why go to college-第2部分

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to　confess　a　lack　of　physical　vigor；　as　if　they　were　convicted　of
managing　life　with　bad　judgment；　or　of　some　moral　delinquency。
With　the　spreading　scientific　conviction　that　health　is　a　matter
largely　under　each　person's　control；　that　even　inherited　tendencies
to　disease　need　not　be　allowed　to　run　their　riotous　course　unchecked；
there　comes　an　earnest　purpose　to　be　strong　and　free。　　Fascinating
fields　of　knowledge　are　waiting　to　be　explored；　possibilities　of
doing；　as　well　as　of　knowing；　are　on　every　side；　new　and　dear
friendships　enlarge　and　sweeten　dreams　of　future　study　and　work；
and　the　young　student　cannot　afford　quivering　nerves　or　small
lungs　or　an　aching　head　any　more　than　bad　taste；　rough　manners；
or　a　weak　will。　　Handicapped　by　inheritance　or　bad　training；　she
finds　the　plan　of　college　life　itself　her　supporter　and　friend。
The　steady；　long…continued　routine　of　mental　work；　physical
exercise；　recreation；　and　sleep；　the　simple　and　wholesome　food；
in　place　of　irregular　and　unstudied　diet；　work　out　salvation　for
her。　　Instead　of　being　left　to　go　out…of…doors　when　she　feels
like　it；　the　regular　training　of　the　gymnasium；　the　boats　on　lake
and　river；　the　tennis　court；　the　golf　links；　the　basket　ball；
the　bicycle；　the　long　walk　among　the　woods　in　search　of　botanical
or　geological　specimens；all　these　and　many　more　call　to　the　busy
student；　until　she　realizes　that　they　have　their　rightful　place　in
every　well…ordered　day　of　every　month。　　So　she　learns；　little　by
little；　that　buoyant　health　is　a　precious　possession　to　be　won
and　kept。

It　is　significant　that　already　statistical　investigation　in　this
country　and　in　England　shows　that　the　standard　of　health　is　higher
among　the　women　who　hold　college　degrees　than　among　any　other
equal　number　of　the　same　age　and　class。　　And　it　is　interesting　also
to　observe　to　what　sort　of　questions　our　recent　girl　graduates　have
been　inclined　to　devote　attention。　　They　have　been　largely　the
neglected　problems　of　little　children　and　their　health；　of　home
sanitation；　of　food　and　its　choice　and　preparation；　of　domestic
service；　of　the　cleanliness　of　schools　and　public　buildings。
Colleges　for　girls　are　pledged　by　their　very　constitution　to　make
persistent　war　on　the　water　cure；　the　nervine　retreat；　the　insane
asylum；　the　hospital；those　bitter　fruits　of　the　emotional　lives
of　thousands　of　women。　　〃I　can　never　afford　a　sick　headache　again；
life　is　so　interesting　and　there　is　so　much　to　do；〃　a　delicate　girl
said　to　me　at　the　end　of　her　first　college　year。　　And　while　her
mother　was　in　a　far…off　invalid　retreat；　she　undertook　the　battle
against　fate　with　the　same　intelligence　and　courage　which　she
put　into　her　calculus　problems　and　her　translations　of　Sophocles。
Her　beautiful　home　and　her　rosy　and　happy　children　prove　the　measure
of　her　hard…won　success。　　Formerly　the　majority　of　physicians　had
but　one　question　for　the　mother　of　the　nervous　and　delicate　girl；
〃Does　she　go　to　school？〃　　And　only　one　prescription；　〃Take　her　out
of　school。〃　　Never　a　suggestion　as　to　suppers　of　pickles　and
pound…cake；　never　a　hint　about　midnight　dancing　and　hurried　day…time
ways。　　But　now　the　sensible　doctor　asks；　〃What　are　her　interests？
What　are　her　tastes？　　What　are　her　habits？〃　　And　he　finds　new
interests　for　her；　and　urges　the　formation　of　out…of…door　tastes
and　steady　occupation　for　the　mind；　in　order　to　draw　the　morbid
girl　from　herself　into　the　invigorating　world　outside。　　This　the
college　does　largely　through　its　third　gift　of　friendship。

Until　a　girl　goes　away　from　home　to　school　or　college；　her　friends
are　chiefly　chosen　for　her　by　circumstances。　　Her　young　relatives；
her　neighbors　in　the　same　street；　those　who　happen　to　go　to　the
same　school　or　church；these　she　makes　her　girlish　intimates。
She　goes　to　college　with　the　entire　conviction；　half　unknown　to
herself；　that　her　father's　political　party　contains　all　the　honest
men；　her　mother's　social　circle　all　the　true　ladies；　her　church　all
the　real　saints　of　the　community。　　And　the　smaller　the　town；　the
more　absolute　is　her　belief。　　But　in　college　she　finds　that　the
girl　who　earned　her　scholarship　in　the　village　school　sits　beside
the　banker's　daughter；　the　New　England　farmer's　child　rooms　next
the　heiress　of　a　Hawaiian　sugar　plantation；　the　daughters　of
the　opposing　candidates　in　a　sharply　fought　election　have　grown
great　friends　in　college　boats　and　laboratories；　and　before　her
diploma　is　won　she　realizes　how　much　richer　a　world　she　lives
in　than　she　ever　dreamed　of　at　home。　　The　wealth　that　lies　in
differences　has　dawned　upon　her　vision。　　It　is　only　when　the　rich
and　poor　sit　down　together　that　either　can　understand　how　the
Lord　is　the　Maker　of　them　all。

To…day　above　all　things　we　need　the　influence　of　men　and　women
of　friendliness；　of　generous　nature；　of　hospitality　to　new　ideas；
in　short；　of　social　imagination。　　But　instead；　we　find　each
political　party　bitterly　calling　the　other　dishonest；　each　class
suspicious　of　the　intentions　of　the　other；　and　in　social　life　the
pettiest　standards　of　conduct。　　Is　it　not　well　for　us　that　the
colleges　all　over　the　country　still　offer　to　their　fortunate
students　a　society　of　the　most　democratic　sort；one　in　which
a　father's　money；　a　mother's　social　position；　can　assure　no
distinction　and　make　no　close　friends？　　Here　capacity　of　every
kind　counts　for　its　full　value。　　Here　enthusiasm　waits　to　make
heroes　of　those　who　can　lead。　　Here　charming　manners；　noble
character；　amiable　temper；　scholarly　power；　find　their　full
opportunity　and　inspire　such　friendships　as　are　seldom　made
afterward。　　I　have　forgotten　my　chemistry；　and　my　classical　philology
cannot　bear　examination；　but　all　round　the　world　there　are　men
and　women　at　work；　my　intimates　of　college　days；　who　have　made
the　wide　earth　a　friendly　place　to　me。　　Of　every　creed；　of　every
party；　in　far…away　places　and　in　near；　the　thought　of　them　makes
me　more　courageous　in　duty　and　more　faithful　to　opportunity；　though
for　many　years　we　may　not　have　had　time　to　write　each　other　a
letter。　　The　basis　of　all　valuable　and　enduring　friendships　is　not
accident　or　juxtaposition；　but　tastes；　interests；　habits；　work；
ambitions。　　It　is　for　this　reason　that　to　college　friendship　clings
a　romance　entirely　its　own。　　One　of　the　friends　may　spend　her
days　in　the　laboratory；　eagerly　chasing　the　shy　facts　that　hide
beyond　the　microscope's　fine　vision；　and　the　other　may　fill　her
hours　and　her　heart　with　the　poets　and　the　philosophers；　one　may
steadfastly　pursue　her　way　toward　the　command　of　a　hospital；　and
the　other　towards　the　world　of　letters　and　of　art；　these　divergences
constitute　no　barrier；　but　rather　an　aid　to　the　fulness　of　friendship。
And　the　fact　that　one　goes　in　a　simple　gown　which　she　has　earned
and　made　herself；　and　the　other　lives　when　at　home　in　a　merchant's
modern　palacewhat　has　that　to　do　with　the　things　the　girls　care
about　and　the　dreams　they　talk　over　in　the　walk　by　the　river　or
the　bicycle　ride　through　country　roads？　　If　any　young　man　to…day
goes　through　Harvard　lonely；　neglected；　unfriended；　if　any　girl
lives　solitary　and　wretched　in　her　life　at　Wellesley；　it　is　their
own　fault。　　It　must　be　because　they　are　suspicious；　unfriendly
or　disagreeable　themselves。　　Certainly　it　is　true　that　in　the
associations　of　college　life；　more　than　in　any　other　that　the　country
can　show；　what　is　extraneous；　artificial；　and　temporary　falls　away；
and　the　every…day　relations　of　life　and　work　take　on　a　character　that
is　simple；　natural；　genuine。　　And　so　it　comes　about　that　the　fourth
gift　of　college　life　is　ideals　of　personal　character。

To　some　people　the　shaping　ideals　of　what　character　should　be；
often　held　unconsciously；　come　from　the　books　they　are　given　by
the　persons　whom　they　most　admire　before　they　are　twenty　years
old。　　The　greatest　thing　any　friend　or　teacher；　either　in　school
or　college；　can　do　for　a　student　is　to　furnish　him　with　a　personal
ideal。　　The　college　professors　who　transformed　me　through　my
acquaintance　with　themah；　they　were　few；　and　I　am　sure　I　did
not　have　a　dozen　conversations　with　them　outside　their　class
roomsgave　me；　each　in　his　different　way；　an　ideal　of　character；
of　conduct；　of　the　scholar；　the　leader；　of　which　they　and　I　were
totally　unconscious　at　the　time。　　For　many　years　I　have　known
that　my　study　with　them；　no　matter　whether　of　philosophy　or　of
Greek；　of　mathematics　or　history　or　English；　enlarged　my　notions
of　life；　uplifted　my　standards　of　culture；　and　so　inspired　me　with
new　possibilities　of　usefulness　and　of　happiness。　　Not　the　facts
and　theories　that　I　learned　so　much　as　the　men　who　taught　me；　gave
this　inspiration。　　The　community　at　large　is　right　in　saying　that
it　wants　the　personal　influence　of　professors　on　students；　but
it　is　wholly　wrong　in　assuming　that　this　precious　influence　comes
from　frequent　meetings　or　talks　on　miscellaneous　subjects。　　There
is　quite　as　likely　to　be　a　quickening　force　in　the　somewhat　remote
and　mysterious　power　of　the　teacher　who　devotes　himself　to　amassing
treasures　of　scholarship；　or　to　patiently　working　out　the　best
methods　of　teaching；　who　standing　somewhat　apart；　still　remains
an　ideal　of　the　Christian　scholar；　the　just；　the　courteous　man　or
woman。　　To　come　under　the　influence　of　one　such　teacher　is　enough
to　make　college　life　worthwhile。　　A　young　man　who　came　to　Harvard
with　eighty　cents　in　his　pocket；　and　worked　his　way　through；　never
a　high　scholar；　and　now　in　a　business　which　looks　very　commonplace；
told　me　the　other　day　that　he　would　not　care　to　be　alive　if　he
had　not　gone　to　college。　　His　face　flushed　as　he　explained　how
different　his　days　would　have　been　if　he　had　not　known　two　of　his
professors。　　〃Do　you　use　your　college　studies　in　your　business？〃
I　asked。　　〃Oh；　no！〃　he　answered。　　〃But　I　am　another　man　in　doing
the　business；　and　when　the　day's　work　is　done　I　live　another　life
because　of　my　college　experiences。　　The　business　and　I　are　both
the　better　for　it　every　day。〃　　How　many　a　young　girl　has　had　her
whole　horizon　extended　by　the　changed　ideals　she　gained　in　college！
Yet　this　is　largely　because　the　associations　and　studies　there
are　likely　to　give　her　permanent　intereststhe　fifth