Inc lcdgutr
Is tnuS able tocOnder Tie personal need ol tAo pUt'
ana To give hm tle ui aoyaiaee Oh su' u t a.
lion. The pupil is able % ask the teacher Ju-t Mt ne
wants. and show hI just what are ms olIlcuIts.
aud rotlul compare notes, and 20 forward Wlth the
stimulus aud sympathy OF cOmpauionshp'
some such method as this old and NeU recon-
mcuus own preparatory schools. 1t
would Doe q more expensive method Of education: but
there are plenty of rich people who could do nothing
better children than 10 give them the very best
teaching.
W. g. Eliot contributes an article Washington
by 90 once o. i liberal organization aud It's geo
graphical position has great advantages that it needs
only financial strength TO make 10 leading educallOhal
power the United States II Is free from both pohti-
cal and ccHOmlJtouu uammels. Il entered, from the
LecInnuz upou the bold and apparently hopeless task
Of building mp great institution, not only without the
help party sect but with distinct rcuuuciIuon OF
all such d. Of all soct1ran bias The eighth article
of It's constitution declares as follows:
Nu instruction. either scctariau iu religion. or plIt
ODD +. ..El
The University: and scctIrldn party test shall ne
T ~ o r giTDrs}y nor s9al, any snc test ever
he used University for any purpOs, Whatsoever"
Tie Constitution also declares the article just quoted
''uot subject alteration at time - and, 10 guard
against ali entertainments in this important particular,
The directors obtained an amendment TO the charter by
when l lated bey ond the power any Board
Oi directors.
Tnus organized u the interest OF freedom, Washington
University began feeble existence about twenty years
ago but s cgiate life not much more than ten
years duration, and It's university hie in any hicn sense
OF the word Is vet TO begin. 10 has already shown,
howcvor, noble capacity for growth and its whole
property including real estate, is not less than SC0OoO
free FROM debt and o this amount nearly 100000 In
vested funds. is total expenses about S55OO per
annum. which nearly $1,000 more than It's assured
rocepsa dcdcieucy which has annually to De made up
by special gs Il needs much larger income IN order
10 perlec, Its system study and WELD the power
which It's geographical position entities It, II, haply
De another Anderson with noble desire to hep on
the WOri', work Of civilization and culture and with
ducats-inauy OF theuI-n his strong box, he could
hardly do better Thus with them than eHdow Wash
ington University
Coercion IN the Later Stages Of Education" is
admirable paper by J. p Quincy, protesting against
need sending students 20 foreign universities, thus
putting them outside the wholesome influence of the
moral sentiment or their nationality; and protest
ing AGAINST system OF marks and restrictions ana
compulsory education, generally. He thinks that the
Of real genius, whose scholarship example,
and whose tea hing Inspiration does not usually
possess the qualities necessary in amateur police
officer He represents his ideal professor saying 10
his class, under the happy aud gcntcmauly new
regime:
We have come together Young gentlemen to pursue
some studies Iu pOiiucJl economy We shau MIR.
Mllis wOrk a textbook bu in connection with 10,
shall, from tiue advise YOU read portions
The works Of other authors BV free interchange OF
question and reply shall make study interesting
Some Of tue forms OF the old recitation we shall find It
well % retain From time 10 time, shall ask those
who willing 10 De called upOn 10 give their
Language the results OF our reading and Conversations
/ may answer question about the examinations that
10 De passed the END OF the term by saving that
have nothing % do with them For statement Of what
Will be required together with the penalties Or failure.
lIeIer you 20 the regulations Issued by the business
manages Ol tl, Institution. Will mention only that
iheHe tAiHalioL9 dit minute ana VIII uc COAuucttu
SHI'uy I tu- Ihe3 viii OuSA4y tc7J your tedt
knOWlCd~e oi Tue subject OF study Dy evidence
nearly DiaiDe as the experience OF experts devise
But lei u ht Tue last WOld OF thOughI We gFc 70 Cen
We have only 90 feel the interest and yalI of the sell
encc a. u opens before us; and we need trouble our
Itue about the OF the examiners tie
is concerned about the ways 3 which the
world Will fLd him out"
st another valuable paper on educational themes is
.'speclltIcs" by the Rev. L. f. Hale Mr Hale would
have spccaueshat is, the pursuit OF tIInS the
exclusion Of O,hers-defered as late period life
possible; while the preparatory culture shall be