St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-07-20

wise benevolence of their hearts.
But here of all places in the world
need no one say that examining the
memory with facts is not education, for
in the Inauguration of the new, better,
the true system-teaching to think
this academy under Mr.. Colby was
pioneer. Its influence upon the COM
mon schools about you, and in all other
places whenever a teacher bred under
him, or 1 may add, under his successor,
has exercised his vocation, has been
well nigh beyond all calculation.
And here l cannot forbear paying my
feeble tribute to the memory of Mr..
Colby. OF his social and his Christian
character-of him as citizen, neigh
Dor and man-many present are bet
ter qualified to speak than 1. But my
recollectiOns of him as a teacher are as
vivid as my love and my reverence for
him were profound. He was born a
teacher. To me his teaching came as
revelation. l remember well-if here
/ may be pardoned personal remin-
iscence-I remember well with what
awe | first locked upon his stately
presence. | remember well the calm,
quiet, considerate and, in some sort,
even familiar dignity, with which he
approached me when he first found me
in his school room and enquired after
my purposes and more especially my
attainments, whereof l confess l was
somewhat proud. How gently and
how kindly after a few days he gave
my pride fall by the information
not expressed-but which as a boy 1
could not fail to imply-that had been
properly taught and really knew almost
nothing-that to solve the problems
was but small part of arithmetic and
algebra-and that to achieve the an
cient languages the bare knowledge of
the significance of the words was not
enough-that there was an analysis, a
philosophy of language far more i'm
portant to be acquired. In short, the
first and most valuable lesson he taught
me was that | knew absolutely nothing
IveH. He was thorough teacher. In the
recitation loom he never prompted the
hesitatiDg, never by suggestions smooth
ed the way for the idle student; and he
aided the industrious and painstaking
not by direct information, but rather by
remote hints-by pointing out the first
and most distant steps, leaving the
mind to work out the conclusion.
His pupils were compelled to depend
upon themselves. In brief, he taught
them to think. Under him there was
no shirking. If the appointed tasks
were not thoroughly mastered, he was
sure to know it, and just as sure to re-
quire them to be reviewed and even
re-reviewed until they were. No steps
could be taken in advance until all pre-
ceding steps were thoroughly and COM
pletely understood. Under his eye no
}, boy could ever demonstrates a proposition
OF recite any lesson acquired by rOte,
: merely, without instant detection of
the fraud.
y His government while of the strict
est, was also of the kindest. He used
few words. The tap of his pencil-hOw
well l remember twas more potent
in his school room than that of Caesars
: finger in the Roman Senate He had a
deep and wide knowledge of human
nature. His words of commentator
were rare, therefore were precious. His
: it were fidential-therefore the more
effectual. Seldom if ever did he excite
that spirit of opposition which arises
from sense of shame, or from bravado
E by cha Jtising a pupil in the presence Of
his fellows.
Himself great teacher, he made
good teachers of his pupils. When they
went out from him they bore with then
the lessons OF his example. No higher
st need of praise can be awarded any MAJ
in any walk of life than this-he was {
good "a great teacher. Worthier is he o
our worship than a leader of armies o.
s. cOnquerOr of Kingdoms.
y. That Mr.. Colby was the greatest anC
Ill the best teacher that ever lived, cal
not indeed say, but 1 will say for my
self that never sat under the minis
tratien of better-nay, not of hi
! equal.
Peaceful be his rest-as green hi
m memory is and ever will be in the heart
mt mt of us, his pupils, who loved him an
&C revered him.
No influence is lost. The benefit
which we, my brothers and sisters 9
O. the alumni, have received from this in
in stitution were its existence to terminal
lis even to-day, will expire not with ou
". lives. Our children and our children
rs, children to the remotest bounds {
to- time, they too shall enjoy them. Nal
) row in extent though it be, when W
regard the whole great world, yet th
-. influences for good which have gor