New-York tribune., 1908-06-13

Corbin Illustrated. 12mo, PIP. xvi, 273. Hough-
ton, Miff1in & Co
on THE TRAINING OF PARENTS. By Ernest
Hamlin Abbott. 12mo, pp 141. Houghton.
Miffiin & Co.
Mr.. John Corbin. who has aroused much IN
terest and no little wrath by his criticisms of
American universities IN general and Of his
alma mater. Harvard in particular, has brought
together in a readable volume several studies
of typical universities and colleges. The title
of the book-"Which College for the Boy?"-
is misleading. Mr.. Corbin nowhere plays the
adviser to anxious, waverng parents. unless
his repeatedly expressed dislike Of ''the German
izing tendencies"-such as the exaggerated
elective system, copious science courses and the
degradation of the fluna nities-be construed as
a warning against most large universities. The
writer explicitly confines his efforts to discussing
leading types in American education. Il have
tried to show what sort of young men go to
each college. what its traditions are what the
authorities aim to do. and what they actually
are doing" Mr. Corbin has accomplished this
task admirably. Any alumnus of the institu
tions described will discover that a close
personal investigation has been made and that
undergraduates have supplied almost as much
'confdential' informant ton faculty members
and archives have
The schools portrayed typical are Prince
ton "a collegiate university; Harvard. "a
Gernanized university; Michigan, "a Middle
Eastern university; Cornell "a technical uni
versity''; Chicago. "a university by enchant-
roent': wisconsin. "a utilitarian university"
and Knox 1.-The small college, If Mr. Corbin
sometimes appears wofully blind to the advan-
tages of scientific education and the elective
system II is only because his righteous enthu-
siasm over the thorough personally mahaseu
education afforded in English colleges bubbles
over at the slightest provocation ASIDE from
= somewhat inflated faith in the saving power
of the hunlanities, college Baedeker ols-
plavs sober and accurate judgment. He IS not
mistaken in his belief that these studies will
hiring to parents and prospective collee1sns
well sifted fund of information hitherto mac
cessible
Mr. Ernest Hamlin Abbott's six essays, "On
the Training q Parents" are so many voices
CRYING in the wilderness of women cIu"S'
scientific kindergartens and Sentimental
mothers The author has discovered What ho'
all people who try to write or teach doou'
his topic have suspected-namely' that there are
no fixed and uniform rules for managing chli-
dren AS in medicine there are no diseases "u'
only patients so in the nursery there are no
<a,,1.s .o he corrected by Mrs. Fadd's latest
,etboa but only large bundles of immature
.,os oo,,roonIv called kids" Because Mr. Ao-
ho,+ has caught this Elusive truth. his httie
volume fairly brims over with common sense
and because he has an observant eye cieVerness
is absent from only a few pages
This author condemns corporal punishment as
Il. .,5 defends il as an exception. He boots
- the elaborate toys which parents twho ike
.,,on, of course) give their offspring in these
aa,.s Of irrationality. He pays his respects-in
,..u cbange-to the wise pedagogues who py
-o,,agipp chiIdren's play too solicitously rod
.be voung Of Iife's best fun. But after all MS
-. distribes the writer does not end In a
,,,,,op He has no theory to offer pa
-o,,s as a guide in bringing up their progeny
,,,, hest advice of most experienced teachers Is
,.-a,,r,, bon,e: develop habits. win obedience py
.alino the child's imagination into pay' use
- instead of brute authority whenever pos
a., Rut the triteness OF these in1unctlons
- t iropajr the little book. For though
- 40 ,rite among the persons who preach
ttem professionslly. they Souha 'oiiius'"s,S
- =, the ears Of parents VINO ought To
-. ,ber Mr. Abbott, having garbed them
20 ,;,.aI,, anerlotal STYLE. ought to make them
~ Iittle more in real life than they no" 90