Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-07-25
LIEII'S TEACHINGS.

ESSAY READ Al THE COMMENCEMENT ExET
oIsEs OF DELAWARE STATE NORMAL UNI
yERsITY, July lJTn, BY ELIZABETH
FRAZER
The teachings Of this life are progressiy
in their nature, and infinite in possibility, bt
ginning with the helplessness of infancy
and expanding with age, they will ripen onl
in eternity, giving an education never com
; plete, an intellectual culture ever progres
sive, every height attained revealing fair
cr heights above and beyond. How anxiou
then should we be to profit by every advan
tage afforded us of gaining thorough
knowledge of ourselves and our capabilities
OF acquiring power over our thoughts an,
impulses, and of developing ourselves 70
higher spheres?
No artificial education will accomplish
this, no mere poring over textbooks, ant
parrot-likc repetitions of tasks, perfect on,
day and forgotten the next. Books ma,
aid and indeed are necessary in fitting us to
comprehend the unwritten lessons of life.
but teachers are needed-teachers who have
themselves studied human nature, and can
impart knowledge founded on observation
and experience.
Yet llie-lessons must in great measure
be conned by each one for himself, pondered
in Silent self-communings, studied among
men in their daily comings and goings, in
their passions and in their quieter moods, in
home circles, Where the inner life expands,
indeed under most circumstances, the stu
dent may find a weed to cast away, or a
flower to cherish.
Leading far up into the sublime is the stu
dy OF physiology the human frame with
its wonderful network of nerves carving
sensation to every point, its ever heating
heart the crimson tide of life flowing through
its valves; radiating heat and health to eve
~ member, But sublimer far, is the study
OF our own moral nature, our intellectual
being, and our relations to the infinite, show
ing us what we areand what we yet may be.
The paths OF learning lead to gardens of
rare beauty, and orchards of choice fruit, re-
Wardlng well the travellers thereto, but the
path Of life, who may not walk in it, gather
ing treasures of wisdom and knowledge by
the way? Let us glance at few of the re-
cords as we pass along.
A man, one short year ago the richest in
the State, his home a palace where luxuries
invited to forgetfulness of care, where circles
OF beautiful women, and merchant princes
met to receive the unlimited hospitality of
his board, who has now no home, save what
the cold charity of the world affords, no
wealth save what the pitying bestow, no
friends, save the angels of God, who are
leading him by a hard but safe path to a ha-
ven OF rest. To him one kind word is more
precious now than all the batteries OF wealth
worshipping friends Once. cold, hard, and
crushing the poor with the iron
heel Of avariciousness, until conscience be-
came so quiet, and self so strong, that he
made one false step that branded his honored
name with infamy, his wealth was taken to
satisfy the demands of justice, leaving him
as poor as those whose distresses he had
treated with callous indiffereneen een, BBuy inc
ance dwells in his, hfgIy over hi.yet break
of segBou- i22Iaa. Ia..,s photograph the lfe-les
son on his heart so his future may be fairer
than his past. The endorsement on this re-
cord is, g Riches without honor, are as hea-
Wy weights to drowning man."
Another record Passing along one of
the streets of our city, sometimes see the
sorrowful face of weary looking woman
robed in black. Her name is Mary Six
years ago she stood bride, with hopes she
vainly thought no misery could overwhelm,
by Wl'g griei, bht tRe trump q War Sounded
through this glorious land, calling brave men
to arms to support and protect the indepen-
dence so dearly paid for in the blood of free
doms sires.
Amid the brayesL of the Delawareans, who
went forth to stem the dark tide Of Rebel
lion, was the husband of Mary. His strong
arm struck many blow for freedom, but
onward came the fatal bullet sped by South
ern rage, and brave heart was stilled in
death. Now Mary is a widow, silently learn
ing submission to the stern teacher-sOrrow.
She struggles n,toiling for herself and little
ones, meeting the frowns OF fate with the
impenetrabe armour of faith in ultimate
good. This record tells of the hopelessness
of unrufiled joy in this world.
Another scroll from the many. 'Tis of
fair young women, worshippers at the shrine
of all that is false and fleeting. Disregard
| ing alike the laws of life, and the laws of
health, we see them suffering tortures far
exceeding those inflicted by the straight
Jacket of lunatic, making themselves hid
eous and entailing untold misery on future
| generations. The lesson written on their
hearts is vanity, and unrest, for, are they
not ever seeking new pleasures, new excite
ments, thus sitting the voice within that
calls them to seek pleasures that never safe
the senses-that moth cannot corrupt, and
that ever urges them to break the fettcrs oi
fashionable leading strings. In contrast with
these How amiable the conduct of those
who nobly stem the tide of popular evil
maintaining an honorable individual exist
ence-daring to do right because it is right
daring to be true to their better selves
, daring to qualify themselves for their mucl
talked of Rights. Rights that will be a
once accorded to them, when they show
themselves capable of understanding thei
responsibilities capable of realizing thu
value OF this life, and the power of thei
influence for good or evil = an influence
that if rightly welded might reyolutioniz'
the world, ,and elevate the whole human race
f This is woman's peculiar sphere. Oh tina
! she would realize the Importance OF thi
/ duty and fulfill her mission.
, We see men too, crowding the downwar'
: path, detacing the image in which they wer
f created, disgracing humanity, by followln
1 every vice that clouds the moral sense, an
darkens the spirit within. They seek til
n pleasures of sense, only to find them a
g false in substance as they are fair in form
. Oh would that we could justly plead th
!, mists of ignorance ard superstition, oil
g scuring the beauties Of wisdom and know
n edge, us palliative for much of this inha
d mony, much of this misdirected energ.
h God never intended men to be so low in Il
If social scale. In order therefore, to quali
IF them for an eternal existence of ever pr
le gressive good, he gives life-lesscns to al
D Looking around us we see many pure-soule
lr true-hearted men and women, who have
D. ken heed to these teachings; casting NOR
o. sunshine over every step in life-we admir-
" and feel the bright spell of their presencc
e. To some, the teachings come in the gri
re form of poverty, necessity for action col
of pelling them to put forth powers, there
iii attaining eminence and honor, benefitti
nv themselves, and educating others by exa
e. pie. Many illustrations might be taken frt
IS the lists Of Teachers, Authors, Artists, p
" losophers, Inventors, and others, who ha
to passed to their reward, or are still with
he TO some, the teachings come in bitter disi
let pointments and hard crosses, every dis,
ng pointment laden with unseen blessings, O
lp. every cross sent to wear away some unsig
raj lv bemsh from the character. To othe
the King of Terrors brings lfe-less'
Sc fraught with mystery. One by one, lo'
md ones are taken from our mortal sight. {
TO by one, our idols are shattered, until boy
A with grief, in its utter loneliness the he
ted learns to look beyond earth happiness to