The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-10-16
THE STANDARD.
THURSDAY, - OCE. IG, 1879.
Scientific American.
Huxley on Pluck and Endurance,

proficiency III intellectual and physical |
exercises, at University College, Lon
don, recently, Professor Huxley spoke
to the boys, dwelling especially upon
the value Of industry and physical |
capacity for value of their success in
school lay, he said, IN the evidence it
afforded Of the possession Of those
life conditions they were about to |
meet. Asking what sort Of follows
were the prize winners, he continued: !
Is there, in all the long list which !
we have gone through to-day, the
name Of a single boy who is dull, |
slow, idle, and sickly? [ am sorry to
say that / have not the pleasure of
knowing any OF the prize winners
this year personally-but [ take upon
myself to answer, Certainly not. Nay,
| will 90 so far as to affirm that the
boys to whom | have had the pleasure
Of giving prizes to-day, take them al
together, are the sharpest, quickest,
most industrious, and strongest boys
in the school, But by strongest | do
not exactly mean those who can lift
the greatest weights or jump furtheSt
but those who have most endurance.
You will observe again that | say
take them altogether [ do not doubt
that outside the list Of prize winners
there may be boys Of keener intellect
than any who are in it, disqualified by
lack Of industry or lack of health, and
there may be highly industrious boys
who are unfortunately dull or sickly,
and there may be athletes who are
still more unfortunately either idle or
stupid, OF both. Quickness in learning,
readiness, and accuracy in reproduc-
ing what is learnt, industry, endur-
ance-these are the qualities, mixed
in very various proportions, which are
found in boys who win prizes. Now
there is not the smallest doubt that
every one of these qualities is of great
value in practical life. Upon what
ever career you may enter, intellectual
quiclzness, industry, and the power Of
bearing fatigue are three great adyan-
tages. But | want to impress upon
you, and through you upon those who
will direct your future course, the
conviction which I entertain that, as
a general rule, the relative importance
Of these three qualifications is not
rightly estimated, and that there are
other qualities of no less value which
are not directly tested by school COM
petition. A somewhat varied expert
ence of men has led me, the longer |
live, to set the less value upon mere
cleverness; to attach more and more
Importance to industry and to physical
endurance. Indeed, [ am much dis
posed to think that endurance is the
most valuable quality Of all; for in
dustry, as the desire to work hard
does not come to much if d feeble
frame is unable to respond to the de-
sire. Everybody who has had to make
his way in the world must know that
while the occasion for intellectual
effort Of a high order is rare, it con-
stantly happens that mans future
turns upon his being able to stand {
sudden and heavy strain upon his
powers Of endurance. To lawyer, {
physician, or q merchant it may be
everything to be able to work sixteen
hours day for as long as is needfu
without knocking up. Moreover, the
patience, tenacity, and good humOr
which are among the most important
qualifications for dealing with men
are incompatible with an irritable
brain, weak stomach, or a defective
circulation IF any one Of you prize.
winners were a son Of mine (as might
have been the case, | am glad tx
think, on former occasions), and {
good fairy We're to offer to equip hin
according to my wishes for the battle
Of practical life, [ should say, Il dl
not care to trouble you for any more
cleverness; put in as much industry
as you can instead; and oh, if yor
please, a broad, deep chest, and ,
stomach Of whose existence he shall
never know anything" [ should b.
well content with the prospects Of {
fellow so endowed. The other pom
which ! wish to impress upon you is
that competitive examination, usefu
and excellent as it is for some pur
poses, is only a very partial test o1
what the winners will be worth IL
practical life. There are people wht
are neither very clever nor very indus
trious, nor very strong, and who
would probably be nowhere in an ex
animation, and who yet exert grea
influence in virtue of what is callet
force Of character. They may no
know much, but they take care tha
what they do know they know well
They may not be very quick, but th
knowledge they acquire sticks. The,
| may not even be particularly y industri
Gus or enduring, but they are strong
Of will and firm of purpose, undaunte(
by fear ofresponsibility, single-minded
and trustworthy. In practical life
man Of this sort is worth any numbe
: Of merely clever and learned people
Of course | do not mean to imply fO
: a moment that success in examination
is incompatible with the possession O
character such as | have just defnec
it. but failure IN examination is III
$ evidence OF the want Of such charac
: ter. And this leads me to administe
: from my point of view the crumb o
: comfort which on those occasions i
ordinarily offered to those who's
names do not appear upon the priz
! list. It is quite true that practica
: life is a kind of long competitive ex
animation, conducted by that sever
pedagogue, Professor Circumstance
But my experience leads me to con
clude that his marks are given mucl
more for character than FOR cleveness
Hence, though | have no doubt tha
those boys who have received prize
to-day have already given rise to
fair hope that the future may Sc
them prominent, perhaps brilliantl,