why go to college-第3节

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not　have　a　dozen　conversations　with　them　outside　their　class
roomsgave　me；　each　in　his　different　way；　an　ideal　of　character；
of　conduct；　of　the　scholar；　the　leader；　of　which　they　and　I　were
totally　unconscious　at　the　time。　　For　many　years　I　have　known
that　my　study　with　them；　no　matter　whether　of　philosophy　or　of
Greek；　of　mathematics　or　history　or　English；　enlarged　my　notions
of　life；　uplifted　my　standards　of　culture；　and　so　inspired　me　with
new　possibilities　of　usefulness　and　of　happiness。　　Not　the　facts
and　theories　that　I　learned　so　much　as　the　men　who　taught　me；　gave
this　inspiration。　　The　community　at　large　is　right　in　saying　that
it　wants　the　personal　influence　of　professors　on　students；　but
it　is　wholly　wrong　in　assuming　that　this　precious　influence　comes
from　frequent　meetings　or　talks　on　miscellaneous　subjects。　　There
is　quite　as　likely　to　be　a　quickening　force　in　the　somewhat　remote
and　mysterious　power　of　the　teacher　who　devotes　himself　to　amassing
treasures　of　scholarship；　or　to　patiently　working　out　the　best
methods　of　teaching；　who　standing　somewhat　apart；　still　remains
an　ideal　of　the　Christian　scholar；　the　just；　the　courteous　man　or
woman。　　To　come　under　the　influence　of　one　such　teacher　is　enough
to　make　college　life　worthwhile。　　A　young　man　who　came　to　Harvard
with　eighty　cents　in　his　pocket；　and　worked　his　way　through；　never
a　high　scholar；　and　now　in　a　business　which　looks　very　commonplace；
told　me　the　other　day　that　he　would　not　care　to　be　alive　if　he
had　not　gone　to　college。　　His　face　flushed　as　he　explained　how
different　his　days　would　have　been　if　he　had　not　known　two　of　his
professors。　　〃Do　you　use　your　college　studies　in　your　business？〃
I　asked。　　〃Oh；　no！〃　he　answered。　　〃But　I　am　another　man　in　doing
the　business；　and　when　the　day's　work　is　done　I　live　another　life
because　of　my　college　experiences。　　The　business　and　I　are　both
the　better　for　it　every　day。〃　　How　many　a　young　girl　has　had　her
whole　horizon　extended　by　the　changed　ideals　she　gained　in　college！
Yet　this　is　largely　because　the　associations　and　studies　there
are　likely　to　give　her　permanent　intereststhe　fifth　and　perhaps
the　greatest　gift　of　college　life　of　which　I　shall　speak。

The　old　fairy　story　which　charmed　us　in　childhood　ended　with〃And
they　were　married　and　lived　happy　ever　after。〃　　It　conducted　to
the　altar；　having　brought　the　happy　pair　through　innumerable
difficulties；　and　left　us　with　the　contented　sense　that　all　the
mistakes　and　problems　would　now　vanish　and　life　be　one　long　day
of　unclouded　bliss。　　I　have　seen　devoted　and　intelligent　mothers
arrange　their　young　daughters'　education　and　companionships
precisely　on　this　basis。　　They　planned　as　if　these　pretty　and
charming　girls　were　going　to　live　only　twenty　or　twenty…five　years
at　the　utmost；　and　had　consequently　no　need　of　the　wealthy　interests
that　should　round　out　the　full…grown　woman's　stature；　making　her
younger　in　feeling　at　forty　than　at　twenty；　and　more　lovely　and
admired　at　eighty　than　at　either。

Emerson　in　writing　of　beauty　declares　that　〃the　secret　of　ugliness
consists　not　in　irregular　outline；　but　in　being　uninteresting。　　We
love　any　forms；　however　ugly；　from　which　great　qualities　shine。
If　command；　eloquence；　art；　or　invention　exists　in　the　most
deformed　person；　all　the　accidents　that　usually　displease；　please；
and　raise　esteem　and　wonder　higher。　　Beauty　without　grace　is　the
head　without　the　body。　　Beauty　without　expression　tires。〃　　Of
course　such　considerations　can　hardly　come　with　full　force　to　the
young　girl　herself；　who　feels　aged　at　eighteen；　and　imagines　that
the　troubles　and　problems　of　life　and　thought　are　hers　already。
〃Oh；　tell　me　to…night；〃　cried　a　college　freshman　once　to　her
President；　〃which　is　the　right　side　and　which　is　the　wrong　side　of
this　Andover　question　about　eschatology？〃　　The　young　girl　is
impatient　of　open　questions；　and　irritated　at　her　inability　to
answer　them。　　Neither　can　she　believe　that　the　first　headlong　zest
with　which　she　throws　herself　into　society；　athletics；　into
everything　which　comes　in　her　way；　can　ever　fail。　　But　her　elders
know；　looking　on；　that　our　American　girl；　the　commrade　of　her
parents　and　of　her　brothers　and　their　friends；　brought　up　from
babyhood　in　the　eager　talk　of　politics　and　society；　of　religious
belief；　of　public　action；　of　social　responsibilitythat　this
typical　girl；　with　her　quick　sympathies；　her　clear　head；　her　warm
heart；　her　outreaching　hands；　will　not　permanently　be　satisfied
or　self…respecting；　though　she　have　the　prettiest　dresses　and
hats　in　town；　or　the　most　charming　of　dinners；　dances；　and　teas。
Unless　there　comes　to　her；　and　comes　early；　the　one　chief　happiness
of　life；a　marriage　of　comradeship；she　must　face　for　herself
the　question；　〃What　shall　I　do　with　my　life？〃

I　recall　a　superb　girl　of　twenty　as　I　overtook　her　one　winter
morning　hurrying　along　Commonwealth　Avenue。　　She　spoke　of　a
brilliant　party　at　a　friend's　the　previous　evening。　　〃But；　oh！〃
she　cried；　throwing　up　her　hands　in　a　kind　of　hopeless　impatience；
〃tell　me　what　to　do。　　My　dancing　days　are　over！〃　　I　laughed　at　her；
〃Have　you　sprained　your　ankle？〃　　But　I　saw　I　had　made　a　mistake
when　she　added；　〃It　is　no　laughing　matter。　　I　have　been　out　three
years。　　I　have　not　done　what　they　expected　of　me；〃　with　a　flush
and　a　shrug；　〃and　there　is　a　crowd　of　nice　girls　coming　on　this
winter；　and　anyway；　I　am　so　tired　of　going　to　teas　and　ball…games
and　assemblies！　　I　don't　care　the　least　in　the　world　for　foreign
missions；　and；〃　with　a　stamp；　〃I　am　not　going　slumming　among
the　Italians。　　I　have　too　much　respect　for　the　Italians。　　And　what
shall　I　do　with　the　rest　of　my　life？〃　　That　was　a　frank　statement
of　what　any　girl　of　brains　or　conscience　feels；　with　more　or　less
bitter　distinctness；　unless　she　marries　early；　or　has　some　pressing
work　for　which　she　is　well　trained。

Yet　even　if　that　which　is　the　profession　of　woman　par　excellence
be　hers；　how　can　she　be　perennially　so　interesting　a　companion
to　her　husband　and　children　as　if　she　had　keen　personal　tastes；
long　her　own；　and　growing　with　her　growth？　　Indeed；　in　that　respect
the　condition　of　men　is　almost　the　same　as　that　of　women。　　It　would
be　quite　the　same　were　it　not　for　the　fact　that　a　man's　business
or　profession　is　generally　in　itself　a　means　of　growth；　of　education；
of　dignity。　　He　leans　his　life　against　it。　　He　builds　his　home　in
the　shadow　of　it。　　It　binds　his　days　together　in　a　kind　of　natural
piety　and　makes　him　advance　in　strength　and　nobility　as　he　〃fulfils
the　common　round；　the　daily　task。〃　　And　that　is　the　reason　why
men　in　the　past；　if　they　have　been　honorable　men；　have　grown　old
better　than　women。　　Men　usually　retain　their　ability　longer；　their
mental　alertness　and　hospitality。　　They　add　fine　quality　to　fine
quality；　passing　from　strength　to　strength　and　preserving　in　old
age　whatever　has　been　best　in　youth。　　It　was　a　sudden　recognition
of　this　fact　which　made　a　young　friend　of　mine　say　last　winter；
〃I　am　not　going　to　parties　any　more；　the　men　best　worth　talking
with　are　too　old　to　dance。〃

Even　with　the　help　of　a　permanent　business　or　profession；　however；
the　most　interesting　men　I　know　are　those　who　have　an　avocation
as　well　as　a　vocation。　　I　mean　a　taste　or　work　quite　apart　from　the
business　of　life。　　This　revives；　inspires；　and　cultivates　them
perpetually。　　It　matters　little　what　it　is；　if　only　it　is　real　and
personal；　is　large　enough　to　last；　and　possesses　the　power　of
growth。　　。A　young　sea…captain　from　a　New　England　village　on　a　long
and　lonely　voyage　falls　upon　a　copy　of　Shelley。　　Appeal　is　made
to　his　fine　but　untrained　mind；　and　the　book　of　the　boy　poet
becomes　the　seaman's　university。　　The　wide　world　of　poetry　and
of　the　other　fine　arts　is　opened；　and　the　Shelleyian　specialist
becomes　a　cultivated；　original；　and　charming　man。　　A　busy　merchant
loves　flowers；　and　in　all　his　free　hours　studies　them。　　Each　new
spring　adds　knowledge　to　his　knowledge；　and　his　friends　continually
bring　him　their　strange　discoveries。　　With　growing　wealth　he
cultivates　rare　and　beautiful　plants；　and　shares　them　with　his
fortunate　acquaintances。　　Happy　the　companion　invited　to　a　walk
or　a　drive　with　such　observant　eyes；　such　vivid　talk！　　Because　of
this　cheerful　interest　in　flowers；　and　this　ingenious　skill　in
dealing　with　them；　the　man　himself　is　interesting。　　All　his　powers
are　alert；　and　his　judgment　is　valued　in　public　life　and　in　private
business。　　Or　is　it　more　exact　to　say　that　because　he　is　the　kind
of　man　who　would　insist　upon　having　such　interests　outside　his
daily　work；　he　is　still　fresh　and　young　and　capable　of　growth
at　an　age　when　many　other　men　are　dull　and　old　and　certain　that
the　time　of　decay　is　at　hand？

There　are　two　reasons　why　women　need　to　cultivate　these　large
and　abiding　interests　even　more　persistently　than　men。　　In　the
first　place；　they　have　more　leisure。　　They　are　indeed　the　only
leisure　class　in　the　country；　the　only　large　body　of　persons　who
are　not　called　upon　to　win　their　daily　bread　in　direct　wage…earning
ways。　　As　yet；　fortunately；　few　men　among　us　have　so　little
self…respect　as　to　idle　about　our　streets　and　drawing…rooms　becau