Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-03

BosroN, Sept. 90 1884.
/ heard a good story the other day that
will venture to tell, although no one has given
me permission. There has been q secession
of teachers from one of the leading private
schools of the city, and the seceders have
started a school of their own. Instead of
trying to secure their pupils from outside,
they have endeavored to the best of their
ability to take away the scholars from the
school where they have been 30 long employ
ed. Their methods have not been the fairest
in the world, and they have not always been
successful in applying them. One Of them
went to a well known Boston gentleman, who
had a son in the school and asked him to
transfer tue child to the new school. The
old school used very bad methods II was a
pity the child should be subjected to them
lie knew what he was talking about for he
had been there ten years.
"Ah," said the gentleman "you say the
school is not what it purpotrs to be you are
sure all you say is true Z"
Perfectly, sir"
Every well then. In that time you must
have become thoroughly imbued with the
evils you complain of, 30 don't think could
trust my son with you"
There was nothing more to be said the
teacher turned on his heel and left, and the
father sent the boy to the school where he had
80 long been a pupil 1t seems to me that
this was a perfectly just and fair proceeding,
and every person, whoever he may be, who
tries to build himself up at the expense of
pulling another down should be treated in
Just this way. Whatever cannot stand on its
own merits and its own strength cannot sure
ly be propped up by the ruins Of any other
enterprise l always distrust the one who
claims to be right because somebody else is
wrong, and detest that jealousy, professional
or otherwise which il bound to kill every one
else that may stand in the way of any pro-
posed plan OF action. There ia room enough
for every body in this world, and if half the
time and energy was devoted to building up
ones business aud reputation that is given to
pulling anothers down, there would be a vast
deal more and better work done the world
over.
The summer course of free historical leo
lures at the Old South church for the chill.
| dreu of the public schools was ended last
Wednesday, when Col. I. w. Higginson gave
his lecture on John A. Andrew the great war
| governor. These lectures, which have be-
come prominent feature Of Boston educa-
ton, were FIRST thought of by Mrs. Mary
| Hemenway, and she has continued them for
| three years, both summer and winter, paying
all the expenses herself Mr.. John Fiske
| gave two or three series on American history
aud the growth Of the nation aud since then
lectures on special topics, all connected with
| the history of the country, have been given
by such men as Col. 7. W. Higginson, Mr.
Hale Mr.. Edwin ID. Mead, Mr. Chas w
Slack and Chas Carleton Cofin.
Mrs. Hemenway feels that the political sal
walton of our country depends upon the chill
dren who are growing up, and is determined
to do all in her power to educate them for
| their approaching duties as the men and Wo.
| man nf fha repuhIic Rntbfnu rpuE.g hattar
citizenship than thorough knowledge of the
| country one lives in and a thorough under
standing Of the principles which underlie its
| constitution and its government. All this has
been shown very clearly in the Old South lee
| lures, aud doubt if anywhere a set of boys
and girls can be found who really know so
much about the history Of their own country
az the children of Boston.
Miss jenkins, who has in charge the juve-
nile department of the public library, tells
| me that since these lectures were begun there
has been a decided change in the reading
Fewer books Of adventure and fewer story
books are taken from the library, while the
| circulation of books of history, biography
and travel have largely increased. just be-
fore she went abroad Mrs. Abba Goold Wool
son gave lecture on Magma Charta" aud
last winter the boys of the Eliot and Brim
mer schools were reading up everything they
could find on the subject aud they kept Miss
| Jenkins at her wits end hunting up book
for them.
Another result of Mrs Hemenway's benev
olent work among the children of the city is
seen at the Institute fair in the women's de
partment, where there is an exhibit of the
work done in the vacation school of ndustr
al training which is maintained by Mrs Hem
enway through the summer in the Starr Kinl
school house on Tennyson street This ex
hibit includes specimens of needlework, mod
elling clay, knitting, coloring and cabine
making.
Miss libby, the lady in charge of the ex
hibit, says that she has considerable trouble
to make people believe that the latter worl
was done by the girls But it was, every bi
of it, even to taking the dimensions and get
ting out the stock. l wish you all could hav
seen the girls at their work they were as in
teTested and happy as possible, aud they hat
a real enthusiasm for what they were doing
When the vacation schools were first start
cd, the whole idea seemed to be to give th
poorer class of children some place of refug
from the streets during the hot summer day
where they should be amused and kept com
Portable. But Mrs. Hemenway's idea WAS en-
tirely different aud far beyond this 1t wa
to give the girls some instruction in practics
work with the hands and to teach them to re
spect labor Among the things taught wer
housekeeping, needlework knitting and mod
elling. Not only were the girls taught to re
spect work, but they were taught courtesy
neatness and gentleness. 1t was beautifr
and successful work.
Houghton Il Mifliin have Just published
holiday edition of Hawthorne's "Wonde
Book" 1t is beautifully gotten up with flo
| illustrations on nice paper, handsome binC
ing and illuminated covers. Although it
the first of all the juvenile holiday books I
be published, none that follow it can excel
in beauty or popularity, and many a chill
) will have happy Christmas because of i
( The same house has published a book TO
, boys by James Parton called Captains {
Industry" in which are sketches of we
known men of England and America. 1t ia
good, healthy, helpful book for bright, au
bilious boy to read.
James II. Osgood & Co. are to publish tn
autumn all the lectures on Emerson that wei
given this summer at the Concord school
philosophy. 1t will be very interesting an
valuable memorial volume, and will show NJ
Emerson in all his various phases, in the pu
pit, in the family, as an essayist, a poet an
Q a teacher of ethics. By far the most inte
| estng paper, because the most vitally persol
a al, is Miss Elizabeth Peabody's. Miss Pc
body was life time friend of Mr.. Emerson
and knew him as none of the others did,
that her paper contains more of his persona
r ity than the rest. One thing in it is goC
" enough to quote. After Mr.. Emerson lie
n his Boston pulpit, he was preaching in Ea
A Lexington, driving over every Sunday fro
: Concord. Miss Peabody often accompanit
ID him. On one occasion she asked an old lad
a member of the congregation, If they we
IS not going to call a certain clergyman who
's Mr.. Emerson had recommended. "Oh," sa
= the old lady naively, 1--WE are but simple fol
i and we are afaid we cannot understand hin
II Mr. Emerson ia better suited to u.s." "AI
= this" says Miss Peabody, ''in the face of
% the Boston cant, which had so much TO 81
% about not being able to comprehend Mr.. Ell
If son." Added value will be given to the VI
g. ume by the publication of an hitherto unpu
,r lished portrait of Mr.. Emerson.
4 SALIIE JOY WHITE
L