THE COLLEGE-MAN. 347 



worker and organizer and administrator as has no man before him. 

 Uniting better than in earlier centuries the essentials of the perfect 

 man, he is to do a larger and nobler share of that upbuilding of the 

 nation which shall come with the realization of the prayer of the great 

 American poet:* 



"Our fathers' God! From out whose hand 

 The centuries fall like grains of sand. 



O! Make thou us, through centuries long, 

 In peace secure, in justice strong! 

 Around our gift of freedom draw 

 The safeguards of our righteous law; 

 And, cast in some diviner mould. 

 Let the new cycle shame the old ! " 



A century ago there was but one recognized form and method of 

 education — what is now termed the classical — composed of studies of the 

 ancient languages and literatures, comparatively lean and narrow as 

 they are ; the elementary mathematics, to the extent now attained in the 

 secondary schools; a homeopathic dose of physics and chemistry; a 

 little French ; and a somewhat larger, if less palatable dose, of ' phi- 

 losophy.' The century has been one of extension, broadening, elevation, 

 diversification and systematization of education, and of the incorpora- 

 tion into the curriculum of the modern languages and literatures; the 

 modern physical sciences experimentally developed; the arts, fine and 

 useful, so far as capable of scientific treatment; and the principles 

 and practice of the professional schools, including the latest and most 

 strictly taught of the group, the school of engineering and its as- 

 sociate professional schools of every sort. The whole evolution of the 

 century has been consistent in every field and technical, ' practical,' edu- 

 cation is simply one of the elements of a complete and perfect evolution 

 of modern life. 



The world now acknowledges its need of the college-man and my own 

 letter files are crowded with calls for competent men far in excess of the 

 number available; while the number seeking even improved situations 

 is small, and I know of none out of work, unless ill. At the top, the 

 space is enlarging, though it is always ample for tip-top men. Formerly 

 positions paying five thousand dollars were rare, now the college-bred 

 man is coming forward when ten-thousand-dollar positions are seeking, 

 and failing to find, the men who are competent to fill them satisfac- 

 torily. Generals are, comparatively, still more rare than ever, even 

 though training for generalship is going on at an unprecedented rate 

 and the opportunities are multiplying for great men and good men and 

 capable men as never before. 



* Whittier. 



