Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-10-19

The Rev. Stopford Brooke, one of
the foremost men of the day. has re-
Gently published delightful little vol
ume entitled Literature in Religion
and Literature in Life,' in which he
has the following to say about educa-
tion.
"The fist thing to be said is that
whatever religious faith, feelings and
hopes We have we are oound to shape
them into form in life, not Ouly at
home, but in the work We do in the
world. Whatever we feel justly We
ought to shape; whatever we think, to
give it clear form; whatever we have
inside of US, ouI duty is to mould it
outside of ourselves into clear speech
or act, which, if it be loving, will be
luminous. If ye know these things.
happy are ye if ye do Them The true
successes of life are contained in that
principle. 1t is a first law. 1t is, for
example. the beginning, middle, and
end of education. The knowledge
poured into the young nowadays is
worth little or nothing unless we also
make them gain the habit first of shap
ing it clearly in their mind, and then
of putting it into form in word or act
outside of their mind They must not
only receive. they must make. A sim
gle lesson given to a child which be is
able to reproduce with fresh, Individual
touch in it. is better than a hundred
lessons which are left to lie formless
in bis mind. When he shapes the
knowledge, however crudely, in his
own way, SO as to say, There it is; l
sse what thought the child or the
man possesses something be can use.
Moreover. he has gained the step to-
wards activity of mind. and another
step towards an artistic-tbat Is, a
formative-habit of mind; and another
step, most important perhaps of all,
towards that moral power which de-
rives from striving to a known end,
and that moral joy which follows on
the consciousness that we are daily
nearing to, the endIat which We aim.
The secret of education and self-edu-
cation is to learn to embOdy our
thoughts in words luminOusly; to real
ize our knowledge in experiment; to
shape our feelings into action; to rep
resent without US all We are within
and to do this steadily all our life
long"
One of the fundamental, and otter
fatal, errors of the teacher and th'
school course is the attempt to educate
the children for some fancied highe
mission in Hfe-"higher sphere" it il
called.
I once said to a teacher, Lets max
lour teaching take hold on the lives o
these children in their homes, and il
the homes which they will make TO
themselves as carpenters, bricklayers
plasterers, blacksmiths, small farmers
small merchants, ordinary citizens, o
the wives of such " ST replied. "Bu
ithey must not follow these occupa
tiOn. l cannot bear to think of thei
doing So" So, apparently. think man
teachers, and they would educate a
the children for teachers, clerks. ger
tlemen of leisure, speculatOrs. or It
get office"
But tue great majority must folio
the less honorably callings of the
fathers-if. indeed, anv one calling {
Occupation is more or less honorab
than another except as it be more {
less honestly or skilfully followed
The masses of children-every child
lmust be educated; but educated to e
most compile ely the sphere to whic
nature and circumstances have calle
lthem-to he discomfort, not at labo
- ing at the common tasks of life, bur
1t performing them unintelligt ntly a,
at upskilfullY. 70 put intelligence, ar
It skill, heart and soul, grace and CT
'u ture. into all necessary labor and III
every condition of life; to remove frC
these the grinding and despair
- slavery of blind and helpless ignorant
lto,turn the hand" into a living, thir