ituation. That is to say, in a conscientious selection
of only the best for Evelyn, she became more fastidious as to the food
for her own mind. Or, to put it in still another way, in regard to
character and culture generally, the growth of Miss McDonald could be
measured by that of Evelyn.

When, from the time Evelyn was seven years old, it became necessary
in her education to call in special tutors in the languages and
in mathematics, and in certain arts that are generally called
accomplishments, Miss McDonald was always present when the lessons were
given, so that she maintained her ascendency and her influence in the
girl's mind. It was this inseparable companionship, at least in all
affairs of the mind, that gave to this educational experiment an
exceptional interest to students of psychology. Nothing could be more
interesting than to come into contact with a mind that from infancy
onward had dwelt only upon what is noblest in literature, and from which
had been excluded all that is enervating and degrading. A remarkable
illustration of this is the familiar case of Helen Keller, whose
acquisitions, by reason of her blindness and deafness, were limited to
what was selected for her, and that mainly by one person, and she was
therefore for a long time shielded from a knowledge of the evil side of
life. Yet all vital literature is so close to life, and so full of its
passion and peril, that it supplies all the necessary aliment for the
growth of a sound, discriminating mind; and that knowledge of the world,
as knowledge of evil is euphemistically called, can be safely left
out of a good education. This may be admitted without going into the
discussion whether good principles and standards in literature and
morals are a sufficient equipment for the perils of life.

This experiment, of course, was limited in Evelyn's case. She came
in contact with a great deal of life. Her little world was fairly
representative, for it contained her father, her mother, her governess,
the maids and the servants, and occasional visitors, whom she saw freely
as she grew older. The interesting fact was that she was obliged to
judge this world according to the standards of literature, morals, and
manners that had been implanted in her mainly by the influence of one
person. The important part of this experiment of partial exclusion,
in which she was never alone' an experiment undertaken solely for
her safety and not for her training-was seen i