Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-14


Those who are foolish enough to
exchange the permanent advantage
of an education for the temporary
gain of remunerative employment
have. as rule. protracted season
of repentance. As the workman gains
rather than loses by the time en-
ployed in sharpening his tools. so the
student accumulates more capital by
careful preparation than he can by
too early an entrance upon money
making There is in some quarters
disposition to regard what is con-
temptuously called book learning
as of little value except in the pro-
LESSONS. No error can be more harm
full and it arises from a misconcep-
ton of the purpose of education.
Books are not to be despsed; they
contain the best thought of the au-
thors. and these best thoughts are
again sifted by time. While one
should know people as well as the
written page, still books are faithful
friends.
Where an education has seemed to
be a detriment in business or has
yielded a less dividend than might
properly be expected, it can be traced
to a deficit in purpose rather than to
a surplus of learning.
And this leads US TO the considera
ton of the necessity for moral de-
velopment to accompany mental
training. An athlete bent on mischief
can do more harm than a dwarf or
mind, misdirected, is capable of doing
more serious damage than an ignor-
ant mind. Society is poorly repaid
for the money spent upon education
if the one who profits by the ex-
penditure feels ashamed to cooperate
with those whose toll supplies him
is dignified. that work is honorable,
is truth that needs to be impressed
upon every young man and upon
every young woman. 1t is worthier
by far to add something to the
worlds store OF wealth than to spend
the money that others have earned
shelter. and we must earn these
things 6r some one must give them
to us.
A young mans self-respect ought to
make him ashamed to sponge upon
the world for living; he ought to
insist upon repaying with interest the
service which society renders him,
and this rule applies to young women
as well as to the young men, for the
forms of service are infinite and the
return that women make to society is
as valuable as the return made by
men. The essential thing is that each
person, man or woman, shall recog-
helpfulness.
There is place for the drone in
human society, and as public opinion
becomes more enlightened we shall
give less regard to those. however re-
fined or we'll educated, who consult
their own pleasure at the expense of
others and more consideration to the
bread winners whose hands are cal
loused and whose brows are acQuaint-
ed with perspiration
An education is incomplete which
does not place noble purpose be-
hind mental training and make the
hands willing to work The work
should ultimately be the largest work
of which the hands are capable, but
at all times it should be the work
that most needs to be done. That
education is also defective which so
inf,ames ones vanity or so shrivels
ones heart as TO separate him in
sympathy from his fellows
DSttCi ioNiHS COllpdnlOnSnlp IMAM
intellectual solitude, but there is no
reason why the scholar should be les.
son or daughter. Head and heart
should be developed together. and
then each forward step will bring in
creasing JOY. strengthen family ties
and make early friendship more sa-
cred.
II he is culpable who shrinks from
full participation in the work of this
struggling world, or shirlks the re-
spcnsibilities which ne is by educa.
ton prepared to assume, still more
culpable are those who by EMPLOYING
their talents against society, prey
upon those who supplied their train
ing. II by force or fraud or cunning
one seeks to appropriate to his own
usc that which he has not earned, he
turns against the public the weapons
put into his hand by the public for
the promotion OF the common veal.
I know of no more imperative need
today than that there should be a
clear recognition Of the law Of re-
wards, namely, that each person IL
entitled to draw from society in pro-
portion as he contributes to the well