278 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



The education which science offers is not of the brain 

 alone. There is no dearth here of lawyers, and doc- 

 tors, and preachers, and novelists, but science recognizes 

 the fact that a human being has a spinal cord as well as 

 a cerebrum. Backbone is the watchword of technical 

 education. 



Heine, in that beautiful and satirical poem entitled 

 " Deutschland," speaks of the shadow that seemed to 

 follow him one night through the streets of Cologne. 

 It dogged his steps like a spiritus familiaris. At 

 last he stopped and addressed it : 



I could not bear it, so turn'd sharp round, 



And said, "I insist on an answer; 

 Why follow me thus in the silent night, 



And lead me this wandering dance, Sir? " 



The other replied in a somewhat dry tone, 



If not a little phlegmatic, 

 "I pray thee, exorcise me not, 



And be not quite so emphatic ! " 



"I am of a practical nature in fact, 



And of silent resolution ; 

 But know, that whatever thy spirit conceives, 



" I put into execution." 



" Thy lictor am I, and follow behind, 



And carry in all its splendor 

 The polish' d executioner's ax; 



I'm the deed which thy thoughts engender." 



So the spinal cord is the " deed " of the brain's 

 thoughts. 



EDUCATING THE BACKBONE, 



All work of skill, all cunning and delicacy of handi- 

 craft are the results of educating the spinal cord. The 



