The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1860-12-12
A Local Subject.

Lyceum. That is all right. Wake it up
from its spring, summer and autumn
lethargy; wind up its official machinery
and let it run its winter life as Of yore.
Who are TO be tho actors in the scenes OF
the present winter2 Where arc those
who spoke it first into life9 And as we
for moment check tho flow of words
upon this paper, busy memory calls those
actors before the mind, their peculiarities
making distinctive coloring around each
individual. So the mood prevails to give
the reader the benefit of our momentary
fit of retrospection. We will dare tho
charge of personality from any and all
who may read, for we are guiltless of "sct-
ting down aught in malice" and moro
over our theme is foreign to politics or
religion.
Let no irascible partizanship or deuom-
national sensitiyeness possess you rs
your eye runs along these waits Of mem
ory. Grand Haven is surfcited in these
regards, and the most nervously magma
tive will fail to trace semblance of cleo
tioneering or proselyting. But in order
TO "poiht" moral, rs well rs "adorn the
tale" we shall take some liberties, and
reader, help yourself
The Lyceum in days gone by was full
of what DR.. HOLLAND calls "jasm." That
this new word may have the full benefit
of It's meaning, he makes one Of his char
acters say that stake thunder and light
ming, steamboat and buzz saw, and
mix them all up and put them into wo-
man and that is jasm. Metaphorically
all these materials were in the old Lyce-
um and in working order.
The Same edition of human nature
must now be in this village, and we hope
to sec the Lyccum open this winter with
a new set of faces to make the attempt,
the struggle, and the triumph. The grad
yates of its discipline now give room TO
new and raw recruits. Boysl do as they
did-"go in and winp
Almost the entire oratorical force Of
Ottawa County was schooled in the old
Lyceum, and now HARRY and JIMMY
A, and STUART and JOHNNY B. W
JAMES A, and ten times as many more
(say from twelve to twenty years of age
of the boys of Grand Haven, should en-
list for the benefit of its evolutionary dis
cipline. You arc the next link in The
chain. Shall it be bright with earnes
endeavor, or dim with the rust of mac
tionl You must take hold of the Ly
ceum this winter, and in this department
of an education do your part for thu
amusement of Others while you are fit
ting yourselves for the position of trus
and an ability to present and defend you
} own thoughts and actions.
1t will not do, boys, to ego to Lyce
um" and sit out the discussion in an un
easy anxiety to dance attendance home
ward with some fairy in crinoino. Bet
ter, far, start "spelling school," and
spell them down to humility and defer
ence, if you lack confidence to debate be-
fore them, and then take them to the Ly.
ccum to nervo you in tho mental strug
gle for the question with your appointed
opponent, by their despair or approval
Make them useful MS well rs ornamental
instead Of giggling witnesses of YOU
struggles for manhood. Those who arc
now taking places and doing duty il
LIES struggle, wrestling with the realities
viii not object TO n word photographed
ly given of their experience and position
in the Grand Haven Lyceum, and tho
boys may reap harvest of encourage
ment from the view thus given of those
who now confidently "speak in meetin',
or tear to tatters the arguments Of politi
cal opponents where a Fish Inspector Of
q President is to be elected.
Don't cavil at palpable anachronisms
if we should present them, for, as q
aoholc, we arc looking back upon tho Life
of the Lyceum and present the individu
al as memory turns the leaf.
The publisher Of this paper, from boy
hood, all along, has done duty in the Ly.
ceum-with an apprenticeship in "thc
Private Handle of Confidence" an insti
tuition precisely adapted to loosen his
tongue, and then hesitatingly served his