St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-29

bis time. The recent events which have
made him the object of unStinted praise
and violent censure. and the most
talked about man of the hour. have also
made desirable a full and discriminat-
ing sketch of his career. There is
general and earnest wish to know more
of Parkhurst, the preacher and the
man.
Dr.. Parkhurst was born of sturdy
Puritan stock, or, as he is fond of put
ting it, ''Of good Christian Yankee par
entage," at birmingham, Mass, fifty
years ago last month. Erect, quick mo-
toned, clear-eyed, with but a faint sug-
gestiOn of gray in the dark hair that
frames his fine, strong face, he has not
yet begun to grow old and apparently
has still before him many years Of earn
est and active labor. His father. though
Eelf-educated, was a man of superior
mind and character. For many years he
worked IN summer the small farm upon
which he lived and in winter taught
In the towns of birmingham and Ash
land. From the outset he fostered
his sons desire for an educa-
ton, and by economy and self
denial secured for him a college
training. The mother was a woman of
rare mental and moral qualities, fond OF
books and devoted to her children. Un-
til they were well advanced she per-
sOnally directed their education. and
her son holds in loving memory the
plans which sne devised for their i'm
prOvement, not the least of which was a
debating society, which she encouraged
them to form among themselves. There
were five children, three sons and two
daughters. The eldest son, " ellington
Z. Parkhurst, has been for many years
editor of the Clinton, Mass, Courant,
and is now a member of the Massachu-
setts legislature, to which body he has
been three times elected. The young
est son. Howard E. Parkhurst, is an ac-
complished musician and has charge OF
the music in his brothers church. The
youngest daughter died in childhood;
the eldest. who has long been an in
valid, resides i'll Worcester, Mass.
DIR. ParkIlurst;s School and Col
1ege Training.
When DR.. Parkhurst was twelve years
of age his parents removed to Clinton,
Mass, where he first attended school.
Until he was sixteen he was pupil at
the Clinton grammer school, standing
well up in his classes and showing an
especial aptitude for music. Then for
two years he was clerk in dry goods
store in Clinton, an occupation which,
as he recently told the writer, he
"lOathed with an unspeakable lOath-
ing" but which gave him knowledge
of business methods and of human ma
ture which he now regards as most
valuable. At the age of eighteen he be-
gan to prepare for college at
Lancaster academy, three miles
from Clinton. He walked to and
from the academy and thus acquired
the fondness for tramping which
has since made him famous pedestrian
and mountain climber. In 1862 he en-
tered Amherst college. among the men,
bers of his class being George Harris,
now professor at AndOYer, and Herbert
/. Bridgn,an, a well-known BROOKLYN
Journalist. He eXcelled in the classics
and philosophy, was graduated in 1866,
and for some months after graduation
continued his studies under the direc-
tion of Prof. Qater Presiden0 Seelye,
with whom he had been prime favor
ite from the first.
In 1867 he became principal of the
Amherst high school, which position he
filed with great success until 1871. One
of his pupils was Miss BOdman, a sweet
faced, attractive girl, the daughter of a
Northampton bank president. A warm
attachment sprang up between teacher
and pupil, and few years later they
became man and wife.
In 1871 DIR. ParkhurSt visited Ger
many, intending to pursue a course of
study in philosophy and theology, but
was soon called home by illness in his
family, and shortly after his return ac-
cepted a call to Wiiliston seminary, at
EaSthampton. where for two years he
was teacher of Greek and Latin. He
was married while at Easthampton. and.
et the end Of the period mentioned,
with his wife, he again went abroad
and studied for about two years at
Halle, Leipsic and Bonn. This period
Of his life he recalls with the liveliest
pleasure. In the German university
towns there is scholastic atmosphere
that makes them exceeding pleasant to
the true student. In some respects the
German universities are less rigid than
those OF America. The students are
less restricted in their personal move
ments and between students and pro-
fessors there is feeling of comrade-
ship that is almost entirely absent in
America. Whenever, in conversation,
Dr.. Parkhurst alludes to his life in Ger
many, he speaks with loving reverence
of Dr.. ThOluck, that great scholar and
most lovable man, who for many years
stayed the progress of free thought in
Germany, and who, when the young
American arrived at Halle, sought him
put and made of him a companion and
friend. Other of the professors under
whom he studied made an enduring i'm
preston upon him, and his mental
growth during the two years he spent