Thissenseoftheefficacyofsymbolicritual，andofsympatheticeffecttobewroughtthroughdexterousrehearsalofthetraditionalaccessoriesoftheactorendtobecompassed，isofcoursepresentmoreobviouslyandinlargermeasureinmagicalpracticethaninthedisciplineofthesciences，evenoftheoccultsciences。Butthereare，Iapprehend，fewpersonswithacultivatedsenseofscholasticmerittowhomtheritualisticaccessoriesofsciencearealtogetheranidlematter。Theverygreattenacitywithwhichtheseritualisticparaphernaliapersistthroughthelatercourseofthedevelopmentisevidenttoanyonewhowillreflectonwhathasbeenthehistoryoflearninginourcivilization。Eventodaytherearesuchthingsintheusageofthelearnedcommunityasthecapandgown，matriculation，initiation，andgraduationceremonies，andtheconferringofscholasticdegrees，dignities，andprerogativesinawaywhichsuggestssomesortofascholarlyapostolicsuccession。Theusageofthepriestlyordersisnodoubttheproximatesourceofallthesefeaturesoflearnedritual，vestments，sacramentalinitiation，thetransmissionofpeculiardignitiesandvirtuesbytheimpositionofhands，andthelike；buttheirderivationistraceablebackofthispoint，tothesourcefromwhichthespecializedpriestlyclasspropercametobedistinguishedfromthesorcererontheonehandandfromthemenialservantofatemporalmasterontheotherhand。Sofarasregardsboththeirderivationandtheirpsychologicalcontent，theseusagesandtheconceptionsonwhichtheyrestbelongtoastageinculturaldevelopmentnolaterthanthatoftheangekokandtherain-maker。
　　Theirplaceinthelaterphasesofdevoutobservance，aswellasinthehighereducationalsystem，isthatofasurvivalfromaveryearlyanimisticphaseofthedevelopmentofhumannature。
　　Theseritualisticfeaturesoftheeducationalsystemofthepresentandoftherecentpast，itisquitesafetosay，havetheirplaceprimarilyinthehigher，liberal，andclassicinstitutionsandgradesoflearning，ratherthaninthelower，technological，orpracticalgrades，andbranchesofthesystem。
　　Sofarastheypossessthem，thelowerandlessreputablebranchesoftheeducationalschemehaveevidentlyborrowedthesethingsfromthehighergrades；andtheircontinuedpersistenceamongthepracticalschools，withoutthesanctionofthecontinuedexampleofthehigherandclassicgrades，wouldbehighlyimprobable，tosaytheleast。Withthelowerandpracticalschoolsandscholars，theadoptionandcultivationoftheseusagesisacaseofmimicry——duetoadesiretoconformasfarasmaybetothestandardsofscholasticreputabilitymaintainedbytheuppergradesandclasses，whohavecomebytheseaccessoryfeatureslegitimately，bytherightoflinealdevolution。
　　Theanalysismayevenbesafelycarriedastepfarther。
　　Ritualisticsurvivalsandreversionscomeoutinfullestvigorandwiththefreestairofspontaneityamongthoseseminariesoflearningwhichhavetodoprimarilywiththeeducationofthepriestlyandleisureclasses。Accordinglyitshouldappear，anditdoesprettyplainlyappear，onasurveyofrecentdevelopmentsincollegeanduniversitylife，thatwhereverschoolsfoundedfortheinstructionofthelowerclassesintheimmediatelyusefulbranchesofknowledgegrowintoinstitutionsofthehigherlearning，thegrowthofritualisticceremonialandparaphernaliaandofelaboratescholastic“functions“goeshandinhandwiththetransitionoftheschoolsinquestionfromthefieldofhomelypracticalityintothehigher，classicalsphere。Theinitialpurposeoftheseschools，andtheworkwithwhichtheyhavechieflyhadtodoattheearlierofthesetwostagesoftheirevolution，hasbeenthatoffittingtheyoungoftheindustriousclassesforwork。Onthehigher，classicalplaneoflearningtowhichtheycommonlytend，theirdominantaimbecomesthepreparationoftheyouthofthepriestlyandtheleisureclasses——orofanincipientleisureclass——fortheconsumptionofgoods，materialandimmaterial，accordingtoaconventionallyaccepted，reputablescopeandmethod。Thishappyissuehascommonlybeenthefateofschoolsfoundedby“friendsofthepeople“fortheaidofstrugglingyoungmen，andwherethistransitionismadeingoodformthereiscommonly，ifnotinvariably，acoincidentchangetoamoreritualisticlifeintheschools。
　　Intheschoollifeoftoday，learnedritualisinageneralwaybestathomeinschoolswhosechiefendisthecultivationofthe“humanities“。Thiscorrelationisshown，perhapsmoreneatlythananywhereelse，inthelife-historyoftheAmericancollegesanduniversitiesofrecentgrowth。Theremaybemanyexceptionsfromtherule，especiallyamongthoseschoolswhichhavebeenfoundedbythetypicallyreputableandritualisticchurches，andwhich，therefore，startedontheconservativeandclassicalplaneorreachedtheclassicalpositionbyashort-cut；butthegeneralruleasregardsthecollegesfoundedinthenewerAmericancommunitiesduringthepresentcenturyhasbeenthatsolongastheconstituencyfromwhichthecollegeshavedrawntheirpupilshasbeendominatedbyhabitsofindustryandthrift，solongthereminiscencesofthemedicine-manhavefoundbutascantandprecariousacceptanceintheschemeofcollegelife。Butsosoonaswealthbeginsappreciablytoaccumulateinthecommunity，andsosoonasagivenschoolbeginstoleanonaleisure-classconstituency，therecomesalsoaperceptiblyincreasedinsistenceonscholasticritualandonconformitytotheancientformsasregardsvestmentsandsocialandscholasticsolemnities。So，forinstance，therehasbeenanapproximatecoincidencebetweenthegrowthofwealthamongtheconstituencywhichsupportsanygivencollegeoftheMiddleWestandthedateofacceptance——firstintotoleranceandthenintoimperativevogue——ofeveningdressformenandofthed閏ollet？forwomen，asthescholarlyvestmentspropertooccasionsoflearnedsolemnityortotheseasonsofsocialamenitywithinthecollegecircle。Apartfromthemechanicaldifficultyofsolargeatask，itwouldscarcelybeadifficultmattertotracethiscorrelation。Thelikeistrueofthevogueofthecapandgown。
　　Capandgownhavebeenadoptedaslearnedinsigniabymanycollegesofthissectionwithinthelastfewyears；anditissafetosaythatthiscouldscarcelyhaveoccurredatamuchearlierdate，oruntiltherehadgrownupaleisure-classsentimentofsufficientvolumeinthecommunitytosupportastrongmovementofreversiontowardsanarchaicviewastothelegitimateendofeducation。Thisparticularitemoflearnedritual，itmaybenoted，wouldnotonlycommenditselftotheleisure-classsenseofthefitnessofthings，asappealingtothearchaicpropensityforspectaculareffectandthepredilectionforantiquesymbolism；butitatthesametimefitsintotheleisure-classschemeoflifeasinvolvinganotableelementofconspicuouswaste。Theprecisedateatwhichthereversiontocapandgowntookplace，aswellasthefactthatitaffectedsolargeanumberofschoolsataboutthesametime，seemstohavebeendueinsomemeasuretoawaveofatavisticsenseofconformityandreputabilitythatpassedoverthecommunityatthatperiod。
　　Itmaynotbeentirelybesidethepointtonotethatinpointoftimethiscuriousreversionseemstocoincidewiththeculminationofacertainvogueofatavisticsentimentandtraditioninotherdirectionsalso。ThewaveofreversionseemstohavereceiveditsinitialimpulseinthepsychologicallydisintegratingeffectsoftheCivilWar。Habituationtowarentailsabodyofpredatoryhabitsofthought，wherebyclannishnessinsomemeasurereplacesthesenseofsolidarity，andasenseofinvidiousdistinctionsupplantstheimpulsetoequitable，everydayserviceability。Asanoutcomeofthecumulativeactionofthesefactors，thegenerationwhichfollowsaseasonofwarisapttowitnessarehabilitationoftheelementofstatus，bothinitssociallifeandinitsschemeofdevoutobservancesandothersymbolicorceremonialforms。Throughouttheeighties，andlessplainlytraceablethroughtheseventiesalso，therewasperceptibleagraduallyadvancingwaveofsentimentfavoringquasi-predatorybusinesshabits，insistenceonstatus，anthropomorphism，andconservatismgenerally。Themoredirectandunmediatedoftheseexpressionsofthebarbariantemperament，suchastherecrudescenceofoutlawryandthespectacularquasi-predatorycareersoffraudrunbycertain“captainsofindustry“，cametoaheadearlierandwereappreciablyonthedeclinebythecloseoftheseventies。Therecrudescenceofanthropomorphicsentimentalsoseemstohavepasseditsmostacutestagebeforethecloseoftheeighties。Butthelearnedritualandparaphernaliaherespokenofareastillremoterandmorereconditeexpressionofthebarbariananimisticsense；andthese，therefore，gainedvogueandelaborationmoreslowlyandreachedtheirmosteffectivedevelopmentatastilllaterdate。Thereisreasontobelievethattheculminationisnowalreadypast。Exceptforthenewimpetusgivenbyanewwarexperience，andexceptforthesupportwhichthegrowthofawealthyclassaffordstoallritual，andespeciallytowhateverceremonialiswastefulandpointedlysuggestsgradationsofstatus，itisprobablethatthelateimprovementsandaugmentationofscholasticinsigniaandceremonialwouldgraduallydecline。Butwhileitmaybetruethatthecapandgown，andthemorestrenuousobservanceofscholasticproprietieswhichcamewiththem，werefloatedinonthispost-bellumtidalwaveofreversiontobarbarism，itisalsonodoubttruethatsucharitualisticreversioncouldnothavebeeneffectedinthecollegeschemeoflifeuntiltheaccumulationofwealthinthehandsofapropertiedclasshadgonefarenoughtoaffordtherequisitepecuniarygroundforamovementwhichshouldbringthecollegesofthecountryuptotheleisure-classrequirementsinthehigherlearning。Theadoptionofthecapandgownisoneofthestrikingatavisticfeaturesofmoderncollegelife，andatthesametimeitmarksthefactthatthesecollegeshavedefinitelybecomeleisure-classestablishments，eitherinactualachievementorinaspiration。
　　Asfurtherevidenceofthecloserelationbetweentheeducationalsystemandtheculturalstandardsofthecommunity，itmayberemarkedthatthereissometendencylatterlytosubstitutethecaptainofindustryinplaceofthepriest，astheheadofseminariesofthehigherlearning。Thesubstitutionisbynomeanscompleteorunequivocal。Thoseheadsofinstitutionsarebestacceptedwhocombinethesacerdotalofficewithahighdegreeofpecuniaryefficiency。Thereisasimilarbutlesspronouncedtendencytointrusttheworkofinstructioninthehigherlearningtomenofsomepecuniaryqualification。
　　Administrativeabilityandskillinadvertisingtheenterprisecountforrathermorethantheyoncedid，asqualificationsfortheworkofteaching。Thisappliesespeciallyinthosesciencesthathavemosttodowiththeeverydayfactsoflife，anditisparticularlytrueofschoolsintheeconomicallysingle-mindedcommunities。Thispartialsubstitutionofpecuniaryforsacerdotalefficiencyisaconcomitantofthemoderntransitionfromconspicuousleisuretoconspicuousconsumption，asthechiefmeansofreputability。Thecorrelationofthetwofactsisprobablyclearwithoutfurtherelaboration。
　　Theattitudeoftheschoolsandofthelearnedclasstowardstheeducationofwomenservestoshowinwhatmannerandtowhatextentlearninghasdepartedfromitsancientstationofpriestlyandleisure-classprerogatives，anditindicatesalsowhatapproachhasbeenmadebythetrulylearnedtothemodern，economicorindustrial，matter-of-factstandpoint。Thehigherschoolsandthelearnedprofessionswereuntilrecentlytabutothewomen。Theseestablishmentswerefromtheoutset，andhaveingreatmeasurecontinuedtobe，devotedtotheeducationofthepriestlyandleisureclasses。
　　Thewomen，ashasbeenshownelsewhere，weretheoriginalsubservientclass，andtosomeextent，especiallysofarasregardstheirnominalorceremonialposition，theyhaveremainedinthatrelationdowntothepresent。TherehasprevailedastrongsensethattheadmissionofwomentotheprivilegesofthehigherlearningastotheEleusianinmysterieswouldbederogatorytothedignityofthelearnedcraft。Itisthereforeonlyveryrecently，andalmostsolelyintheindustriallymostadvancedcommunities，thatthehighergradesofschoolshavebeenfreelyopenedtowomen。Andevenundertheurgentcircumstancesprevailinginthemodernindustrialcommunities，thehighestandmostreputableuniversitiesshowanextremereluctanceinmakingthemove。Thesenseofclassworthiness，thatistosayofstatus，ofahonorificdifferentiationofthesexesaccordingtoadistinctionbetweensuperiorandinferiorintellectualdignity，survivesinavigorousforminthesecorporationsofthearistocracyoflearning。Itisfeltthatthewomanshould，inallpropriety，acquireonlysuchknowledgeasmaybeclassedunderoneortheotheroftwoheads:1suchknowledgeasconducesimmediatelytoabetterperformanceofdomesticservice——thedomesticsphere；2suchaccomplishmentsanddexterity，quasi-scholarlyandquasi-artistic，asplainlycomeinundertheheadofaperformanceofvicariousleisure。Knowledgeisfelttobeunfeminineifitisknowledgewhichexpressestheunfoldingofthelearner’sownlife，theacquisitionofwhichproceedsonthelearner’sowncognitiveinterest，withoutpromptingfromthecanonsofpropriety，andwithoutreferencebacktoamasterwhosecomfortorgoodreputeistobeenhancedbytheemploymentortheexhibitionofit。