THE WILL AND THE WAY 



other powers of mind increasing as the power of will 

 increases. Most men have sufficient capacity of per- 

 ception, memory, and association to accomplish great 

 things in this world if these powers were properly 

 directed. It is a familiar comment of educators that 

 an hour a day given to almost any single subject will 

 make an ordinary man learned in that branch of knowl- 

 edge in a lifetime. But few men find themselves able to 

 give that hour a day, even though the thirst for knowl- 

 edge be strong upon them. They lack stability of 

 volitional guidance. 



The chief purpose of schooling is to supply this de- 

 fect. The colleges are important not so much because 

 of what they teach, as because they train volition so 

 that in future it may be an ever present teacher. This 

 is what is implied by the "mental discipline" of an 

 education. Of course the other faculties are also de- 

 veloped pari passu. Perception is sharpened, mem- 

 ory becomes more reliable, comparisons of ideas be- 

 come wider as more material is supplied for them; 

 a degree of general culture is attained. But the 

 chiefest thing is the degree of volitional stability that 

 is gained. 



And this is one reason why the brilliant student, who 

 has to study but little to keep ahead of his fellows, so 

 often comes to naught in the world. He has ac- 

 quired little volitional discipline, because little effort 

 was required to keep the average pace. The dullard, 

 on the other hand, having to struggle hard to keep in 

 sight of his fellows, gained the most valuable ac- 

 complishment of all, a trained power of application. 

 9 [129] 



