maining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall under God, have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.-Abraham Lincoln.

THE BIBLE: A TEXT BOOK IN COLLEGE.

MOST

BY W. W. DAVIS, A. M.

OST of our colleges were founded by religious men: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Gettysburg. Many of the Presidents were men of piety and learning: Dwight of Yale, Edwards of Princeton, Hitchcock of Amherst, Mark Hopkins of Williams. Many of the professors, too, taught in the fear of the Lord Joseph Henry of the Smithsonian, Guyot of Princeton, Asa Gray of Harvard, Olmstead of Yale.

The course of study was arranged on a comprehensive plan: Latin and Greek, mathematics, the sciences, art, literature, mental and moral philosophy-everything to inform and discipline the mind.

But there was one great oversight. The Bible had no place in this elaborate programme. A showy superstructure, but no firm foundation. The play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out. It was thought, doubtless, by these good men, that the Bible morning and evening in the chapel exercises, would throw a divine flavor over the proceedings of the institution.

Why not let the Bible have a place as a text book with other studies? Why not the Books of Moses and of Samuel as well as the histories of Livy and Thucydides? Why not the Epistles of Paul as well as the dialogues of Plato? Why not the epic of Job as well as the tragedies of Sophocles, the Psalms of David as well as the hymns of Pindar, the prophecies of Isaiah as well as the Philippics of Demosthenes, the pastoral of Ruth as as well the idyls of Theocritus?

For all purposes of the poet and orator, the historian and critic, the writer and metaphysician, the Bible is a perfect thesaurus of the amplest and noblest material for mental and moral discipline.

These collegiate fathers believed that the students received a thorough Bible training at home, and needed no further instruction at school. Perhaps they did. But homes like those of the Wesleys and Doddridges are scarce in these days. At an English university examination a large number of students were unable to explain some simple biblical allusions in one of Tennyson's poems.

An educated Chinese knows the Books of Confucius, a Brahmin the Vedas of the Hindoos, a Mohammedan the Koran. To be ignorant of his sacred books is a disgrace. Shall our graduates be familiar with every form of knowledge but that which is found in the Book of books, the moral code of civilization, the sheet anchor of civil and religious liberty, the guiding star of human hope?

Let every student, then, who leaves our college halls, be so grounded in the spirit and text of the Scriptures that he may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works, a man of power, integrity, and understanding.-Lutheran Observer.

THE ILLITERATE MASSES.

THE Americans look with commendable pr pride upon their educational system, upon the facilities afforded for securing an education to all who desire it, and upon the progress which we are making along all educational lines. The report, just published, of the United States Ĉommissioner of Education for 1891-1892, bristling with figures and facts, is full of information, and discusses luminously some of the most important current questions in different departments of educa tion, while a careful examination and comparison of its tables reveals unfavorable features, which may be a surprise to some and which it should be attempted to

cure.

The number of persons of a school age from 5 to 17 years, in the United States, is given as 18,543,201, in a total population of 64,834.561. The enrollment in schools of all grades, public and private, was 14,714,933. Of these 147,662 were in colleges, universities, professional and technical schools, and were above the age of 17, and should be deducted from the 14,714,933 for the purpose we now have in view. That would leave 14,670,271 of the children of school age who were in school attendance. Of those 13,205,877

The

were in the State common schools. difference between 18,543,201 and 14,670,271 is the number of children of school age who were not in any school3,871,930, or more than one-fourth of the whole.

It is very true that this does not mean that this proportion of the children never have gone, and never will go, to school. The Commissioner gives a table, which shows that 36 per cent. of those who were between 5 and 6 years of age were enrolled in the common schools, 70 per cent. of those between 6 and 7 years, 78 per cent. of those between 7 and 8, 84 per cent. between 8 and 9, 88 per cent. between 9 and 10, 90 per cent. between 10 and 11, 87 per cent. between 11 and 13, 77 per cent. between 13 and 14, 65 per cent. between 14 and 15, 48 per cent. between 15 and 16, 36 per cent. between 16 and 17, 25 per cent. between 17 and 18. And as 90.6 per cent. of the children from Io to 11 years of age were enrolled (the highest enrollment of any of the ages), he says nine-tenths of the population get some degree of education, and the number who never attend school at all is "an inconsiderable fraction," so that we have a" well nigh universal education." Still, that leaves one-tenth, or nearly two millions, of the children entirely outside of the schools. And a very large proportion of those who are enrolled get but a smattering of learning. Eighty per cent. of the children in the common schools, or over 10,560,000, were under 14 years of age, and the maximum attendance was of children from 9 to 11 years of age. They are speedily forced into the work of life, with little more than the ability to read and write. How true this is, further appears from another fact.

The average number of days in the year that the schools, private and public, were open was only 137; of the State public schools only 88. In our section (the North Atlantic) the figures are larger, 169; but even that was less than half the year. In the Gulf States it was 94. The complaint in regard to the religious teaching of the Sunday-schools, that the children can easily forget in the six days what they learn on the one day, may be applied here.

Our own State and city are in the van in their educational facilities, but even here there is food for questioning reflection. The estimated population of Pennsylvania in 1892 was 5,478,000; the chil

dren between 5 and 18 years of age (30.55 per cent. of the whole), 1,529,000, and the public school enrollment, 1,032,113; nearly one-third not even enrolled, to say nothing of the regularity of attendance on the 169 days of the year.

Philadelphia's population in 1891 is given as 1,069,250. The children of the school ages would be over 320,000. But the estimated number in private and parochial schools was 40,000, and in the public schools for the year the enrollment was estimated as 174,700, the number belonging to them on December 31st being, however, only 116,445; and the number of days the schools were in session was 201. The public school enrollment and estimated number for private and parochial schools, which will give the highest and most favorable figures possible, show that only 214,100 of the 320,000 were under educational training.

It is generally supposed that the cities are the most highly favored in their school conveniences and in the attendance upon them. Here, however, the Commissioner of Education sounds a very serious and startling note of warning. "In all the great cities of the country the schools are losing ground." Their educational conditions for 1892 were less favorable than they had been. While the population showed an increase for the year of 5.50 per cent., the school enrollment increased but 4.27 per cent.-onefourth less than that of the population. As specific instances: New York's rate of increase of population was 2.07 per cent., the increase of school enrollment only 0.31 per cent.; Chicago's population, increase, 8.13 per cent.; school enrollment, 7.56 per cent.; Brooklyn's population, increase, 3.58 per cent.; school enrollment, 1.41 per cent.; Philadelphia's population, increase, 2.13 per cent.; school enrollment, 1.57 per cent.

"There remain," says the Commissioner, "a large number of persons in every city to whom school instruction offers no advantages that they can appreciate, and who, if left to themselves, would never see the inside of a school house. It is toward this class that the efforts of school officials must be directed in future, if they desire to increase the proportion of the population who attend school, and it must be remembered that such efforts must be exerted toward each individual, and not toward a class, and must be supplemented by such expensive and trouble

HE third class of the Annisville Academy

THE

was the worst set of cheaters that had ever been in the school. It was known by the boys as the "Cheating Class," and was looked upon with a curious mixture of contempt and admiration. For, though its members cheated, at least they cheated very well. Never but once since the class joined the school had a boy been caught cheating, and that was Wiggin, who had been dropped from the class ahead, and could not be expected immediately to acquire the requisite coolness, audacity, and quickness of hand, eye, and ear. At every examination some of the boys were asking and answering questions in whispers, or by means of little notes, while others were busily consulting books or condensed information written on their cuffs. Only about a third of the class, including Winslow Homans and most of the other good scholars, worked out their examinations honestly amidst the busy but, for the most part, silent communications of their neighbors.

The matter had certainly grown much worse since the class came under Mr. Opdike. He was so extremely strict, and, as the boys thought, unfeeling, that they felt themselves justified in getting the better of him in any possible way. He had sharp eyes; but they were not sharp enough. There was not a teacher in the academy who could see what those boys were about during an examination. They were very still, much stiller than the other classes, yet they managed to hold long and profitable communications. Once in a while Mr. Opdike saw something to arouse his suspicion; but, curiously enough, it was generally one of the honest boys whom he suspected; for the honest boys did not take any trouble to preserve appearances. The class had a good laugh when Mr. Opdike ran down the aisle and snatched a book out of Val Stetson's hand, only to find that Val had sent up his examination paper by another boy, and was looking over his lesson for the next day. Yet, at that very moment, if Mr. Opdike had only 'known it, Frank Wiggin was sitting on a

book which he had just been consulting, and Calthrop was lending Aberle a rubber with a Latin-English vocabulary inscribed upon it.

George Rogers was halfway between the honest boys and the cheaters. He cheated in the little weekly "tests," which were merely to show the teacher how the class was keeping up to its work; but as yet he had been perfectly honest during the monthly examination, which determined the rank of the class. Winslow Homans tried in vain to persuade him to be honest altogether. "I must have some fun with old Dike," George said, with a laugh; "I don't want to be a mother's darling, teacher's favorite, molly-coddle." This last remark almost brought the boys to fisticuffs; for Homans, though small and slight, was very active and wiry, and not in the least afraid of his big friend, George Rogers. At last George said he didn't mean to say Winslow was a molly-coddle, and with this Winslow was contented. They were a queer pair of friends-George was so big and Winslow so little; Winslow a person of such wonderful ideas and theories, and George a commonplace boy, with nothing wonderful about him.

"I shall get left in that Latin examination to-day, as sure as a gun," said George, as he and Winslow Homans were walking to school together.

"Oh, I guess not," Winslow replied, hopefully. You've been working pretty hard, haven't you?”

"Yes, I've been working like fury; but, somehow, this Virgil takes me where I'm weak. I shall fail, I know, unless-well, unless I do like the other fellows."

Winslow stood still and looked at his friend indignantly. "George," he cried in despair, you don't mean to say you're going to cheat in examination?"

66

"Oh, come now," said George, savagely, 'don't yell it out so that the whole street can hear. I'm no worse than the other fellows. I never set up to be any better."

They walked along in silence for a while, Winslow thinking up all the arguments he could against cheating; George stolidly determined not to give in.

"I should think you would feel sort of mean," Winslow said at last, "to get ahead of decent fellows who don't cheat, in such a way as that. Lots of pleasure your big marks will give you."

"I don't want any big marks," George replied gruffly; I just want to get through. If I get left in this Latin, I'll be conditioned in it for the year. All through school, lots of the fellows have got ahead of me by cheating, and I don't see why I shouldn't try my hand as well as all the others."

through in Latin. And getting through honestly, too;' perhaps your mother'll say. That ought to make you feel splendid!"

"Shut up!" said George, blushing in spite of himself. "You may as well keep quiet, because I know what I'm about; and it's no business of yours, anyway. I'll bet a hat that you and Val Stetson, and those other prigs over in that corner of our room, would cheat as much as any one else, if you only dared to, and knew how."

That's not true, George," Winslow replied. We could hand round papers and look at books as well as you old muddleheads; and if we were afraid, what'd keep us from cheating when old Opdike was out of the room?"

Because you're afraid he'll come back, of course," said George. "I'd give anything to see one of you fellows try a little cheating. He'd catch you at the first go."

Winslow reflected a moment, nodded, as if he had thought of something, and then turned back again to George.

"Look here, George," he said, "do you really think I don't cheat because I'm afraid to?"

"Of course I do," George replied; "I haven't been lying to you.'

"Well, what do you mean by saying you'd give anything to see me cheat?"

"I mean what I say," said George. It suddenly dawned on his mind that if he could manage to persuade Winslow to cheat just once, Winslow could never find fault with him again for doing what he had done himself.

"I have half a mind to try it," said Winslow. "What'll you do for me if I do?"

"I'll do anything you like." "Will you promise?"

"Yes; shake on it."

"Very well; then I'll volunteer to cheat in the Latin examination, and do it so well that not only the teacher, but neither you nor any of the boys will see me, and get perfect on the examination paper, or nearly perfect, if you-—”

"Well," said George, his face radiant, "if I

"If you'll promise not to cheat just this

once.

All right," said George. "But if I catch you cheating I can begin myself right away.'

:

"All right," said Winslow and they walked the rest of the way to school in silence, Winslow thinking hard and George laughing to himself at the fun he and the other boys would have over Winslow's attempts at cheating.

The examination was to be translation at sight. Winslow knew it would be taken from Virgil, though he did not know, of course, what passage would be selected. But he had noticed one day, when Mr. Opdike and he had been looking over a hard sentence together, that the teacher's book had certain passages marked on the margins,

with dates, showing that they had been selected for examinations. When George and he had reached school, Winslow went right to the teacher's little room, which led out of the school-room. Mr. Opdike was already there, reading the newspaper; but as Winslow frequently came in to look at the books, Mr. Opdike was not at all surprised at his appearance now. The teacher's Virgil was lying on the table with a mark in it; but Winslow seemed to pay no attention to it. He merely took up a classical dictionary and began to read it. A moment before nine Mr. Opdike went into the hall to attend to his duty of ringing the school bell. Within ten seconds after he had left the room, Winslow opened the Virgil at the place where the bookmark was inserted, had found the passage marked, "For the axamination of May second," had closed the book, and was in the schoolroom.

The examination was held at eleven o'clock. George had been spreading the news that Winslow Homans was going to cheat, so that all eyes were turned toward Homans' desk; but they were soon turned away again. If he was cheating, he was doing it too cleverly for even those veteran cheaters to detect him. Gus Aiken, who sat behind him, was considered by the class the cleverest boy that ever passed a note, or wrote a letter on the sole of his boot; and yet he could not get the slightest idea of what Homans was about. At last he stopped watching Winslow, and set himself to work with a sigh that any one should surpass him at his own business. After the examination, every one crowded round Homans to ask him what he had been doing, but Winslow would answer no questions. "I'll tell you all about it after the marks are out," he said. "You just see if I don't get ninety-nine per cent. I made one little mistake just to avoid suspicion. You all think a fellow's got to be as clumsy about cheating as you are. Mr. Opdike must be deaf. I heard Wiggin there yelling out, 'What does complerant mean?' as if he were a man in a cart, calling; Strawberries!' Why, Wiggin, you'll ruin the class reputation for being the smartest set of blackguards in the school."

And with that he walked away, leaving the boys feeling a little uncomfortable at being called "blackguards" without being able to resent it.

The next day, as soon as the class came together, Mr. Opdike rose to announce the marks. There was some little curiosity among the boys to see how Homans had succeeded. Homans himself was evidently very nervous; he looked pale and tired, and kept running his fingers through his black hair till it looked as if it had never been brushed. George Rogers knew well that something was going to happen, for Winslow acted just the way he had acted a year before on the day when he stood up at the annual exhibition and defended the school athletic association against the attack of the

president of the trustees. Mr. Opdike was paie, too, and seemed much displeased.

"The class, as a whole, has done worsemuch worse than I expected," he said. "Almost none of you have a real grip on the Latin language. If it were not that one of you had done extremely well indeed, I should suppose that the examination had been too hard. But Homans has passed an examination so creditable in every way that, though there are two small errors, I propose to give him one hundred per cent. upon it. I know Homans would have told me if he had seen the passage before. It is a great pleasure— well, Homans, what is it?"

"I cheated, sir," said Winslow.

A sort of shiver went through the class; every heart beat like mad.

"I-I-I don't understand you," stammered Mr. Opdike.

"I cheated-cheated in the examination," Winslow repeated, firmly.

"Well, upon my word," Mr. Opdike said, recovering himself at last, "I'm glad that at least you have the grace to confess it. If a boy must be a sneak, it's better for him to get up and say so; but I'm really surprised. I always mean to keep an eye on you boys. What did you do? How did you do it?

"I looked in your Virgil and found out what passage we were going to have; and then, in the two recitation hours, between nine and eleven, I worked it all out with the dictionary and the notes."

"Why, but I don't understand,” said Mr. Opdike. "I selected the passage at ten minutes before nine."

"And I found it at one minute before nine," said Homans.

The boys looked at each other excitedly, while Mr. Opdike pondered what he should

say.

"I have always been proud to feel," he began at last, "that there has been no cheating in my class." Here the boys could not refrain from snickering. "Now that I have found a case of it at last, however painful it is to me, I feel that I must make it an example. Homans, your mark on the examination is zero. And I shall confer on the matter with Mr. Lonsdale. You have confessed, and that gives some hope for your future. But in a class where cheating has been almost unknown before, it must be nipped in the bud. You may depend upon being severely punished. Boys have been expelled for cheating."

Homans rose to reply, but before he could begin, George Rogers was on his feet and had addressed Mr. Opdike.

George was excited, and hardly knew what he was saying. He wanted to save Winslow at all hazards; and he blurted out the first thing that came into his head, without the respect that was due to his teacher.

"Do you mean to say," he called out, "that you don't know that half the class is always cheating? Half? Two-thirds! Homans isn't the only one by a long chalk!

It's kind of hard to punish the only one that confesses, when they all do it."

The cat was out of the bag now with a vengeance. The boys did not know whether to be sorry or glad that George had said it. Mr. Opdike sat back in his chair and looked at the class, but said nothing. Winslow Homans saw that the time had come for immediate action. He left his seat and walked up to the teacher's desk.

"Mr. Opdike," he began, in a low voice, so that the boys could not hear. "Well, Homans."

"If you would be kind enough, and it isn't asking too much, wouldn't you let this matter rest just here for an hour? I know I'm asking a great deal. But honestly, Mr. Opdike"-here his black eyes grew so earnest that they could not be resisted-"honestly, the only thing I want is to put an end to this cheating. You've no idea how far it's gone; but if you'll just let me call a class meeting in the ten-o'clock recess, I think there's enough right feeling in the class to stop it right off short. But-please excuse me for seeming to dictate--but don't threaten to punish them. That'll make them cheat all the more. Won't you please try it? Only an hour?"

Mr. Opdike reflected. "This is a serious business, Homans," he replied, at last, "and you have taken a great responsibility upon yourself. Be careful how you make use of it. However, I have no objection to waiting an hour. Now you may take your seat.

"Well, boys, we will go on with the algebra; but before we begin Homans wishes me to announce that there is to be a class meeting in the ten o'clock recess."

There was not much algebra learned in that recitation. Every one was busy thinking about the meeting at the end of the hour; and when Mr. Opdike went out and left them to themselves, forty hearts were beating fast. Most of the boys did not know what to think. Cheating had always seemed to them a kind of joke, and all of a sudden here it was transformed into a serious matter. And Homans was so determined and excited that he frightened them. They were very proud of Winslow, and loved dearly to see him pitch into the trustees, or the teachers; but now they were going to have him pitching into themselves. George Rogers, too, looked very stern and dignified as he whispered to Homans. Wiggin and a few of the others were trying to get up an opposition party; but no one liked to say that he was on the cheating side. Let's wait," was the geneaal verdict, "and see what Homans has got to say."

Homans had plenty to say; that was evident enough. He was trembling with excitement as he walked up to the platform and started in.

"I won't say 'gentlemen,'" he began, "because a man can't cheat and be a gentleman at the same time. Cheating's lying. and a gentleman doesn't lie. But I have an