The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-24

what binders Etheir discharge is To h,
avoided. 1t is as doing one or the otbe
that society is now to be considered an
here we meet what needs definition a,f
ia more difficult to define. Giving sooie
ty large meaning, the teacher is IN IL
ot necessity, From it comes his emnlov
ment and nay. Society creates I'll.
teacher. Being Its creation, he owes II
something. WHAT Society has dut,e,
and interests. What has the teacher te
do with themP Does he discharge his
whole duty in the schoolroom in conueo
tio with it's lessons and its oocunants :
I know a normal school whors thu stn-
dents are not allowed to attend church
socisbles. to teach in Sabbath schools.
where in many ways they are dis.
oouraged from identifying themselves
with local interests. This action ON the
part of the school managementis, be-
lieve, what Shakespeare would call "an
i'll proportional act" 1t rests upon tn G
supposition that in making teacher the
institution is sufficient. The supposition
is untena BILE and contrary to general and
tested usage. Clergymen and teachers
are much alike. Once it was the habit
in making a clergyman to shut HIN up,
practically imprison him. with instruc-
tors. The experiment. was tried; fdiled D.;
was discarded. Now the young theo-
loguo Is really required to get himself
out of study and lecture room, to mix
| LII fr,c civ hi
to human interests. The wisdom IN the
modern practice is evident and Is ap-
proved by results. Holding the petition
that teacher has special servio to
render, this other position is to be held,
that the special service will be bettr for
habitual contact with life beyond lis or
her particular field of work.
MIR. Parsons, an American poet, who
wrote too little, wrote lines on the firth
day of Michael Angelo. Here ar two
| lines and half:
| "Whoever works
| Without country, in whatever art
Counts as an artist only second hes.
Patriotism has to do in making first
rate artist, and no first rate teache can
be made without large and lotive
sympathy with the duties 4 So
ciety. The cultivation of this arger
sympathy cannot be begun too cary nor
prosecuted too long, OF with too great
assiduity.
Society has restricted meaning and
I imagine l am asked TO speak d the
teacher in it. What is society in tie re-
stricted sense? 1t is easier TO say what 1t
is not than what it is. A club of wpmen
| organized for study and reading with
tea and cracker adjuncts, is not so,iety.
A club for philanthropio ends, teaching
neglected boys and girls. giving fresh
sir to oity children, and having Other ex-
cellent ends is not society. An after
noon reception from four to six O'Clock.
attended only by women who come in,
sip, speak and go, Is not Society. A Ma.
sonic Lodge, or. any other similar fra.
tsrnity, is not society. A church socia.
BILE. fair, reception is not society. A
dance given In hired hall, to which adj
mission tickets are Gold Unfortunately
is not society; nor a more exclusive
dance or saries OF dances with patronessei
In hired apartments.
| Searching after society one may turn
to newspapers whose speciality ia socia
news, or to the columns o, an ordinary
paper devoted to the same. If from the
information furnished one forms ar
idea OF society, it Is. and society is, COM
posed Of what is called the society set
Inquiry and observation discloses that
this set is made up of young people, com
monty children of well to DO people, who
know each other. are much together, ano
in sumner picnic and ride and sail
and In winter dance. In q good sized
place one finds several society sets, who
have about as much to DO with each
other as Jews and Samaritans of old, as
Turks and Armenians OF today.
The oIher idea respecting society,
from the newspapers, Is that sooiety's
special work is going somewhere for a
day or two, entertaining friend for g
day or two. Seriously, as far rs l car
learn, there is no society in true and
proper sense. venture to suggest that
Society in true and proper sense is
81. Society is something which requires
the presence of both men and women in
the same place at she same time.
| ii. Society Ia something which re.
| quires the meeting of men and won en-
Tor diversion. Society is not in the in.
terast of work, or learning or reform. I,
Is in the interest of diversion This rur-
| pose makes certain exhibitions:
l. In the dress required by Society. 4
insists upon the disuse of working day
clothes and the use of such as subserve
the occasion.
9. In the food and drink equired by
society rations for an army on the
| march are not served. Eating and drink.
ing in society are not to support life, but
for diversion.
8. In certain accomplishments of its
| assem- blies which oiety requires, such
| as flowers and music.
4. In amusements, which in some
form have always been associated with
society. Society is in the interest of
play, not of work.
III. The chief diversion society re-
quires and encourages is conversation.
If a vineyard is for grapes. society is for
converse ton, and for this fair and most
pleasant fruit there is no such garden as
sooietv TT Ia well nigh the solo Guardian