Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1912-05-23
EDUCATION.

ing" the road question, please
allow me to breach a subject that
IL or should be OF vital importance
to every boy or girl, young man
or woman with limited education
al privileges who are DESTROYS Of
intellectual advancement. The
subject of reading or studying at
home as distinguished from the
work done in connection with a
school or institution of learning is
coming to assume a larger import
ance.
The stimulating effect Of the
many schools and the greater and
more numerous opportunities for
anyone with an education should
lead the young man or woman
whether they have had large or
meager educational privileges to
consider what is possible along
lines Of educational work for
those who may not take ID
direct and definite work in a
school. The first question which
one asks himself and surely the
first to be answered is this: Can.
n young man or woman advance
themselves educationally through
the intellectual work which may
be done at home? Il would be al
sorry thing for humanity at large
II this question were 70 be answer
ed in the negative. II one stopsl
To think for only a moment, he
will at once recognize the fact
that If there is 20 be any kind oil
intellectual advancement in the
case Of the great majority Of the
individuals makingup any parti-
cular community l. can be gained
only in this way. There i orIy
one person in ten who can az aag
given point OF tine enjoy tel
privilege OF membership In al
school or an institution of learn
ing. Are We to suppose that the
remaining nine ars standing saHy
Surely not, Il l. probable that ri
0e werea able . get a all tie facts
4 large number would Ue found
standing sal or moving Lackxard
but u would be impossible % sap
pose that this number eoasdtutet
the majority in an ordinary
Intelligent Community. The very
fact that the world i making rap
Ia progress, although 50 few. com
parauvely r engaged in the
work OF the schools, Is ample eyi-
dence that outside of scholastic
walls educational work OF a high
order is being done and the NUM-
Der OF those doing such work IS
not small.
But more than this, one has
only to open his eyes to see on
every side evidence that home
reading and home study are being
carried on with excellent results.
Is home study desirable? This
question hardly deserves to be-
asked, much less answered. and
yet a word in passing. Is know
ledge desirable? Is better control
OF ones mental faculties desir-
able? Is it not true, however.
that knowledge and mental disei-
pine have been growing in the
last few years with great rapidity
Is 1t not true that the struggle If
life Is becoming more and more
intense? And this largely for the
reason that competition is becom
ing greater and greater? Is il
not true that the difficulty of find
ing men and women who are salts
ned to perform the mental SER
vices of life grows with every
generation of civilization. Is Il
wise, therefore to encourage that
ambition which leads TO dissatis-
faction and discomfort? Is II
really desirable that the great
mass OF our human kind shall Ift
itself intellectually at the price of
discomfort and unhappiness? Nv
opinion on these questions il that
Whatever may be said of other
the time has not vet
in the United States to call
a halt in educational work of anv
grade.
1t may well be doubted whether
the common people of any coun-
try In the world are today as in
telligent as the American peonle
and this has come from education
in school and at home. 1t is the
highest duty OF every human be.
ing to cultivate the faculties Given
him by nature and no greater sin
can be committed than to fail to
ootain the highest degree of civil
lzation possible under all the cir.
cumstances and to deny the feast
olllty OF accomplishing large re-
suits by efforts made at home is
to deny that the human mind is
capable of doing work excent
when under the direct stimulus !
rom an internal force. This in
.ernal stimulus is no less a thine
nan the determination of the hui
nan soul TO rise above its ord;.
larry environments and to enjoy 9
nat higher spiritual life which il !
'ossible for all who have the am !
'itlon to secure it. I