The Yale expositor., 1899-04-21

Jepnthah dlu. III In former days you
had been standing on the banks of the
Ganges, and you had been born in
India. you might have thrown your
children to the crocodiles. 1t Is not
because we are naturally any better.
but because we have more gospel
light.
Now, I make very practical use Of
this question when tell you that the
sacrifice OF Jephthah's daughter was
a type of the physical, mental. and
spiritual sacrifice of ten thousand
children in this day. There are par
ents all unwittingly bringing to bear
upon their children a class of influ-
ences which will as certainly ruin
them as knife and torch destroyed
Jephthah's daughter. While | speak,
the whole nation, without emotion and
without shame, looks upon the stu
pendous sacrifice.
In the first place l remark that much
is system of sacrifice. When chill
dren spend six or seven hours in
school, and then must spend two or
three hours in preparation for school
the next day, will you tell me how
much time they will have for sunshine
and fresh air, and the obtaining Of
that exuberance which is necessary
for the duties of coming life? No one
can feel more thankful than | do for
the advancement of common school ed
ucation. The printing of books APP
propriate for schools, the multiplied
ton Of philosophical apparatus. the
establishment of normal schools,
which provide for our children teach
ers of largest calibre. are themes on
which every philanthropist ought to
be congratulated. But this herding
of great multitudes Of children in i'll
ventilated schoolrooms. and poorly
equipped halls OF instruction, is max
ing many of the places of knowledge
in this country huge holocaust. Pol
itics in many of the cities get into ed
ucational affairs. and while the two
political parties are scrabbling for the
honors, Jephthah's daughter perishes
1t is so much so that there are many
are preparing tens of thousands OF in
valid men and women for the future.
so that. in many places, by the time
the childs education is finished the
child is finished! In many large places,
in many cities OF the country, there
are large appropriations for every
thing else, and cheerful appropria-
tions; but as soon as the appropriation
is TO be made for the educational or
moral interests of the city. we are
struck through with an economy that
is well nigh the death OF us.
In connection with this l mention
what l might call the examining sys-
tenn of the common schools and many
of tho academies children Of delicate
brain compelled to tasks that might
appal a mature intellect; children go
ing down to school with a strap OF
books half as high as themselves. The
fact is, in some of the cities parents
do not allow their children to gradu-
ate, for the simple reason, they say,
I'VE cannot afford to allow our chill
dren's health to be destroyed in order
that they may gather the honors of
an institution" Tens of thousands of
children educated into imbecillty; so
that connected with many such lit
erary establishments there ought to
be asylums for the wrecked. 1t is push,
and crowd, and cram, and stuff, and
lam, until the child's intellect is be-
wildered, and the memory is ruined,
and the health Is gone. There are
children who once were full Of romp-
ing and laughter, and had cheeks GRIM
son with health. who are turned out
in the afternoon pale-faced, irrltat-
ed. asthmatic, old before their time.
1t is one of the saddest sights on earth
to see an old-mannish boy or an old
womanish woman! Girls OF ten years
Of age studying algebra. Boys of
twelve years Of age racking their
brain over trigonometry! Children
unacquainted with their mother
tongue crying over their Latin. French
and German lessons! All the vivacity
of their nature beaten out of them by
the heavy beetle of Greek lexicon!
And you doctor them for this, and
YOU give them a little medicine for
that, and you wonder what is the mat
ter with them. l will tell you what
is the matter with them. They are
finishing their education!
In our day most boys start out with
no idea higher than the all-encom-
passing dollar. They start in an age
which boasts it can scratch the Lords
Prayer on q ten-cent piece and the
Ten Commandments on a ten-cent
piece. Children are taught to reduce
morals and religion. time and eternity,
to vulgar fractions. II seems to be
their chief attainment that ten cents
make dime, and ten dimes make. a
dollar. How to get money is only
equaled by the other art, how to keep
IT, Tell me, we who know, what
chance there is for those who start out
in life with such perverted sentiments!
The money market resounds again and
again with the downfall of such people.
If had a drop of blood on the tip OF
pen, / would tell you by what awful