The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-04-20
Omr Contributors.
The Importance of Symmetrical
Education.


with the modern university system is
that there is a greater liberality under
that system than under the old collegiate
system to one-sided development. In
Germany this danger is to large extent
obviated by the gymnasium; and it is to
some extent obviated in this country by
the best of our colleges and secondary
schools. 1t would be entirely obviated
in every case if the pupil would exercise
his exalted but hazardous privilege in
accordance with the dictates of experience
and the suggestions of true wisdom.
There are many false notions rife on this
subject. 1t is great mistake to suppose
that because one has turn for some par
ticular thing one ought to attend to
nothing else. The necessity is admitted
of concentration. There ought to be one
main pursuit, and everything should be
subordinated to that But it is alto
gether possible to select that main pur-
suit too soon. If there is anything which
more than another calls for the vigorous
and balanced exercise of the mental
powers, it is that decisive act which is to
shape the whole course of subsequent ex-
perience. Ultimately this act is one of
the will but this act of the will is itself
determined by previous acts of the judg
ment and feelings; and these acts again
are influenced by reports brought in by
the other faculties. But in order that
the several powers of the mind should
act vigorously, they must each be dis
olplined; and in order that they should
act harmoniously they must all be dis
ciplined symmetrically. The same con-
clusion follows obviously from the self
evident proposition that no man knows
what he can do until he has tried. 1t is
only special form of this general state
ment to say, that no man can be sure
that his mind may not be adapted to
some particular branch of study until he
has made the experiment: and the ex-
pertinent is not fair one unless it has
been carried out thoroughly, and been
prepared for by the right sort of training.
Many boys think they have no talent for
the exact sciences, or for languages, sim
ply because they have taken the first
steps wrong, or have not taken them at
all. Others are content with mere dash
into some new and unaccustomed field of
thought, and then abandon it forever in
utter despair. Sometimes what is called
an accident reveals the fact that man
possesses extraordinary endowments that
might otherwise have remained unknown.
1t is not likely that there are in reality
any mute inglorious Millions" but had
1t not been for his blindness, and retire
ment from the cares of state, it is more
than probable that the world would have
failed to recognize the true proportions
OF the genius which has given US the
Paradise Lost. Nor would any have
OWNED the grandeur of Bunyans imagi-
nation had it not been for his incarcera-
ton IN Bedford jail The civil abilities
OF Oliver Cromwell and the military ca
pacity of Stonewall Jackson would hardly
have been brought to light but for the
troublous times in which they lived.
Sometimes our friends can forecast our
future for us better than we can forecast
1t tor ourselves. Others besides Saul, the
son of Kish, have been known to hide
themselves amidst the stuff. John Calvin
seems to have had no serious thought of
being reformer until he was almost
driven into it by Farel.
There is another fallacy on this general
subject that operates very iniuriously.
1t IS that we can only excel in certain
directions, and that consequently it is
folly to waste time in the attempt to i'm
prove powers which we can never hope
to cultivate to the point of eminent sue
cess. Of course there underlies this rem
resentatlon, as there underlies all sophis-
try, a certain small degree of truth.
This, however, has already been suff-
GENTLY allowed for. What remains to
be insisted on, is the unquestionable GER
tainty that in order to avoid the evils
Of irregular development, those powers
which are weak are precisely those which