teaches us to see; actually to use our eyes until we see things. That
may not seem to be a difficult task, but there are really very few
people who can accurately and properly use their eyes. If there were
more, fewer mistakes would be made.

Thus we can see that school work divides its tasks into two general
classes:

First, the learning of facts.

Second, the actual doing of things.

You will readily see that to do things properly is possible only when
we know facts which tell us how to do them. That shows you at once the
wisdom of the education you receive.

Now, let us imagine that school life is over. For many years you have
gone faithfully every day to your place, you have done your tasks as
honestly as you could, and said your lessons, being wounded no doubt
by failures, but gladdened again by successes. Now, when it is all
over, what is there of it?

Well, above all things, there is one truth of it which it is wonderful
people do not think of more frequently. And that truth is this: The
only education we may use in our own life is that which we have
ourselves. No longer have we help of companions or teachers. We depend
entirely upon our own personal knowledge. If we speak it is our own
knowledge of Grammar that is used. We cannot have a book at hand in
order to know from it the words we should use. If we make a
calculation about money, or do anything with numbers, it must be done