IN CONCLUSION
United States"; of whom it was truly said, "Rarely have great abilities, unselfish devotion, and brilliant success been so united in the course of a single life."
A startling confession from such a man. "He saved others; himself he 'could' not save." And you and I, and every intelligent man and woman, know some one now who is cutting down a life of rare promise of great usefulness by just such ignorance; and in just such a battle as was fought by Horace Mann. Does it show commonsense to educate a boy or girl as to the heavenly bodies; or any other bodies; but to teach them nothing about their own bodies; and not to so educate those bodies that they shall be their willing and most helpful servants, no matter where is cast their lot in life? Which branch of their mental training approaches this in importance? Yet is not just this being done in a majority of the schools—and colleges too—in these United States to-day? Talking about the body, perhaps; reading about it, perhaps; but training it, strengthening it, toughening it, fitting it for the life-battle—where? At West Point—yes. Always yes, in many good respects, though her sons could in an hour a day be made ten, twenty per cent, better men than they will be by their present system. And scattered here and there, some other institutions, where the pupil's body is getting a treatment abreast of the intelligence in this field; and giving reasonable assurance, if kept up, of a long and useful life for its owner. But you—the hard brain-worker, in or out of college; you, young man or young woman of character and splendid spirit—working extra hours, far into the night, perhaps, and robbing your sleep—ambitious to be somebody, and to do something worthy in the world; you, already so in love with your work, and so absorbed in it that you do not see that bright as you are making the light in
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