the higher learning in america-第36节

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learning；　as　well　as　the　parents　and　guardians　of　possible



opulent　students；　it　is；　by　and　large；　necessary　to　meet　them　on



their　own　ground；　and　to　bring　into　view　such　evidence　of　culture



and　intelligence　as　will　readily　be　appreciated　by　them。　To　this



end　a　large　and　well　appointed　domestic　establishment　is　more



fortunate　than　a　smaller　one；　abundant；　well…chosen　and



well…served　viands；　beverages　and　narcotics　will　also



felicitously　touch　the　sensibilities　of　these　men　who　are



fortunate　enough　to　have　learned　their　virtue；　the　better；　that



is　to　say；　on　the　whole；　the　more　costly；　achievements　in　dress



and　equipage　will　〃carry　farther〃　in　these　premises　than　a



penurious　economy。　In　short；　it　is　well　that　those　who　may　be



called　to　stand　spokesmen　for　the　seat　of　learning　in　its　contact



with　men　and　women　of　substantial　means；　should　be　accustomed　to；



and　should　be　pecuniarily　competent　for；　a　scale　of　living



somewhat　above　that　which　the　ordinary　remuneration　for　academic



work　will　support。　An　independent　income；　therefore；　is　a



meritorious　quality　in　an　official　scholar。



　　　　The　introduction　of　these　delegates　from　the　well…to…do　among



the　academic　personnel　has　a　further；　secondary　effect　that　is



worth　noting。　Their　ability　freely　to　meet　any　required　pecuniary



strain；　coupled　with　that　degree　of　social　ambition　that　commonly



comes　with　the　ability　to　pay；　will　have　a　salutary　effect　in



raising　the　standard　of　living　among　the　rest　of　the　staff；　



salutary　as　seen　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　bureau　of



publicity。　In　the　absence　of　outside　resources；　the　livelihood　of



academic　men　is　somewhat　scant　and　precarious。　This　places　them



under　an　insidious　temptation　to　a　more　parsimonious　manner　of



life　than　the　best　（prestige）　interests　of　the　seat　of　learning



would　dictate。　By　undue　saving　out　of　their　current　wages　they



may　easily　give　the　academic　establishment　an　untoward　air　of



indigence；　such　as　would　be　likely　to　depreciate　its　prestige　in



those　well…to…do　circles　where　such　prestige　might　come　to　have　a



commercial　value；　in　the　way　of　donations；　and　it　might　at　the



same　time　deter　possible　customers　of　the　same　desirable　class



from　sending　their　young　men　to　the　university　as　students。



　　　　The　American　university　is　not　an　eleemosynary　institution；



it　does　not　plead　indigence；　except　in　that　Pickwickian　sense　in



which　indigence　may　without　shame　be　avowed　in　polite　circles；



nor　does　it　put　its　trust　in　donations　of　that　sparseness　and



modesty　which　the　gifts　of　charity　commonly　have。　Its　recourse



necessarily　is　that　substantial　and　dignified　class　of　gifts　that



are　not　given　thriftily　on　compunction　of　charity；　but　out　of　the



fulness　of　the　purse。　These　dignified　gifts　commonly　aim　to



promote　the　most　reputable　interests　of　humanity；　rather　than　the



sordid　needs　of　creature　comfort；　at　the　same　time　that　they



serve　to　fortify　the　donor'　s　good　name　in　good　company。



Donations　to　university　funds　have　something　of　the　character　of



an　investment　in　good　fame；　they　are　made　by　gentlemen　and



gentlewomen；　to　gentlemen；　and　the　transactions　begin　and　end



within　the　circle　of　pecuniary　respectability。　An　impeccable



respectability；　authentic　in　the　pecuniary　respect；　therefore；



affords　the　only　ground　on　which　such　a　seminary　of　learning　can



reasonably　claim　the　sympathetic　attention　of　the　only　class



whose　attentions　are　seriously　worth　engaging　in　these　premises；



and　respectability　is　inseparable　from　an　expensive　scale　of



living；　in　any　community　whose　scheme　of　life　is　conventionally



regulated　by　pecuniary　standards。



　　　　It　is　accordingly　expedient；　for　its　collective　good　repute；



that　the　members　of　the　academic　staff　should　conspicuously



consume　all　their　current　income　in　current　expenses　of　living。



Hence　also　the　moral　obligation　incumbent　on　all　members　of　the



staff　　and　their　households　　to　take　hands　and　help　in　an



endless　chain　of　conspicuously　expensive　social　amenities；　where



their　social　proficiency　and　their　ostensible　ability　to　pay　may



effectually　be　placed　on　view。　An　effectual　furtherance　to　this



desirable　end　is　the　active　presence　among　the　staff　of　an



appreciable　number　who　are　ready　to　take　the　lead　at　a　pace



slightly　above　the　competency　of　the　common　run　of　university



men。　Their　presence　insures　that　the　general　body　will　live　up　to



their　limit；　for　in　this；　as　in　other　games　of　emulation；　the



pace…maker　is　invaluable。



　　　　Besides　the　incentive　so　given　to　polite　expenditure　by　the



presence　of　a　highly　solvent　minority　among　the　academic



personnel；　it　has　also　been　found　expedient　that　the　directorate



take　thought　and　institute　something　in　the　way　of　an　authentic



curriculum　of　academic　festivities　and　exhibitions　of　social



proficiency。　A　degree　of　expensive　gentility　is　in　this　way



propagated　by　authority；　to　be　paid　for　in　part　out　of　the



salaries　of　the　faculty。



　　　　Something　in　this　way　of　ceremonial　functions　and　public



pageants　has　long　been　included　in　the　ordinary　routine　of　the



academic　year　among　the　higher　American　schools。　It　dates　back　to



the　time　when　they　were　boys'　schools　under　the　tutelage　of　the



clergy；　and　it　appears　to　have　had　a　ritualistic　origin；　such　as



would　comport　with　what　is　found　expedient　in　the　service　of　the



church。　By　remoter　derivation　it　should　probably　be　found　to　rest



on　a　very　ancient　and　archaic　faith　in　the　sacramental　or　magical



efficacy　of　ceremonial　observances。　But　the　present　state　of　the



case　can　by　no　means　be　set　down　to　the　account　of　aimless



survival　alone。　Instead　of　being　allowed　in　any　degree　to　fall



into　abeyance　by　neglect；　the　range　and　magnitude　of　such



observances　have　progressively　grown　appreciably　greater　since



the　principles　of　competitive　business　have　come　to　rule　the



counsels　of　the　universities。　The　growth；　in　the　number　of　such



observances；　in　their　pecuniary　magnitude；　in　their　ritualistic



circumstance；　and　in　the　importance　attached　to　them；　is　greater



in　the　immediate　present　than　at　any　period　in　the　past；　and　it



is；　significantly；　greater　in　those　larger　new　establishments



that　have　started　out　with　few　restraints　of　tradition。　But　the



move　so　made　by　these　younger；　freer；　more　enterprising　seats　of



learning　falls　closely　in　with　that　spirit　of　competitive



enterprise　that　animates　all　alike　though　unequally。　1



　　　　That　it　does　so；　that　this　efflorescence　of　ritual　and



pageantry　intimately　belongs　in　the　current　trend　of　things



academic；　is　shown　by　the　visible　proclivity　of　the　older



institutions　to　follow　the　lead　given　in　this　matter　by　the



younger　ones；　so　far　as　the　younger　ones　have　taken　the　lead。　In



the　mere　number　of　authorized　events；　as　contrasted　with　the



average　of　some　twenty…five　or　thirty　years　back；　the　present



average　appears；　on　a　somewhat　deliberate　review　of　the　available



data；　to　compare　as　three　or　four　to　one。　For　certain　of　the



younger　and　more　exuberant　seats　of　learning　today；　as　compared



with　what　may　be　most　nearly　comparable　in　the　academic　situation



of　the　eighties；　the　proportion　is　perhaps　twice　as　large　as　the



larger　figure　named　above。　Broadly　speaking；　no　requirement　of



the　academic　routine　should　be　allowed　to　stand　in　the　way　of　an



available　occasion　for　a　scholastic　pageant。



　　　　These　genteel　solemnities；　of　course；　have　a　cultural



significance；　probably　of　a　high　order；　both　as　occasions　of



rehearsal　in　all　matters　of　polite　conformity　and　as　a　stimulus



to　greater　refinement　and　proficiency　in　expenditure　on　seemly



dress　and　equipage。　They　may　also　be　believed　to　have　some



remote；　but　presumably　salutary；　bearing　on　the　higher　learning。



This　latter　is　an　obscure　point；　on　which　it　would　be　impossible



at　present　to　offer　anything　better　than　abstruse　speculative



considerations；　since　the　relation　of　these　genteel　exhibitions



to　scientific　inquiry　or　instruction　is　of　a　peculiarly



intangible　nature。　But　it　is　none　of　these　cultural　bearings　of



any　such　round　of　polite　solemnities　and　stately　pageants　that



comes　in　question　here。　It　is　their　expediency　in　point　of



businesslike　enterprise；　or　perhaps　rather　their　businesslike



motive；　on　the　one　hand；　and　their　effect　Upon　the　animus　and



efficiency　of　the　academic　personnel；　on　the　other　hand。



　　　　In　so　far　as　their　motive　should　not　（by　unseemly　imputation）



be　set　down　to　mere　boyish　exuberance　of　make…believe；　it　must　be