Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-07-17
eIarksviIIc Fonaoie Academy.

OAElSLihA EAuNoStAICs
This grand old institution of learn
ing had its regular annual common
cement May 30-June 3. The SER
mon was preached by Rev. j. b.
West, ID. D., to large and appre-
ciative audience, at the Methodist
church in GAINESVILLE, May 80. The
sermon was q strong discourse, upon
an original and independent line of
thought. The Doctor made one
striking and memorable point, and
that was that the need Of this age
is not culture, but brain-self-reli-
ant. active brain. He insisted that
we want men who are not content
to be handled upon the knee of some
scientific or literary ancestor, and
who do not defer the answer to your
question until they have read atp on
the subject. We want men who
think up on the subject proposed for
discussion, and who have the indie
pendence and courage to express
their ideas. He maintained that
the lack of brain acting thus indie
pendently, is a calamity to any age
of people, as it draws to the front
class of leaders, who have no stOm-
aclI to digest any food which has
not been previously masticated by
some authority, but whose capacity
and powers of deglutitiOn for diet
thus prepared is wonderful. And,
when they have swallowed it, they
sit back in dignified stupidity, look
ing wiser than it is possible for any
man to be. Such men are like a
nest of young swallows, which, up
on hearing the rustic of the parent
birds wings, throw their heads
back and open their mouths so wide
that they close their eyes and re-
ceive whatever is offered, whether
it be a grasshoPPer or a green liz
ard. 1t is refreshing to hear such a
sermon after having listened for a
great while with the fOrtitude OF
martyrdom to mumbling platitudes.
And it is surprising how an original
thinker can take the plainest state
ments of strict orthodoxy, and, in
Vesting them with the freshness and
vigOr of advanced thought, give a
presentation of the purest and sim
plest truth, acceptable to every
thoughtful mind. DIR. West clearly
demonstrated himself to be person
al exemplification of the idea of his
sermon.
The exercises at the Academy
were, as usual on such occasions,
diversified with some new features
in the general programme, and old
ones presented in new form. The
President and his accomplished
teachers know how to get up COM
mencement-en ,and how
to render it in the presence of their
numerous patrons and friends. The
graduating class acquitted them
selves with credit, Miss Willie Lii
gOn of GAINESVILLE, bearing off the
first honor. The history of this
young lady for uniformity and
punctuality i'm her attendance at
school, her department in school,
and her assiduity to books, and
great proficiency in the college
course, is an instructive lesson to
all schoolgirls, and her example
should be held up as model for
their imitation.
The next session will open as per
advertisement; and we are happy
to state that GAINESVILLE Female
Academy is female school. The
head, Rev. J. II. Plummer, is the
only male member of the faculty,
and those who send their girls to
this school will have their daugh-
tiers placed under accomplished and
cultured ladies, presided over by
thoroughly competent helmsman.
J. d. BARBEE.