The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-24

needs to be trained. cultivated, educated
In the making OF a man, the education of the
mind, though not all, is a most important part.
Perception must be quickened, the memory
must DO cultivated, the will must be exercised.
The acquisition and retention OF facts, the re-
hection upon things learned, the forming Of
Judgments and the reaching OF conclusions, are
results OF education To know, and be sure
that you know Is a source of satisfaction To
recall past experiences, or make vivid historic
scenes is u source of great enjoyment. The
possession OF the ability to think clearly, to
reason accurately, TO understand fully, is a
source OF wonderful power. Many great edu-
cstional problems are yet unsolyed. 1t is easy
10 theorize, TO picture the results of ideal edu-
cation. l have not forgotten that l was a
school boy, and my experience as a teacher is
too recent 10 put me out Of sympathy with
pupil or with teacher
Thinking is as natural 10 the mind as exercise
10 the body. To learn should be as much pleas
ure as to master any game. The eye delights
In new and varied sc mes. Who does not want
70 see the rushing waters OF Niagara: the Won
ders of the Yosemite valley. the grandeur OF
the Rocky mountains, the beauty Of the bay Of
Naples or the ice bound regions Of the midnight
SUM- There is more for the eye OF the mind
than for that of the body-and within easier
reach. Enthusiasm for knowledge, the pleasure
Of intellectual exercise. the joy of conquest over
difficulties and into unknown realms should
make education, not easy, for no good thing is
needs educated men. do not
mean great scholars, profound
philosophers All cannot be these. But all
with opportunities like yours can DO educated.
You may know things. You may be self-re-
liant thinkers. You may direct the details Of
your lives with intelligence. You may under
stand and help work out some OF the great
problems OF social life. You may with an APP
probation OF your Importance and response
billty meet the duties OF citizenship. You may
from reading and other intellectual pursuits I'll
your leisure hours with enjoyment true,
pure, substantial This is your time for prep
aration. The habits you form, the tastes you
cultivate, will probably go with you through
life. do not think education is over when we
get out Of school. It there is an expression do
despise II Is "a finished education" But IL Is Inn
portant 10 start right and to keep right. !
want to warn you Of some hindrances Of true
education.
Ana first mention examining Some teach
ers take that way because it is easier to make
good showing on examination day. Boys Often
do that because they are too lazy or too careless
to learl in any other way. | know things have
to be memorized. But words, tables, rules, etc.
swallowed whole aud not understood or ment-
ally digested, are not long retained. And even If
they were retained, crammed memory is not
an educated mind. The bare knowledge OF facts
is not culture
like good encyclopaedia; but | want II IN
my library and not in my brain. Try to under
stand everything you learn. Stay there till you
do. 1t will do you much more good to find out
things than 10 have them told you. One problem
solved by yourself is worth more than a nun
dred worked for you by some one else. Another
enemy 10 True CULTURE Ii his IS Try
ing to cover much ground with little labor.
Shallow, superficial knowledge Is a deception,
like cheap watches washed in god-very pretty,
but very worthless. And still worse, this sort
of thing decelyes its possessor. He has the
name, and he thinks he has the thing. Guilt
vate the habit of going through thing-of
going TO the bottom OF 1t. There is great diff
ference between knowing a thing and knowing
about it. Every one knows something about
American history, but very few know 1.-THE
government and the epochs of its development,
the movements and tbs men, the times and
their troubles, the people and their character
istlcs.
You may not be able to master many branches
OF knowledge. Lite Is too short to attempt
everything. It would take man forty years
to complete all the courses Of study of Harvard
university But learn what you undertake
thoroughly. In true education it is non HilLL q
sed ntultum. not many things but much, We
may not know many things, but (pardon the
expression) we should know them muchy.
1t is q mistake TO think that all culture
comes out of books" Solomon, 5000 years
ago, said, "Of making many books there is no
end" What would he have said in these days
of book-making? We cannot do without them,
for they, in what we may accomplish, multiply
our lives many times But to be cultivated
man it is not necessary to be a "bookish" man.
This is great and beautiful world. The
thoughtful observer
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running
broOKs
Sermons in stones and good in everything"
There are sources of pleasure, means OF culture
beneath US, about us, above US. The growing
grass, the opening flowers, the wonderful ways
Of insects and of birds, the ebb and flow OF the
tide the recurrence of day and night, the change
of seasons, the phases of the moon, the motions
of the planets, inform the mind, enrich the
thought, broaden the horizon Of the intellect,
purify the imagination, and awaken the
emotions Of reverence and alteration. THE
heavens declare the glory of God and the firma-
ment showe:h his handiwork; day unto day
Uaft 1aHro irVFF che
knowledge"
We should use books as means to an end and
not put the knowledge of books in the place of
the culture they help us secure. One more
enemy to mental culture must mention-that
is perHtcious reading. No doubt you are care
fully guarded here against this evil. But / know
the work of bad book in a school, 1t is stealth
lily read; it is passed from hand to hand; 1t is
discussed in under5ones; it is soon worn out, or
teacher finds it aud destroys it. But it has
already done its deadly work.
Cheap, hashy, blood and thunder" books
and papers-and the country Is full of them
have made debauchees, highwaymen, burglars
and murderers out of innocent boys. Some SEN
sational story books are not so bad, but still
harmful. They waste precious time. they fill
the mind with false ideas Of life, they destroy
the taste for good and useful reading.
Gentlemen Of the Union Society, keep plenty
of good books, attractive and improving lltera
ture in reach OF your boys. The best way to
keep out the bad is TO put in the good. When
once the bad gets in, like tares among the
wheat it is hard to get out. Many boy, some
within my own knowledge, has been ruined
mentally and morally by the dime novel and
the cigarette.
There is one thing more of the greatest i'm
pOrGance in the making of a MANTLE cultiya-
ton of the moral side of his nature.
Every man cannot be great, but he can be
good. The possession of @ sound body or of a
vigorous mind may be denied him, but every one
may know the right and do right In moral
training it is necessary to have good models. We
are initiative beings-we copy unconsc ously.
This is particularly so in youth. Children see
ing the right will learn it and love IL. They form
their ideas of right from the examples before
them Practice is better than theory.
Inan institution like this it is important to get
the older boys on the right side of all moral
questions. The big boys have wonderful OPP
portunties for good Even the little boys may
do more than they know.
1t is necessary to cultivate clear ideas of right
and wrong. In view of the many complicated
problems Of modern life the questions Is it
politlc2 VIII il pay? should give place to the
not only true morality In Mr.. Clay. but sound
craftsmanship when he said: Il mad rather be
right than BE- President"
Too often shame is attached TO the detection
and not TO the commission of wrong. When our
young men love the right because it is right,
they are safe against dishonesty, safe against
conduct and thought that involve personal
degradation. Right thinking helps right action.
We should seek 10 keep our boys free from
the popular but mischievous idea that happiness
and worth are measured by possessions. The
wiSest teacher that ever spoke to men said: "a
mans life consistent not in the abundance of
those thin q which. he pOssesseth." Money and
manhood do not nee sssarily go toget her. | do
not say that there is virtue in being poor. Make