THE VOID IN MODERN EDUCATION, ITS CAUSE, AND ANTIDOTE. BY OUTIS. Οὗτις ἔμοι γ ̓ ὄνομ ̓ ἔσθ ̓· οὗτιν δέ με κικλήσκουσι "What do you lack? What do you buy?"-BEN JONSON. PREFACE. THERE exists in all minds, more or less, an impression, that, in order to complete what is called a liberal education, there is a certain, though not very definite, hiatus to be filled up with "a knowledge of the Fine Arts." That no very precise manner of thinking prevails on this subject, is clear from the fact, that not many who use the above expression are prepared to state exactly what sort of knowledge this is. The impression nevertheless exists, and is known to exist, to such extent, that there is no good school, private or public, that does not possess a representative of this vaguely conceived-of branch of knowledge in the person or services of what is called a Drawing-master. The Music-master now-a-days (by some whimsical fatality) is not said to teach Fine Art, perhaps because his function is too clearly understood, and what he teaches too capable of being put in evidence, to entitle him to represent an acknowledged mystery? |