THE APPOINTMENT OF COLLEGE OFFICERS. 175 



Harvard, or Baltimore ; others have studied philology, under the fore- 

 most German masters ; still others have become thorough biologists, 

 students of history and philosophy, or mathematicians. From among 

 these the ranks of tutors should be filled, and legitimate promotion, in 

 due time, ought to follow. 



At some colleges, Harvard for example, the policy above indicated 

 is followed. If a tutor in Greek is needed, some young man who has 

 distinguished himself in Greek is chosen ; and, upon the hypothesis 

 that he intends to make a life-work of classical study, he is given 

 every advantage to distinguish himself still further. In some other 

 institutions, however, a different plan is adopted. At Yale, for in- 

 stance, tutors are often, if not always, appointed in a sort of general 

 way, without particular reference to special studies, the subject to be 

 taught by each being settled afterward. In consequence, a Yale tutor, 

 whose real specialty is mathematics, may be obliged to teach only 

 Latin ; while another, whose bias is purely classical, may have to 

 struggle with pupils in trigonometry. Doubtless these evils are 

 greater in appearance than in reality ; probably in most cases mat- 

 ters adjust themselves in a more rational way; still, in some instances, 

 the mischief is really done. Such a state of affairs ought not to be even 

 possible. It is sometimes urged, in extenuation, that every young man 

 who has graduated creditably ought to be able to teach others what- 

 *ever he has himself learned ; and, in a measure, this is true. But a 

 fellow may have studied mathematics only as a matter of routine, get- 

 ting none of its real spirit, and putting no enthusiasm nor vigor into 

 his work. Doubtless he can carry others through the same routine 

 afterward, hearing recitations from a text-book, and recognizing such 

 mistakes as may be made ; but " teaching " of this kind is hardly 

 worthy of the name. Every college teacher, whether professor or 

 tutor, ought to feel the subject which he teaches ; he should be able 

 to rouse the interest of his pupils, to stimulate thought among them, 

 to encourage the bright ones forward, and to remove difficulties from 

 the paths of those who lag behind. Such work can be done only by 

 special scholars, who have taken up their life-tasks as a labor of love, 

 and who are brimful of earnestness and enthusiasm. With the lower 

 college classes this scholarly vigor is especially needed. The pupils 

 must be started aright at the very beginning, for, if their interest is 

 not awakened then, there is great danger that it may continue sleep- 

 ing always. But in no part of a college course should mere perfunc- 

 tory instruction be tolerated. A man may be a teaching machine, and 

 yet fall very far short of being a teacher. 



Now, having discussed the reasons governing college appointments, 

 we may fitly consider the methods by which the appointments should 

 be made. Suppose that there are several competent candidates for a 

 given position ; how shall one be selected, and by whom ? Technic- 

 ally, there can be but one answer to this question, namely, that the 



