Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 50.djvu/543

Rh hours. I was told that Darwin achieved the work of his life by devoting three hours a day to his science. The dons at Newnham constantly urge the students to reduce their hours of work, claiming that the best results have been attained at the university by those who spent the least time in study.

The English students' power of concentration is remarkable. They respect perfectly the study hours of their friends, and will tolerate no interruption of their own. The English excel when tried by two of Prof. Kraepelin's tests of mental capacity: amount of work done in a given time and power of concentration.

Wherein lies their advantage? They will tell us that their strong and necessary ally is vigorous outdoor sport.

The English girl has, of course, known from childhood the habit of outdoor life. At college she plays hockey or hand polo, cricket, fives, and the games with which we are more familiar, for at least two hours a day, and oftener for a longer time. Two hours is a minimum of time spent in exercise. At frequent intervals, usually at the end of each week, she seeks recreation from past and preparation for future effort by spending many hours in the open air, in boating on the river it may be, or in taking a tramp of thirty miles or so. During vacations she not infrequently makes walking tours of longer or shorter duration.

If an English girl finds that her mind is inactive and unreceptive, she recognizes this as an indication that it needs recreation. She drops her books and puts her brain in fit condition for study by some vigorous play. Under like conditions, the American student, not recognizing Nature's signal, mentally scourges herself for dullness, and urges her jaded mind on to overexertion. I once heard an English girl assert that she could dawdle all day, but could not study for more than two hours at a time.

A senior at Vassar, who had been honored by her classmates with several appointments entailing strenuous editorial and executive duties, once said to me that she was grateful to the extra work for showing her in how short a time her regular work could be done. Having learned this lesson, she observed with surprise the time spent by her classmates over their tasks.

Every American who studies at Cambridge adopts the methods of work of her English friends, and ever afterward looks with compassion on the mistakes of her countrywomen.

The power of concentration of mind can not be exercised at will by those unaccustomed to practice it, but it can certainly be cultivated through training, and the earlier the training is begun the better. One school is known to me which has worked effectively in this direction by restricting the time spent in preparation of tasks, and by requiring a sufficient amount of outdoor play to keep the brain fresh and active.