Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-26


this argument for college was delusion.
Many man n n city lawyers office
or banking room Is to-day signing for
the content and quiet with the health
full toll of the farm where he was a boy.
There is some sentiment in his longing.
but more substantial fact. Machinery
and the application of science to agri-
culture have made farming different
business. while the press and hurry of
modern commercial life have diminish
ed the relative attractivencss of city
occupations. There Is to-day no more
promising and desirable college student,
both from the point Of view of the COL
lege and the good OF the country, than
the young man or woman who pro-
poses to gain all the college can give
him, and then to return to life in the
open country to enrich and enlarge 1t
by the added personal power he has
gained in college.
Middlebury College should have for it's
| purpose, not to take men from Vermont,
| but to enable them to live in Vermont a
| life of usefulness and power, with ability
| to gain here a livelihood sufficient for COM
Portable and generous living. and power
and grace to add to the community life
| those elements of intelligence and virtue
which give to "A State stability and worth.
The service of Vermont by enriching the
life of the whole State must be our goal,
not the questionable service of few by
enabling them to move away
NEED NOT DEBATE MONEY SIDE.
1t is debatable question whether a
| college education enables one to make
| more money or not. Some contend that II
| does; others urge that in commercial pur-
suits at least a hoy will be better off who
gets to work at an earlier age. l shall
not take sides in this debate. l am almost
minded to serve notice on any student who
has come here because he thought 1t
would pay in dollars that I would like
him to withdraw his registration and de-
part at once. If | thought that he could
not he converted to a higher motive.
| would do just that. For I want differ
ent spirit to prevail in this college.
want to establish the college motive on a
higher plane.
a living is a small part Of life. How he
shall feed and clothe himself should be
one of the least OF a mans worries 1t Is
not very hard to do It in some way,
| but whether hard or easy. II Is so much
more to be a man than to maintain the
existence of human animal that the
sustenance Of manhood should be care
vastly more important in our concern
than the support of the physical frame
1t Is what the college can do in the de-
velopment of manhood which constitutes
Its claim upon the attention of young
men and women. and the benefits to which
the students look forward In anticipation
Iof a college course should be the in
ltellectual and spiritual benefits which may
fairly be expected from the discipline
of college studies and the privileges OF
college life.
1t may fairly be expected as result
of college training that young men and
women know how to study when they
come to college, but these gentlemen al
my side are aware that this Is the case
only In exceptional instances. Altogether
too many students do not even know how
to get a lesson. They lack the capacity
or mental grip and concentration which
fixes facts and principles In mind ant
} enables one to hold them until they are
called for
TRUE WAY TO LEARN.
A student will sometimes say that it l.
uiHlcult LOT MN u remember. Wnat M
means usually Is that he does not reall,
learn. He can call to mind we'll enough
what Is once fixed in his mind. but hi.
common practice Is to pass over the ma
teria of lesson In a listess. half laz,
manner so that it makes no lasting i'm
preston, II the will Is summoned. fire.
quently the call Is only a general one. t
get that lesson" or to avoid failure
} next time. 1t Is not the awakening If hi
} real manhood to the worth and meaning
} which brings his vital power to bear upol
J the topic. The motive Is a selfish AM
} unworthy one. to get through a subject
! and 1t results In failure to get much on
} OF the subject
There is "A large difference between get
ting lesson and real study. Children
get lessons; men should pursue truth
The reason why the college grind" l.
, held In no great respect Is that that spe
cies OF student has acquired the peculia
faculty of getting lessons. but has neve
risen to the insight that the real task O
the student Of mature years IL not to ge
lessons set by other men. but to win
: position as a man among men In the wOrl
OF students A lesson is only "a suggested
outline Of small portion Of n great sub
ject. The entire course of lessons through
! semester or year Is but the beginning
} of knowledge In vast field. The maj
who knows how to study Is able not mere