Evening journal., 1893-12-19
DEVELOP, DON'T FIJI THE MIN

DEVELOP, DON'T FILL THE MIND
In an admii able address before the
Teachers Institute in Philadelphia, re-
Gently, Professor Brooks said "the mind
is not capacity to be filed, but an
activity to be developed The mind is
not like a cistern. to be dlled with water.
but rather like living fountain, from
which may be caused to flow the springs
of knowledge to bless the world
The best results may not come from
teaching, as it is commonly understood,
after all especially from the teaching
Of schools. The teaching Of the schools
Of the day produces an average-reduces
some and raises others, to a general level
It's tendency is to uniformity, on
standard that is low, rather than high.
The greatest men and the best women
are not products Of the schools. In
recent lecture at Oxford, on the art Of
acting, Henry Irving said that he had
not enjoyed the advantages OF a univer-
sity course He learned his art; It was
not taught. IL could not have been
taught. There was no teacher.
That is true, not alone Of Irving, the
greatest actor of the age, but of almost
every man, and Of every woman who
has succeeded in accomplishing any.
thing for which the world is glad to do
honor.
II it is not true that education pro-
duces medlocrity. it is so nearly true
that the rule is established by the ex-
ceptions 10 IL. Florence Nightingale is
an exception. No school taught her; no
school can turn out a woman who will
ever 20 through the experience that she
endured during the Crimean war. who will
succor the wounded and starving or re-
lieve the agonies Of the dying as she did
then and there
She was self-taught.
The same is true Of Lincoln. of Cleve
land, ofGMfeld, of Jackson, of Washing
ton in this country as Is true also, Of
Giotti,of Shakespeare, Of Milton, Of Gold
smith, Of Mezzofanti, of Napoleon All Of
these men, with practically every other
man who ever attained fame or sent his
name echolng with praises through
the vista Of Time, were more self taught
than school taught.
Rosa Bonheur was not any more a pro.
0uet Of a school than George Eliot
Teaching, in schools, would have made
them commonplace
Education does not produce anything;
IL does well, indeed, ifit brings out what
is already existent. Skill and experience
are required TO do even that A teacher
who is unskilful and unsympathetic
often fepresses talent
Many teachers believe in medlocrity.
Their first aud only aim is 10 promote
an average which puts the budding
genius on the level with the plodding
plowboy OF the TOO cultivated mental i'm
becile.
The human mind is Ike a field it may
be cultivated to sterility. It should Se
encouraged in it's peculiar activity so as
to be marvellously productive There is
some fruit which the soil will produce in
its highest perfection. The folly that
keeps a boy hammerng at an anvil. who
ike Mtzzofant can master iifty six
languages, is superlative, II not criminal
Education should not be conducted on
tho theory Of throwing a hook into tt
sea, expecting to draw ont white-baii
or whale; nor on the theory Of putting
any kind of wood intoR mill, expecting
to realize long succession OF uniform
pulp, smooth, white and Of average fbr'
throughout. Education should be d.
rected on a specific plan, for sptcl6,
purpose.