Moreover, at first the courses of the "new" were for three years, and too frequently the preparation was too meagre, and when connected with the old colleges the course of instruction consisted largely of the non-classical studies of the old courses, and the classes sometimes were presided over by non-sympathetic instructors. But the new education had a firm hold upon the public, and the demand for it was so strong that it could not be ignored, and so it was patronized and tolerated by many who were unfriendly to it. Opposition and criticism only served to point out defects to be remedied; the courses were extended to four years, with independent classes and instructors; the requirements for admission raised, the courses of study often severe; the students, generally hungry for knowledge, made great improvement, and in time graduates filled positions of trust and responsibility with credit and honor to themselves. Then agitation ceased. The victory had The victory had been won by the results achieved.

The advocates of the "new" were no longer apologists for the system, but, as aggressors, claimed that the subjects and methods of the new education were better adapted to develop integrity of character and true manhood, since they require a constant inquiry after truth, and for the sake of truth only. Nearly all the abstract sciences have been introduced into the classical courses, so that they have become quite scientific. Indeed, language has a science, so that in the broadest sense they may be truly scientific. Even theology has modified its teachings. Instead of an extraordinary and unnecessary exhibition of Al

mighty power in creating stratified rocks, fossils and petrifaction in an hour, there is substituted the economic operations of law acting through ages. Science has broadened the mind, reaching in one direction toward the infinitely great, in the other toward the infinitely small. The material benefits resulting from the applications of science, producing wealth, comforts, luxuries, conveniences, pleasures, is an attractive subject for the economist.

Fear has been expressed that these professional schools would graduate too many; that they would fill the country with pretentious engineers for whom there is no place. Such a condition cannot be determined beforehand, and can be settled only by trial. New fields open, the hap-hazard "rule-of-thumb" methods gave way to the systematic methods of the engineer; the ignorant superintendent is displaced by an educated one, technical journalism and teaching absorb some, consulting-engineering others, while many seek a technical education as a preparation for business life or for other professions, and not a few will be mechanical workmen, more intelligent for the drill they have had. There is no danger of educating too many sensible men. Education makes true men humble and serviceable, and if the indolent, the vain, the pretentious, are graduated, they will find a lower level in the world. Shake a sieve filled with sand and gravel and the small grains fall through, the lumps remain, the larger on top. The world is a pitiless screen. The schools cast in their products and abide the result.

DE VOLSON WOOD.

W

E look into the face of childhood, reading many thingsas many things puzzling, pleasant and painful, as there are faces. To quote the words of an eminent physician: "You can mould the bumps on a child's head to suit yourself," and, continuing, "I don't think the disposition has anything to do with it;"-yet the moulding of charac

ter, through education, has much to do with fashioning and developing the disposition. Children whose mothers or guardians delight in making the little ones happy have their reward in the increased beauty of their charges, a beauty which is often independent of form or feature- or even of coloring. Nor is the disposition the least to be benefited, but often derives the greatest improve

ment from association with congenial companions and pleasant surroundings. Kindness, axiomatically, begets kindness. Truth is the strongest advocate for truth, and, in advanced youth, perfect trust, in a properly bred young man or woman, is seldom betrayed.

Yet how many guardians of youth continue to prate of "in-bred sin," whenever and wherever there is a spontaneous expression of joyous physical, mental, or spiritual well-being-niggardly souls, that misinterpret sinful thoughts in a baby's smile, a young girl's laugh, or a boy's exuberant activity—and these, in turn, develop suspicious thoughts, distrustful motives, and deceitful actions; -where, a wiser course would have called into being an harmonious soul, trustful and trustworthy.

A healthy physique is generally the foundation of a healthy morality. That course of training, exercise, education, and care, which develops the most apparent physical perfection, will also develop a corresponding amount of charac

ter.

A rosy, happy youth, instinct with life and activity, with open, candid eyes looking out with soulful splendor, smiling guileless joy in serene expectation of an equally guileless reception, is one of the sweetest things to contemplate. Nor is this attribute confined to youth alone. You will see it sometimes in the faces of the servants employed in the families of our best-bred people,-who, having the means to pay for it, require the best service and employ such as are most fitted to render it,-giving them comfortable quarters, and wholesome fare to promote the physical condition their duties demand, stipulating to pay therefore a due equivalent, which is generously and cheerfully fulfilled. In turn, the recipients render with cheerful alacrity the services for which they are employed - the household throughout maintaining the harmonious balance of peacefulness and justice. On the other hand, often, some pretentious under-bred parvenue will aspire to emulate the picture described, and open "an establishment," furnish

ing with costly and careless extravagance, the drawing-rooms and others most en evidence, neglecting the necessities required for the proper fulfilling of the domestic functions; engaging a corps of servitors, with a total disregard of fitness, demanding attendance both in and

out of season-a repetition of the Egyptian code of "bricks without straw.' Then mark the difference of expression in the faces of the dependents of those two households and compare the characters of the individuals after a given lapse of time, and the physiologist and sociologist will have an interesting field for thought. Then again, see how the influence of one cheerful, kindly presence will brighten the lives of all who come within the radius of his or her vision, developing the character of the menial, even, by increasing that menial's self-respect and self-dependence.

On the other hand, note the niggardliness of the suspicious and worldly philanthropist, whose reputation is a hollow mockery, luring to destruction the youthful aspirant who confides in him, seeking reassurance, perhaps,- hopeful, honest, and therefore confident,- needing influence and timely assistance to promote the growing product, which is to lead to a life of prosperous usefulness,— to be frozen with a cold and calculating eye, checked with a sneering voice, until an undercurrent sets in, which wrecks the career of honest endeavor, and embitters the soul of the ambitious aspirant forever.

The experience of two whom the writer knew will illustrate best the motive of this paper. One was the motherless daughter of an artisan, who refused to re-marry but hired a home-tyrant to bring up his children. The promise of beauty in this child was early discernible, but as time advanced the promise was not fulfilled. Her form was dwarfed and prematurely aged, her shoulders drooped, as in advanced maturity, her joints enlarged, and her face became sharpened and sallow, with a corresponding mental and moral condition,— as one commented, "Nature was starved." At about the age of twenty deliverance from hired thraldom came. An observant friend, of noble nature, assumed the rôle of mentor, and the work of remoulding began. The girl became the mistress of her father's home, and endeavored to redeem her own misguided youth, regained her impaired health, and redeveloped her mental and moral faculties. Freedom from restraint, and the kindness of friends made her happy. Proper recreation, alternating with home duties and studies, counterbalanced any tend

ency to morbidness. Timely hints from her esteemed mentor were acted upon, while mental courses alternated courses in physical culture, dancing, with music, a course of classical reading, with a series of well-chosen plays at the theatres, and, at the appointed season, outdoor exercises were properly indulged in, until at the age of thirty-seven she is, not a beautiful, but an accomplished and thoroughly well-bred, graceful, and elegant woman. Bright and engaging, petite and round, combining womanly balance with the vivacity of eighteen, and looking not a day older than twentyfive; a perfect reincarnation of character developed by happiness.

The other was a woman who, though superior mentally and socially to the situation, was compelled through expediency to accept occupation as a home dressmaker in families; having a weary time, until some kind genie opened the way to a well-disposed set of wealthy, well-bred patrons, who smiled upon her endeavors, which developed a power undreamed of in her, even by herself, and she became "the fashion" in an exclusive quarter and flourished accordingly.

On occasionally visiting friends of olden times, one was wont to say, "No need to ask how are you?— your face proclaims that it is well with you," or "With whom are you employed, for again your face is witness that you are basking in the presence of greatness. And now, though prosperity is curtailed, the character then developed is retained, and the serene nobility which rests upon her brow compels the respect and attention which is seldom given to any but those possessing not only name but place; another proof of the power of good-breeding.

Though this one of whom I write is at the present moment ill from contact with a brutalized nature, whose influence she was striving to secure in order to promote a given object, her refined delicacy having offended the stronger, rougher element, who retaliated with overbearing insolence, and her sensitive. soul recoiled, and heart and nerves gave way; it is hoped, but temporarily. To quote an authority, "It is well known that certain conditions of body and mind produce specific nerve effects. For instance, happy sensations produce healthy nerve currents, while per contra, disagree

able sensations have a decidedly toxic influence on nerve ganglia."

Environment, I may add, is responsible for much that is desirable or undesirable in the development of character, and the maintaining of a healthy, mental and moral, as well as physical, equilibrium; nor are animals, and even plants, exempt from the influence of immediate surroundings. I have known a dog, who had a kind but indifferent master, to become morose and intractable simply from being ignored. from being ignored. On being consigned to the care of a considerate and sympathetic lover of animals, his nature changed, apparently in a few days, becoming amiable and caressing; joyous barks took the place of surly snarls, and he looked out with happy, shining eyes -a perfect specimen of healthy animal life, produced by kindness.

It is well known also that plants thrive in the sunshine, with an appropriate supply of water; though sunshine and water do not produce the required result if the plants are disturbed or trodden upon, or even frequently brushed against, or roughly handled; they must be planted in proper soil, lighted, tended, watered and also, let alone.

The wife of the late Sir Richard Burton, the famous traveller, has, in a volume recently issued, entitled "The Romance of Isabel, Lady Burton," set down a series of Rules for a Wife, to govern her conduct through life. Here are some extracts from her code: 1. Let your husband find in you a companion, friend and adviser, and confidante, that he may miss nothing at home. 2. Be a careful nurse when he is ailing, that he may never be in low spirits about his health without a serious cause. 3. Make his home snug. If it be ever so small and poor, there can always be a certain chic about it. 4. Improve and educate yourself in every way, that you may enter into his pursuits and keep pace with the times. 5. Do not try to hide your affection for him, but let him see and feel it in every action. Keep up the honeymoon romance, whether at home or in the desert. Do not make the mistake of neglecting your personal appearance, but try to look well and dress well to please his eye. Take an interest in everything that interests him. To be

companionable a woman must learn what interests her husband; and if it is only planting turnips, she must try to understand turnips.

N

O nation ever recovered so quickly from so great a shock as did the United States from the effects of the War of the Rebellion. These effects were felt most in the South. It is true that the North lost about 350,000 ablebodied men, and a great many more were rendered incapable of doing afterwork. It is true that it cost several thousand million dollars, but the expense was not an unmixed evil for it greatly stimulated industry. In the South conditions were different. That section lost a great many men in the field and had many wounded or rendered more or less useless by ill-health. In the matter of expense it lost more heavily than the North. All of its war-debt was declared void. A great part of the loss fell on foreign bondholders, but the people of the South had given their money and material freely and all this became a total loss, while they had to help to pay the debt of the Union to suppress the rebellion. A great part of the Southern territory was at one time or another occupied by armies and the devastation was great, particularly in Virginia, Tennessee, and the territory just south of the latter State. But the greatest evil the South encountered was from a total upheaval of its social and economical systems.

Upheavals

Bad as slavery was from in the South a moral point of view,

and undesirable as it was from an economical standpoint, the change was so sudden that it upset business and society to an extent that can hardly be appreciated now. Undesirable as slavery was from any standpoint, no one can say that it was got rid of in the way that would have been best for all concerned under ordinary circumstances. Emancipation by presidential proclamation in the rebellious States was a war measure. The success of the Union arms soon caused the whole fabric of slavery to fall. In the border States that had not seceded the shock was not so great as

*See First Paper-"The Negro as a Slave" -in SELF CULTURE for June last.-Ed.

elsewhere. In Kentucky, Missouri, and Maryland where slavery had been a mild institution the change was easily effected, in most cases by the former owner simply hiring his former slaves. In many cases even in these States the late masters had joined the Confederacy and lost their lives or fortunes, or both. In other cases the negro was so excited over freedom that he refused to work for his former master or for any one else, for a long time expecting the government to take care of him. Many were anxious to own land and bought "patches" of poor ground at high prices, for which they were often unable to pay.

In the

Far South

In the far South the conditions were different. Many of the slaves who stayed faithfully at home for a time with their mistresses, looking after the crops, ran away and became camp-followers. Hundreds of thousands of them were in the wake of the armies. Many did effective manual labor. Many enlisted in the latter part of the war, and here the intoxication of freedom was greatest. When the war was over and the master came home to his plantation that had not been tilled for two seasons, or had been despoiled by one or the other of the armies and perhaps the buildings burned, a desperate situation confronted him. In the first place he had no money. The Confederate scrip was worthless. Coin had long left the country, and he had no credit, for no one would give it. The only currency in the United States was National bank notes and greenbacks. There were scarcely any National banks in the South, and it took time for greenbacks to get down there, for the North soon felt the stringency caused by extending its currency over a third more territory than it had previously occupied. About the only money for a time in the whole South came from the sale of cotton, which commanded a large price, and of which there was a fair supply on hand. Unfortunately much of this had passed out of the hands of the owners and had either been confiscated or bought up by speculators.

The Terrible Year after

The year of 1865 was a terrible one, but the peothe War ple lived through it, and they found one advantage in the fact that the necessities of war had driven them to a diversity in crops which they had not known before the war began. Northern capital soon poured South, but not always in the most desirable way. The carpet-bag legislatures issued hundreds of millions of bonds, which did not, as we have already seen, bring either money into circulation in all cases, nor did it bring about the development of the enterprises which were expected to do so much for the section. There was a gang of speculators in every State, and though they did help in some ways, they were not in the main there for the real development of the South.

In

The negro had no sooner recovered from the shock of freedom and the disappointment about the forty acres and a mule myth, than the troubles about Reconstruction came on. In these the negro was prominent from the start. order to protect themselves the existing legislatures passed many laws which bore hard on the negro, particularly in regard to vagrancy. There was a system devised by which the negro was to be forced to work, and in many cases this amounted to actual slavery. It cannot be said that these laws were in all respects well-conceived or fairly executed, though in many cases they were copied from New England laws, which defined the relations

between master and apprentice, but which had now become obsolete.

The Freedmen's The Freedmen's Bureau Bureau was established to act as mediator between the late masters and the freed negroes and to see that all were treated justly. These bureau stations were largely in charge of army officers, but in many cases unscrupulous men got appointed, to make money out of their positions. There were some men who ought to have been in the penitentiary, and there were some honest, efficient men who were of great service. After all the scandals of the bureau are examined (and there were enough of them), it still remains that, on the whole, the system was a good one for the time being. Many whites were glad of so efficient a power to restrain the ignorant men who had so lately been their slaves. Slowly the country emerged from the desolation of war and much progress might have been made, when the Fifteenth Amendment was passed making the negro a citizen with full civic rights.

The Fifteenth

Amendment

This was a great blow to the South and was the greatest injury ever inflicted upon the negro outside of slavery. The negro was not fitted for citizenship. He was given no preparation. Suddenly, more than four millions of ignorant men were made citizens and then told that they had the power and must look out for themselves. The North abandoned the negro after passing a few laws which were a great injury to him. So long as the troops were kept in the South, the negroes voted and elected their own people to many of the offices. There is no denying that in many cases there were ignorant, incompetent and vicious negroes put in high places, though in not a few instances they made competent officials.

It could not be expected, however, that this state of affairs could long exist. Gradually the whites were restored to their civil rights and they resented being controlled by their former slaves. This is a characteristic of the AngloSaxon. He will not consent to be ruled by any but his own race. Look at all the colonies Great Britain ever established and this will be seen to be the universal rule. The French easily amalgamate