THE STORY OF A SCHOOL, 497 



liberty of thoTigM. Time-worn methods of teacliing were broiiglit 

 up for discussion and judged by their results, and in the light of 

 reason. 



Credit is surely due the founders and conductors of institutes, 

 in that they brought about and persisted in this habit of ques- 

 tioning and discussing educational jDractices and principles. This 

 was their special field of work. Their method was the true one, 

 but the laws of life and of mental development were not then 

 well enough understood, even by the best thinkers, to furnish safe 

 guidance in this difficult work. 



" The new education " means a revolt against all precise, ready- 

 made forms, and an adoption of such methods as science may 

 from time to time discover and point out. The " Story of a 

 School " tells of the trials and triumphs of an experiment designed 

 to test educational principles at which I had arrived through 

 many years of " institute " instruction. In this constant compar- 

 ing, discriminating, and sifting of methods I had obtained a spe- 

 cial preparation for normal-school work. Herbert Spencer, in his 

 treatise on education, had laid a solid foundation for scien- 

 tific education, and Prof. E. L. Youmans had with voice and pen 

 succeeded in arousing among thinking people a lively interest in 

 the subject. 



In the year 1872, through the agency of the Hon. John Mon- 

 teith. Superintendent of the Schools of Missouri, I received a call 

 to take charge of the newly established normal school at War- 

 rensburg in that State. In the interview with Mr. Monteith I 

 said suggestively to him, " You do not want me, and your board of 

 regents will not want my services when they learn the conditions 

 I shall exact." — " What may these be ? " said he, with some curi- 

 osity in his tone. " Entire control of the school, without inter- 

 ference from the superintendent or from the regents," was my 

 reply. Laughing, said he, " You are the very man we want," and 

 added, by way of caution : " You understand that liberty implies 

 responsibility. Give us right results, and we will trust to you for 

 methods." I accepted the situation, and took up my work under 

 circumstances singularly propitious to the experiment I was about 

 to make. 



The first thing that engaged my attention was the preparation 

 of a course of study. It was an easy matter to select the required 

 document from the catalogue of some noted institution, or I might 

 have made a mosaic, adopting parts from several. A brief inspec- 

 tion of various catalogues showed that little thought had been 

 bestowed upon the order of subjects in the course. One study 

 might be made to take the place of any other, without the slight- 

 est disturbance in their relations. Of the natural order of growth 

 in mind, and of the corresponding sequences in the sciences,, tkey 



VOL. XXXIV. — 32 



