Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1888-05-12

subject only, what becomes of the knowledge hunt
as the be-all and end-all of education?
Why, not letter is written to the papers, not
. Reformer" speaks, who does not toss into the
school cadron some half dozen new indispensable
subjects, every one of them with their thousand
variations. They might just as well demonstrate
that the fee simple of six new planets was neces-
sary to a schooboy.
The idolatry of knowledge must PERISH or edu-
cation cannot begin.
A clear perception of necessary ignorance must
become ordinary stock in trade, or mental bank
ruptcy will continue to be as common as it now is
The Persian defined his view of education in
three words-Riding, Shooting, Truth. And no
better definition will ever be given if we take it as
a type and interpret it.
The Interpretation is simple. The Persian
wanted practical skill and perfect heart power
For what had Persian to deal with? He had to
deal with warfare against wild beasts, warfare
against warlike men, and honor in his home
Their work was summed up in this and so is
ours.
They trained for it. Activity, skill, hardihood,
fearless contempt of death, fearless unfolding of
truth, summed up their idea of training. And it
gave them the empire of the world.
And the Persian was right. Nature-the laws
of the world, lay down the main track as long as
the world lasts.
Noble character comes first-truth The train
ing of skill and strength comes next.
Noble character is trained by noble example of
life, whether in word or deed, and by honest sur
roundings, whether in word or deed
AS regards the actual work itself, selection
chOuld he IN IF
and obedience to laws of nature.
The main needs of life and the main facts of
life, are the same for high and low alike. All
speak a language. Everything in the world passes
through language Not to clear the language pipe
is simple insanity. Clear and widen the language
pipe first.
am inclined to 60 on by rescuing from a mis-
use, which has done much harm, an old proverb,
and by changing one word in it make it working
definition of perfect education on the knowledge
side
The perfectly educated will be jack of-a-trades
and master of one.
"NIaster of one "-because there is no training
in smattering easily got by an active mind.
" Jack of-al-trades '-because no man can work
hard all day, and there is infinite pleasure and pro-
fit in picking up everything worth having,
Master of one" Because, in the infnity of
subjects, the wilderness, the jungle of rival ignor-
ances, no strong, calm, great character can gain
its strength, excepting by being pressed to the ut
most limit of its power by the fierce demand for
perfection that every great subject makes on him
who gets far enough to know what trying to be
perfect means. Every good runner knows this
fierce demand of the last ten or twenty yards of
race.
"Jack- " Because the active brain cannot
be on strain always, and yet being active, will be
occupied. And men can gather flowers and know
them without being gardeners; men can buy in
the market without being merchants and thus, in
a properly managed scheme, a thousand JACKPOT
all-trade pursuits come in naturally to underpin
the main work, supplement it, give it finish and
ornament, and find pleasure for unprofessonal
hours.