The Portland daily press., 1889-08-09
Mrs. LIvermore's Story OF the Wom-
en- Heroes Of the war.
Mother BIckerdyke's Regiment Of
Cows and Hens.
The Boy Of Today Considered In Va
rlous Ways.
Especial to the Press. ]

trembled for the fate Of the nation. Lincoln
had been elected President, but not yet in
augurated. Alleges were turned to Wash
stay the tide of secession and robbery. Alas,
for the realization of this hope. the Presi-
Dental chair was then occupied by one who
was half coward and the other half traitor.
Who can, for an eternity, forget those days,
when men were indignant and sorrowful
and women prayed. All the federal proper
ty, forts, arsenals, arms. etc.. were filched
from the government. All ammunition and
stores were sent South. West Point was a
favorite school of the South. She sent there
the flower of her youth. So when she called
all her sons In our army, men and officers
answered. Hitherto our flag had been re-
spected. Now the flag was fired upon at Fort
Sumpter and the little garrison surrendered.
The Southern States seeded and they elect
ed President. They thought that the peo-
pie of the South were superior to those of
the North in courage and that they could
easily conquer them. When the news came
that Sumpter was fired upon the whole North
to man awoke. Then President Lincoln
called for volunteers and nobiy did the peo-
Pile respond. The farmer left his plow, men
their business aud students their colleges.
The women then came together to see W nat
they could do to help the country. There
was hardly flag in our land. Women first
made flags for there was hardly flag then
until after the war. War is always
cruel, but for the first time in the history of
the worldjt was given to woman to give it a
heavenly Side. We, early in the war, band
ed ourselves together and offered our aid
again and again to the President and the
Surgeon General, but these offers were re-
iected. Still we persisted. and at length re-
ceived reluctant permission to work.
Men in those days had no confidence in the
superior executive ability Of women for they
had never undertaken anything. outside of
their own homes. We organized all the diff
ferent branches of the sanitary commission;
we gathered money in every possible way
and expended it for the sick and wounded
soldiers. We also helped their families.
We were often in hard places, but came out
all right in the end. Back of us stood the
hospitals with proper clothing, lint, ETC., and
in making for their use dainty jellies and
other delicacies Last we entered the
wards as nurses. Here many women were
brought into notice that have since stood
high 10 other fields, IN the estlmatlon OF the
best known women of the Union army vas
Mother Bickerdyke. She was never dis
heartened nor dismayed. No danger was
too great to brave and no duty was too hard
to be done when it would give comfort to her
boys, as she called the invalids under her
care. Once when it was impossible to get
any good pure milk she got fprlough of a
month and came North, collected regiment
of cows and hens and took them back with
her. These were all loyal cows and hens and
&l1 rfc1,t, hat
needed. Mrs. Livermore then spoke of the
various devices employed by the organiza-
tion to raise money. She described at length
the great sanitary fair that was held at Chi
cago, and which was followed by one in each
of the large cities. These proved most
cause of the great patriotism of the people.
Mrs. Liyermore spoke for two hours and was
given throughout the closest attention.
Today is the last day of the assembly. To
morrow Is recreation day. and many OF the
people leave for their homes then.
This morning Rev. w. F. Berry, in his
normal hour. concluded his lessons on the
Of the Bible. 1t is not best.
he said, to consider single passages OF scrip
ture by themselves. The context must be
noticed and all the, parallel passages coEl-
pared with it in order to find out the truth
contained in it. We should use all the helps
that we can find, but not do so in a slavish
manner. Read the helps that have been
written upon the Bible in the past, and also
those of the present. Seek always the cen
trail thought of each author. and also the
bend of his arguments.
Miss Lucy Wheelock in the children's hour
simply reviewed her lessons on the Bible and
the Holy Land by different devices that can
not fail to impress on the children's minds
all that she has taught them. They will all
have pleasant memories OF the time spent
under this teacher.
Rev. ]. M. Frost, in his hour, gave an out
door lesson in front of Normal Hall. He
took up the week day influences that sur
round the pupil. 1t is in this field that we
apply the lessons of the Sunday school. We
need, to do the best work as teachers to
know the home life, the reading and the as
sociations of our scholars. The question OF
amusements was also referred to. At the
close many questions were asked by those
present.
Miss Wheelock gave a lesson in kinder
garten work and showed its great adaptation
to Sunday school use. Each teacher has his
own method and yet certain principles are
the same with ALL We consider each object
that we give a child from the standpoints of
observation, comparison, application to lie
and of reproduction. This is the best and
most natural method we can have. 1t has
been found to be of great value in the day
school and cannot fail to be OF use in the
Sunday school since we have the same kind
of child life to deal with on that day. as on
any day. We reach their respective facul-
ties through the avenues of the eve and the
ear. One thing must be remembered
in this work, and that is, never teach more
than one point in lesson. That is a funda-
mental kindergarten rule Miss Wheelock
then referred again to the use of pictures,
maps, etc, that attract so quickly the notice
of children.
This afternoon the auditorium was crowd
ed to hear Mrs. Mary A. Livermore again.
She Is a great favorite with the people Of
this vicinity. Her subject was "The Boy of
Today" She said many years ago the civili-
Western Europe. Now the leadership OF
the world is changing to the new world.
Matthew Arnold, when he came to America,
was prejudiced against our institutions and
customs. Yet, a1teI time, he said. it is ev-
ident that a republic will be the government
long the leadership. Our fathers founded
here a free government, free flom cast.
Never before had men attempted to pursue
God-fearing and almost divine manhood The
growth and development of our
country is marvellous. The statements
believed by people of foreign stations. We
should not believe in its greatness ourselves
If we were not apart of it. We began bank
rupt. We had no friend except France and
she was tickle friend. We have not in
this country an aristocracy but ptutocracy.
lhOhO 10 ~ OOuubiy ooCo iioiO Aoi
the education of its people than America.
We have also surpassed England herself in
wealth. Into such a country of this is born
the boy Of today. No other youth is his
superior He is wide awake brainy and
energetic. We have in our land men who
think that wealth is the great end of life. A
man may gather great wealth from Inherit
ance but no mans life is long enough to OBJ
tain it for himself. We do not wish to hold
up Wall street brokers as an ideal to our
boys. A man may get wealth in the good
old way of saving it up little by little. But
it demands of him all his time. 1t
leaves him nothing for church work
nothing for social pleasures for his home, OF
for amusements or art. Every nation has
some distinguishing characteristic. The
Greek had art; the Roman, law, and the
AngloSaxon,to which our boys belonged, has
genius. The Anglo Saxon race has more
endurance than any other. To this family
belong the foremost nations of the world
1t has always exhibited energy and perse.
verance. This power is developed in ouI
land. All the streams of our life flow full
and strong. The boy needs great care and
attention. If he is allowed to. come up OF
himself the street will be his school. He
needs careful bodily training. The sports
are not enough. The records of the examin
ations at Annapolis and other government
schools prove how often the boys failed II
their physical examinations. The mora
training must not he bV any means neglect