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Show r-800K SHELF 1 John S. Mill, ChildProdigy, Tells of Life By ELIZABETH C. JAMES THOMAS EDISON'S definition of genius was: "Genius is another name for hard work." To which the public usually adds, "Plus his own superior intelligence." In the case of John Stuart Mill, there was hard work added to great natural abil- f ity. His father used remarkable meth- .'"' ods in training the I boy's unusual mind. I l Of these methods ly r ' and much more, j? Mill wrote In his ".'- "Autobiography." g .f ' The writer stated r J"" that he did not re- I '''':'--'. member when he -L i began the study of Elizabeth languages, but at James the age of three he was reading English and Greek. When John was eight years old he was required to teach his lesson of the morning to his younger brothers and sisters in the afternoon. If they did not know their lessons properly when the father heard them in the evening John was held to blame. In this manner John absorbed his knowledge to a degree of mastery, j On long walks with his son, the ! father talked to John of learned j matters, asking the boy's opinion at j various points. At all times the ma- ! terial was over the head of the ; child, causing him to stretch men- tally to reach it Definite Study Plan. j The course of study was laid out j for a period of years. One subject i at a time was thoroughly covered, j For example, the literature of the j I 1 1 CHILD PRODIGY j Jcbn Stuart Mill was born Id ! 1806 In London. His father, m I writer of note In his own (feneration, (fenera-tion, was his teacher until be entered the university. As a boy he was known as a child prodigy, about which Mill writes In his "Autobiography." The Encyclopaedia Britannicm says that Mill understates the amount of knowledge that he had at various ages In childhood and iNo understates the amount of study and reading that he had done: "about the age of twelve, John began a thorough study of the M-holastic logic, at the same time reading Aristotle's treatises in the original." The last years of his life were spent In retirement in a little cottage where he had music, books, friends, and long walks in the beauty of the countryside. His stepdaughter was his companion com-panion and solace after the death of his wife. Mill Uvcd until 1S73. world was covered in succession. ' that of Fn,:!.ir.d coming first. w::h that if Greece. Rome. France and u'.iier nations coming in order. When his son was old enough, to tike univer.-r,y l.fe. the wise father explained to John that he knew much that filter boys did not know because of his father's kindness in taking so much time to teach him. There was never any feeling on John's part that he had done any. tiling unusual. When he first wont away from home, he felt that many adults con-sidercd con-sidercd him somewhat impudent. He states that he did not understand under-stand this at the time but later he , saw it was because of his outspoken comments on mature topics. As a mnn. Mill took an active 1 part in nlT.urs of government, becoming be-coming a member of parliament. But this type of work did not appeal to him. He preferred economics nnd sociology. As long as he lived. Mill wrote and fought for the cause of freedom. In youth he ardently admired Lafayette, thou an old man. Mill's Quotations. These quotations are from Mill's history (if h!s life. Of school, ho wrote. "A pupil from whom nothing is ever demanded which ho can not do. never does nil he can." Of family life. "Hut the children of energetic parents frequently i grow up energetic, because they I lean on their parents." On freedom of thought. "The forbearance for-bearance which Mows from a eon- scientious sense of the Importance to mankind of the equal freedom of all opinions, is the only toleration 1 which is commendable." ! Mill reveals that ho held his j father In high esteem but lo,d little nlTectionate love for him. Of his method of teaching Mill wrote, j "A defect runniii); through his modes of instruction was that of j trusting too much to the Intelligible, ness of the nbsti net, when not embodied em-bodied In the concrete." Mill wrote prodigiously, his works bring published In Ihe best periodicals period-icals of England, Including the Edinburgh Edin-burgh Review, Eraser's, the Examiner. Exam-iner. Westminster Review, nnd the Jurist His books cover a variety of subjects, Including liberty, tho cause of freedom for women, utility of religion, ,ui government. His life was from moii ,,, j,,;-, nnd he dominated Ihe thought of ! England during the lluid quailor of ! the Nineteenth eenlui y. V "I'll Nv,ia,,.l U NO s,,,-,,, I |