352 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



asking pointed questions are marvelous ; it takes a well informed, wide- 

 awake teacher to cope with him. He is but one of the many for whom 

 the modern institutions of learning recently established in China are 

 throwing open the doors of true knowledge. 



When the Chinese youths have caught the student-spirit which 

 dominates our western colleges, they become real ' digs/ and not even 

 their physical weakness can deter them. Therefore, we have reason 

 to hope that when their constitutions shall have been strengthened by 

 the abstemious life, the hygienic surroundings and the physical exer- 

 cises which are features of the new institutions, China will have stu- 

 dents able to sit at the banquet of learning with those of foreign 

 nations. 



The field being so great, the educators should not try to rival each 

 other, but should rather endeavor to cooperate, in order to facilitate 

 the enlightenment of this vast empire of the east. We can not at 

 present expect to have real universities, where each institution shall 

 have all the departments; therefore, the existing colleges should aim 

 to supplement each other, each trying to establish some thoroughly 

 equipped, special departments that the others do not have. 



Colleges established in China need strong men, who are not afraid 

 of hard work or of difficulties, and who will not worry if they attract 

 but few students; men who will endeavor to carry on their respective 

 institutions on a modern educational basis, and who will form plans 

 and policies suited to the demands of the time and place. Thus 

 manned, colleges in China will be able to send forth graduates educated 

 in the true sense of the word and fitted to be useful in society. These 

 college-trained men will act as a leaven which in time will change the 

 whole social fabric of Chinese life, thus removing many of the obstacles 

 which now confront the educator. In this way, existing colleges will 

 advertise themselves by the quality of their graduates much more effect- 

 ively than by any amount of pomp and show; will serve as models 

 worthy of imitation ; and will solve many of the present problems. 



