The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-09
The Cost VS.. the Worth Of an Educa.
tiO1.
Erskiae Student.

EtSkine Student
The line that separates educated from uned-
uca,cd manhood is broad and clearly defined.
Yet to tell exactly when to call IL man ed!-
Gated and when not Is more difficult. For his
educutiun consists not so much In the degree
OF his a;tainmentS, aS In their nature, and
the capa:ity to reduce TO practicai utlilty
men vino knew more history than Henry
Clay or Daniel Webster, but who could better
gather from Il page the rich import OF its les
sons. anl wca:c 1t into national lie ana ues-
;in, It is just the distinction between
kn1,ring and kno,cing to a purpose. IT can
hardly be said of any youth that he is edu-
ca ed, unless we use that term relatively.
The strongest element IN the composition M
the youthful student is an earnest desire to
know, rather than whit he knows. "hen-
ever this desire takes profound hold on lilm,
touching the secret springs OF hSSplrltual en-
crgy, he becomes strong prophecy OF future
he reaches that sla@e:
Two imas mary difficulties have kept scores
Of our young men from seeking mental train
ing in colleges ana univcrsiIeS-hte cost In
time. and the cost j.. nao'sry. Both OF these con-
sideraionS have become so undnIy m?Shl
fed that they have come to have wrlSnt IN
Quarters where they should be laughed at. IT
Is urgued that the time spent In college might
he spent in making money instead of spend
ing 1t. SO strongly has this idea fastened IT,
self upon some that tnc mere mile phase OF
American life assumes alarming pr0p)rtl"nS
a possession as houses and lands are. 1t wa
the q lvice of Benjamin FRANKLIN lnaL
young man could make no better lnEeStment
than to empty his pocket-book INTO ms mead
1t is So "er there than any patent-combination
lock can make 1t. The idea OF the cost OF an
education Is too often taken from those insti-
tutiOns where the expense lies not so much
in the cost necessary to the prescribed cur
r:culum but in useless and eXtrinsic Incident
ais. Let us say that a young man spends dur:
iny his three years In college seven hundred
ami fifty dollars. Or If he be four years IN col
lege allow him one thousand dollars. TINS IS
M AXE it on much less. After his graduation, J.,
with reasonable diligence OH his part, he can
command n salary of at lea.t five hundred
dollars which Is ten per ecmt: mt, on IN hae I'VE. 'npu nd
,,onpy of lis training represents capital OF
five thousand dollars, an amount which not
onc-tcnth of those who labor In purely mrr-
cantile pursuits are able tonrt IN four years:
Nor is this the strongest consideration that
may be urged. Ha possesses ana oquanlmlty
which Cicero says Is of the highest value
His social and intellectual st'ltus has been SO
elevated that not only he but those aroInu
independent as we'll MS an important factor IN
life. Once clay, he is now the potter who
handles the clay.
where men see how the intellect can be made
to bear intcrcSt-whcrc bran-iOrcc IS SO
ltraincd that oil those upheava Is wrought by
/ in science, in State and In chnrcn may be
or the better and higher ends of cnlightcned
civilization. Unframed power is useless. 1t
may be as bold and brilliant rs the lightning,
butt is as dangerous until its tic'y evils are
conducted Off by hard, mGtalic courses or
study. In land SO tull Of colleges as our
own, and which offer their privileges so real
sonably, it seems, that a young man is al
most criminally ncglrctful In not availing
himself of their advantages In 1860 there
were go colleges in the United States, an av.
erage of over six for eac! State. great
many Of our American young men live under
the very shadows of educational institutions.
In connection with these schools (where thcy
are out of their infancy) you Will ma as a
rule some PRESERVE fund.- for aiding promising
"indigent young" men in obtaining an e'lll,
cation. No young man of sound BODY anu
mind runs any risk in borrowing money TO
educate himself lie can return 1t in few
years after his graduation, as dozens OF the
best students have done and expect to do.
The revenue that comes in by educated man
hood is not computed by years, but by cen
turies Schools are multiplied, libraries
founded, churches built and missionaries up
held by il. It's only by some curriculum or
study that mind vanquishcs matter ana
makes of it means instead or an end. a
trained intellect is the best reliance OF youth,
the surest. strength of manhood, aid the
sweetest sOlace OF old aye.
What is its worth? Let the wise and pro-
found of all ages answer. The cost is SmaH.
the worth is great! grcat!' qreat!!
TT MILLER