lated for heavy draught business,
others for light draught, roadsters, racers, etc. I need not mention the
folly of attempting to drive these animals out of their respective
classes. Now children differ as essentially in their mental capacities
and requirements as do horses physically. You can by no possible means
make a mathematician of a scholar who is deficient in the organ of
calculation. It is a manifest injustice to hitch such a one beside
another who is a perfect racer in the mathematical field. It is not fair
to either of them. I claim that each child should be treated upon his
individual merits, and in accordance with the natural gifts that God has
bestowed upon him. The graded school system is in direct opposition to
this idea, and is wholly wrong and unscientific."

"Well, as to the curriculum, Doctor," said Will, "suppose you were
called upon to abridge the list of studies in our public schools, where
would you begin and end? Isn't it a pity in this age of the world, to
shut off from the children any one of the branches of science or
learning?"

"Indeed, that would be a great pity, and far be it from me to do
anything of the kind. I would not abridge the curriculum for any child;
it should simply be taught that for which it has a capacity. A teacher
who is not capable of so discriminating and anticipating the wants of
each pupil, is not a teacher in the best sense of the word, any more
than a man is a horse trainer who cannot differentiate between a heavy
draught-horse and a light roadster. I might say considerable as to
methods of teaching, but I presume that you have heard enough for once."

"Yes, but we have not settled the question as to whether the world is
getting better or not," returned Will. "I am willing to admit that our
school system is defective. But what do you say as to the safety of life
and property at this time, compared with any other age of the world?"

"Really, now, I wish an intelligent Armenian were here to answer that
question."

"But that is not fair, Doctor. The Armenians are in the hands of the
Turks and we know that they are capable of any conceivable inhumanity.
I supposed that we were discussing the world so far as civilized. I
really think that it is a clear case of 'begging the question,' when you
introduce the Armenian case into the discussion."

"Do you, indeed! And let me inquire, my dear boy, who is responsible for
this wholesale slaughter of a people whose only crim