New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-20
STUDYING ABROAD.
80 MANY CASES A WASTE OF TIME,
HEALTH AND MONEY
rpAc-fCN. OBSERVER TALKS ABOUT THE
DRAWBACKS oF EUROPEAN STUDENT LIFE
THE PITIABLE FAILURES.

-. ,.ear by American visitors and peasure-seek-
81. They might pursue with as much or more
"a, "a similar line OF inquiry: that Is. now much
p'~,. health strength. brains and pluck are car
nV',s rr,,rooean universities music conservatoTies
NV -. schoos by American students every year.
"a hoU much in the way or equivalent Is Drought
az ,or,e with them 20 aid them In their own ca
-. o,A 10 increase the sum or the learning ana
- - their native land. A man who mas spent
' ,,rre abroad as a student and observer said
..ner dav that ne thought the usual exhioition
NJ Reliance sheet was hardly a fair one. and aid
" .,.avs truly show the profit ana loss OF he
70. s.oans from the sojourn of their sons and
s""rh,ers in educational institutions abroad
,,or,csns" he said ARE willing and eager to
an.Iodee their Indebtedness TO their foreign
As In fact I am sometimes inclined to
It'll they are too willing 10 trust II Tor every
NJ ~. % accent II too readily as being worth all
W.. =. casts IN money and time and health. nave
.so,rn 700 many cases where i didn't think II was
a-,b all IL cost hold that view
,o IN he made by a student who goes
- study as we'll as by those who stay Mt
- fepends most OF ell upon what Ire taxes
,,N him and puts into his work. have seen soou
-. cases where young fellows wsSe over lor
-, q, German universities that regarded az IN
80 ~ lost time. The German university as
.ho6v knows. is institution or enormous
swsr for good and has, might almost say mace
~. generations Of American scholars put IL Is
- restitution that you must use with shN anu u'
,,on II Is a part-the crownins par'-oi an e'"o
- system: and many Americans "ho 10 o'e' "
ora 1 20 Of il are without proper preliminary
,r,ne and are very likely TO waste their '"e' II
s',osed TO take young fellows who come out OF ,he
sslIs,a and who have had a preliminary training
,ho-oughness that would astound anu us
.,sn the ordinary American scnooooy' anu "
~ ,,er, into course of study that requires lo' i's
nlo,,on with tie doctors degree origlnal '"Nes-
,,r.t,o- and intellectual grasp or the hehes' o'ue
-. have known boys fresh from the nigh schoo
- - German university and enter upon
80" ~ study that coming 1t did after oni!
49, -,o-cst elementary preparation, couin ne 'or
-..nv months only bewilderment' log Vi u'''
certainty. 49,. ,-ao,,c,l ,r-
90 vr,n not say anything about the practcai TX
-.~,,co NJ The language that some otherwise we'-
h0a .ouor,e carry over with them, but as
- ~. ~ the instruction IS given by lectures,
- ora weeks and months of wasted time, ana
...-a.,-,es Of blank dismay and despair 'hat may
h made I'd for by subsequent progress anu ma, '
- Than TOO there are differences IN nniVerslHes'
- can co 20 what the Germans call a DoK-
-. eah-ik, q doctor factory and come nome Win
Ph n That represents time mat Couiu i"u
-,,-e p-oatably have been spent In advanced WORK
A. some Of the biz American universities
~.,o,hsr item that ought be put on the bal
s,ce shetland seldom is so puts the matter OF
many cases almost a dangerous change OF diet IN
both France and Germany. The student eeneraly
has not much money. and he thinks ne Is doihs
ra-veUously well 10 get his dinners al a taoie
dh6te for a mark a mark and nail But NJ
such places he is obliged to live principally on
-,e..s with high sauces 10 cover up deficiencies OF
va--,,s kinds-these dinners seldom oner the
mount Of wholesome vegetables that ne Is accus-
TONED 70 at homeland on various concoctohs CT
strange and uncanny composition combinations OF
things that are quite likely 10 turn the stomach OF
one brought I'd on the average good American diet
- a, a,v rate 10 burden and distress IT. These
h,,rs mn hin, into state Of health least adapted
% Withstand the strain Of hard intellectual work
The result is possibly downright attack OF Illness
making man unfit for work for an lhut"H'ue
period and certainly in the clutch Of the dyspepsia
hend tina, he finds it hard in after years 10 rid
himself Of.
This is very likely to he aggravated by an IN
6uo Indulgence in tho national beverage, which the
American constitution is not always able TO stand
While am . great admirer OF German heel ana
an not inscnsible to its delights even in New-Nork
as II Il sent us by our German cousins. must say
thar A young American not seasoned TO it as the
German lads are by inheritance and environment
sDr down in the midst Of its delicious abundance
md cheapness. and stimulated 10 its excessive CON
sumption by convv.al company. will probably be
re worse for il on his return to his native land.
Il suppose that next to ne universities perhaps
IL some cases beyond them. the music schools and
c,aservatories and private teachers Of music OF
Germany attract most Americans. Whatever is
going 10 become OF the schools Of technically we'll
Instructed planists and vionists Of mediocre or
ordinary talents that are yearly turned out as
finished ny these institutions. l don't know. Per
haps they I'll certain place as teachers and are
sssu al i!tions TO the ranks But fear that in this
department; a. well in the universities there X
much waste Of time and misdrection OF effort and
consequent disappointment. /; isn't necessary 20
20 into the technical points OF musical instruction
TO know that there young men and women grind
ing themselves into a condition Of despair over music
lessons who have no business 10 be making music
their profession. They others % greater talent
easily taking a foremost rank. which their hardest
grinding Will not give them. and they are worried
By This thought and by their overwork into terrible
state Of mental and physical disability. young
American woman committed suicide in Berlin whiie
7 VAS there; she was driven IL by nothing else
than ne contemplation Of her inferior talent for the
al Of music which she had taken mp as her pro-
fession Unfortunately. this inieriority nad Deen
brought home TO 100 late when sne could motor
,aought could not-retrace her steps ana i've
down ner Disappointment and morlncaton Her
case was one OF many. Perhaps the result is not
often $, disastrous but 1t is frequently lifelong
bitterness and sense Of failure that could have been
o5yiafed by home-staylns and the wiser counseis
and comforting OF friends - J., - -
How many young men ana women 40 you sup
pose mere are al this moment studying singing IN
with teachers 10 all lntents ana purposes aD-
tOlute frauds-young people VINO nave before them
visions OF aebuts in Italian Opera-nOuses where, IN
reality they will be exploited by WHY managers am
Oes1nled iIiO paying all the none! they possess
me privilege preparing FOR themselves either
downright uascOs else successes tnal Will De
Dead fruit TO them, because aDsoIute4y useless
10 enable them living IN Italy or pave me
way ior doing so in some more prosperous country
women are before the eyes of these throngs OF
Students and they bind them to the myriads OF
failures me so-called musical cities OF Italy are
fuu OF such failures and OF Americans In training
Tor the tnI6. so l. Fdfls
i could follow the same line In lelIng o. me
art students in the French capital The brilliant
successes are known 10 everybody, the rank fall
ures form the ptiable side or the picture thdt 10
not seen or thought about
Remember | am no; Undertaking. the good. the
enormous benefit that America has derived from the
- ha,