The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-12-30

result OF weeks OF careful thought
and preparation. To read an essay
before : Literary circle is easy (al-
though to read we'll is not,) but to
write something absolutely suit
able is difficult. There are topics
in winch very few are interested,
and there are topics in which every-
body is interested but which need
very careful handling. The easiest
paper to construct is that in which
the writer takes a central figure OF
central eventof history and writes
around it. The defects in this kind
of paper may be summed up IN d
word-unoriginality. w b Q a
writer, on the other hand, takes a.
great essayist or a great poet, and
says something both new and true
about him, he accomplishes some-
thing. Papers dealing with per-
sonal experience may be interest,
ing; but they are seldom valuabYe.
On the other hand, those which
take large subject of general in.
teres frequently suffer from
lack of careful arrangement. The
tendency is to dwell too much on
details, thereby obscuring the larger.
view. It is also important to re-
member that there are many sub
|jects which cannot even be imper-
fectly covered within the space of
a quarter of an hour. While the
report of the committee on selec-
ton, printed on another page OF.
this issue, may be said to have the
twrlter's concurrence, as is therein
stated, that concurrence applies
particularly to the selection of the
best paper, and not to the individ-
ual markings or to the selection of
other papers.
"NoT of an age, but for all time,"
is frequently said of writer's, but it
is a large boast. There are certain
Greeks, Hebrews and Romans to-
lwhom one is almost convinced that
1.-The description would apply. But
Literature itself-ls that destined
Ito continue for "all timer" In one
Iof 81. G.. Wells books, When the
Sleeper Awakes, the weird proph-
Eecy Is made that in centuries to
come books themselves will be SUI
perseded. that every use that the
book now possesses WILDE fulfilled
by combination of mechanical
powers. There is, OH the surface,
La great waste in reading and writ
ing. indispensable as they are at
lpresent, and as they will be for
lever IN most opinions, it is not diff
|6cult to conceive of world in which
heir use might pass. The memory,
for instance, might be developed
by an entire revision Of the system
of education, SO that everything
that is now learnt by the printed
word might be taught by com BIZ
nation of speech and picture. The
science of eugenics would help on
this state of affairs, by leaving the
unfit unborn, until we should be
all su permen. Or again, education
might be- transmitted to the brain.
> automatically by the turn Of a
3 wheel. But without indulging in
i, wild speculation: it is possible to-
, see even at present that the in
: fiuence and authority of books are
q not necessarily paramount in hu-
} man affairs. Certainly it is next
= to impossible to attain to eminence
! or even to prominence without be-
ing able to write and read, but there
are many respectable and worthy
Q souls of whom this is about all that
a can be said. AS far as mere fnan-
k cial success is concerned, an un-
aIobtrusive education is handicap.
A man can certainly be too highly,
< that is, too generally, educated to
q make money-grubber Of himself
y to put his whole heart and soul in.
Tito business. With the widened
: view comes division Of interest, anC
division means that thegreat prin
ciple Of specialization, which is a
L the core Of all financial auccaas. il