The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-09-03
THE LOVE 90 nNAUrrt IT'S PLACE
II EDUCATION
Ess1Y READ At rmK sEuUSp EE-uNloN
oF BERR ASn nrg gToN sENINAHT, nr
Miss MARI A. ~ KKtIAH

rs We RatbfF mere to-ahy 10 teHtM
with one smother the acquaintance aud
friendship Of former years, our thoughts
naturally tara baek, sud there come
Z lhronglng upon tho mind many visions
I of schooI-day scenes. Once more we
are sitting 10 The old chapel Al The Satur-
day noon exercise. speii bound By The
( intense earncstuess OF the speaker, or,
loosed from the spell, our eyes wander 10
I the windows, aud through them to the
sunny bills beyond, aud we arr impa-
I tent 20 be out for an afternoon OF play.
K Or, agaiu, the great day Of the year has
GENE, the procession l. formed aud we
arc marching to the animal exhibition
we, the girls, ali arraycd 10 white, form
Ing the rear, mllh lhs boys and young
men next in trout teachers aud trustees
before them, aud all to the sound Of music
/ by the baud which leads the whole
I Then, arriving at the church, double
I Iiue is formed acros. the street, and with
a touch OF genuine chiyalry, hats are
raised from reverend heads whils the
! girls pass through to their places ressry-
ed IN the gallery. II Is pretty picture
a0tg, as we see the procession coming
slowly down the hil, in the soft, still
summer air, while the eastern mountain
l tops are sending back the last rays OF the
setting sun. But then TO our ohild's i'm
agiuation, nothing else In all the world
not even the tiiumphal entrance into
Rome Of her greatest general at the head
of his cleaning cohorts, could be half so
grand or imposing as this yearly march
TO the village church, la fact, all the
pleasantest associations OF my childhood
aud early youth are connected with the
dear old seminary, all its fondest, most
precious memories, with my beloved
father, for whose sake stand before you
to-day, To You who were his pupils
need not speak Of him. But as | recal
the school, and especially as compare il
with other schools that | have known
since, it seems TO me TO have been re
lnarkable for the large and wise liberty
that was granted to the pupils. We un
derstood that on general principles VIZ
were expected to learn our lessons ant
to behave with propriety in the school
room; and any failure on our part tC
fulfil these expectations, as some OF us
distinctly remember, always received tht
promptest attention.
But, beyond that, am not aware tina
there were any rules or that there wa
any machinery whatever. The teachers
governed largely by means of persona
influence and force of character, de
pending very little on petty regulation
or other contrivances for securing order
Certainly we were never hampered by
restrictions in small matters, and can
not remember that we were ever pressed
or hurried or driven with over-work
We had time TO grow, TO grow health
fully, and room enough given us ont
doors TO grow in. So, as ! recall work
ing away at difficult passage in Horace
it is while sitting out on the grass, will
my friend and classmate, in Mr.. Wick
hams yard. And who can say that
lesson in Homer or Vigil learned unde
the apple-trees at home, was not just a
we'll learned as If ii had been studied ii
the school.room, and perhaps, indeed
the poetry of the ancient classics gainet
All added charm from the poetry of th
surroundings At all events, find
mingling with all my schoo-day mem
orles, underlying them all, traces of ont
door scenes, the fitful play of light ant
shadow as the summer clouds chase on
another across the sky, the roar of tn
mountain before a storm aud the maics
tic sweep Of the storm itself down hi
blauching face aud over the valley be
meath
| believe we are more Indebted thai
we are wont to think to The influence o
nature in our education; aud SO, to. day
while we bring our tribute of gratitud
TO our faithful and honored teachers, W
would not forget the grand old mountain
At whose feet they daily sat,
, For, however subtitle or mysteIi ion
the infeuees Of nature are, it is true 0
some OF the greatest aud best men th
world ever saw, that they spent much 0
their early life Ia living contact with her
David was called to the leadership 0
Israel "lrom the sheep.cote aud fron
following the sheep We find In III
Psalms traces Of the green pastures au
b stiIl waters Of bis shepherd life; we Sc
his great heart beating in sympathy wit
every living thing. Aud during th
troubled, stormy period Of his public lii
wc see Ia bin a maguaniinty, a cout
age, patience and endurance, which mus
have been largely the result Of those ilrs
twenty years spent on the open hills q
Judea. The boyhood Of Martin Luthe
was speut 10 the plains Of Mansfield, o
the bank Of the Wiper. And our owl
Lincoln, with his simplicity, bis strength
bis intense love Of uuui, doubtless b,
came the genuine man be was, aud Dc
veiapcd th9se qualities which so adntil
. abI, dt,ed him 'or the place be anefwar
/, he)d, by meaus 81 a youth spent ln clio.
contact with nature ia the wllds Of iud
ana.
CHILDHOOD il pre-emiueutiy tie sesso
for enjoyment, aud in order that Ii
foundations may be laid broad aud dee
Of strong, rich, noble character, ID
early ycsrs must not bc deprived u IA
pure, deep sources Of delight 10 be louu
- 10 external nature. aud we who wouI
learn how 10 guide wisely aud truly II