The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-01-13

THE STREAM THAT is NEVER CROSSED.
There's many n sorrow and pain know,
As we tread the path Of life.
There's many grief and lasting woe,
And the way Is toll and strife
But the largest load we have to bear
Is the labor and strength that's lost
In building bridge with tOilsome care
Ger the stream that IL meyer crossed.
We have fretting and worry from morn Till
And anguish weighs on the heart;
The thorny way seems hard to right.
And life Is bitter part.
Hut there is II burden greater yet
Much peace OF soul II has cost
II IS building the bridge with toll and sweat
Oer the stream that IL never crossed.
There's looking for crossings all the day,
And searching along the shore
For a bridge or ford along the way
We shall never travel DER.
There's signing for useless toys In vain,
And dreaming Of chances lost.
But It's hardest 10 bridge with might and
The stream that Is never crossed.
Then gather the roses along the way
And treasure their fragrance rare;
Rejoice In the bright pnd joyous day,
Refusing to borrow care;
For sorrow and pain will surely come
And your soul be tried aud tossed;
But don't be bridging to reach your home
Der the stream that is never crossed"
Now, boys and girls, since we are
again settled down to solid work we
will talk little with you on practical
Education" We hear great deal said
In these days about practical education,
and 1t leads us to inquire what such an
| education Is. Education is OF two
kinds, mental and manual, and they
both may or may not be practical. All
agree that good mental education, a.
least, comprises the ability TO use the
English language correctly, to read in
telligibly, to write legible and to
be able to answer any ordinary
question in arithmetic. AS far as
common school education IL concerned
this is better than many who claim to
be well educated have attained TO.
without these education il neither
good nor useful, although we are versed
more or less in tho so-called higher
branches OF learning. With them we
have the key that, with patience, ener-
gy and perseverance will unlock all the
higher branches. But with nothing
more than . knowledge of the higher
branches in addition to knowledge OF
the ordinary branches OF common
schools, the education is far from being
a real one. Education is nothing more
or less than SO much thinking power.
We are not expected to remember
everything found In books, nor il it well
to put into books everything that
should be learned. But mind able To-
think properly may produce everything
learned from books aud much more, and
will at the same time be able to make
practical use Of its power. The best
education we can get is the power TO
think correctly. Books alone never
make thinkers, but the manner of pre-
senting truth has much 10 do with II.
Teaching without, rather than with
books, makes thinkers. Every method
Of instruction should be practical, but
when the practical takes the place OF
that which develops thinking power, it
is propOrtionately failure. The edu-
cation most needed at the present day
is practical one, both in character and
results. The heaping on OF hashy at
tainments for the purpose Of show, to
the neglect Of the everyday needed
practical attainments, 10 far too com
mon; and no one con be said TO have .
good education who has not In additiOa
to the course Of study Of the schools,
the power of turning his education to
account in earning his own living.
The education Of the mind to the ex-
clusion Of that Of the hand is only u
sort OF half education, one-sided
affair. That the two may blend har-
moniously in perfect man. tho hand
must be trained as well as the mind.
Although the hand is only means, the
mind is the source by which manual la
Dor is performed, yet it requires cer-
tain amount OF training TO peform
skilfully that which the mind directs.
1t is certainly no disgrace to man to
be able to cultivate the soil, drive a |
nail or carry hod. While he may
never be called upon to do any OF these,
yet it adds to his ability of usefulness.
A laboring man is the normal represen-
tative of the human race, nay, an intel
ligent laboring man is the rock upon
which a nation may rest In safety.
Every boy or girl, whether rich or poor,
should emphatically be taught how to
work at some occupation and procure
them livelihood and until this is done !,
they have not good education. The
mind must be educated that the labor
of the hand may be more effective; the
hands must be educated that the educa-
tion OF the mind may be practical and
useful as well as ornamental,