The Teacher and the State 65 



herbs are marshalled in a procession that extends into 

 the past so far, that only some concept of life's begin- 

 ning can ever again satisfy your dreaming vision. You 

 have added to your own life the millions of years that 

 lie behind us. 



In fact, all along the lines of studied effort, if you are 

 really normal students, I believe you are ready to admit 

 that, while you have been studying all these things, you 

 have not been limited by what you saw or heard, but 

 your minds have far outrun the printed page, the speak- 

 er's tone, the measured hour or day or year, and you are 

 away to claim an empire all your own, whose boundaries 

 are the fields of time ! 



I am sure I shall not be here misunderstood. From 

 what I have said, you realize that I am not belittling the 

 idea or value of exact information. I beg you to con- 

 sider that, as I said at the beginning, real efficiency any- 

 where is conditioned upon accuracy and breadth of 

 knowledge. I am referring merely to the ordinary ex- 

 perience of the ordinary student leaving an ordinary 

 college, or even a teachers' college. All exercises are but 

 means. The value of the real outcome must be found in 

 something else than mere numbered page, or treasured 

 fact, however precious in itself. Only in yourself is the 

 reward of a scholar's labor, only in experience shall such 

 expenditure as his be justified. 



You are not linguists, but you know what language- 

 study means, how and why it is pursued. You are not 

 mathematicians, but you appreciate the efforts of those 

 who are. You are not men and women of letters, but 

 you know in what direction lie the flowery fields of lit- 



