Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-04-08
Prof. Huxley on Boys.


+ Prof. Huxley on Boys.
Amid the flood of good things
said On Commencement platforms,
we have heard nothing. on the
whole, wiser, apter or more saga
cious than Professor Huxley's ed.
dress to the prizs-winners at the
University contest. Had he added
that religion is the strongest force
10 the conduct Of s,whie he would.
not have sacrificed anything of the
philosopher to the preacher, be
would have put keystone to bis
beautiful arch of argument ard APP
peal
50. boys, let me tell you that il
has given mo great pleasure TO
come Among you to-day. and to
hsnd you the prizes you have won
for proficiency IN slI sorts of intel
lectual and some physical exercises;
and, as | bave perfect confidence in
the Judgment and in the justice OF
those who award these prizes, am
cure that you deserve the hoDoss
you have ob.alned, and | offer you
my hearty congratulations upon
them. You have right to take an
honest pride in youa success, and |
would even excuse little vanity, if
the fit is neither TOO strong nor too
long. But though self satisfaction,
if one comes by it honestly, is q
very e Cd thing in lis way, the
whole value of su(c IS, here 90 else-
where, does not lie n self-satisfac-
tion. In the present case | should
say that the chief value Of success
lies in the evidence which it affords
of the possession of those faculties
which will enable you to deal with
those conditions of human existence
into which you will be launched, to
sink or swim, hy and by.
"Letsne appeal to yeur knowledge
of yourselves and of your school -fel.
lows. What sort of fellows are those
who win prizes? 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 l have not the
pleasure Of knowing any of the prize
winners this year PERSONAL---VERY.
take upon myself to answer, certain.
iy not Nay, | viii go so far as to
affirm that the boys to. whom | have
had the pleasure of giving prizes to-
day, take them altogether, are the
sharpest, quickest, most industrious
and strongest boys in the school.
But by strongest, | do not exactly
mean those who can lift the great
est weights or jump farthest-but
those VINO have the most endurance.
You will observe again that / say
take them together. do not doubt
that outside the list of prize winners
there may be boys of keener intel.
lect than any who are in it, dis
qualified by lack of industry or lack
OF health, and there may be highly
industrious boys who are unfortu
nately dull or sickly and there may
be athletes who are still more unfor-
tunately either idle or stupid, or both.
Quickness in learning, readiness and
accuracy in reproducing what is
learned industry, endurance, 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 quail.
ties is OF great value iu practical life
Upon whatever career you may IN
ter, intellectual quickness, industry
and the power of bearing fatigue are
three great advantages. But | @ant
to impress upon you, and through
YOU upon those who will direct your
future course, the conviction which |
entertain that, as a general rule, the
relative Importance of these three
qualifications is not rightly estimat.
ed, and that there are other qualities
Of no less value which are not direct
" tested by school competition. A
somewhat varied experience 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 endur-
ance. Indeed, | am much disposed
to think that endurance is the most
valuable quality Of all; for industry,
as the desire TO work hard does not
come to much If feeble frame is IN.
able to respond to the desire. Every
body who has had to make his way
the world must know that while
tue occasion for intellectual effort of
high order is rare, it constantly
happen that q mans future turns up
on his being able to stand sudden
and heavy strain upon his powers
of endurance. To lawyer, physie-
clan, or merchant it may be every
thing to be able to work sixteen
hours a day for IS long as is needful
without yielding up e WEAKNESS.
Moreover, the pAticHcs, tenacity
and good humor which are among
the most important qualifications
for dealing with men are incompst-
ibls with an irritable brain, weak
stomach, or defective circulation.
If any one Of you prizs-w.uuers
were a son Of mine and . good iriry
~ were to offer to equip him &C
cording to my wishes for the battle
of practice life, / should say, do
not care to trouble you for any more
cleVerness; pat 10 as much industry
IS you can instead; ani OH ii you
please, q broad deep chest and q
stomach of whose existence hs shall
never k1ow anything. | should be