Moon Trust Company.

There could be no arguing with Mr. Tappan.

Shortly before Anthony Seagrave died he had written to his old friend
Tappan:

"If I live, I shall see to it that my grandchildren know nothing of
the fortune awaiting them until they become of age--which will be
after I am ended. Meanwhile, plain food and clothing, wholesome home
seclusion from the promiscuity of modern child life, and an
exhaustive education in every grace, fashion, and accomplishment of
body and intellect is the training I propose for the development in
them of the only thing in the world worth cultivating--unterrified
individualism.

"The ignorance which characterises the conduct of modern institutes
of education reduces us all to one mindless level, reproducing _ad
nauseam_ what is known as 'average citizens.' This nation is
already crawling with them; art, religion, letters, government,
business, human ideals remain embryonic because the 'average
citizen' can conceive nothing higher, can comprehend nothing loftier
even when the few who have escaped the deadly levelling grind of
modern methods of education attempt to teach the masses to think for
themselves.

"That is bad enough in itself--but add to cut-and-dried pedagogy the
outrageous liberty which modern pupils are permitted in school and
college, and add to that the unheard-of luxury in which they
live--and the result is stupidity and utter ruin.