The sun., 1894-12-02

The author OF this book learned what many
Americans seem in the dark about, namely,
what constitutes a Harvard man. The fact
that one may have taken degree from the liar-
ward law school. the Harvard medical school,
or the Harvard divinity school, does not mako
him a Harvard man. Such men are but sojourn-
ers and strangers in the land, even as were the
of Israel in Goshen. He only Is Harvard
man who has obtained one OF the degrees con-
ferred by the Faculty Of Arts and who conse-
quently Is entitled to vote at the meetings OF
the Alumni for Oyerseers. To Mr. Hill 1t
seems strange that TO all who have Harvard
degree" the right to vote at the alumni meet
ings. recognition at commencement, aud q
right to partake OF the hospitalities OF the col
lege should not be freely extended. The reason
Is obvious enough. though Mr.. Hill has over
looked 1t. There has never been any satisfac-
tory and Official proof that graduates OF the
medical or law schools at Harvard were pos
sessed OF liberal education In the sense which
obtains in Harvard College proper. The condi-
tions for admission to either OF those depart
ments wer-, until recently, nay. are still much
lower than those for admission 10 the freshman
class in the college proper. To have admitted.
therefore. the graduates OF those departments
10 association on equal terms would have been
in many cases, TO be duped By false pretences.
When Mr.. Hill discusses the Harvard currc-
uum and the aims and methods OF study
among the undergraduates, we find him both
interesting and accurate; here he relies mainly
upon the writings OF President Eliot and Prof
Goodwin. He agrees with them in think ing
that what is needed a. Harvard is. first. better
preparation on the part OF applicants for ad-
mission, and, secondly, rigorous separation of
the sheen from the goats. I. e.. of the class men
from the pass men, throughout the college
course He cites Prof. GOodwin's authority for
the " notorious and dscreditable fact that our
students now come TO college at the age OF
nineteen with no more know edge than an Eng
lish, German, French, or Swiss boy has at
seventeen, and, what Is more discreditable still,
with no more than our own New England boy
had at seventeen some nifty or sixty years ago."
According TO Prof. Goodwin. the real waste OF
time is effected chiefly in schools OF the lower
grades, where the skin sometimes shown In
spreading the elements OF learning thin would
be laughable were il not pathetic. Boys
enter Exeter Academy now older than they
once left it Cor college, and, at the age six teen
or seventeen, when they enter the academy,
they required merely 10 have some knOwl-
edge of common scLool arithmetic, writing
spelling, and the elements Of English gram
mar" This Is the best which one OF the
oldest and most ambitious New England acade-
mics can row demand from boys of sixteen
much as It could once have demanded and
obtained from boys of twelve or thirteen.
Some two years ago i2quiries to the cause Of
the backwardness OF American boys in respect
OF classical education were instituted By a COM
mittee of which President Eliot was Chairman
The outcome OF the investigation was that In
the United States the average age at which the
study Of Latin IS begun is about fifteen years,
and probably above that age rather than
below e. In England and on the Continent the
study is seldom begun late as at the age Of
twelve, and much Ottener between the ages Of
nine and eleven; In other words. between four
10 six years earlier than with u.s."
The general backwArdness OF Amer
lean boys is attributed fairly enough TO
the bad systems Of teaching which
are imposed on the teachers by standing rules.
aud often compel a good teacher TO waste nearly
as much time as poor one. BY these standing
rules the quick and eager boy is sacrificed 70
the duh and sluggish. the hard worker 70 the
idler. The classes in schools vii often have
given 10 them for yesF only such an amount
of work as any bright boy or girl can do in
three months, while there Is no regular pro-
vision by which those who can do il in less time
shall, as a matter Of course, 20 on TO other work
IL Is this dead level Al which the pupils are
kept added % the extraordinary delay In set