The Portland daily press., 1874-10-10

GERMAN UNIVERSITIES: A Narrative of Personal
Experience, together with recent statistical infor-
nation, practical suggestions and comparison of
the German, English and American systems OF
Higher Education By James Morgan Hart New
York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. For sale by Loring,
Short & Harmon.
Mr. Hart's book is plain, simple and in
teresting account of three years spent by
studious man in a German university. To
this is added a second part of General Re-
marks on Universities in England, Germany
and America, with fuller explanations than
are contained in the narrative, of the frame.
work and structure of the German Method Of
Higher Education.
The German University year is divided in-
to two terms called semesters. The winter
semester begins October 18th and continues,
with two weeks intermission at Christmas, to
March 18th. The summer semester extends
from April 18th to August 18th. The lee
lures do not begin in general for several days
after the term commences. In fact, these
lectures begin when the Professor chooses
and end when he chooses The largest liber-
ty is accorded to him and to the student. No
obligation rests upon the student to attend
any lecture or any number of lectures. He
lives where he pleases and does what he
peasess taking the consequences. All that is
asked Of him is, that if he does go to the lee
ture, he shall behave himself while there.
The duty of the university is done when it
provides him with the best instruction. His
habits and morals are as thoroughly his own
affair as they become in after life. The lec-
lures last one hour each, and are read or de-
lvered by the professors and other instructors
to whatever students choose to come and pay
for them. Cop:ous notes are taken, and all
the points suggested are made the subject of
careful study afterwards. The instructors
are divided into faculties of philosophy, law,
medicine and theology. One may get some
idea of the range of subjects by being told
that the list of law lectures at Berlin in the
summer of 1868 comprised SO courses. The
instructors are of three classes, professors, as
sistant professors and priuat -docents or pri-
vate teachers, The professors and assistant
professors are paid salaries by the govern
ment and fees by the students. The prirat-
docents are paid fees only. So far as the stu
dents attendance on lectures is concerned,
the instructors are all on an equality.
The pricat- decent, if worthy of it, may
be better patronized than the full
professor. Consequently the professor
is kept continually on the alert lest he
awake some day and find himself outstripped
by younger and more active men. If the
Pricat-dOcent distinguishes himself, profes-
sorship awaits him in his own or another
University. This system which allows any
number. of studious young men who have
proved themselves to the faculty to be fit, to
compete with the paid teachers, is a wonder
full stimulus arousing the fullest energies of
allEparties TO the struggle. Private lessons
by all the instructors is matter of private
arrangement with the instructors themselves.
The object of the University is not to give
its students smattering of all things, sort
ofgeneral culture, but to enable each of them
to study fully the specially to which he in
ten1s to devote himself. At the close of the
three years all who desire it pass examina-
tions, which are thorough and rigid, for the
various degrees appropriate to the different
faculties. Before the examination, each can
didate for degree furnishes dissertations on
subjects given him by the faculty. Of course
no book on German student life would be
complete without description of the custom
of duelling, and chapter " of Mr. Hart's
book contains graphic account of this in
teresting and harmless amusement With
buckskin guard for the chest, buckskin
shoulder, cap for the head, very thick silk
cravatf for his jugular and big iron goggles over
his eyes, the German student about to avenge
his wounded honor upon an opponent simu-
larly accoutred must be fearful and awful
spectacle. We could easily imagine him lay.
ing awake nights afterwards, and thinking of
it. Nevertheless he seldom dies young
The articles In the second part of Mr..
Hart's book which he modestly calls ':gener-
al remarks" are well worthy attentive perus-
al by all interested in methods of higher edu-
cation. While as a rule each nation in tim
adopts or grows up to that system best
adapted to its needs, because created by
them, we can find in the institutions of other
lands an earlier solution of problems of edu-
cation which puzzle US, but which have
ceased to trouble those who are farther ad
vanced.
IDoLATRY, ROMANCE, by Julian Hawthorne.
Boston, J. R. Osgood s. Co. For sale by Loring,
Short s. Harmon.
Tho mo orio IF Ha uytb
leads one to expect both ability and noble
simplicity in this book, but the perusal dis
appoints the reader. The story aims through
out at deep mystery and subtle delineations
Of the profoundest depths Of human passions;
minges Egypt with Boston and New Jersey,
and contrasts the Scandinavian with the
gypsy type of character.
The plot pictures a grotesque philosopher
who aims to be an Psychologist, goes to
Egypt, brings back a vast amount of rubbish,
including wretched little Egyptian boy
who becomes a doubtful clergyman and the
villain of the book, and Scandinavian friend
who marries his sister after LAPSE of some
years, during which the Egyptian boy has
gro wn to manhood and developed his wicked.
ness. This very bad man succeeds In bring
ing the wife of the Viking to an early grave
and causing the disappearance of one of her
children, a daughter, who is dimiy supposed
to have been burned to death, and the de-
partu1e for Europe of the melancholy Scan
dinavian with the other twin, who after a
lapse of twenty years appears again in Bos-
ton with tremendous beard and an aesthet-
ic taste for dining with cooks.
Manetto, the Egyptian, has in the mean
time mummied the old philosopher, who has
died at his secret villa in New Jersey, and,
assuming his name, was living in his house
which was immurei in brick walls twelve
feet high, without any gate or entrance.
Having made visit to Boston he, on his re-
turn, meets the young Scandinavian on
board the boat, converses mysteriously and
diabolically with him, takes him for the other
Scandinavian, who had long since deceased,
attacks him, is thrown overheard, and turns
up at home TO find the youth there before