The Forrest City times., 1892-07-22
- IN THE FAR NORTH.
An Interesting Lstt.r from Miss Gray
 Taylor of Palestine.

| nothing Dat NoiitlcS Eu the papers $ one tllat could msution, they will wei
 come anything for d change and my article will not gO unread.
 | The National Educatinnal associa- tion has been largely attended. both | from the United States and Canada. ! The streets of Saratoga have been
 througed with people from early morn- ing until II o'clock at night.
 l attended the convention only once.
 as there IS so much on the outside to see, and when l get the proceedings l can read all the papers that choose. The morning that 1 attended l was | more than repaid The subjects under discussion were The Teaching Of Cur rent Events and Literature for Child rem and "Literalure for Teachers i The latter. read by the editor of the Christian Union, uf New York, WIS one of the best papers lever heard. He spoke of the Yalue of literature in the school for :hs teaching of facts. and dwelt particularly upon the ethics Of literature, but lastly of literature as A force to lift Us above the routine of daily life and place us in an exalted l sphere where we may live and partake of it's richness. One he said. ''who knows Shakespeare in the vital or liter ary sense IS not dead teacher. There is quality of life in each of his plays. Thus, in Henry '. English life. in Julius Cesar Roman life. What IS true of Shakespeare is true of Homer, of Dante. If we knew Dante We would be educated as few of Us are educated. :" He quoted Milton: Every great thought is the life blood Of master spirit Go to Homer to learn what the Greek thought Of life. Shakespeare to learn what different peoples thought of life, not for the sake merely of inform ing ourselves. but that we may press through to truth as to what our life is. that we may lift ourselves into that world of life and truth which can illum- mate the life If ;lrad2ery."
 The above synopsis is copied almost verbatim from my notebook, but IS sui ficient to give only brief outline of one of the greatest lectures.
 On the first morning of the conven- yention President Harrison addressed the teachers and afterward held a pop ular reception.
 On my way here I stopped one day at Atlanta to see the town and to at tend the Southern Educational associa- tion. The attendance was large. There was quite a delegation of Arkansas teachers, but only few came on to Saratoga. One of the greatest attrac- tions at Atlanta is the Grady statue, situated Tn the center of Marietta street On one side are selections from | his famous Boston speech.
 Atlanta is beautiful city. The red soil blends harmoniously with the green trees. lovely flowers and red brick buildings. We left Atlanta at night, | therefore l was deprived of the pleas ure of seeing the beginning of the | grand paporama of historical views
 which now began to spread before us. | Every step of the long journey of
 nearly thousand miles called up to
 memory some historic association.
 | We took breakfast at Charlotte, N. C., famous for the Mechlenburgh (?)
 declaration. We passed through Char lottesyille. Va, where we caught a
 glimpse of that classic monument to
 the memory Of Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia.
 We arrived at Washington City | Never on entering any city did 1 ex- perienCe the feeling of joy that felt as the train neared the city and the
 monument and capitol fell upon the view. I was about to realize the full tillment of long cherished dream This is like no other city. It must he
 seen to be appreciated. l visited as
 many places of interest as l could crowd into three days, not emitting a
 visit to Mount Vernon. This was most pleasant of all. The ride down the Potomac was delightful, and gave gool views of Forts Foote and Washington | Fort FoOte is in good preservation. Al Alexandria we could see the spire oi Christ church, where both Washington and Lee were vestrymen. We got ;
 good view of the old Carey house, where Braddock had his headquarters before lstarting on the lll-starred expedition
 against Fort DGQuesne. It was her,
 that Washington, for the last time. ap
 peaed to him to abandon the idea O
 fighting the Indians by civilized mode
 of warfare. Every schoolchild know:
 the fatal result of BTaddOck's s obstinacy At Mount VernGn l stood before the
 tomb of Washington, went all over tht grounds and through the mansion
 where are collected many relics ol
 Washington and some, also, of Lafay'
 cite.
 After leaving Washington City we l WtHl lILO I HiitutiptliN Nii biit ViCfANcN
 railroad. II say we" for you must
 know that l attached myself to various parties of teachers enrOute.) Thence lthrough Wilmington, Del, and Eliza lbeth, the oldest town in New Jersey
 which history tells us was named toi Carteret's wife. It fully sustains in appearance its reputation for being old
 At Jersey City we changed cars foI Saratoga. Up the west shore of the Hudson. which, by the most glowing description, has never had justice done it. Weehawin, noted for it's fatal duel, was the first place to claim attention. 1 West Point. under which we passed through a tunnel, and Newburgh both awakened historical "reminiscences; but what touched the finer chords of my nature most was the lovely little village of Catskill. Nestled down in little | valley upon the bank of the blue lIud- son, behind it mountains piled one
 above another, exhibiting every shade
 of colcring from green to deep blue. | Above, clouds resting upon them and l gorgeous in their colors of red, yellow, | purple and gold. The setting sun ] poured out upon them the effulgence ! of his rays. as if he wished to surround l himself upon his departure from earth
 withall the glorious splendor possible. A
 slight haze hung over the valley, and through it my fancy pictured to itself
 the form of old Rip as he toiled up the
 mountain side. carrying his keg of | liquor, accompanied by his queer-look- | ing companions. l could picture his consternation on awakening from his