The Washington herald., 1915-11-25
DR.. Marden's Upift Talks.
Our Greatest Educational Need.
Author of Pushing to the Front" etc
Nv oRISoN SWEET MARDEN.


BY ORIsON SWEET MARDEN.
Are We teaching our children how to
live?
There ia a great buzz OF discussion
among educators over the pros and cons
Of the new system Of public school edu-
cation devised by School Supt Writ. OF
Gary Ind. The Gary school plan. as It
Is called, has many advocates and many
opponents and time alone can decide
whether the adoption OF Mr.. Writ $
views will work out for the greatest
good Of the greatest number of our chill
dren or not. His system in many re-
spects is admirable. Yet II has features
whose value is certainly open to dis
cussion.
There is one point in regard to the
training OF youth, however, on which
there is no room for difference. Our
bows and girls should be so trained that
they will not sink the making Of a life
In the making OF living.
No one can make the most of himself
until he looks upon his life as mag
niflcent possibility. the material FOR a
great masterpiece. to mar or spoil which
would be a tragedy.
II we see in our days work nothing
but rent and food. clothing and shelter
taxes. a little pleasure and other incl
dentals then We had better never have
lived.
The opportunity to be a man. a wom-
an, the chance to unfold what the Gre
ator has infolded in one. this is what our
work should meani to us. The salary
We earn, the money we make out of our
talent or talents will afford us very
petty and mean satisfaction compared
with that yielded by the opportunity Of
making such a superb character as viii
raise ones manhood or womanhood to
Its highest possibility.
No matter how we earn our living.
provided II Is honest and the vocation
We are fitted for. Self-training. self
discipline, self-improvement, the acquisi-
ton of personal power should be ones
real aim
In the early history of our country
many Of our grandest characters were
shoemakers. cobblers, farmers. laborers.
How a man happened to make a living
In those days, provided IT was respect
able, was considered OF secondary i'm
portance compared with what sort Of a
man was behind the occupation.
"T am determined 70 make my life
count" said a poor young immigrant with
whom 1 was talking not long ago. Now,
there is a resolution that Is worth while,
because II Is backed by a high ambition,
the determined purpose to be man. to
make his life one of service to humanity.
This young fellow works hard during
the day, studying in a night school, and
improving himself in every possible way
in his odds and ends OF time.
This is the sort OF dead-in-earnestness
that wins. This is the sort of material
that has made America distinctive among
all the nations OF the globe This IL the
sort of determination that gave US a LIN
coin. an Andrew jackson, an Edison. a
John Muir-all our great men, native
born or adopted sons.
Could any one have a nobler ambition
than this, to make his life count? One
cannot imagine its failure backed up by
dead-in-earnest endeavor.
One of our greatest needs today Is in
stitutions for teaching people how to
live, not merely how to make a living.
AS a matter Of fact. self-control, pa
tience, consideration for others. how to
face life the right way, how always to
hold the right mental attitude. how to
measure up to the ideals held up by the
Christ-these things are of infinitely more
importance than mere scholastic training.