Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-15
SUNDAY MORNING TALK.
Snatches OF Education,

Now that the schools and colleges are in
full swing again, and the streets at certain
hours thronged with process .ons of bright
faced boys and girls, what can we who are
too old or too poor or too preoccuped to
go to school longer find by way of COM
pensatiOn? 1t Is hard sometimes to repress
feeling of envy when we see the superb
provisions made for public and private ed
ucation today and realize that they are for
others and not for us. But the realm of
education is never walled entirely away
from any man who really wants to make
the most of himself, and to acquire real
culture even if it be not the culture of the
schools.
Through Eyegate and Eargate impress
sions are being constantly transferred to
the brain and heart. Wordsworth speaks
of the harvest of quiet eye" and any
one who looks steadily and squarely at The
objects confronting his path from sunrise
tC sunset CLEANS both information and in
spiration. | have seen children on a cro-
quet ground stop the game for moment
While all gazed in admiration at the
usual tintS in the western sky. A man
Fastening along a thoroughfare may get
some upward impulse from the curiosities
ana treasures of shop WindowS-at least
OF some shop windows. l like to street
gamlnS pauSing before a respectable book
or art store and calling one anothers at
tention to the madonnas and landscapes
and pretty bindings
What are eyes in our heads for unless
to be used for interests and enlighten-
'ment? AT Harvard University about a
! quarter of century ago a young man was
studying. athletic and socially popular, but
| distinguished even then among his class
| mates from the fact that he usually had a
| book about his person which he would be
| reading whenever he had a few minutes to
| spare. After his graduation he went west
a Jxrh md fhnr ~,
| es 1t was observed by his companions how
| fond he was of books and how constantly
| they were in his hands. And the other
day magazine published list of books
| which this same man had read within
| few months in the intervals between at
| tending to his somewhat onerous duties
as President of the United States. The
| list included not only many of the choicest
| recent books in all departments of litera-
| ture, but not few classical and standard
| volumes as well. And Mr. Roosevelt is not
the only man by any means who has broad
| ened himself through snatches Of ltera-
| ture, read at odd times. Think of the men
| of distinction who, lads, after a hard
| days work in the field or the shop. busted
| themselves in their beloved books through
out the long evening hours, sometimes
| with only a tallow dip to light their way
| over the pages
| We might learn more than we do by imi-
! tating others, for example is always better
| than precept. 1t always makes me walk
| more erect, at least for few minutes, to
| meet man with the carriage of soldier
| And every day we come in contact with
| persons superior TO US. not only physically
| but in intellectual and moral traits too
We ought to be humble and plant enough
| Iii spirit to study and initiate their best
| Qualities. How do children learn anything:
| Largely through imitation. 1t has been
| said that child learns more in the first
| four years of his life than in any similar
| subsequent period. He learns by watching
now other people use their arms and legs
| and tongues. :,
| And life. after all, is the great educator,
/ and the varied and sometimes eventful ex-
perience of every successive twenty-four
! hours may teach us something If we will
| but heed their monition. As we live and
| work with others; as we marry and give In
| marriage; as we work and as we play; as
| we suffer and as we serve; we mourn
| and as we rejoice; as We succeed and as
we fall we are involved in situations ana
| processes which are meant to refine and
| develop US.
4 So. Mr.. Schoolboy; with your books under
| your arms. headed for that splendid build
! ing over the way. viii not let myself