why go to college-第5节

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Certain　it　is　that　city　people　feel　a　growing　hunger　for　the
country；　particularly　when　grass　begins　to　grow。　　This　is　a　healthy
taste；　and　must　increase　the　general　knowledge　and　love　of　nature。
Fortunate　are　the　little　children　in　those　schools　whose　teachers
know　and　love　the　world　in　which　they　live。　　Their　young　eyes　are
early　opened　to　the　beauty　of　birds　and　trees　and　plants。　　Not
only　should　we　expect　our　girls　to　have　a　feeling　for　the　fine
sunset　or　the　wide…reaching　panorama　of　field　and　water；　but　to
know　something　also　about　the　less　obvious　aspects　of　nature；
its　structure；　its　methods　of　work；　and　the　endless　diversity　of
its　parts。　　No　one　can　have　read　Matthew　Arnold's　letters　to　his
wife；　his　mother；　and　his　sister；　without　being　struck　by　the
immense　enjoyment　he　took　throughout　his　singularly　simple　and
hard…working　life　in　flowers　and　trees　and　rivers。　　The　English
lake　country　had　given　him　this　happy　inheritance；　with　everywhere
its　sound　of　running　water　and　its　wealth　of　greenery。　　There　is
a　close　connection　between　the　marvellous　unbroken　line　of　English
song；　and　the　passionate　love　of　the　Englishman　for　a　home　in　the
midst　of　birds；　trees；　and　green　fields。

　　　　〃The　world　is　so　full　of　a　number　of　things；
　　　　That　I　think　we　should　all　be　as　happy　as　kings；〃

is　the　opinion　of　everybody　who　knows　nature　as　did　Robert　Louis
Stevenson。　　And　so　our　college　student　may　begin　to　know　it。　　Let
her　enter　the　laboratories　and　investigate　for　herself。　　Let　her
make　her　delicate　experiments　with　the　blowpipe　or　the　balance；
let　her　track　mysterious　life　from　one　hiding…place　to　another；
let　her　〃name　all　the　birds　without　a　gun；〃　and　make　intimates
of　flower　and　fish　and　butterflyand　she　is　dull　indeed　if　breezy
tastes　do　not　follow　her　through　life；　and　forbid　any　of　her　days
to　be　empty　of　intelligent　enjoyment。　　〃Keep　your　years　beautiful；
make　your　own　atmosphere；〃　was　the　parting　advice　of　my　college
president；　himself　a　living　illustration　of　what　he　said。

But　it　is　a　short　step　from　the　love　of　the　complex　and　engaging
world　in　which　we　live　to　the　love　of　our　comrades　in　it。　　Accordingly
the　third　precious　interest　to　be　cultivated　by　the　college　student
is　an　interest　in　people。　　The　scholar　today　is　not　a　being　who
dwells　apart　in　his　cloister；　the　monk's　successor；　he　is　a　leader
of　the　thoughts　and　conduct　of　men。　　So　the　new　subjects　which
stand　beside　the　classics　and　mathematics　of　medieval　culture　are
history；　economics；　ethics；　and　sociology。　　Although　these　subjects
are　as　yet　merely　in　the　making；　thousands　of　students　are　flocking
to　their　investigation；　and　are　going　out　to　try　their　tentative
knowledge　in　College　Settlements　and　City　Missions　and　Children's
Aid　Societies。　　The　best　instincts　of　generous　youth　are　becoming
enlisted　in　these　living　themes。　　And　why　should　our　daughters
remain　aloof　from　the　most　absorbing　work　of　modern　city　life；
work　quite　as　fascinating　to　young　women　as　to　young　men？　　During
many　years　of　listening　to　college　sermons　and　public　lectures　in
Wellesley；　I　always　noticed　a　quickened　attention　in　the　audience
whenever　the　discussion　touched　politics　or　theology。　　These　are；
after　all；　the　permanent　and　peremptory　interests；　and　they　should
be　given　their　full　place　in　a　healthy　and　vigorous　life。

But　if　that　life　includes　a　love　of　books；　of　nature；　of　people；
it　will　naturally　turn　to　enlarged　conceptions　of　religionmy
sixth　and　last　gift　of　college　life。　　In　his　first　sermon　as
Master　of　Balliol　College；　Dr。　Jowett　spoke　of　the　college；　〃First
as　a　place　of　education；　secondly　as　a　place　of　society；　thirdly
as　a　place　of　religion。〃　　He　observed　that　〃men　of　very　great
ability　often　fail　in　life　because　they　are　unable　to　play　their
part　with　effect。　　They　are　shy；　awkward；　self…conscious；　deficient
in　manners；　faults　which　are　as　ruinous　as　vices。〃　　The　supreme
end　of　college　training；　he　said；　〃is　usefulness　in　after　life。〃
Similarly；　when　the　city　of　Cambridge　celebrated　in　Harvard's
Memorial　Hall　the　life　and　death　of　the　gallant　young　ex…governor
of　Massachusetts；　William　E。　Russell；　men　did　well　to　hang　above
his　portrait　some　wise　words　he　has　lately　said；　〃Never　forget　the
everlasting　difference　between　making　a　living　and　making　a　life。〃
That　he　himself　never　forgot；　and　it　was　well　to　remind　citizens
and　students　of　it；　as　they　stood　there　facing　too　the　ancient
words　all　Harvard　men　face　when　they　take　their　college　degrees
and　go　out　into　the　world；　〃They　that　be　wise　shall　shine　as　the
brightness　of　the　firmament；　and　they　that　turn　many　to　righteousness
as　the　stars　for　ever　and　ever。〃　　Good　words　these　to　go　out　from
college　with。　　The　girls　of　Wellesley　gather　every　morning　at
chapel　to　bow　their　heads　together　for　a　moment　before　they　scatter
among　the　libraries　and　lecture…rooms　and　begin　the　experiments
of　the　new　day。　　And　always　their　college　motto　meets　the　eyes
that　are　raised　to　its　penetrating　message；　〃Not　to　be　ministered
unto；　but　to　minister。〃　　How　many　a　young　heart　has　loyally
responded；　〃And　to　give　life　a　ransom　for　many。〃　　That　is　the
〃Wellesley　spirit；〃　and　the　same　sweet　spirit　of　devout　service
has　gone　forth　from　all　our　college　halls。　　In　any　of　them　one
may　catch　the　echo　of　Whittier's　noble　psalm；

　　　　〃O　Lord　and　Master　of　us　all
　　　　Whate'er　our　name　or　sign；
　　　　We　own　Thy　sway；　we　hear　Thy　call；
　　　　We　test　our　lives　by　Thine。〃

That　is　the　supreme　test　of　life；its　consecrated　serviceableness。
The　Master　of　Balliol　was　right；　the　brave　men　and　women　who
founded　our　schools　and　colleges　were　not　wrong。　　〃For　Christ
and　the　Church〃　universities　were　set　up　in　the　wilderness　of
New　England；　for　the　large　service　of　the　State　they　have　been
founded　and　maintained　at　public　cost　in　every　section　of　the
country　where　men　have　settled；　from　the　Alleghanies　across　the
prairies　and　Rocky　Mountains　down　to　the　Golden　Gate。　　Founded
primarily　as　seats　of　learning；　their　techers　have　been　not　only
scientists　and　linguists；　philosophers　and　historians；　but　men
and　women　of　holy　purposes；　sound　patriotism；　courageous　convictions；
refined　and　noble　tastes。　　Set　as　these　teachers　have　been　upon　a
hill；　their　light　has　at　no　period　of　our　country's　history　been
hid。　　They　have　formed　a　large　factor　in　our　civilization；　and　in
their　own　beautiful　characters　have　continually　shown　us　how
to　combine　religion　and　life；　the　ideal　and　practical；　the　human
and　the　divine。

Such　are　some　of　the　larger　influences　to　be　had　from　college　life。
It　is　true　all　the　good　gifts　I　have　named　may　be　secured　without
the　aid　of　the　college。　　We　all　know　young　men　and　women　who　have
had　no　college　training；　who　are　as　cultivated；　rational；　resourceful；
and　happy　as　any　people　we　know；　who　excel　in　every　one　of　these
particulars　the　college　graduates　about　them。　　I　believe　they　often
bitterly　regret　the　lack　of　a　college　education。　　And　we　see　young
men　and　women　going　through　college　deaf　and　blind　to　their　great
chances　there；　and　afterwards　curiously　careless　and　wasteful　of
the　best　things　in　life。　　While　all　this　is　true；　it　is　true　too
that　to　the　open…minded　and　ambitious　boy　or　girl　of　moderate
health；　ability；　self…control；　and　studiousness；　a　college　course
offers　the　most　attractive；　easy；　and　probable　way　of　securing
happiness　and　health；　good　friends　and　high　ideals；　permanent
interests　of　a　noble　kind；　and　large　capacity　for　usefulness　in　the
world。　　It　has　been　well　said　that　the　ability　to　see　great　things
large　and　little　things　small　is　the　final　test　of　education。　　The
foes　of　life；　especially　of　women's　lives；　are　caprice；　wearisome
incapacity　and　petty　judgments。　　From　these　oppressive　foes　we
long　to　escape　to　the　rule　of　right　reason；　where　all　things　are
possible；　and　life　becomes　a　glory　instead　of　a　grind。　　No　college；
with　the　best　teachers　and　collections　in　the　world；　can　by　its
own　power　impart　all　this　to　any　woman。　　But　if　one　has　set　her
face　in　that　direction；　where　else　can　she　find　so　many　hands
reached　out　to　help；　so　many　encouraging　voices　in　the　air；　so
many　favoring　influences　filling　the　days　and　nights？





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