The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-07-26
DR.. HARKNESS TALK TO CHILDREN.
How to Grow Up in knowledge and
Virtue.
Instructive Address Delivered ut the
Hardness Grammar School
Yesterday.

the darkness Grammar School yester-
day. The assem- bly-room was hand
somely decorated for the occasion, and
the exercises were of unusual interest.
All the pupils that took part acquitted
themselves with much credit.
The feature of the day, however, was
the address Of DR.. II. w. Hardness,
President Of the Academy OF Sciences in
San Francisco and a former and early
resident OF this city. Because of the warm
interest he manifested in the local schools
in their infancy, the City Board of Edu-
cation recently changed the name of
Capital Grammar School to the Hark
ness. The address is as follows:
THE ADDRESS.
"My Young Friends Of the HARNESS
Grammar School; When invited by
your Superintendent to meet you upon
this interesting occasion, l did not antici-
pate that l should be called upon to adj
dress you. However, at q late day word
was sent me that no excuse would serve,
and that l must submit to the decree.
when l first realized the situation. it
caused me no little embarrassment until
your Superintendent kindly assured me
that no elaborate paper would be ex-
pected. On consulting the school report
of San Francisco, we learn that of the
pupils graduating from the grammar
schools, but five per cent of their number
enter schools Of higher grade. Without
definite Information upon the subject |
infer that like ratio is maintained in
the schools of this city. We may therefore
safely presume that the school career of
ninety-f five per cent. of the class before
me will close with the termination of
these exercises. While most OF you have
already formed more or less definite
plan for the future, each one of you must
give way TO feelings of sadness in the
parting from old associates. and the
sundering of ties which can never
again be united. To-day you Will
go forth from this building
bereft of the friendly guidance of your
teachers, and with the full realization of
the fact that the knowledge you may
hereafter obtain will depend to great
degree upon your own uneided efforts
y our school life has been the means of
placing you in the right path, and has
taught you methods Of work. but your
future success in life must depend upon
persistent study and observation. Nat
urally you ask, What course shall I
pursue in order that | may obtain the
best results? Is there any well-beaten
road by which l may arrive at the goal of
my mbition? Time will not permit me
to mark with certainty the path by which
you may reach that point, and even were
the time at my disposal, far be it from me
to claim that l am competent to act as your
unerring guide. Yet L may be able 10
point out some of the important land
marks, which, as | humbly trust, may
aid you upon your journey. We turn in
stinctivelY TO our libraries as the best
source of Information upon this mo-
mentous question. When in the library,
;e Il hot
waste your time owing 10 your failing to
make the right selection OF the works
best suited tor the nplishment of
your purpose.
You should closely follow the his
torian if you would learn how nations
have risen to eminence; and from the
same source you will be able TO trace the
causes which led to their death and de-
cay. You should, if you desire to be
we'll informed. study the records left by
travellers, that you may learn how this
world of ours has been mapped out, and
in what manner the people of different
countries have been made known to one
another.
The biographers show you the path
which was pursued by those who have
achieved greatness, and furnish you with
a description of the methods which such
men have employed to advance the inter-
est of mankind. While urging you to
store your minds with the 1aots pre-
sented to you by these and kindred au-
thOrs, l by no means advise you to ne
glect works of fiction.
''In selecting works of fiction unusual
care must be taken, as the larger portion
OF such works are absolutely worthless;
far too many decidedly harmful. Y GU
will find others, however, which will
serve you good purpose, as furnishing
you with valuable studies III human ma
ture. They will serve you as side lights
which reveal the springs which impel
men to action in almost all conditions
OF life. There is much in this class of
writing which is elevating and ennobling,
and ono is gamer by their perusal, as
he soon finds himself more and more in
sympathy with his iellow-lnan.
There is another class of fiction to
which / would call your atteution, i. e.,
Tales from Fairy Land l am fully
aware that there are = few that will not
agree with me, but still | cannot believe
that you will be Injured by perusal of
these fascinating stories; but, on the
contrary, the Imagination will be health
fully stimulated by association with these
authors. l fail to perceive wherein turks
the danger which is concealed within the
pages OF Alice in Wonderland or again
IN following the sturdy and more realistic
actors described in Grimm's interesting
laIIaLifSSs Is tLleI6 any OIl6 50 QeSLlLUt0
OF the imaginative faculty as to fail in
the appreciation OF the delightful fairy
tales OF Hans Christian Anderson |
cannot but envy the youth when receiv-
ing his first introduction TO this author
The kindly Dane takes him by the hand
and. presenting him to his group of
fairies, together with them as guides, he
makes many an aerial journey. With
happy fairies to lead the way, he is waited
over seas and heather covered plains;
and over mountains and rivers, when
filled with delight he could almost wish
that the journey were 10 be of endless
duration. But the story is too soon COM
pleted, the journey is at an end, and the
same gentle influence places him by his
own fresIde and silently vanishes away.
In the interval be has explored lovely
experiencing any sense of fatigue or of
fear.
II would earnestly advise you to strive
to acquire the habit of observation as you
take your walks. either in the country or
within the limits OF your city. Once ac-
quired. you will find the habit source of
Infinite enjoyment. especially in the field
of natural history. GU are well pleased
when you observe tor the first time new
flower. You are, however, unaware of
the added pleasure to be derived from
knowledge of its structure and Of its his
tory. The study OF botany Will furnish
YOU the means for this added interest to
your lives, and this can be accomplished
with but little effort.
Should you descend lower into the
arcane of the vegetable kingdom you will
find still more interesting and delight
full field of research. Every pool of
water contains its bewildering multitude
OF vegetable organisms, the Shiny, green
masses are forms of plants OF indescrib-
able beauty. Within these limits you
may also lind insect life in infinite va
riety.
Their form, life. habits and history
will furnish you with sources of unend
inc daliuhf | ventnra 10 call ynur attan-