The sun., 1894-12-02

Mr.. Hill. of course. is far from saving that the
duller students at Harvard, or even the average
students, are below the standards of the tane
two grades of men at the English universities.
lie admits that nothing could surpass the gross
ness Of the ignorance OF many Of the English
undergraduates who may have come up, or
rather have been kicked up, from the most
famous schools The author tells that he used
to hear one Of the first mnthematicians Of OK
ford pitcously lament the fate which condemned
him to try to pound q little arithmetic into the
heads OF young men whose understandings had
been hopclessly dsordcrcd. or were con-
genitally feeble. why, sir. do you not
your common sensef" he one day
nsked impatently one OF his pupils. IL
did not know that common sense had any
thing to do with arithmetic" was the reply.
Another undergraduate fresh from Eton. was
seen by his tutor adding up u column In which
he had entered two shillngs and six pence six
times over. lie was thus laboriously arriving
at the cost OF half dozen pairs OF stockings
which he had Just bought. why do you not
do IL by multiplying" asked the tutor II do
not know what you mean" the youth modesty
answered When the process was shown to
him, and all the mystery of the multiplication
table was unveiled, he was, we are assured
much taken with the extraordinary facilities
which 1t afforded.
The author IL right when he points out that
In the United States n better classification is
needed, both in the schools and in the universi-
ties. The craving for democratic equality has
been allowed TO invade even the province Of the
mind. and it has come to be regarded as kind
OF felony to ask for stronger ale than most heads
can stand In the American schools. as In the
English. there should be that sixth form. which
the dull and backward are never suffered to en-
cumber and even In this sixth form, there
should be no absolute equality with respect to
scope of studies. The ablest scholars, while they
should. OF course, be expected to do all that is
done by tho others. should have n wider
range OF subjects. In the American university
there should be established that division be-
tween "passmen" and classmen which is for
the benefit OF the slow and ignorant almost "a
much OF the well-trained scholar. The
latter should no longer be made to work on tho
same lines as the Ounce and the idler. merely
doing well what they do III. II is on n higher
level he should study. and at a greater pace that
he should advance. At Harvard. as Mr.. Hill
was Informed by an eminent professor, it
Is now perfectly possible for the best
scholars, according to college rank. to
earn their rank, and their scholarships too, in
courses OF study wherein the lowest in rank
can pass without censure. This is intolerable;
and yet it wonld require n severe wrench TO
prcoh w va iibh IT. 'ui hIsNtI 'oHl otS, ~ 10
true. give students an opportunity to study on a
higher level. but we still give our rank and our
scholarships to those who stand highest in the
general competition; and 1t is much easier to
stand high in lower course than In higher"
To attain the highest success. the student hrs to
reach the top in each one Of the sixteen courses
through which he has passed In his four years at
college; but whether he has stood on the sum-
NIT OF sixteen molehills or sixteen mountains
seems to matter not whit.