The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-15
n. G. A. Reunion.
While we cherish the Old. we say
GOD Bless tho New.


An essay read at the Reunion Of the
former students of Troy conference acad-
envy August 10, 1874, by Miss Jessie
A. Bliss of Poultney
Of all blessings it has pleased Providence
to allow us to cultivate, there is not one
til tbreathcs Il purer fragrance, or bears a
heavenicr aspect, than education. 1t is a
companion which no misfortune can de-
press, no crime destroy, no enemy ALLEVIATE;
at home friend, abroad an introduction;
in solitude solace in society an orna-
ment; it chastens vice; it guides virtue;
it gives at once grace and government to
genius. What is man without it! we can
answer the question in our minds, for we
every day meet with those who have no,
improved the advantages of education, or
perhaps have never had an opportunity,
and we see in them what this world would
be without it. A person who neglects to
make all he can from what opportunity he
has, disregards one of Gods best gifts. As
we see many times good ground grow mosey
and barren for the want of culture, so it is
with good wits, which being neglected usus
ally become more vicious than those of less
hope and brilliancy. A person possessing
the right kind of education is truly bless
ing to a community, his works, words and
deeds will be such that none can censure,
he will so quickly discern between right and
wrong that he will be kept from yielding to
the many temptations which befall him on
every side. In my opinion no one can be
perfectly educated until they have taken the
Bible as standard classic. Our ideas of
the great goodness of God in bestowing his
abundant goods and mercies upon us will
be more exalted, and we will be better cal
culated to bestow upon, and benefit others
by our knowledge. In order to obtain knowl-
edge it must be by patient and unwearying
toll. We may think that we have very
few talents to cultivate, and those so linn
tied in power that it will be useless to bring
them forth to the full light, but this is a
false and wrong idea, even if cur talents
are few and of inferior order, and seem to
others mere illusion, we should cultivate
them, and by application and patient drill
bring out their hidden beauties, to refine
and improve by correction of faults and
enlargement of powers, our talents. at is
related of Michael Angelo, that, while walk
ing with some friends through an obscure
street in the city of Florence, he discovered
fine block of marble lying neglected in a
yard, half buried in dirt and rubbish Re-
gardless of his holiday attire, he at once
fell to work upon 1t, clearing away its filth
and striving to lift it from the slime and
mire in which it lay. His companion asked
him, in establishment; what he was doing,
piece of rock. ooh there's an angel in
that stone" was the answer; "and | want
to let it out" He had it removed to his
studio, and by patient toll, with mallet and
chisel, he let the ang-l out. What to 9TH
ers was but rude, unsightly mass OF
stone, to his educated eye was the buried
glory of art and he discovered at glance
what might be made OF it. A mason would
have put it into stone wall, a cartmar
would have used it for filling in; or to grade
-- streets but he transformed it into crea.
ton of genius, and gave it value for age.
to come. Our minds, if uncultiyated, resem
BILE the block of marble lying in filth ant
dirt, and there they will remain unless W,
endeavor to bring forth their unseen pow
ers by diligence and application to al
books and studies that will ! tend to advance,
improvement
The Spartaus educated their youth in
stern and severe drill, beginning from tn
earliest infancy, and tending to make tn,
body elastic, vigorous and firm for the mint
and heart it cared nothing. young MAJ
who could neither read nor write, nigh
yet be the flower of Spartan youth if h,
could hurl the quot further than his fellows
or WELD the javclin with more yigor an,
grace, or if he could endure without
groan, the savage discipline of the lash, in
flcted, not in punishment, but as a test O
honor, and with all the sanctions ofrelipio
before the affairs of their gods.
Nor was the Athenian culture intrnsi
cally better. 1t was an intellectual disci
pine to be sure, and as such, in many re
spects, superior. But it took little heed
the spiritual nature, and left the culture {
the heart to accidental agencies. TIL
Persian perhaps more than any other nj
ton of antiquity took pains to implant mori
principles in the minds of children. Ye
they sought the advantages of moralit
rather than its beauty.
On the other hand our own superie
theory of culture, gives chiefest importane
to the Development of the intellectual an
moral powers. While we do not ignoI
the necessity of physical culture, we esteel
the culture of the mind and heart, of II
highest importance. This was the theoi
Of education in the old Troy conferent