Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-19
BOOK REVIEWS.


New York: Doubleday. Page & Co
Washington: Woodward & Lothrop.
1.-The world was never better worth pre-
pairing for" is the first word. Then this
iconoclast walks right into education with
a great big stick. gathering theories. In
situations. faculties and students within
its sweep. The rapid advance and pre-
conceptions Of democracy have set UP
MANY idols Of education. The Call OF the
Popular Voice. Inevitable Grace, Num-
bers. Quick Returns, Incidental Issues.
idols of Pedantry, idols of Play. and so
on and SO on. For courage and plain
dealing in idol breaking this Is something
to read and hear.
For example: At the upper end OF the
educational line a prominent modern
phase Of university life, campus activ1-
Ties" brings out this: Athletics. nee
essary part in the physical, and therefore
in the spiritual, development OF all stu
dents, is relegated to 10 per cent OF the
students. The 80 per cent assist-on the
bleachers. They are taking second
ana infantile applause are displaying
what they call their loyalty. This false
standard Of prominence, with its feigned
ale glance to the real interests OF the
university, produces large class of stu
dents which the writer calls the "Bandar-
log" class. The Jungle Book describes
the Bandar-log.) THE Bandar-log Is
with US. Busy to no purpose, Initiative,
aimless; boastful but unreliant: inquisi-
tive but quickly losing his interest; fitful.
inconsequentiai. platitudinous. forgetful:
noisy. sudden. Intellectual. The Bandar-
log must CO." Zone Of Ephraim's Idols
DOWN.
Again: At the other end OF the line the
high priests OF the idol OF Play and the
kindergarten, Rousseau and Froebel, are
called to account for rejecting the birch
and OVERRIDING the balm. to the lapse OF
mental and moral fiber. Since Froebei
pline has disappeared out Of our schools"
The writer with humility wonders II one
may Suggest that bodily exercise, ventl-
lation and the pursuit Of happiness can
be secured without turning education into
.ring-around-a-rose The kindergar-
ten, where children play at birds and bees
and butterflies, Is Justified only as q day
nursery, q blessing to those whose pre-
scholastic childhood would otherwise be
lived In tenements and slums." Apart
from this II IL condemned as misdirected
effort and expense.
OF teachers: with all their appropria-
tions for material comfort in the schools
- they have failed to segregate funds
sufficient to win men to the ranks of edu-
cation. Some fine men there are; more
Miss Nancyu- Some fine women, infinitely
superior to the Miss Nancys: and
mob Of mobile maidens meditating matri-
y.
public schools Is $3.50 per annum. Eighty
per cent OF the teachers in our schools
are women. The average professional life
of our woman teachers L. three years.
women were suited to discipline our ma
turing boys. which they are not, what
continuity Of mental. what Of moral. dis
cipline can we expect?" And so on.
With the various idols: to the authors ors
hard" as the boys say. he builds some
idols OF his own to supplant the old.
And t must be granted that these new
idols, feet and all. look like gold Clean
differentiation throughout between the
Industrial and academic, with convenient
bridges placed for the passage of special
aptitude: systems completely organized
and rationalized; educative systems with
like q cynic. But he bites clean and he
bites clear through-a refreshment from
the mumbling and remouthing OF the
average talk about education
FROM THE BOTTOM UP; the Life
Story OF Alexander Irvine. New
York: Doubleday. Page & Co. Wash
ington: Woodward s. Lothrop.
The story Of this Irish boy and man
pays abundantly for the reading. in the
stir to the heart and the bound to the
blood that 1t brings. Alexander Irvine,
mercurial. like all of his race. imaginative.
religious, aching to know things. uncowed
by poverty. stung always by discomfort.
passes swiftly from native sod and ditch
to mine, from mine to camp from camp
to crew, harboring at last in the great
rendezvous Of New York. There. In the
purlieus Of the Bowery, he goes a-fishing
for men. An adventurey for souls, the
man Is made for friendship and rescue.
Preacher, teacher, writer. day laborer in
the union, In swift succession and then
all of these at once, he gathers his
theories and aims and activities under the
creed Of socialism, where, along with Lon
don Stokes. Sinclair and others, he makes
one Of that picturesque class Of advocates
and propagandistS. His story told here
IN the full swing Of Irish ardor and elo-
ouence sounds Ike q romantic adventure,
as 1t Is, with real issues at stake, and
peaceful unadventurous measures for
their realization.
WITH THE PROFESSOR. BY Grant
SLOVENIAN, professor Of Latin liter
allure In the University of Wiscon-
sin. New York: Henry Holt & Co.
And the professor Just laughs and keeps
right on talking to himself. as If there
were two Of him to discuss and weigh the
important questions Of his calling. Curl
ously. too. he Is interested In much the
same matters as agitate the iconoclast.
Tie also likes to know what education is
and what It Is about, and why we make
SO much fuss over its obscure parts and
hide its big ones under bushels. He,