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t be Conservative.
honor and honesty be witheld or less
ened , and then to think : "this is the
man whose life-long devotion to the nation
and the throne I rewarded by dismissing
him in his old age from the high position
which he had adorned so long , and which
subsequent events have shown that he ,
better than any other could fill ! " But all
the more because of that wrong , which
the great majority of Germans can
neither forget nor forgive , was it in
cumbent upon the Emperor to show , if
not a tardy repentance , at least a pres
ent grateful recognition of past achieve
ments to which he owes , among other
blessings , his seat upon the imperial
throne. That repentance was not in his
thoughts , however , was manifest in the
inscription upon the ribbon of the
laural wreath. "Des grossen Kaisers
grossem Diener. " ( "jTo the great Em
peror's great servant , " ) thus emphasiz
ing Bismarck's position as , after all ,
only that of a servant or hod-carrier.
( Handlanger , to quote another of the
Emperor's expressions ) to a master and
a superior ; whereas both of the former
Emperors were proud and glad to call
him "fellow-worker , " and did not by
any means consider him as the mere in
strument of their sovereign will.
This slight was the more noteworthy
because at present the tendency in Ger
many is towards a return to Bismarck's
policy , which , had it been adhered to ,
would probably , among other things ,
have prevented the acquisition of the
Chinese province a disastrous prece
dent which has inflamed the greed of
other powers and laid the train for
countless complications and griev
ances in the political future.
However , Bismarck's greatness can
not be lessened by any petty attack from
a survivor ; the attempt only recoils upon
its author , and so this half-hearted fes
tivity will go down into history as
shorn of its grandeur "by the King's
command. "
ELIZABETH E. EVANS.
Munich , Germany , July 1901.
PRACTICAL TEACHING.
EDITOR CONSERVATIVE :
Your name is associated with Arboi
Day in every state of the American Re
public. It is a beautiful remembrance
and the arborioultural movement you
then inaugurated has already done a
great work. I know of you only
through Arbor Day and your work as
secretary of agriculture , and because of
that knowledge I write you in regard to
some work I think should be put into
the public schools.
Nature Study.
You have , doubtless , followed , in a
general way at least , the work that is
being done in New York State on
Nature Study. Dr. Bailey , o :
Cornell , has charge of it , and
he has worked mostly through leaflets
He says it is to help solve the agricul-
ural problem that they are working.
Phey try to interest people in their sur
roundings , to bring all possible advant
ages to the rural population , to teach
them to make use of their opportunities
and thus , in a measure , stem the tide of
mmigration from the country to the
cities.
In the great agricultural state of Ne
braska there might be teaching in the
schools that had to do with the present
and probable environment of the pupils.
If the purpose of our public schools is to
fit for the profession of teaching or for
entrance to the state university , they are
fulfilling their mission admirab'ly.
Planting.
The opinion is gaining ground , I be
lieve , that it is the business of our pub
lic schools to train men and women for
the duties of life , to make them self-
supporting , productive members of so
ciety. The great business of Nebraska
is and ever must be agriculture. If the
schools give any training that makes for
agriculture I do not know of it.
There is , to be sure , an agricultural
school at Lincoln. This can reach but a
fraction of the population and it tends to
send out teachers of agriculture rather
than farmers.
Near Nature.
It could and it should be taught in the
rural schools , by putting in the right
kind of nature study work. The pupils
might be made more interested in their
immediate surroundings , they might be
taught to plant fruit trees etc. , and , in
this way , education would render the
rural population more stable , and not
educate always away from farm lite.
The rural teachers might be put in
touch with the work done at Lincoiu
they might be taught to use the govern
ment publications and to apply general
knowledge to the special conditions in
Nebraska.
In Nature study , fruits , trees , birds
insects , animals should be taught
for their human interest and not as ele
mentary science. For instance , witl
the "apple , " scientific classification and
technical terms are of interest to soient
ists , but all over people are interested in
the care and culture of the fruit. Plant
ing of trees , care , pruning , grafting , etc.
varities , suited to the climate , it seems
to me , are the essential things to know
in the study of apples.
This kind of nature study I have my
self worked out in the Indian schools
and my work comes out this year in thi
New England Journal of Education
We studied "bees" as honey producers
and insects worth studying , because of
their economic value to man.
I think I have given you an idea o
the work I believe should be done in tin
public schools of Nebraska , and I hope
have interested you in the same.
This work is being done admirablj
\
> y Dr. Hedge , of Clark University , in
Massachusetts. I submitted my written
work to him this summer and he assist-
d me in getting a publisher. He said
t was a great pity the right kind of
nature study should not be done in No-
> raska. It can be done if men like J.
Sterling Morton interest themselves in
getting it into the schools. I know of
10 other way.
Hoping that I may hear from you be
fore I leave the state , I beg to remain ,
Respectfully ,
LOUISA MODERMOTT.
Sutton , Neb. , Aug. 12 , 1901.
ROOM BELOW THE TOP.
I have carefully and thoughtfully read
the statements of the eminently success
ful men as published in THE CONSERVA
TIVE. I think something should bo said
for the encouragement of the middleweights -
weights , and even the feather-weights.
If all should get to the top there would
not be standing room. There is a ma
jority of these two classes , and these I
wish to encourage.
The persons who are not philosophers
will make mistakes. I am glad that Mr.
Campbell mentioned his lack of success
in "other fields. "
The boy , left as an orphan at thirteen ,
without proper training , to grow up be
tween people , buffeted by every cross
wind I have something to say to him.
He should not even think of reaching the
top , for , if he but take even one step in
advance he may fall. First , let him en
deavor to stand erect. When , after
much practice , he succeeds , let him
take one step. If he fall , and fall he
will , let him try again.
The happiest people , and those who
live longest , do not crush the happy
spirit of youth with unwonted ambition.
The man with the "little farm well
tilled , " "the man with the hoe , " will
live longer and enjoy life better than
the man at the top with ambition's hol
low dreams.
Money is not happiness. Power is not
enjoyment. Have we not noticed that
not many great men live to a great age ?
I think the happiest people I ever saw
were two brothers , "back yonder in Illi
nois. " They "spliced purses" and
bought forty acres of land. Each took
twenty and improved it ; each took a
wife. There are no families in the
world who enjoy life better , than they.
How often have I met men at the top ,
the lines of whose faces distinctly indi
cated that they did not enjoy lif < ) ! How
often have I met men at the bottom
men , for instance , who swung the spike-
mauls all dayand whose voices wrought
homely melodies as they sat around the
railroad camp at evening , and every
line on their faces indicated merriment !
There is success all the way through
from bottom to top.
JOSEPH MAKINSON !
Holdredge , Neb. , Aug. 27 , 1901.
