Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-10-06
Wellesley College.

1
and Albany railroad is the village of Wei
lesley. Here is situated Wellesley college,
an institution still in its infancy yet equal
in merit to any of our American colleges.
As comparatively little is known of it, and
as it is destined to exert a powerful infu-
ence over so many of our girls, Il few
words concerning its development may be
OF interest.
The founder of this institution is H. F.
Durant, Esq, of Boston. Some thirteen
years since he purchased three hundred
acres of land in Wellesley. and began the
adornment of the beautiful park within
which the college is situated. This was
done, not by spelling nature by the intro
duction of art, but merely by assisting ma
ture where assistance seemed needed. The
taste displayed in laying out the ground
into hill and plain, valleys. avenues and
lawns, groves and denser woodland is
truly wonderful. None but true artist
would have so severely let nature have its
own way. For example, we enter the
gateway, watched over by handsome,
stone, porter's lodge. upon winding ave-
nue. bordered largely with the American
elm. To the right rises the highest hill
in the region. crowned with its native
woods, and retaining sufficient underbrush
to make it seem natural. On the left is
an old orchard with its apple trees looking
much as they did on the old farm where
our boyish feet used to wander. Beyond
the orchard are the farm buildings, and
the greenhouse containing many rare and
beautiful plants.
Let us proceed along the main avenue.
Soon a cross road enters it reminding
one of the wood roads of our Vermont
hills. Passing this, the towers of the col
lege building come in sight. On hill to
the right, overlooking the lake, is Il new
building, known as Stone hall, from its
donor. Mrs. Stone, of Boston. About mid
way between Stone hall and the college
proper, on beautiful lawn extending to
the lake, is the new college of music. But
the college proper is the chief point of in
terest. The first impression is of grandure,
followed by admiration at the wonderful
blending of the grand, the beautiful, the
useful and the instructive.
The form of the building is double
cross, with corridors and cross corridors.
The main entrance is by the middle cross
corridor But one almost imagines that
he is entering II garden rather than col
lege building. For here in the centre,
where the main corridors intersect is a
beautiful plat filled with choice tropical
and native plants. The floors above are
open and flood of light pours down
through a large skylight five stories above.
But a minute description of the wonders
of this building would prove tedious. Sui
flee it to say, the walls are adorned with
pictures, consisting of oil paintings by
modern masters, copies of the old masters,
fine prints, engravings and photographs
L1GIO tuu lllct0 dlc CdSIS VI tuJ ulOSl uOlctl
statues of the world. Brackets containing
busts of noted men are common. 1t has
been we'll said that the halls are but an
extended art gallery. Figures are said to
be dry but they sometimes greatly aid the
imagination. The building is nearly 500
feet long, and if the wings were added to
its length it would be over 900 feet long.
1t is four and five stories high, and con-
tains the chapel, library, boarding depart
ment, recitation rooms, and laboratories of
the college, and students rooms to accom-
modate over $50 teachers and scholars. 1t
is heated by the indirect radiation of
steam, and lighted by gas. Hot and cold
water are furnished in all parts of the
building. Over ten miles of steam, gas
and water pipe are shut up in its walls.
The students have a study parlor and
bedroom in suits to accommodate from two
to four. These are furnished with costly
black walnut furniture. The board is not
of the common boarding school stamp, but
of style befitting royal table. In
word, no pains is spared to make Welles-
ley college an attractive home as well as
training school for its inmates. Probab-
ly few of those who find their way to its
halls have at home such watchful care
taken of their health. Here regularly
educated and skilful physician is employ
ed, whose sole business is to prevent the
girls getting sick, and TO cure all who are
i'll. The records of the college fully
prove that the duties of her Office have not
been neglected.
But Wellesley college is more than a
gallery of art; more than Christian
home. Send there your strong, healthy
girls who have coed mental powers; let
them be as thoroughly fitted for college as
your boys would be to enter Harvard, and
they will return, not sentimental girls, or
village gossips, but women who think for
themselves and will prove po werS for good
wherever they may be.
The graduates of Wellesley are not
blocks turned down to pattern; they pos
sess an individuality of their own; they are
earnest workers. Think not they belong
to the so-called "strong- minded" class.
While their minds are strong they retain
the manners of perfect ladies. They have
before them as models the cultivated pres-
dent of the college, Miss Ada L. Howard,
the professors, and other members of the
faculty,--ladies in the highest sense of the
word.
The literary diet of Wellesley is not
milk and water. It's foundation principle
is that the mind of woman is equal to that
Of man; and the discipline of the severer
studies is as much needed in one case as
in the other. Compare the courses Of
Wellesley with those of any of our Ameri-
can colleges, and they will stand the test
The principle on which they are built up.
ia that certain fundamental branches are