252 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [8:7— Oct.. 1912 



formal recitations from books, in an education for culture, so- 

 called, an education which is cheapened if the concrete things 

 and realities of life become too abundant, an education which 

 must develop thought power and artistic appreciation apart from 

 the dust and perspiration of productive labor, apart from danger 

 of contact with things of common life. This interpretation of 

 what is of most worth in education has dominated so completely 

 that rich and poor alike have striven to secure for their children 

 a full measure of this kind of education. The evanescent halo 

 that hangs over our cultural eduT:ation has led many a hard-work- 

 ing parent to make great sacrifices that boys and girls may be 

 educated according to this standard, only to find at the end that 

 the sacrifice has been in vain, the education has left distorted 

 views of labor and industry, and a new start must be made. 

 We need not only advocate the dignity and enjoyment of work, 

 but the disgrace of anything except work, and our education has 

 taught us that really educated people must not engage in pro- 

 ductive labor. "Man shall not live by bread alone." but man 

 shall live by bread. There is no poem except in comparison 

 with prose — ^j^rose is fundamental and has a truth and exacti- 

 tude and permeating strength which is fundamental — and upon 

 it is poetry founded. The tragedy of patient, paternal, sacrifice 

 and toil to secure for children an education which too often 

 leaves them stranded and ineffective with false ideals of what is 

 of most worth is occurring so frequently that there is hope 

 just now that we may really understand the tragedy and help 

 to make its recurrence less necessary. That knowledge is of most 

 worth, which having led to growth in thought power and effi- 

 ciency, at the same time leads to efficient productivity in some real 

 work, a knowledge that leads to a belief in the dignity and 

 worth-whileness of productive activity. 



"What is an anecdote Johnny?" asked the teacher. 



"A short, funny tale." answered the little fellow. 



"That's right," said the teacher. 



"Now, Johnny, you may write a sentence on the blacklxiard 

 containing the word." 



Johnny hesitated a moment and then wrote this : "A rabbit 

 has four legs and one anecdote." 



— Selected. 



