Palisadian., 1925-08-07
Johns Hopkins University
E. w. HoWE,s MONTHLY

The Johns Hopkins University is as
creditably famous as anything Ameri-
can. l am always hearing of it, in a
dignified and useful way. It's sur
geons are becoming as we'll known as
the Mayos, at Rochester, Minnesota.
From my seat in the audience l
have formed a good opinion of Johns
Hopkins: it's fair fame apologies for
many disreputable famous things.
Lately it has issued a pamphlet en-
titled: What Is Life?' dealing with
the study of biological science at the
university.
No doubt very valuable contribu
tion to the subject for those able to
understand it, but not one of fifty into
whose hands it falls will be able to
profit by this authoritative, technical
discussion of life.
l wish some of the great men of
Johns Hopkins would write another
pamphlet on the subject, and make it
so simple that a child may under
stand it's truth and importance.
What is life?
! | know, and do not understand the
technical terms of biology, nor need
to. Every man of considerable age
understands life, since he has been
compelled, from necessity, to study it
many years.
He knows love, marriage and birth
from intimate association. In the
same way he knows all there is to
know about youth; getting job and
keeping it; the relations of man to his
neighbors and his community; he
knows all there is to know about re-
ligion, history, his race, courts, jails,
policemen, judges, lawyers, doctors,
schemes, thieves, honest men.
There is nothing he may not know
about men, women, children; animals
useful and animals dangerous; grow
ing things; food, poisons, mortgages,
fires, wind storsm, floods and gentle
showers.
The smartest man in Johns Hopkins
has lived the same practical life the
ordinary man has lived; experienced
experience in the same way. King
and slave are equal; the same neces-
sity for food, and the same stomach
in which to use or abuse it; the same
urge for a mate, and the same trouble
in satisfying it; the same nakedness,
the same necessity for covering it;
the same greed and selfishness, and
the same necessity for thrift and tenn
perance the same laws applying to
all alike and to be made the best of.
And death? Who of reasonable age
does not know all about death? Is |
there a man so dull that he attends
funerals forty or fifty years, and still
seriously wonders as to the final end? |
1t is a fine subject for morbid specu-
prepare to pay his debt to nature
honestly, as he has been taught to pay
his debt to his parents, country and
race.
What need has man of technical
knowledge of these subjects? Prac-
tical knowledge is sufficient, and much
more important.
The professors have their uses
science is interesting, but the great
est thing in the world is practlcal use |
of common knowledge.
The preaching we need is effective |
criticism and punishment of those |
who neglect important rules they can
not help knowing about.
Most argument is foolish excuse for
neglected duty. Instead of arguing a
man should acknowledge error, and
thereafter proceed more intelligently |
and fairly on his way.
Look at the English sparrows. There
are no poor among them; they all get
along, although the hand of cunning
man is against them. The little spar
rows know is practical, and it is suf-
ficient: with all my books l have been
unable to outwit them.
Men eat at the first table; English
sparrows at the second, but they get
along about as we'll as we do.