The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1879-09-10
LE11ER ranM NEW YORK.

AANAAH W HHAAla NNNNHAAnf NNAA+
me the objects OF interest. proposeu
visit 90 Vas,ar College. / consented, for
/ blush TO own it'll had never investisa-
ted that wonderful seat Of learning. though
from the time Of is foundation, IN! ears
had been filled with its renown.
The town OF Poughkeepsie Is a delight
fiil place. and the country around and
about. l. as fertile aud healthful as any
that can be found on this continent. Par-
don me If seem enthusiastic about the
region Of our noble Hudson River, but II
has a charm for me that memories OF the
choiceslscenes at home or abroad cannot
dim.
Poughkeepsie, lying on the eastern
bank of the river. Is easily reached by rail
from north, south. east or west, at nearly
every hour in the day, and it also con
meets with Albany and New York by
several lines of steamboats,. 1t Is celeora-
ted for its boarding schools. commerclal
college, and Stare asylum. It's educatloh-
al institutions give instruction TO some
200 students every year.
Pre-eminent. however, in the minds OF
all Americans, IN connection with POugh-
keepsie, stands Vassar College.
The college grounds cover a space OF
two hundred acres, third of which has
been ornamentally laid out by the cele-
DRAFTED artists Olulstead and NauX. The
remainder is used as n farm aud garden.
In describing the buildings and grounds
| cannot do so more effectively than in the
words of the Rev. Ii. II. Mcfarland, who
has written extensively upon the subject
to ScrjbRer's RgqzLeS. He said;
Going out FROM Poughkeepsie, soon af-
ter entry upon the College grounds, you
pass through the gateway and porter
lodge.
This structure is utilized by its afford
ing two dwelling for the families of men
employed upon the College Farm. At a
straight distance of 1000 feet stands the
main College building, the roadway thith-
er tlanked right and left by evergreens.
These superb facilities for producing the
mems SdHd ia SdaO cOrpOre, and for develop
ing aesthetic taste, arci in constant use. by
college regulation each student, save III
stormy weather, Is to be out in the
grounds twenty minutes every day, and
sixty minutes every other day. They may
go when they like, if not engaged in reel
tations or other College exercises, but go
they must, and 90 they do. Nor has any
disturbance in the freest use of all the
grounds ever been known.
Northward Of the college, on its front,
lies a circular flower garden, a half mile
in circumference, worked wholly bv such
students as enroll themselves members of
che Floral Society.
1t is an admirable sight to look upon
these grounds. filled with bright and hap
Ply girls, walking, gardening, engaged
in games, rowing on the lake, or occasion
al in 1lo1,r
for work in class rooms.
1t is constant joy of Vassar to see that
bodily health is not to be sacrificed TO any
other object whatever, and that, so far as
the result is attainable by means within
its power, those whom it Cducates are to
become physically well developed, vigor-
Gus and graceful women, prepared to take
enlightened care Of their own health and
that of others under their charge. In the
past training of our country women this
end has been so much neglected that we
shall present in this connection, and for
the sake of unity, what else we noted in
our visit which induced us to believe this.
Diet and regimen were fully laid before
rs. We sat at the College table, and bear
witness of its variety, WhOlesomencss and
fullness. No man can go with the steward
through all his department and miss the
conviction we have expressed.
One tof th@mqStkadmira9le features of
Vassar discipline Is the mingling of study
and recreation in wise proportions. The
students have the advantages of finely
appointed gymnasium, u bowling alley,
and grounds for every variety of ont of
door sport in which they may wish to in
dulgc. The professor of physiology and
hygiene is n woman and II physician. She
resides in the college, lectures to students
upon the care of their health, and by her
watchfrlness and constant association
with the students, enables them to guard
their physical well-beimg.
The main building covers an area of
$1,000 sqdare feet, has | 900 exterior and
$50 interior windows, and upwards of 800
rooms exclusive Of the chapel. There are
accommodations in this building for $50
students. There is also an Astronomical
Observatory and Calisthenium. The
observatory is fully equipped with astro-
nomical apparatus including large equa-
tOrial telescope. In the Calisthenium
there is a neat little hall for theatrical
and other entertainments, an Art Gallery
filed with choice works. numerous rooms
for music practice, a Museum of Natural
History, containing large collections, emil
nent among which is the Girard collection
of North American birds, presented by j.
p. Girard Of Poughkeepsic. From this
collection Audubon Aade many of his
drawings for the Birds Of america. In
the main building there is library stock
ed with nearly 10000 volumes, besides
the Astronomical Library of 200 volumes
at the Observatory.
Candidates for admission must be fifteen
years of age and of good character. APP
Dlicants for any and every grade are eX-
amined in Arithmetic, English Grammar,
Modern Geography, and the History of
the United States. There is a preparatO-
ry course, which being completed will
admit the student to the Freshman Glass,
and the regular college course embraces
all the highest branches of science, liter
allure and art, such us are common in
the most advanced colleges for men. In
fact many special branches in their higher
forms, such as drawing, painting music,
ETC., are seldom embraced in the curricu-
lum of colleges for the sterner sex. A
student ut Vassr-fs not obliged to take
all the studies that are taught i'll the in
stitution. q special course that meets with
the sanction ofthe Faculty may be mapped
out and then pursued to the fullest eX-
tent.
In this connection may be stated that
the Faculty, the heads of departments of
instruction, and the corps of teachers in
clude the names Of many persons eminent
in their peculiar vacations. There are no
nonresident Professors.
The great aim and object of the educa-
tional system at Vassar is to provide
women with complete course of intellec-
tual training, so that they may become
better wives, mothers and members of
society, and be able to take their stand
with men in dealing with the complica-
tions and trials of life. 1t was the hope
of the founder that, if the institution