Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-28

TERrA1NGNG HISTORICAL STUDY ron THE
YOUNG THE CoREAN EMBAssY-A LIVELY
CITY.
BosroN, Sept 22nd.
While the leisure part of the world has
been a.pleasuring at the seaside and in the
mountains through the lovely summer wealth.
er, it has not been thoughtless Of tho less
fortunate who have been kept of necessity
within the city walls. There have been the
poor ohildren's excursions to Walden pond,
where between five and six thousand of the
little ones from the tenement-house portions
Of the city have been given days outing,
with unlimited fun, aud no end of sandwiches.
lemonade, plum buns and peanuts The sea-
shore home, presided over by Sister Elizabeth,
of the protestant sisterhood of st. Margarets,
has given shelter and care to between two and
three hundred babies, who otherwise would
have died for the lack Of that very change
and care There have been vacation schools
and kindergartens, into which the children
from the streets have been gathered and made
comfortable and happy, out of the reach OF
temptation through the long tedious days.
All this has been the work Of private indvid.
uals who are anxious that some of their own
pleasure shall be shared with those who can
not gain pleasure for themselves. After all.
that is beautiful charity which gives new
color aud brightness to common life. There
is no one but does better work and lives bet
ter life with some respite to break the monot.
ony of the every day grind, and it is not with.
out reason that these summer charities take
the form Of recreation.
Another bit of summer generosity the
most far reaching and helpful, has been the
establishment of course of lectures on
American history, which have been given ev-
cry Wednesday afternoon at the Old South
church, and which have been free to the pu.
pills of the Boston public schools These
lectures were undertaken by Mrs. Augustus
Hemenway who bears all the expenses of
them, at the instigation of Miss jenkins of
the Boston public library, who, more than
any other one person in Boston, has by her
own personal endeavor taught the children of
the schools how to use the library, and has
directed many of them iu their reading l
think it may interest some Of my readers, es-
pecRlly the parents and teachers of our
bright New England children, to know some
thing about Miss Jenkins work aud its prac
tical results. She has been for four or FIVE
years quietly regulating the reading Of that
portion of our juvenile population which
makes constant use of the public library.
She encourages the children to come directly
to her with their wants, finds out the indi
vidual tastes, and then wisely directs to the
proper choice of books. She arouses in them
an interest in history, in the personality of
distinguished men aud women, in science and
literature As a consequence the sensational
story books, those books that indirectly and
undesignedly do harm, have decreased large.
ly in circulation, and the books of history
travel and biography have increased in pro.
portion. Last winter the pupils in one of
our schools read every thing they could pro-
cure concerning Magma Charter. You would
find now, if you had occasion to test them,
that the Brimmer school boys are net to be
found mapping on any part of English history
which in any way relates to that great reform
in human rights. 1t is little doubtful if you
could trip them up at any point for the sub
ject widened-as all subjects do with study
and the boys are keeping up their reading
still The boys Of the Eliot school, and, | be-
lieve, the girls Of the Winthrop, took up the
history of their own city, and they know ev.
cry crook and Granny of Boston by heart.
All this work has been done under the super
vision OF Miss Jenkins, and she and the
teachers have gone hand and haud It strikes
me that there is a promise here for a little
higher mental and moral status in another
generation, when training of this sort comes
nearer its fulfllment. If all through New
England the teachers and librarians would
work together in this way, children would
have finer tastes-tastes that have been kept
fine and pure because they have not been uu
healthfnly stimulated by bad reading. The
Old South lectures are supplementing this
work most admirably, and the interest among
the children is unhagging. Such persons as
John Fiske, f, b. Sanborn, Mrs Diaz Edwin
ID. Meade, Prof. G. Stanley Hall and the Rev.
DIR. E. E. Hale have been employed as lee
turers, and the subjects have been those
prominently connected with our own history.
Mrs. Daz talked of Plymouth, and the Pill.
grim fathers and mothers Mr. Sanborn
talked about Concord, and Mr.. John Fske
about THE Town Meeting" This last lee
ture aroused great deal of interest The
children evidently meant to know all about it
before the time came when they should take
part in the government. Mr.. Hale gives
the next lecture, on THE Streets of Boston, "
subject that will awaken the enthusiasm
of the children. l don't see why every
town cannot do similar work for the children
1t needn't be a matter of much expense.
There are enough clever men and women in
every New England community to prepare a
series of talks, when all the children should
be brought together to listen, Large subjects
need not necessarily be considered, Begin
with the history of your own town. You will
be surprised at the rich fund of local history
and tradition you have for immediate use,
From that 60 out into the county and then
the state after that it is time to consider the
country.
The present object of interest in Boston ID
the presence of the Corean embassy, who are
here to visit our country, and gain some idea
of our institutions. We have known little OF
Corea in the past, as the inhabitants have re
sisted all attempts at international oommuni
cation. From the little that has been learned
tits known that in religion they are Buddhists
homogeneous in practice, are quite civilized
and possess most of the industrial arts Of the
Chinese and Japanese Their visit to thiI
country is the first breaking down of the
barriers of communication. They visited the
President in New York, and were graoiously
received. While in Boston they are guests Of
Col Wolcott at the Hotel Vendome, In per
sonal appearance they have the characteristics
of the Chinese and Japanese, the latter type
predominating. In manner they are dignifed
simple and courteous their voices are pleas
ing. They are under the care of Mr.. PEREZ
val Lowell, nephew of james Russell Low
ell, and a son of Mr., Augustus Lowell o.
Boston. He is the American ambassador, ant
it was through his influence that they came t.
this country. They are delighted with theil
trip and with all they have seen. They pre-
sent most picturesque appearance in thei
flowing robes, high hats, and strings Of golC
beads, They have visited the Foreign expo
sition, the Institute fair, the public schools
and Col. Wolcotts famous Blue Hill farm
The foreign exposition is drawing the people
| of all nationalitles here, and Boston, staid ole