The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-11

adcable traces on heart and brain Yet
i cannot feel that you are the worse of,
for striving and conflict bring strength.
Whatever have boon the joys or sorrows,
the triumphs or defeats, they are over.
We are called from training into active
service. Let us be united band. not en-
shaved by the inexorable past, but in
spired by the magnificent future
Like Goldsmith, we too are travellers
To scenes that are new and untried,
No longer we wait on the sea shore,
But arc launched on the flow of the tide;
In safety may God watt us over, -
The Nature of Culture.
The second Grafton of the morning was
bv Gregory Dexter WalcoTt and his theme
was, "The Nature of Culture" I"
He said in part
"No thought perhaps, is quite so closely
associated with college course. as tho
thought of culture. Most men when they
determine upon four years residence at
some college center, have in mind. more
or less definitely, the purpose to acquire
culture, though what the thing itself is.
they may not he able TO state exactly.
When their course is complete il Is very
natural for them to ask in what degree If
any, their purpose has been fulfilled Few
subjects then, could en- rage our attention
at the present time with greater perti-
nence than the one selected, The Nature
Of Culture
History shows few moro interesting
growths than the growth OF culture Every
age has had its culture. It has always
been the subimaie, precipitate. or com
posite photograph OF all the activities. Gus
toms, laws, thoughts and emotions char
acteristic Of any particular stage of oivili-
zation All the great and good ideas, all
the noble sentiments, all tho treasures, Of
wisdom and learning brought to light in
the centuries post, have come down
through tho ages, hand in hand with ad-
vancing civilization, and constitute today
the meaning of this term culture.
Culture, then, in broad sense desig-
mates the sublimate or precipitate Of all
the activities of our present civilization.
- In the first place we distinguish In the
Individual the commonly accepted dual
ity. More particularly today than was
the case few centuries ago, do we recog.
nize that man Is both physical and spir-
itual The old thought, Disregard the
body, so shall the spirit have fuller more
perfect development is now obsolete
The usual analysis Of mind gives the
familiar grouping, intellect, emotions, and
Will. The complete, symmetrical devel.
opment of all these constitute culture as
n process.
Tho development Of the intellsctis fun
dnmental in all true culture. That the
emotions constitute large part OF "a
mans nature and that they, too. need
cultivation, is thought growing apaoo
at the present day. To this end the train
ing Of the intellect is powerful aid In
NIL dealings with tho emotions distinc-
tion comes 10 the front, n distinction be-
tween the lower and the higher. Envy,
hatred, malice, brute passions must lie
curted md crushed ont; love. sympathy,
Kindness ~ heart. the finer emotions,
cherished and brought 60 perfection.
I'm this field the aesthetic sense i'm par
ticular helps toward culture Ona mod
ern writer has termed aesthetics the
science OF tho useless But no part of
mans nature NAV bo doomed useless 10
IL part OF himself, therefore worthy Of
attention. Very early in the history of
the race did beauty appeal 10 men.
"In the effort % attain true culture tho
emotions may not be neglected nor elimi-
mated.
"Strict attention, however, even TO these