A venerable teacher remarked to the writer with a charming
naivete that he had never understood the allusions in the
Trimetrical Classic (which stands at the very threshold of
Chinese study) until at the age of sixty he had an opportunity
to read a Universal History prepared by a missionary, in which
for the first time Chinese history was made accessible to
him.[267]
Add to this that the whole of their higher learning, corresponding
to our university system, consists in writing essays and always more
essays on the Chinese classics, and "it is impossible," as Mr.
Smith points out, "not to marvel at the measure of success which
has attended the use of such materials in China."[268] But when this
people is in possession of the technique of the western world--a
logic, general ideas, and experimentation--we cannot reasonably doubt
that they will be able to work the western system as their cousins,
the Japanese, are doing, and perhaps they, too, may better the
instruction.
White effectiveness is probably due to a superior technique acting
in connection with a superior body of knowledge and sentiment.
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