Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-10-15
THE ACADEMY INTERVIEWER,

By the invitation of Judge Smith.
the present writer visited the
CIarksville Female Academy Oh
Tuesday last, for the purpose Of wit
Messing its management under its
new principal, the Reverend John
;. Collins. The judge himself, MIR.
John West, and your correspondent
constituted the party, who were
courteously received by the prfnei-
pal at his office, and Immediately
conducted to the recitation rooms
where the business of the school
was in active progress.
The first room we visited was that
in which Mrs. Lawrence was teach
ing the little people their first rudi-
ments Of learning. This we have
always considered the most import
ant department of education. for
habits of thought are here engen-
dered which, for good or for evil,
are indelibly fixed in the mind,
forming permanent feature in the
future mental constitution. Mrs.
Lawrence evidently realizes her re-
sponsibilities to their full extent,
and with consummate skill draws
out the thinking faculty of her lit
tie pupils, which unfold under the
sunshine of her influence like the
petals of an opening rose bud. She
has the rare faculty of seeing into
the child mind, anticipating its DIFF
fieulties, and awakening its inter-
est, while the moral guidance of a
mothers love insures the culture of
the affections in lines parallel with
that OF the intellect.
1 will not enter into detail as to
the teaching in the other depart
ments. In general terms will
say only that l witnessed the teach
ing of Miss Palmer in arithmetic,
Miss Ford in natural and mental
philosophy, and the principal HIM
self in chemistry and political econ
omy. The satisfactory feature
throughout consisted in the COM
plete rapport between the minds of
the teacher and scholar. In the
higher departments the proceed
ings looked more like dialogue be-
tween teacher and pupil than the
&c cCtt5etlra dictation of the old
style. 1t was like discussion on
the subject under consideration be-
tween beginners and a moro advan-
ced scholar, all of whom are equally
interested in the subject.
This mental intercourse has the
effect of stimulating the interest
and sympathies of pupils to a de
gree which cannot fail to elicit the
intellectual faculties in degree far
beyond the old routine of hearing
recitations, in which the memory
was cultivated at the expense of all
the other powers of the mind.
For the illustration of physics and
chemistry, the principal has added
largely to the apparatus, which was
purchased of DIR. Plummer, and he
knows well how to handle It.
After an hour or two spent in the
recitation rooms, we gladly accept
ed an invitation to dinner. Much
of mental teaching consists in the
manner in which the domestic rou-
tine of life is carried on, and all the
difference between course selfish
ness and gentle breeding may be
upon the character by at
tention to the details of daily life.
We were therefore gratiied to OBJ
serve a spirit of quiet refinement
pervading everything. The table
was set with neatness and elegant |
taste though without ostentation.
A spotless tabIe-cloth, decorated |
with flowers, comfortable seats, a
room cheerGully lighted and fur |
simple food well cooked and |
well served, quiet attendance of SER
wants, and graceful and courteous
rendered by the guests to
1ne another, constituted a school Of
good breeding and refined taste
which, especially in the case of fe-
males, form most essential con-
'tituent of a complete education.
To sum up all in one sentence, the
under its present admin
stration, gives fair promise of max
ng, not only good scholars, but re-
lined ladies and devOut Christians
If our coming generation of girls.
d. +. w.