The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-21
BOOK LEARNING

fall to set forth tie real truth; ana II
they are nearly correct at one moment,
the next year they are falling behind
the reality of progress
Like custom. book learning is apt to
become stationary. a well-expressed and
influential book often lives after It's PC
Tlou Oh rem Usefulness Is over, and then
" becomes drag on progrcss
Most progress is not made. but merely
recorded, In books. The principal prog
iess or The race has been made before
DOCKS were written. Until long after
TONER, the Greelss carried their ltera-
ture IN their memories. That multitudes
OF men should acquire all the knowledge
o' the books is of far less Importance.
so far as progress Is concerned, than that
q Few should each extend Al little tho
bounds or knowledge.
We have found that there is n con-
tradiction in terms In thinking OF a
teacher of the intellectual force There
IS similar contradiction in tho idea
OF teacher OF book The author Of
textbook is either u successful teach
er. or one greater than a teacher who
endeavors to set forth complete and ma
tureu ideas and knowledge with the ut
most clearness, and should not require
an interpreter In fact, the teacher is
not ordinarily an interpreter OF the text
books. but a truant officer to keep the
students grinding Mt their books; and
schools are institutions where the
students are put into the treadmll and
subjected to various influences to keep
them studying when they have no in
terest In 1t. and, generally. no capacity
for the exercise. Intellectual force can
not be trained by teachers. and book
learning does not require teachers. so
one with Intellectual force can and will,
supply himself with needed book learn
Ing as he wants 1t. especially now that
books are cheap and libraries almost
universal.
The man of ordinary intellectual force
has not got to get his book learning all
at once. He can work at it all his lfe
But. If the habits necessary to make a
livelihood are neglected, he can hardly
supply himself with needed book learn
have been formed has passed. An old
dog cannot learn new tricks. a man
with an education and no profitable oc-
cupaton may become, of all men, the
most undesirable.
It would be better for the majority
of persons If they should conserve their
Intellectual force, and postpone the ac-
quirement of much OF their book learn
ing until after the forty-hfth year. after
a competence has been obtained and the
powers of the mind have matured. Then
Is the ideal time for the ordinary man to
obtain whatever benefit and pleasure he
may from book learning.
a course In routine book learning is
not even necessary for one who hopes to
make the highest success in literature as
profession. The Times-D Dispatch says
OF T. b. Aldrich. lately deceased:
when he was seventeen his father
died abandoning ia idea of n coll
egiate education he spent three years
in acquiring business education.
Thanks to his early training. Mr.. AID
rich was uniformly fortunate in his bust
ness Investments
He was "a man who upheld the best
literary standards"
The vocabulary of the writer and the
orator is supposed to be benefited by
book learning. and especially, language
learning. But this is true to very limit
ed extent The faculty of language in
man has developed farther >lan ny 9TH
or mental faculty. and Is almost purely
matter OF heredty. Natural orators are
not aided by learning. Many Red In
dams are natural and forceful orators.
The language OF the orator Is not made
more forceful by being learned.
1t Is common and true saying, that
one who has ideas worth expression will
find appropriate means of expression
without any special training in express
sion. The teachers, and the people I'M
der their lead. are too distrustful of the
natural powers, but nature has been
teaching speech for many Ises. and the
apt scholars, as they appear, require ut
tie help of their generation.
On the other hand, where natural force
in expression has not been inherited,
teachers and the people are too optimis-
tic.
Those who have not inherited the voice
of the ages can not acquire 1t by learn
ing vocabularies, translating languages,
or coming over the style or cloquence
of others, as recorded in books.
w. ALDRICH.
Jefferson. Va, April IS, 1907.