The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-06

habit VIII rot he formed but nav be
made impossible. and tina cOntra~. habits
FORMED While f. IL easy O. spoil any
chance OF intellectual habits. they canuor
be formed 20 any profitable extent ex-
cept they come naturally. When habits
81 mental activity are possible. rnucn
discernment must DO used that they arc
properly directed 4 habit OF NOM
orizing. so common IN education. is OF
htte advantage TO tho intellectual force
as such although e. may become
means OF livelihood
Intellectual force IS much moro rare
than mere intellect Tho faculty Of
fnemorizing knowledge Is common
Imitation IS easy. Intellectual habits
without force arc common products OF
our present system OF education The
reading habit without force is a mere
pastime- These are the habits which
Characterize tho useless intellectual
proietariat
So far as the requirement OF knowledge
az such has any educational value. &c
must stimulate the intellectual forces
or lead 10 their habtuai exercise. To 90
80. Il must De hnowledg,- interesting 20
the particular intellect. Knowieage that
Is merely verbally understood Is a burden
on the activities OF the mind KNOWLEDGE
must De Interesting or Doe evperimentally
applied 70 bs really comprehended and
made n part or the intellectual furni-
ture- And. IN Such cases. it opens the
way 20 further study or action on tie
part OF the intellect: in short. it may
start tho Intellectual force on such
particular lines OF activity
The leading object IN presenting knoWI-
edge 70 young minds Is 10 afford an all
lurement 20 tho intellect. Co start the
intellectual force into action some
minds are of such force that they wifi
q
Keep active after tho most distressing
experiences with knowledge fn youth.
put most are otherwise. Thousands arc
forced by education iu their youth into
an unnatural dullness
In order 20 utilize his intellectual force
to the fullest extent. an one has %
do IS to learn TO read. and cuitivato n
habit OF reading Then. 70 fe eo.s into
making living. he can make his intal-
lectual force further his reading habit
and this habit Will. IN tuu draw out
his intellectual force.
! repeat when one IS reading Tor him
seii-educsting himself-ho is utiizfnr
his intellectual force as 10 develops otif
or his previously acquired habit Of read
ing. ana his reading habit is. I'm turn.
confirmed and strengthened by the
developing intellectual force
one need not 80 10 school AT thai
study amounts 10 is reading. When one
sttnleS MS lesson. he simply rcaae %
over two or three times The independent
reader may do the same for short Sec
tons OF his book. or DE may read II
through. and then through again un-
ut he is master ~ thu subject no mat
ter how hard OF intricate
The reader need NOT depl0ra HIS fn-
ability % 20 into many subjects. M
mind or tle present day can corlpass
an know edge. The most useful scholars
know bat one subject. in which they are
interested and become expert. No schools
are OF much advantage 90 such n scholar.
Perhaps the most conspicuous exari-lc
OF the successful conservation or intel
lectual force was that OF Herbert Spen-
/ Ger. Being fral physically. he early COM
tracted habits OF saving nfs physical
energies. and logically extended this
habit 90 his Intellectual energies He
went 80 school very little. He studied
nothing that did not interest him. d..
was not great reader. and read little
that ala not directly bear on tile partictl-
| lar subject no was investigating And
in au his mature years he saved au
his energies FOR his one ufeworl, hfs
great philosophical system
". ALDRICH
Jefferson. va.