i6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



are comparatively clear and well defined. But the higher institu- 

 tions of learning, which claim to train youth to engage to ad- 

 vantage in the struggle of life, to compete with their associates, 

 and not only to carry off the prizes, but also to be examples of in- 

 telligence and refinement these institutions, which claim to give 

 what is expressed by the terms culture or a liberal education, find 

 to-day a by no means unanimous agreement as to the best method 

 of producing these results. Many a graduate, while thoroughly 

 loyal to his alma mater, in looking back upon his college studies 

 and considering their effect upon himself, has doubts as to the 

 efficacy of some of his courses there, and questions with himself 

 whether, were he to begin life again, he would, could he mold 

 fate to suit himself, go over the same courses again. The ad- 

 vanced student of to-day knows pretty well what kind of instruc- 

 tion he wants, and will go where he can get it. The old, well- 

 worn, and somewhat narrow path trod by his fathers does not 

 satisfy him, and his demand for a change has brought about dis- 

 cussions which, if they have not yet found any practical solution, 

 have at least changed and enlarged the prevailing view of the 

 meaning and aim of a liberal education. 



In the attempts at readjustment of the traditional college cur- 

 riculum the principal attacks have been made, and it seems to me 

 wisely, against the position of Greek in that curriculum. Indi- 

 vidually, I have no feeling against Greek in its proper place. I 

 suppose I do not know very much about the language, having 

 like most graduates dropped the study as soon as possible in the 

 college course, and having had little to do with it since. But for 

 that very reason probably I prize what little knowledge I may 

 possess of the subject in inverse ratio to the amount I have. And 

 yet I can not but feel that if one half of the time I spent in 

 studying Greek had been devoted to the study of vny own lan- 

 guage and the other half to physical labor, sawing wood, for ex- 

 ample, I should have been happier at the time, should have had a 

 better physical development, and very probably should never 

 myself have realized the deficiency in my mental equipment. 



Greek and Latin were prominent studies in the early Euro- 

 pean universities because these universities were ecclesiastical 

 corporations ; and when Christianity was first established by law 

 the services of the Church were conducted throughout the west- 

 ern part of Europe in the language of those countries at the time, 

 which was a corrupted Latin. After the Roman Empire was 

 overthrown and Latin had ceased to be the language of any part 

 of Europe, the reverence of the people still preserved the estab- 

 lished forms and ceremonies, and the church services were still 

 conducted in Latin. This necessitated the study of that language 

 by the priests, so that, from the beginning, Latin made an essen- 



