The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-06-22

iHNSc VINO arc WONG W sPe"a VI
IaAics' schools as places.
Where education, in its nobler sense,
Gives place to learning's shalloweSt pre-.
Where hapless maids, in spite Of wish or
taste.
On vain Accomplishments" their moments
waste;
Ry cruel parents here condemned to wrench
Their tender throats in mispronouncing
French,
Here taught in inky shades and rigid lines,
To pcrpetrate equivocal "designs;" y
Drawing that prove their title plainly
BY showing nature "drawn' and "quartered'
too.
In ancient times, I've heard my grandam
tell,
Young maids were taught to read and
write aud spell;
OF tongues, each maiden had but one, It's
said,
Enough twas thought 10 serve lady's
head.)
However true these lines may
have been, however true they may
be, few men now feel called upon to
illustrate the dignity of their own
sex by sitting in judgment Of the
merits and wants and capabilities
Of the female intellect. 1t is a
matter of ofcongratulation that many
of our standard institutions of
learning no longer retain above
their portals the forbieding monl-
ton. Vino enters here must-wear
oantaloons, but have thrown open
their doors, and now offer the
maidens of our land all the advan-
tages Of liberal education. But
while IN the matter Of female
training, Reform is advancing
and extending and developing sys,
TENS and opportunities, it touches
our male colleges with a quite diff
terent spirit. This practical spirit
that always asks, Will itpay ? has
taken hold of our college curricu-
iums, and with an aim far more
honest than commendable, seeks
10 remodel them at the expense
pf the ancient classics. Most OF
these would be reform ers who try
% thrust Greek aud Latin from
be proud eminence they have so
iong held in our institutions Of
learning, are about as we'll quail
lied for school.teaching as Caligu-
'a's horse was for the consulsbip.
The course Of instruction which
they would dictate is like them.
selves, ''fearfully and wonderfully
made" 1t is as refreshing as the
bill Of fare Of the napless lndiVi
dual who TOOK bread and soup for
breakfast, soup and bread for di1-
ner, and for supper, bread and
soup. They would give US first,
riting, reading and 'rithmetlc-
then reading, 'rithmetic and 'riting
and as s capstons TO this superb
monument Of wisdom, 'rithmetic,
'riting and reading. The people
are difident of their ability to
TO mark out a proper course of in
struction; and, though they feel
that much tine is devoted to the
study Of Greek and Latin, With
most unsatisfactory results, they
are content 20 let the question
rest with the school-men On the
one hand, and the practical re-
formers on the other. But while
much of this fault finding comes
from men OF hsIf-learning, the op-
position in some quarters is strong
and dignifed because it is carried
forward by men of scholarly cul-
ture, trained faculties and capa-
cious minds. On this account, it
is not out of place for US to inquire
what is the true position of Greek
aud Latin in our colleges. With
out attempting a refined or ex.
haustive investigation of the sub
ject, let us sac whether the con-
servatism of the school-men is
contemptible or judicious-wheth.
er this desire Of change is suggest.
ed by true principles and control
led by proper motives-wbether
these literary coroners should be
allowed to hold post mortem ex-
animation, and bury the ancient
classics because the verdict is
Dead" Why should not tho an
cient classics be banished from the
school-room II? You answer. First
you tell US Of the voluptuous rich
ness and fexibillty of the Greek,
and the admirable precision and
pcrspicuity CT the Latin ; you
cannot sufficiently praise and ad-
mire the wealth Of wisdom of an-
Gent sages and statesmen; and
you never grow tired of extolling
the honeyed eloquence that sat on
Attic lips. Ah| our own is the
noblest tongue that has been in
the mouth Of man for hundreds Of
years a tongue that sweeps in it's
wide embrace every shade Of
beauty and force, wit and humor,
patbos, grace and sublimity; the
tongue that "Chatham spoke:
Shakespeare sung" And
the wisdom Of ancient sages is
now found in vigorous English,
polished and beauti6ed BY the magic
Of luminous modern minds. You
indulge in honeyed commentator of
the language of dark haired, spotless,
sweetly-smiling Sappho," and the
tongue that thrilled the sweethearts of
Horace. Now you are tapping your
wings against the base of Parnassus !;
lot uS avoid that ond ha nr.ctioo;