Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-04
ABREAST OF THE AGE.

Every school-boy has to live in his
own day.
A school that is behind the age is
lacking in the first requisite of good
practical education-the putting of its
possessor in accord with the spirit of
the time.
Our present complicated life and
civilization require much of the man or
woman who would make a success of
the first order. Intellectual endow-
ments are not enough; mental training
and familiarity with the intellectual
Tire an0 acnrevementS OF MANKIND are
not enough. Theorize as we will, we must
still depend on the primitive forces of
human nature. Sound and vigorous
health. energy. character; these were
never more essential than now. Like a
powerful instrument that is to sustain
a leading part in great orchestra, the
whole nature must be in perfect tune.
The KEYNOTE must be taken with
striking clearness, accuracy and force.
We need keen insight; the power to
discriminate; to generalize first, but
afterwards TO particularlze. We must
90 on to close observation and analysis
that tend to pettiness, to that power of
selection and combination,-that pro-
ductive power which is genius in liter
ature, art. or daily life. We must 90
step beyond the great crowd of much
educated young men, whose vessels
founder before they leave the harbor;
who would make an exhaustive study
of navigation in sight of shore, and
who doubt whether life is worth living.
not having tried it.
For the youth, the first thing to find
out is just this: What You want. If
you do not want sometbing,-want
to do something.-therei is small chance
for you in world of workers. II you
want something, and want it enough,
you will get it; but you must learn its
cost, and then pay the price. Paying
the price is work. Look at the men in
various professions, various callings,
and YOU will see what is meant
Time is the one precious metal that
may be coined into every value in the
worlds mint.
Life worth living? Life is worth
whatever object life offers.-every ma
terial gain, and an infinite possibility
left over!
Courage, sincerity, and earnestness
of purpose; these lie deeper than any
special preparation for work. But next
to these come that self-command and
agreement of the inner powers which
has been likened to the tuning process.
All knowledge is good if truly mas
tered, but the power of mastery is
worth more than any wealth of in
formation. 1t is the unity and harmony
of the diverse forces of man life which
give efficiency. A mans best efforts
should 60 to the mark like rifle
shot.
Who will give to youth this conscious
knowledge and unconscious power if
not tie teacher? And use the word
youth for Young men and women as we
use tho word man, in a broad general
sense. The work of the world,-life.
human sympathieS. and interests and
powers; all help offered or claims made
upon the young; these things are
chiefly aside of sex. More and more
it is coming to be generally seen that
girls as well as boys must study the
conduct of life. Irresponsibility is 60
'hb VI ht. Shth iol ihS iiicet
heavily weighted. Negroes. Indians.
the lame. the blind, the sick; these do
not escape the burdens of living.
More and more the helpless 90 to the
wall. What decent boy wants his
mother, his sister, his future wife,
thrust out from the true great posses
sions of his race?
Shall the teacher, then, have to do
with the boys whole nature? Shall he
raise a note here, lower one there, and
fix the scale in a certain harmonious
order?
If this be true, what profession makes
larger draft on the whole man than
this of teaching? Where is that COM
prehension of the entire being which
shall enable one to guage the undevel-
oped capacities of youth, and. with a
just reference to the unmeasured
chances of life itself, makes the final
adjustment Of an instrument SO co--