St. Paul tidende. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1902-1928, 1912-04-05
The folk high schools. and rural life Of the
Scandinavian Countries.
BY j. Christian Bay.

The activities Of the modern
college, or university, are grow
ing more and more complex from
year to year. Accustomed, as
we are, to the specializing ten
denotes that govern the education
Of Our young people, we may "a
find some difficulty in clearing
our field of vision to consider for
a moment a form Of school life
that has attracted worldwide
attention by virtue of its simpli-
city.
The folk high school Of Scan
dlnavia aim at the enlightenment
Of young men and women to the
point where they realize their
IDEAL humanity. We know that
neither does knowledge alone, nor
wealth alone, bring happiness,
but that happiness comes to the
men and women who feel the
value of life in it's ideal unfolding,
its yearning toward God, its
sympathetic communion with
mankind. I am speaking Of a
school that appeals to the farm
bred boys and girls, to call into
action their mental and spiritual
;faculties,-a school life that re-
turns the girl to her home, the
boy to his pillow. | shall attempt
10 offer a glimpse Of a curriculum
which aims to make rural life not
only endurable but enjoyable,
which offers to the young a help
toward mental activity so positive
and direct that the farmer will
not find it necessary to fall back
a townmade civilization to
comprehend that life is worth
living.
Rural occupation presents a
fairly uniform aspect in all coun-
tiles. Rural drudgery likewise.
But the farmers fine feelings,
his dormant power of expressing
them, and his limited opportunity
Tor their exercise, all this. is
common. matter Of respectful
consideration to many Of US.
Whether in Denmark or in the
United States, there is a groaa
rather than a song on. the: lips
Of the ploughboy, unless he finds
the word that will bridge over
the gap between his real and his
ideal humanity.
During the period previous to
the French Revolution the.
peasants of Denmark were
oppressed by feudal bondage. The
new idea of humanity shattered
this yoke. When this freedom
had been attained, it required but
a short time before the rural
population reached fora higher
life, a worthy complement to the
political freedom it had gained.
And it occurred that the spirit of
the people called forth a man, as
Il often did at a critical time,
through whom this craving found
issue in words. This man was
Grundtvi, g, a bard, a prophet,
an historian. His dreams and
thoughts raised a banner among
his people. His speech and
writings became a national treas
TIRE. If Danish immigrants may
ever hope to-: make adequate
return to America for it's match
less hospitality they can attempt
this in no better way than by
bringing here some of the trea-
sure that Grundtvig made thei,
heritage.
Grundtvig is the historical
founder of the Danish folk high
schools. His life, his poetry, ane
his writings r yet almost a:
little known outside of Denmark
as they have become the menta
property of the Danish people
itself. For this reason, let M
quote an u%tterance Of his tina
explains at once his attitude to
ward the education of adolescen
youth. youth, he asserts, Ii
the creative period of the spiri
when the great hopes and view
occur that foreshadow the periot
Of maturity, and when the sou
reaches out for the cloak tina
fits it,. He held that education