The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-31

them was sound and good. 1t was personal
contact with this grand old man that gave
his pupils character, and character had
most to do with heir success in life.
IL IL a mistake. however. 10 think that
only the rich can send their children to
private schools and that such schools are
places where a democratic spirit does not
exist. These schools are really most demo-
cratic. The pupils are not taught TO regard
wealth as the chief thing in life. There is
practically no s~nobbishness III them. IL
i recognized that il there ever can be m
aristocracy IN this country II must be an
~aristocracy &C education only. h best
trained man mentally is the superior person
IN American life.
Hence II is a question OF training alone.
II one has q boy that needs discipline a
wise parent reflects that il would he a good
investment to send him to a military school.
II is not done to tt him for a soldiers life.
II is lone to teach him tho advantages of a
regular, we'll ordered existence, one amen
able to the duties of life down to the last
degree The boy arises at a certain time.
He goes through tasks, many OF them hard,
AT q certain time. He has certain hours for
work and certain hours for play. All
through he il taught To obey promptly and
without questioning He must suoorolhate
himself to the general good. Such a boy
goes into business with some well defined
IDEAS Of what work is. how necessary and
dignifed it is.. IA ready to perform his
tasks with the least possible enOTt TO secure
the largest possible results.
The specialization OF education has a
most important bearing on daily life. II a
bow wishes a business career he tan do
nothing better than to go to a business
college. Even those Of the most moderate
means can afford that for their children
ON a pinch. such "A college il q specialized
private school. Suppose law attracts. a
Young fellow. What better preparation
a course i'm .stenography before he
takes up the law books. 50 that he may
work in a lawyers Office for a time at a
trade and thus absorb a lot OF legal methods
and the ways OF doing things? u doesn
take much money to secure that training.
There are thousands upon thousands in
this country, highly educated specialists
too. who have secured their training through
CORRESPONDENCE schools. Many a civil or
an electric engineer has got on the world
in this way. Suppose one wishes to make a
speciality OF modern languages in business
life. II il one of the most fruitful sources
of income that a person can have. A ma
who il expert in half a dozen languages
is a valuable asset to "A large house with
business branches all over the world. In
the old days these language experts were
persons who had once been rich and who
had travelled and lived in other countries
a long time until they had become expert in
the languages and who by reVcrses were
compelled to make a living.
In these days such persons are trained.
They don't go 10 a private school and take
n LOT Of other studies that will be OF little use
TO them, They go to a language schoo,
81 learning a language which is employed
AT West Point and Annapolis. the phono-
graphic method, They listen to the cor
rect pronunciation of the language over and
over again. The grammar OF the language
soaks itself into their minds. They learn
the real language. One doesn't have to
have a fortune to attend such a school.
So il is with other schools that make some
subject the exclusive aim OF instruction.
There are art schools, schools OF acting and
clocution, dancing schools, schools of music,
pharmacy and dentistry schools. schools OF
medicine and law, all devoted to one special
idea, and it Is within the range OF anybody
who saves a little money to send his boy
there and give him a most practical equip"
ment for the tasks of daily life.
There are many advantages TO lie secured
in the so-called Fashionable school in the
city for those who can afford TO send their
children to them. They are brought in
contact with the lest there is in art, in the
drama, the opera. by living in the city.
These advantages go far to produce that
mystical quality which is known as culture,
a quality thai is hard 20 define but never
difficult to recognize. For a boy or a girl
who lives in a small town or city a stay at a
city school has some marvellous advantages
in the way Of Frightening up the mind.
On the other hand. for city boys and girls
a stay at any Of the scores 1T excellent
preparatory chools in the country has It's
rreat adv stages. One of the chief Of
these is the study Of nature and daily con-
tact with the simple truths that nature
unfolds. Street pavements and brick walls
tell no such stories as brooks and birds and
animals. There IL sound health in such
schools.
There are many coeducational private
schools. These have a refining influence
which n school for one sex exclusively often
does not possess. Ii il well for boys and
girls to get used TO n another in the contact
Of daily life and to lie free from influences
that absence from such contact sometimes
brings.
The great point Of all this special educa-
ton is that PARENTS should study their
children M find ont what they need most
in the way Of education. That once settled
the rest is easy. for there are hundreds ~
schools AT ones disposal TO secure lust what
the boy or girl needs esq ecially. II doesn't
require large means although "a large
amount 81 money may ! g ~ cnt " a parent
no desires.
The truth is that s." ec,alized education ia
within tho reach Of almoat amy well 10 do
person for his children. The uriyatp scb,.ols