St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-03-05
rlary Lyons tooth Anniversary.
abstract from a sermon by DIR. A. H.
HEATH)

iiEhIh.J
The morning service at the North
church, st. Jobnsbury, last Sunday,
was commemorative OF the birth of
MARY Lyon, the founder of Mt. Hol
yoke college. DR.. Heath's text was
taken from Heb. II: 13, "These all
died in faith" The subject was di.
vided lnro three parts: the character,
the aims OF Mary Lyons life and the
practic II lessons from it. PREDATORY
to this DR.. Heath said: The story OF
the lite and work of Mary Lyon is
the ldyl OF New England history. 1t
is Americas contribution to the
eleventh OF Hebrews. For that grand
epic in VIII ch we hear the ira mp of
heroic spirits who tor forty centuries
before the cross stood and died for
the truth: and IN which also we feel
the throb OF the forces which have
made glorious the nineteen centuries
since, has not been finished. Nor
will it be until the name OF this New
England girl is put among those
who through faith subdued king
doms turned to fight the
armies of the aliens"
This grand movement in human
history is one from Enoch and Abra-
ham to the beautiful heroism of the
Berkshire hills. But each period,
almost each individual in the won.
drous procession has had their own
peculiar incentives and aims, and
have been surrounded by their own
peculiar conditions and formative
influences. Ii may be inter-
esting then to ask what were the
conditions that produced the hero
ism of Holyoke. What was the aim
of the movement and what are some
OF the practical lessons OF her life. 1t
may be said that it's deepest roots at
least tap the fountain underlying
the great Lutheran reformation.
Luther's movement had for its CEN
trail aim the Enchanting OF the
scriptures and the giving of its sweet
waters to the masses OF mankind.
The puritans and the pilgrims were
the direct product OF the Lutheran
movement, and they manifest clearly
the central aim. Freedom to wor.
ship was their watchword. But how
could man worship intellieently
without a knowledge OF the scrip
lures and how could they know these
unless they could read and have edu
cation enough to understand what
they read. Therefore they
founded colleges that they might have
learned ministry, ant
every minister became not alone {
preacher OF righteousness but {
schoolmaster teaching the people thu
rudiments of knowledge.
Private schools sprang up through
out the colonies long before Their
was any law requiring public educa
ton.
In 1647 a law was passed IL
Massachusetts requiring every tow
with fifty families to provide schoo
where children could be taught t.
read and write; and every town c
. 100 families must have a gramma
school whose master should be abb
to fit young men for college. Thu
within thirty years of the landing a
Plymouth was laid the foundation {
our entire educational system wit
its three grades of schools essential
as they now exist. ."
But they had provided merely 10
the education of the boys. No girl
were admitted to their schools. Thes
sturdy men felt compelled to provid
only for necessities in education a
in everything else. An educate
ministry was considered a prim
IS necessity. Girls did not preach. A
intelligent citizenship in republi
was also necessity; girls did nc
: vote. Their want of learning di
not Immediately threaten eithe
= church or state. Their sphere wa
the home. In the necessary divisio
of labor it must be so. And hon
Y duties were heavy in those days whe
there were no factories.
Or the face OF great difficulties many
=, &c the women became well educated
II But it must be admitted that tn
d. which was in the beginning the pc
" lev of necessity later became the pc
ID icy of prejudice; and so it became a
na unjust and terrible burden to tt
womanhood of the land. A gener'
- ton previous to the revolution migf