Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-27

LAsELLE SEMINARY,
Auburndale, Feb. 1lth


since the happy week last summer, that
should some time and in some way get back.
The time is now the way is this. Head and
nerves were tired, and had an inexpressible
longing to get away somewhere
"Anywhere, anywhere
out OF newspaper office"
made my complaint to Mr.. Bragdon, who
decided that a course of school discipline,
rightly administered, would be the best med
icine, resting and content with the sound of
merry girls voices all around me. l do like
it, and it is good treatment. Everything is
80 harmonious and healthful. Somehow Mr.
Bragdon has way of making things work
well. l think it is his sympathetic nature,
which has very practical side to it, and his
happy faculty of drawing out the best that is
in all who surround him, whether teachers or
pupils.
Such place for rest The large school
building stands on the top of high hill, with
nothing to mar the outlook. 1t cant be shut
in on any side. Clustering about the base of
the hill is the lovely little village nestled
down in the midst of oaks and evergreens
to the left can be seen the roofs and Chin
y-tops of Bellevue, the lovely residence of
Mr. E. b. Haskell the editor-in-chief of the
Boston Herald. The spires of the Newton
churches show above the tree-tops. The
green lawn is snow covered now, but | re-
member it green and yelvety last summer,
set for archery, croquct and lawn tennis, for
the Laselle girls are athletes, in their pretty,
feminine way.
don't know lovelier place in all the sub
! ,f AL ,Jo1, : -
sequestered, yet so convenient to town aud
all the gaites. One could be as quiet as one
likes, or rs gay; there's everything Of city or
of country to choose from. DR.. Eben Tour
iee, of conservatory and jubilee fame, lives
here, in pretty, French rooted house. with
wide piazzas, and porches. Mr.. and Mrs.
Pratt have n lovely residence here Mrs.
Pratt is better known to you all as Ella Far
man, the bright editor of Wide Awake. She
has old fashioned two-story house, set in
a grove of oak trees, with a terraced garden
at the back, and plenty of sunlight and play
room for the dear little boy growing up there.
who gets none the less tender care because
his own mamma does so much to make other
boys and girls happy. 1t is a very healthy
spot here the land is so high that the drain
age cannot help but be good, and the air has
that peculiar dryness which makes it pleasant
as well as beneficial. Indeed, Boston physi-
clans have been sending their patients to the
higher part of Newton lately, n very great
deal.
But dear me, I've run away from school,
and I've scarcely been here long enough to
venture to play truant yet; so wen get back
as soon as possible TO the rambling building,
which, once All old-fashioned two-story house
with square rooms on each side of the front
door, and wide hall running through the cen
tire, has had wings put on in every direction,
until there is no suggestion of its original ar
chitecture left I'm glad to get back, for
there is SO much to be seen and done at this
most unique of schools, that don't like to
miss anything. Mr.. Bragdon is firm be-
lever in industrial education, and has been
one of the first teachers to adopt it in any
measure, as part of the regular work Of the
scholars The belief is growing every day
that the hands should be educated, as well
the head, in order to produce harmonious re-
suits. In this country We have been edu-
eating the head at the expense of the hands,
and the consequence Mas been that our
out a lot of helpless young women, who had
their heads crammed with lot of stuff which
could be of little use to them, and an utter
ignorance of practical things. Industrial ed
ucation means to change affairs hands and
head will work in sympathy, unless, indeed,
the enthusiasm of some Of its advocates car
ries it to such an extent that the head will
be allowed to suffer at the expense of the
hands. There is no danger of that under the
judicious management here. Indeed, the
girls seem to go to their mental tasks with
new zeal, after the advertisement of dress
fitting or a lesson in cookery. For they are
teaching both these things here, and every
term they give an exhibition of dress-fttng,
inviting the Newton ladies to witness their
skill. At my request Mr.. Bragdon consulted
some of the last years graduates about the
use they had made of this knowledge. The
most enthusiastic letters were received in
ply every one had made practical use of it,
and had met with good results. One ambi-
tious girl had made handsome black silk for
herself, as well and tastefully any profess
sional dressmaker could have done it,
One day l saw the girls walking about,
each with a silver spoon in her button hole.
On inquiring the significance of the orna-
ment l was told that it was to mark Miss
Parloa's day" This is Miss Parloas second
year at Laselle. She comes every alternate
Saturday, and the entire school attend the
lectures. Twice a week there are practice
days, when, under Mrs. Bragdons direction,
the girls try the receipts given them in the
lecture These are jolly days; such meas
uring and putting together and tasting and
botching Perhaps somebody has eaten nicer
creamed oysters and rolls and pineapple sher-
bet than these girls made the other day, but
doubt it. The next industrial branch which
Mr.. Bragdon proposes to add, is millinery.
All this takes but very little time, only about
six hours a week, and the best of the study
time is left for the school room the studio
and the music room.
wish was a scholar, entered for tho year;
but alas, the time for saying good bye ap-
proaches, and as the mission of rest and heal
ing is accomplished, must get back to every
day life. Besides, next week is 'woman's
week" at the State House, and 1 must be
there to hear if there is anything new to say
ON an old question.
SALLIE JOY WHITE.
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