Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-03
COLLEGE EDUCATION.
HOW TO TRAIN THE BOY INTO A
STEADY, THOUGHTFUL MAN:
The Requirement OF knowledge. Conf
dence. and Influence In Businsss-
Incidental Advantages Of
College Education.
written for The Dispatch by . Distinguished
Professor.l

College Education.
| written for The Dispatch by Distinguished
Professor.l
"a boy ought to be taught that which
he will most need when he becomes Q
man" We are in favor of practical edu-
cation. and this is our text. II is older by
centuries than this great and pushing
country of ours. and came to US from the
Greeks, the cleverest people of history,
good ct everything. and especially thrifty
traders.
But what does my boy most need to pre-
pare him for the duties and responsible
| ties of life? Take him as he is now. He
| IL OF course physically immature. He IS
more or less thoughtless; he is not suffi-
| GENTLY panstaking or careful; he is reck-
| less, or at least too needless of consequences,
and does not look carefully before he leaps.
He is too restless, impulsive, and impatient.
too confident that he is right, and not will
ing TO look at both sides of a question; In
| all this your boy is like all bows. and the
problem in education is how best and soon
est. and with least expense to trans
form this immature. restless, impul-
sive. impatient youth into robust.
steady, . thoughtful, self-possessed man.
with powers Of mind and body made vigor-
Gus. controlled by firm will, and
guided by an enlightened conscience. In
other words, to bring out to the fullest
health, sense, and character. This will. In
| deed. be most practical result, for health.
sense, and character win the prizes IN
every ayocaton in this life. and their best
| fruits pass beyond its portals to the life
above. Bookkeeping and commercial law
| and usage as it applies to your business an
| educated young man will learn in his sum-
mer vacation, but sense and character are
| the products of patient, continued. and
carefully directed effort.
| EXERCISE.
Nature has but one law of development
| for any power your boy possesses. 1t -
the law of exercise. The arm that yields
| the hammer or drives the plane becomes
| strong. the memory that IS tasked and
trusted daily becomes vigorous and reten.:
| tive, the heart that daily occupies itself
| in deeds of charity or kindness becomes
ever more tender and kind. Exercise OF
| the powers of the body or of the mind or
| of the moral nature is the way, and the
only way. to develop them. Your boy will
| grow strong in body and active or limb,
patient in investigation and wise III judg-
ment, firm in will and fixed in moral prin-
| ciple. only by exercising the body, the
mind, the conscience.
Exercise being the only way of develop
ment, the question is simply. Where and
| how shall this exercise be taken? Now.
| for many hundreds of years men whom the
world has recognized az really great and
wise have been engaged in seeking eIer-
| cises of body, Of mind, and of soul which
will most completely develop the perfect
| man: and these exercises as they have
AGREED upon them have been committed to
| the direction of men who mike it the busi-
ness of their lives to apply them. Such q
| course of exercise is called curriculum.
and those who apply it are teachers.
| THE FACTORS.
| The college then is factory. The raw
material is youth, the product 10 men. In
such q course Of training the simplest
principles are first stated and explained
and made familiar by example after exam
ple performed by the student until he has
made them thoroughly his own; then pro-
| gress 10 made to, more difficult ones until,
| like the man who daily lifted his calf
and found himself after awhile lift
I inc an OK. the student is lead by
easv and steady gradations to perform
1 feats which were at first tar beyond
| his strength. Though there is no royal
road TO learning, yet the one road, the way
Il
! wisely graded and guides are provided to
| direct and assist the traveller. Thus 1t Is
| not only possible but common for young
man to come forth from his training nc
| TWENTY-FIVE years OF age as mature "
| judgement. strong in will, and established
| in character. as ready in resources. and as
! able and confident TO undertake his part
| in the work of the world es be would have
| become in the slower school OF life at for
ty. 49,.
| inc TO the hap-h exercises of business
| life TO educate our children is that the de-
yelopment given By any one business IL
| one.sideA The boys mental life runs in mar
| row roupd of duties, and his mind, though
ouickened in few things. soon moves IN a
| rut. The great world of thought and feel
| ing which would elevate and ennoble him
| is shut from view by the ineIorable de-
mands of daily routine: He does not learn
| TO think broadly, and though he may be-
| come great merchant he Is not hkely 10
| become q great man.
AS A MAN.
| And after all what do we wish for our
sons as businessmen? Do we wish them
| merely to succeed in winning financial IN
| dependence or in accommodating wealth. DO
| we not wish them also to be men Of influ-.
| ence and position by reason of their mental
talents and their culture? Do we not wish
them to be able to hold their own in finan-
| cial debate, to preside with ability and
| dignity in public assemblies, to aid
| in directing wisely municipal and State
| affairs, to be useful in the Church and IN
society, and in a word, to be men among
men? Even in business affairs they WI
be more likely to undertake and wisely
| conduct large enterprises from the know
| L.. La aanG1appa and The fnfnanco
| acquired in college Just "a broad foun-
| datlon is necessary for high tower.
| We have stated the problem OF educa-
| ton and what we consider its best solu-
| ton. and have added few reasons why
| businessmen who are able should equip
| their sons with q liberal education. The
| highest of all we shall merely state-name-
| ", the duty of every one to develop the
| powers God has given him to their utmost
| TO make himself the greatest man he can
| become-and the corresponding obligation
| on the parent to teach his son this duty
| and start him in tho line of its discharge.
ADVANTAGES OF THE COLLEGE.
| I. Besides the increase Of physical, men.
| tai, and moral power acquired by the sys-
| tematic exercises of the course OF instruc-
| ton OF true and complete college, the
| subjects which are studied lift young
| man 10 ulRntT pltuc VI tuOusA viz b. We
| him an enlarged view of life.
| 2. Polish and culture are acquired from
college associations and free and manly
bearing and graceful carriage from the
properly directed exercises of the physical.
| culture department. A well educated col.
lege man has ready access to any society.
| 8. By the exercises of the college literary
societies experience and confidence Ia ac-
| auired in public speaking and in presiding
| over assemblies. Many able men fail to
exercise the influence they should in pub
| lie affairs from an unconquerable timidity
| and an aversion to appearing or speaking
| in public, while nimble and confident col,
| leee men of half their native powers and
| knowledge 60 to the front because they
have the readiness and courage necessary
| to leaders.
| ITS FAST FRIENDSHIPS.
4. The valuable and fast friendships Of
college are often primo factors in future
success. "They are rich who have
friends" says the Portuguese proverb
and they are doubly enriched who. finding
among their associates ct college young
men of noble characters and high aspira
tions-men gathered from all sections of the
| country and destined to become influential