Tuition，forinstance，isanimportantiteminthetermbill，whileforthefarmorevaluableeducationwhichhegetsbyassociatingwiththemostcultivatedofhiscontemporariesnochargeismade。Themodeoffoundingacollegeis，commonly，togetupasubscriptionofdollarsandcents，andthen，followingblindlytheprinciplesofadivisionoflabortoitsextreme——aprinciplewhichshouldneverbefollowedbutwithcircumspection——tocallinacontractorwhomakesthisasubjectofspeculation，andheemploysIrishmenorotheroperativesactuallytolaythefoundations，whilethestudentsthataretobearesaidtobefittingthemselvesforit；andfortheseoversightssuccessivegenerationshavetopay。Ithinkthatitwouldbebetterthanthis，forthestudents，orthosewhodesiretobebenefitedbyit，eventolaythefoundationthemselves。Thestudentwhosecureshiscovetedleisureandretirementbysystematicallyshirkinganylabornecessarytomanobtainsbutanignobleandunprofitableleisure，defraudinghimselfoftheexperiencewhichalonecanmakeleisurefruitful。“But，“saysone，“youdonotmeanthatthestudentsshouldgotoworkwiththeirhandsinsteadoftheirheads？“Idonotmeanthatexactly，butImeansomethingwhichhemightthinkagooddeallikethat；Imeanthattheyshouldnotplaylife，orstudyitmerely，whilethecommunitysupportsthematthisexpensivegame，butearnestlyliveitfrombeginningtoend。Howcouldyouthsbetterlearntolivethanbyatoncetryingtheexperimentofliving？Methinksthiswouldexercisetheirmindsasmuchasmathematics。IfIwishedaboytoknowsomethingabouttheartsandsciences，forinstance，Iwouldnotpursuethecommoncourse，whichismerelytosendhimintotheneighborhoodofsomeprofessor，whereanythingisprofessedandpractisedbuttheartoflife；——tosurveytheworldthroughatelescopeoramicroscope，andneverwithhisnaturaleye；tostudychemistry，andnotlearnhowhisbreadismade，ormechanics，andnotlearnhowitisearned；todiscovernewsatellitestoNeptune，andnotdetectthemotesinhiseyes，ortowhatvagabondheisasatellitehimself；ortobedevouredbythemonstersthatswarmallaroundhim，whilecontemplatingthemonstersinadropofvinegar。Whichwouldhaveadvancedthemostattheendofamonth——theboywhohadmadehisownjackknifefromtheorewhichhehaddugandsmelted，readingasmuchaswouldbenecessaryforthis——ortheboywhohadattendedthelecturesonmetallurgyattheInstituteinthemeanwhile，andhadreceivedaRodgers’
penknifefromhisfather？Whichwouldbemostlikelytocuthisfingers？……TomyastonishmentIwasinformedonleavingcollegethatIhadstudiednavigation！——why，ifIhadtakenoneturndowntheharborIshouldhaveknownmoreaboutit。Eventhepoorstudentstudiesandistaughtonlypoliticaleconomy，whilethateconomyoflivingwhichissynonymouswithphilosophyisnotevensincerelyprofessedinourcolleges。Theconsequenceis，thatwhileheisreadingAdamSmith，Ricardo，andSay，herunshisfatherindebtirretrievably。
Aswithourcolleges，sowithahundred“modernimprovements“；
thereisanillusionaboutthem；thereisnotalwaysapositiveadvance。Thedevilgoesonexactingcompoundinteresttothelastforhisearlyshareandnumeroussucceedinginvestmentsinthem。
Ourinventionsarewonttobeprettytoys，whichdistractourattentionfromseriousthings。Theyarebutimprovedmeanstoanunimprovedend，anendwhichitwasalreadybuttooeasytoarriveat；asrailroadsleadtoBostonorNewYork。WeareingreathastetoconstructamagnetictelegraphfromMainetoTexas；butMaineandTexas，itmaybe，havenothingimportanttocommunicate。Eitherisinsuchapredicamentasthemanwhowasearnesttobeintroducedtoadistinguisheddeafwoman，butwhenhewaspresented，andoneendofhereartrumpetwasputintohishand，hadnothingtosay。Asifthemainobjectweretotalkfastandnottotalksensibly。WeareeagertotunnelundertheAtlanticandbringtheOldWorldsomeweeksnearertotheNew；butperchancethefirstnewsthatwillleakthroughintothebroad，flappingAmericanearwillbethatthePrincessAdelaidehasthewhoopingcough。Afterall，themanwhosehorsetrotsamileinaminutedoesnotcarrythemostimportantmessages；heisnotanevangelist，nordoeshecomeroundeatinglocustsandwildhoney。IdoubtifFlyingChildersevercarriedapeckofcorntomill。