New-York tribune., 1896-05-04

grew upward into a training school to prepare
for mission work 1t broadened into
system of village schools intended to give the
whole nation the opportunity for rudimentary
education. The real foundation for female edu-
cation may be dated from the arrival Of Miss
Fidela Fske In 1874 She founded and i'm
pressed indelibly her memory and character on
the institution which appropriately bears her
name-Fiske Seminary.
"In 1894 the educational system comprised
the following institutions Urumia College.
which has theological. medical, college. indus
trial and preparatory departments, with 113
pupils; Fiske Seminary, with normal. seminary,
preparatory. primary and kindergarten depart
ments. and 1874 pupils: seventy-eght village
schools in Persia, with 064 boys and 556 girls
enrolled. and twenty three village schools in
Turkey with 360 boys and &c girls: total under
instruction. 1853. OF which 1887 are boys and
1856 girls.
"Of course an American town Of 10000 or
5000 population will furnish as large a num-
Der Of pupils that. but there the parallel
ends and comparison Is impossible. AS we'll
might compare English garden with an
oasis In the desert Among the HISTORIAN peo-
pie sixty years ago not one book existed in
their spoken language; few even or the clergy
could understand the Church services which
year. and only one woman could read at all.
To-day Persia is an illiterate country. The no.
biiity the eccleslastics and the merchants are
the intelligent classes. The masses know moth
ing of letters. Strange TO say. the nationality
whose members are most generally taught to
read is the Jewish Practically all Jewish men,
but no women are able to read The Ar
menians in the larger towns excep
tonally Intelligent class: but there Is no peasant
class in Persia to compare for intelligence with
the HISTORIANS OF Uruma, and no community
whatever In the land with a 1.-THE many edu-
Gated women.
But what Is . village school? The neces-
saries room. q teacher. ten pupils. few
mats and perhaps most OF the parents would
say a rod To this scanty outfit may be added
as desirable stove, a table. a chair and n
blackboard, and. a luxury a map two.
The desire to keep warm combines with zeal
for knowledge - bring in the ragged children.
Parerts sometimes send their little ones to get
rid Of them. These little ones exact OF the
teacher unremtting attention from daybreak
until nightfall. The effort Is made to have the
people themselves furnish the fuel for warming
the room. and the mats on which the pupils sit.
one teacher last winter was so unfortunate as
to have the way to the school infested by fierce
dogs; but he had the wit to turn an evil into
good by urging his thirty more boys to arm
themselves with clubs. which were added to the
stock OF wood. Schoolbooks come from our
press. and are bought by the pupils at a cost Of
from two cents for a primer to twenty cents for
a geography. In the girls schools after
noon In the week ls devoted TO sewing.
Schools generally maintained for four
months the period Of enforced idleness from
cattle-herding and field work. When the peo-
pie are interested enough to pay half the ex-
pense and to furnish fifteen pupils the school
Is continued two or three months longer. The
management of all the schools in Persia Is
vested In a board OF six members elected by
the native church. Probably no missionary in
stitution Is so nearly Indigenous as this in its
operation. requiring only a fraction OF the time
of two missionaries. who are engaged mainly
In higher educational work The total expendi-
ture for eighty schools, with 1000 pupils In
Persia. Is about 5000. The schools in the noun
tains cost somewhat more proportionately.
THE COLLEGE, AND SEMINARY.
THE college, when compared with American
institutions. may not deserve the name but 1t
claims the right. by its ability to give men
that culture and training which suited to
the highest positions their land and nation Of
fer. In the Babel OF tongues abou, us Persian.
lutely necessary In the curriculum English Is
taught for Its own sake and a medium Of
instruction. To these Russian should be added.
II possible for Its value In industrial pursuits.
Science Is rudimentary as hardly to deserve
notice. except In the elementary branches Oh
mathematics. An outline OF history Is given
Ethics Is taught as filling a much-needed want.
The Bible has It's chief place as the basis OF
sound morals and spiritual truth
aside from the salary or the missionary, the
ipatitution costs about 81. 800 year, 300 or
which comes from a small endowment fund. All
students from Persia pay FOR their own board
lights fuel and books, but nothing Tor tuition
Those coming from Turkey, on account or their
greater need and the difficulties attendant upon
their coming receive their board free. Every
thing s plain and simple. and II should be,
for we would nt them for life which Is full
OF difficulties. The uncertain conditions OF the
future make the educational problem an intri-
cate one. In the past considerable NUMBER
Of persons have been educated who nave be-
come useful men. with few exceptions, ana
some eminently so. The preachers, the teach-
ers and the physicians or the land IN the
future as In the past. must come, In large
measure, from US, and we hope that men or
independent fortune and character may arise
among our graduates to be the stay and sup
mort of the people The only appro oach now to
a national assembly is the meeting or the
Alumni Association. when day Is passed In the
free discussion Of national needs and dangers.
The times are bringing changes, and they must
bring greater needs and broader opportunities;
An endowment would insure. so far as could
be- continuity and adequacy TO coiiege "hose
mission Is great one.
Two American women and five native teach
ers are engaged In the work OF Fiske Seminary,
where besides primary scholars. nearly nun.
dred boarding pupils are being trained not
onIy intellectually and spiritually. but also IN
domestic duties. The training Is thoroughly
practical. and fifty years of experience nave
tested its value. No higher praise can be given
thon m saw that young women are fitted to per-
form the sacred duties OF motherhood, ana
| thus to create the noblest Of all educationaI
sIa without Imitation OF European styles or
nerysrsion OF the social customs Of the people.
10 brighter scene in the whole land can De
Un..',norv Allied with happy pupils. nor one IN
Sreater contrast to the hopeless and unfathom-
| eeh,a misery of women In the East