Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-19
Lecture 10 Youna Ladies.


rersary Of Ttiden Female Seminary
Mr.. EDITOR On Thursday last it was
the privilege of the writer to listen to very
able and instructive address, delivered at
West Lebanon, N. H., on the occasion of the
anniversary exercises of Tilden Female Sem
mary, by Col. Daniel Needham of Hartford.
Although it is impossible to do justice to
this excellent address, by merely giving an
abstract from memory, still the importance of
the subject will justify an attempt to present
TO the reader some of the leading thoughts
Col. Needham commenced by saying that
he had been invited to address the audience
upon this interesting occasion on such a sub
ject as lie might consider pleasant and ap-
proprlate,-and he thought to devote few
moments to the consideration Of ourselves
would neither be il-timed OF Improbable.
Life is like the earth upon which we dwell /;
there are high mountains to climb and its
deep valleys to go through; its pleasant
streams to ford and its dangerous shoals and
quicksands to avoid; its delightful plains to
encourage and cheer us, and its cavernous
and rugged sleeps requiring faith and cour-
age, a determined will and a well-formed
character successfully to overcome.
The dreams of youth, based upon no prac.
tical knowledge of the world-the building
of imaginary castles-the reveing in the
distinction of Hannah More Mrs. Opie
Miss Edgeworth or Mary Hewitt, yet as a
preparation never reading higher literature
than James novels, or Sylvanus Cobbs last
great story, are wild decisions which if MOI
sooner or later dispeled will bring remorst
and disappointment paralyzing The fair mine
as the swelling bud is chilled by the frosts o
Autumn. 1t oflentimes requires middle ag'
and sometimes old age to convince us tina
dreams are not realities, and antici pations thu
experiences Of human life. Living an i'm
aginary life the real life is shut out from oul
observation.
That the storm is as necessary to vegeta
| bic and animal lille as the sunshine; tina
care, responsibility and anxiety are neces
sary to full human development and happi
ness we do not in early life fully comprehend
First looking out upon the world, we SCI
nothing but ourselves. Not ourselves as W
really are; not ourselves as others see us
but ourselves the creatures of our own imag
nation. The eyes Of the multitude seen
fixed upon us. The world to us is a grea
looking-glass, rejecting our image. Some Q
us never find out our mistake; others gro,
wiser. Learn how little they know,-hov
weak they are. See the countless number G
nobler minds, of better hearts, study an
emulate them.
Youth dreams of distinction for wisdom
for knowledge, for goodness,-but we canno
jump into wisdom, or knowledge, or goodness
they are the result of growth. Everythiu
in art as well as nature has its growth. 1t
only by earnest and often repeated exertior
that knowledge is gathered, wisdom deve
oped, self controlled and character maturet
He said, we sometimes mistake learnin
for wisdom; but learning is not WISDOM
Learning is the canvas which takes the win,
while wisdom is the helmsman that keeps tt
barquo in its true course, calculating Il
latitude and longitude by its daily observ'
tons. We not only need the knowledge
books, but we need to know how, and whe
to use that knowledge, that the greatest GOO
may result from its application. A know
edge of books is material out of which var
Gus structures may be built; but know
edge of ourselves is indispensable to Il
highest education of individual character
1t is well to cultivate the memory but not
the neglect of the understanding The min
is never enlarged or enriched by principles
, facts which it can neither comprehend n
understand.
J Looking at nature through books is loo
ing at landscape through glass,-if Il
glass be correct and powerful, it brings Il
landscape near, and assists us in comprehen
ing that which otherwise would be dista
| and difficult of comprehension. The difft
l ence between him who leads and him who
led is that the leader studies nature, and t
one led studies the leader. This is the difft
e ence between the practical man and the me
y theorist; tho one, even without knowled
3 of books always accomplishing somethir
the other, with knowledge of nothing b
; books, living a charmed life surrounded
r togs and darkness.
t Self-knowledge is check upon dream
4 life. We see our liability to template
and in guarding against it we discover tn
S virtue is based upon resistance of ev
e that the difference in men is only the diff
ence in selfgovernment. Shall we not tn
e study ourselves by the great lights Of hist
ry and revelation.
Life is full of of sacred holy
e Dor. There is higher aim than competen
e and luxury,-a nobler life than Incidence a
d ease,-a sweeter joy than the qualification
d taste or appetite. Our life is not circumscr
!. ed by sultry summer or brief year;
mission is not accomplished by hasty rou
of duties or pleasures; its objects are not
IL tanned by listlessness or self-indulgonce
- higher walks are not reached by imaginat
"a dreams or speculative fancies.
T. Addressing the graduating class, he ST
n he had not intended to rob their youth
N years of any of their real pleasures, or
d vite them to irksome cares for which the m,
e tender years of life are untitled. 1t '
s his desire that they might look upon life
r real and not fictitious; that they might
is seek happiness in continuous round of
D elements, but in constant discharge
Il hea]thful duties; that they might see
if world not as pictured in dreams or works
to fiction, but as it really is; that they mi,
IN see themselves, not the victims of self-lo
W OR fashion, or hattery, or superficial ira
Sc ing-but as young maidens growing int
II substantial and true womanhood, whose pr
sc ilege it is to difuse intellectual joy, and liz
lie and gladness throughout the whole range
y their influence, adding to the volume of
err man history fresh testimonials to the value
I'd the graces and virtues of Christian life.