THE ASKOV HIGH SCHOOL 19 



every one knows that the English are very badly 

 educated." 



The lady might have replied that we spent enough 

 millions a year upon education to insure a different 

 result, but I am not aware that she thought it worth 

 while. The truth is that we may lead our youth 

 to the wells of learning, but in many cases no power 

 on earth can make them drink. In this matter, as 

 in certain others, there is something wrong with the 

 state not of Denmark but of England, or perhaps 

 it is our system of education that is wrong. 



When I visited Askov, which is perhaps the first 

 of the Danish High Schools, being, as the Director in- 

 formed me, a kind of continuation school for the others, 

 that establishment was not in session. No pupils are 

 received here from August to November, that is 

 during the harvest months, as most of these young 

 people are farmers' sons and daughters who must be 

 at. home at that time. The lecture to which I have 

 alluded was,-however, just beginning in the gymnasium, 

 where a crowded audience of about seven hundred 

 people had gathered, so crowded indeed that all of 

 them could not get in at the door. There they stood 

 upon the steps, straining their ears to catch such 

 words of wisdom as might reach them. This audi- 

 ence, it seemed, consisted of people from the neigh- 

 bou J ood, among whom were included many former 

 pupils. 



The best view of the Askov establishment is 

 obtained from the top of a central tower to which 

 I was taken. The school began, in 1865 I think, 

 with a single house. Now there are many houses 

 where, with the exception of some who live in the 

 town, 250 pupils reside in winter namely, about 



