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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1873)
'lf At , UNIVERSITY OP NEBRASKA LIBRARY LINCOLN. NEBRASKA V V Hesperian Student. WOJL. 2. University of Nebraska. jro. r ji'Hir,, Qui noil Piollelt..lo flail;. 1873. Work, not Drenni. (fou the htudknt.) Happy maiden, by your flrcslilo, Dreaming of your futuro fate, Wondorlng what or lovo or treasure, In ltn fold of mlflt may wait; Hit ye not ho Idly dreaming, Tuke tho momoutn nH they come; Let them counted bo as treasure, By the good within thum done. Ardent youth for fame aspiring, Wishing for tho coming day, Whon your namo In letters goldci Shall outshine tho brightest ray; Stop your dreaming and to labor. Life you know Is but a span ; If you wish for Inmo and glory, Catch each moment while you can. Friends of tomporanco vainly thinking That your labor's almost done; Do not nit there Idly slooplng, Dreaming of tho victory won ; Thoro 'a a field for you to work In, Long and wldo as earth's domain, Though you spend your life for othorn. You will not have lived In vuln. Hopeful christian often singing Songs of pralso to Illm above, Often praying that tho nation All may know a Savior's lovo; If your prayers are ever answorod. You must labor when you can : Work to savo tho souls of others, Labor for tho good of roan, V ,tMvtitr- L. j -j rat &, Innovations. In a former number of the Student, wo briefly t rented the question, whether it would be expedient to abolish compulsory attendance on religious .services in our higher institutions of learning. Connected With this, is that other so called ndvnncc in collegiato work, the ah olition of compulsory attendance on class instruction of Professors. It is proposed to abandon class instruction in the ca.se of all who do not wish to attend, and to rely on stated examinations as a test of scholar ship, and for tho award of degrees. To somo this course may seem practical and wise, but to most educators in this country, I opine, it will appear to bo an "advance backward." This plan finds a precedent in no coun. try, save Germany, and there only in ap pcarancc. The students of German Uni versity, who enjoy the liberty which it is proposed to confer on students of Amori. can .Colleges, aro required by law to com plctil a course of study, equivalent to that of our best institutions of learning, before they can bo admitted to any of tho Univer sities. While the youth of Germany are pursuing the studies of our College Cur rlcula, they are subjected to rigorous dis clpllnc," and compulsory attendance on class exercises; and unless the youth of our country are found to bo more precoc ious and self-controlcd than those abroad, nothing In the experience of tho German gymnasia would warrant such an innova. tion as is contemplated in this country. Some valid objections against this scheme seem to mo to lie on the surface of this question : 1. Parents expect, and rightly too, a. more strict supervision over the proflclen- cy of their children than is possible under the new system. In the regular Inter course of Professor and student, ends should be gained of Inestimable value to the latter. Methods of Inquiry, dlsc.ov erics, habits of regular' application and sustained effort, personal inspiration, and a growing love for his work, under the stimulating zeal of his Professor are re suits that naturally follow attendance up on the instruction of one who is woithy to be a counsellor or Instructor of the young. 2. Besides that emulation which class exercises tend to produce, will be entirely lost under the now regime. The proems, tination and listlissncss, which often over takes even good students, can be counter acted in no way better than. by the rigor ous exactions of class exercises. With all the stimulating appliances at com mand the race of "dullards" Is alarming ly large; but should the barriers against indifference and inefficiency be broken down the number of the laggnrds would greatly increaso and multiply. U. In this plan, also, the instruction of Professors is counted as naught. Ifastu dent abounding in conceit, imagines that ho can succeed without the discussions of the elnssvoom htWhMftuullycirt-Oiiru'gtjd to try it. This faith In one's solf-suflleien-cy must be of that kind which removes mountains. No doubt it is wise to make the student independent in thought and investigation ; but should ho be allowed to go on blundering or imperfectly grasp, ing facts and principles in the delusive belief that ho is completely exhausting the subject of his investigation V The law of justice toward him requires, that his knowledge be tested, that his feeble grasp be strengthened, and his imperfect knowledge supplemented by thorough and comprehensive; views of the subject mat ter of study. No better method will be found of cutlvaling intellectual modesty, if I may so term it, than by bringing all students to the test of a daily examination. Without this, conceit and pride of know ledge are likely to become insufferable. In. view of the experience and attain ment of the class of students who attend oven the most advanced of our colloges, I fall to see how tho sundering of tho dai ly intercourse between Professor and stu dent in the class room can result In any Milng but disaster. If it be true, as Prof. Agassiz says, that even Harvard is only a respectable High School, suroly it cannot be policy for this our oldest College to abandon compulsory attendance on reclt. ation and lectures. Tho condition of all our Colleges is such in respect to tho age,t habits and scholarship of their students, that it would be tho greatest unwisdom to relax tho re quiroment of attending religious services, and tho Instruction of able Professors. It Is only after long discipline, and after habits of character and independent In vestigation hayCvbcon formed, that such a system would bo practicable in this or any other country. , A. 11. B. How to Rcutl. It seems to be a concomitant of man's nature that he should read. In his gloom iest or happiest moods a book is his com panion. It goes like a messenger of love to the gloomy cell, cheering and comfort ing the criminal shut up within the iron grates. With gentle tread It enters the artistically frescoed parlors of the rich and there is heartily welcomed by all. Neither in a civilized or enlightened community has it any boundary, nor is it limited to any caste. But we must not consider a book only as a mere Inanimate thing, like u stone, with no emotion or impress; but like man, jt has a character, it is emotional, it awak ens in us a feeling of joy or fear ; it throws around us an influence either for good or evil. Then how important it is that we make the best selections of our books. We should avoid a bad book as we would shun the company of a bad and vicious man ; for surely one exerts no greater in fluence than the other. Show me the lit eraturft a man reads, and I will tell you his character and standing in life. Many read all they can obtain that Is exciting md romantic, thus iring inju their mortil-'AiculTicstmUykcuptm tlfiS mind in a continually excited condition. They lose all taste for that solid and in tellectual reading, that not only Instructs and benefits one, but .strengthens and de velops tho mental faculties, and raises their tone of thought from tho vicious and groveling tilings of life to that which is noble and grand. No greater misfor tune could befall a man than to become so attached to that pernicious and exe crable litorature, as to lose all taste for that which is deeper and of a better char- acter. But not only should we be careful in selecting our book3, but once having ju diciously made our selections, wo should not hurriedly read and then lay them by with out further notice; for they all should bo made the subject, of close study. If our only object in reading was simply to pass a pleasant hour, or, as a child in play piles up his blocks for amusement, we should read for only temporary gratifica tion, the time being occupied our object would bo gained. All who read alone for this purposo simply parley with tho di vine gifts of Nature. Our Maker has given faculties and functions not for our own gratification, but for improvement and tho achoivemont of a sound purposo ; and he .who uses his talents only for tem poral pleasure, will inevitably suffer the consequences. It is not tho amount we read but what wo remember that will benefit us. Wo road for improvement and information; and whon wo forget what wo have read, wo have not only fallen short of our ob ject, but at the same time aro cultivating a habit of inattontiveness and forgotful ncss. ,What an embarrassment it must be to say we have read "Vicar of Wakefield" and yet aro unable to veil who Mr. Thorn- hill is or whether Goldsmith was a mar rled or single man, whoro lie was born, or what ills parentage ; or to say we have road Homer and are unable to tell who Achilles was, or who Homer himself is supposed to have boon or under what cir cumstances tho Illiad was written, or to say wo have read all of Tacitus and yet aro unable to tell whether Agrlcola was hiB father, hisbrothor' or neither one. Then let us try to study what read, to understand what ww study, and remember j . TnuKi-ovB. &AA.IW- what we understand ImiN Vt i Atnl JL- 'K Street Thought), fY A MEDICAL. In perambulating Granvillo or Hollis Street, what a number of unsophisticated ragamuilins do 1 observe busily occupied in tho meritorious manufacture of slides! With what Interest I contemplate that youthful sport, particularly when I regard its probable consequences upon tho hu man understanding in general, and the legs of my fat friend in particular! He falls. When I rolled upon the wonder ful construction of the skeleton, and con sider to how many dislocations it is liable in such a case, my bosom expands with gratitude to a considerate police to whoso non-intervention we ore indebted for such -.. 1 . clusbVprnctlcc.' vma.' The numerous open trapdoors, which so pleasantly diversify the pavement; at tract mv attention. Never do I bond to closo them. The blessings of our whole profession upon the heads of those who place them at our convenience! Each one may furnish a now and instructive pn'go to the Chapter of Accidents. Considering tho slusliy, and muddy condition of our streets, 1 am equally amazed and delight ed to see the ladles almost unlversnlly going about, in thin shoes. This elegant fashion beautifully displays the conforma tion of the anklo joint, but to your "Medi cal" It hath a special recommendation. I behold tho delicate foot scarcely separa ted by tho thickness of this paper from the mire.yf I sec the exquisite instep un defended but by a more web. I meditate upon the influence of cold and wet on tho frame; I think of the catarrhs, coughs, pleurisies, pneumonias, consumptions, and other interesting affections, that must necessarily result from their application to tho foot, and then I reckon up the num. ber of pills, boluses, powders, draughts, mixtures, leeches, and blisters, tliat will consequently bo sent in to tho relief of tho fair sufferers, calculate what they must - come to, and, wish I had tho amount in my pocket. Dalhoiuie Gazette, "I will A Michigan school-master says; spell eny man, womun or child in tho hull state ftir a dickshunary. or kash priez, of one hundred dollnrs a side, the money to ' bo awarded by a kommittco of clcrgiincn or skool directors. There has been a darned site of blown about my spellin; now I want thorn to put me up or to shcj up. I won't bo put down by a pass el of, ignorammuscs because I differ with noar Webstqr's style of spoil In." E-jfr Mi n . ' 111., JV. t 1 , v MBaaHsafjMmwCMMaMCi