The morning call., 1893-05-28


mater.
The young men who have fought their way,
have earned their own money and know what
dollar costs have the advantage OF the rich.
They enter the world outside with no luxurious
habits, with no iasle for idleness. 1t is nos
worth while to be born with silver spoon in
your mouth when little effort will secure you
gold one.
Lei US make the most of ourselves. II you
cannot get an education in four years, take ten
years. 1t Is worth your while. Your place In
the world will walt for you till you are ready to
I'LL it.
Do not say that am expecting too much OF
the effects OF firm resolution; that give you
advice which viii lead you 10 failure. for the
man who will fail viii never have resolution.
Thosr among you whom FATE has cut out for
nobodles are the ones who will never try
1 said just now that you cannot put a $4,000
education on a 50-cent boy. This has been
tried again and again. IL falls almost every
time. What of that? 1t does not hurt 10 try.
few hundred dollars is not much to spend on
such an experiment.
But what shall we say of man who put a
50-cent education on $4,000 boy aud mar
rows and cramps him throughout his after life?
And just this Is what ten thousand parents iu
California to-day are doing for their sons and
daughters. Twenty years hence ten thousand
men and women of taifOrnia Will blame them
for tnelr shortneSs OF sight and narrowneSs OF
Judgment In weighing few paItry dollars, soon
earned soon losI, against the power which
comes from mental training. "a boy is better
unborn than Gntaught"
For a man 10 have 0ied who might have
been wise and was not this" says Carlyle, .Ihfs
l call a tragedy"
Another Thug which should never be forgot
ten is this: college education Is not a scheme
10 enable a man TO live without work. Its pur-
pose Is TO help him 10 live TO advauJage-to
make every stroke COUNT. have heard father
say sometimes, Il nave worked hard all my
life. ] VIII give my boy an education so thai he
Will not have 10 drudge as l have had to Co."
And the boy going out into the world does not
work as his father did. The result every time
Is disappointment, for the manhood which the
son attans depends directly oil bis own hard
work. But If The father says, My son shall be
Il worker too but VIII give him an education,
so that his work may count for more to himself
and 10 the world than my work ha> done for
hlr," then if the son be as persistent as his
father the results of his work may be far be-
yOnd The expectations OF either.
The boys who are sent to college often do not
amount to much. From lie boys who go 10
college come The leaders OF the lu1ure Frederic
Denison Maurice tells us that "All expe ience
Is against the notion that the means 10 produce
supply OF good ordin ~ men Is TO attempt
nothing higher. l know that nineteen hs of
those The university SENDS out must be hewers
of wood and drawers Oi water, bur ii [ Irain
trn-renths 10 be such then the wood Will be
badly cut and the water will be spit. Aim at
something noble. Make your system of educa-
Iiun such hat great tAan may be formed by
it and there Will be a manhood in your little
men of which you did moi dream !"
You ask me this question:: "Wlll a college
education pay, considered solely tnan cial
lnvestmeut?"
l must answer, Yes. But the scholar is sell
dom disposed TO look upon ni' power
fin ncal investment. He can do better than to
get rich. The scholar VIII say. a. Agassiz said
10 the Boston publisher, II have no time. sir,
10 make money"
But IN the rank and file it is true that the
educated men get The best salaries. In every
field, from football 10 sIatesmanshlp, 1t Is
always science thai wins the game. Brain
Worh is higher than handwork and 1t Is worth
mere in any marre The man with the mind
Is The boss, and the boss receives larger sal
AIRY than the hands whose work he directs.
When 1 WIS a boy on farm In Western
New York some one urged my pai cuts TO send
lue 10 college.
But what will lie find TO do when be gets
through college?" they asked.
"Neyer mind that" fiiend said; "he will
always hnd plenty TO do. There Is always
loom i. the tOp.'
There Is always room at the top! All our
professions are crowded III America, but the
crowd is-around the bottom of The laddeil
Que OF the besettng sins of American life
is It's Willingness 10 call very little things by
very large names-its tolerance of imposition
ana fraud. II is The mission OF the scholar in
each profession To combat fraud, 10 show men
facts amid appearance" 10 say that pop
gun IS 4 pOpgun, thou gH every one else may
ba calling II a cannon! As onr country grows
Older, perhaps the number OF bladoeis Will
dlminisn. Ii mol, let Us have more pIns
A practical educ tion Is Que which enables
its possessor TO deal in a Wise way Will the
affairs OF life. It's Two essential qualities are
thorou2hness nd fitness. The most thorough
framing should always be The most practical
if it is fitted 10 The end in view. No man can
be great by chance IN these days. II one
would climb any mountain OF Importance no
must devote himself 10 that mUuntau ard NOT
waste time or enc ey on he foothills of any
other. This is the day of special training
man can only find his place In tie complex civ
lliZatlon of to-day II here Is something tnat he
can do better than any one else do ii. Ii lie
have no such power, the ability To do d nun
led things IN an inferior way VIII not help
him.
But even 4 misfit training may be better than
noue. o hing Is more impract than iguor-
aDce, nothing more wasteful than the licN OF
skill.
You will go TO college, for better or for
worse. Where viii you 60? The answer to
this is simple; yet the best you can. You have
but one chance for i college education, and
you cannot afford 10 waste that chance Oh a
lblrd-rate or lour;h-raie school. There is but
one thing that can make IL college strong and
useful, and that is a strong aud earnest fac
hliy. All other matters Without this are OF less
Than no Importance.
Buildings. Departments, museums, courses,
libraries. Catalogues, names. numbers, rules
and regulations do not make Il university; 1t IL
the mea who teach. Go where the masters are,
i'll Whatever department. you wish 10 study.
Let the school do for you what il can, and
when you have cred upon the serious duties
oil life let your work and you influence in the
community be ever The sirouges plea that can
be ufg In behalf OF higher education.
9,, AI