The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-13
Tenpyson ms a Teacher.

|
Tennyson rs a Teacher.
Declining at the present moment a gen.
| eral survey Of the genius and the work
OF Tennyson, I would attempt 10 say a
word on the chief service which he has
rendered to his age as a teacher. Every
| age is in a certain sense a period or
transition; but certainly that term may
be applied with special propriety TO the
last half century. 1t opened with faith
and hope and perhaps some illusions or
universal charity. 1t has proved period
OF spiritual trouble, Of fierce political
strife. Of great European wars. Ancient
landmarks have been removed; spiritual
beliefs have battled for their existence;
the old bases Of morals have been threat
ened, IL not sapped; new gospel Of pes
simsm has been proclaimed; the beast
has asserted itself in literature.
The millennium has not come this
bout" we do not speak quite so jauntiy
of progress; we are assured that So
ciety is about TO be reconstructed; but
apparently the bases have not been laid.
And in the absence Of an organizing faith
much Of our literature of the present day
becomes the literature Of mere pastime,
I'm the chronological sense Of that word;
or the exhibition of some fragment OF
human life viewed as a piece of mean
ingless adventure, adventure striking
enough, passionate, pathetic but adven-
ture which exists, we know not why, and
tends nowhthcr, without a purpose or
an aim. During this period Of spiritual
trouble. moral difficulty. POLITICAL con-
tention, literary change, If not decadence
and disintegration, Tennyson preserved
balance; he wisely mediated between
what is traditional and what is new; he
demonstrated that a practical mOdus Vi
vendi i'm things spiritual can be at least
Professionally maintained; he avoided the
madness of extremes. In matters OF faith
his was liberalizing influence; but from
first to last he asserted the rights and
prerogatives of the spirit He was in
genuine sympathy with the scientific
movement of our time, but he never lost
his head in the intoxicatiOn Of scientific
discovery; he held that there are other
methods Of ascertaining truth than those
OF the crucible or the scalpel. Il have
felt" counted with him for evidence as
real as Il have seen" In politics he be-
Ionged to the party Of movement, but |
not to the party Of revolution.
He gladly accepted change, but he |
would build the new upon the bases Of |
the old; like Bacon, he would make the |
supreme innOvator Time, our model |
which innovates greatly, yet slowly and |
by degrees. The freedom which he loved |
and desired is 10 be won through order
and IS, indeed, itself an enlargement and |
DEVELOPMENT Of order as already exist
Ing. In art TennysOn saw as clearly as
any writer the picturesque and passion
ate aspects of life, but he saw also their
moral and spiritual significance.-Profes-
sor Dowden in Illustrated News.
Dur Educational Exhibit at Worlds Fair
1t is a little surprising to learn that It
was not until a fortnight ago that the
Worlds Fair commissioners decided to
make adequate provision for the educa
ional exhibit Of the country. in the face
IF the fact that provisions have been
made for an exhibition Of the educa-
ional systems of the principal European
England and Germany
having made special preparations TO
hat end-it appears that the directors
# the Exposition had entirely failed to
eserve space sufficient for fair and
ull presentation Of our own State and
pecial schools. When we remember that
his system constitutes an important
dement, Of National strength, and that a
roper exhibition Of its methods and APP
'liances would be a great object lesson
or visitors from all parts of the world,
can only occasion surprise that the
ubject has been considered by the d.
ectors as of secondary Importance 1t
vas not until the State superintendent
nd public instructors of many Of the
Principal States met in convention and
ormaily demanded an appropriation Of
NO hundred thousand feet OF space in
tead Of sixty thousand as previously
flowed. that the subject was taken up
n earnest and steps were adopted TO as
ure an educational exhibit worthy of
he country. IL is expected that a sepa-
ate building will be erected for the eX-
hit. This decision seems to have been
astened by menace from the conven-
ION that no attempt would be made TO
rganize any really National exhibit I'M
,ss space commensurate with the ne
ossities of the case should be appropri-
ted. There is no phase Of our National (
rogress and development which possesses
reater interest or can be more impress !
veiy presented than that of oui public /
'hool system. We are justly proud of {
lr material progress our growth in all 6
he elements Of wealth. our DEVELOPMENT |
producing power and our steadily en- a
rging capacity TO appropriate our vast !
hyslcal resources 10 new and beneficent l
SEES; but back Of all these, and the chief :
'urce of all this expansion and growth. S
the public school system, which has :
me more than all other things combined
advance. enrich and elevate the Ma e
onal life along the lines of civilization I
I'd wholesome progress-Frank Leslie's L
eekly. o