San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-12-19

young teachers are making splendid
records. but | am glad to say mat
among many of my acquaintance
some of the most progressive and sue
cessful teachers are well past middle
life. They grow from day to day, are
happy in their work. and helping to
inculate ideas and devising methods
of teaching that will be far-reaching
in their results.
In looking over the work of south
ern authors during the past three hun
dred years, there is much to cheer and
encourage us. 1t is fact worthy of
note that nine-tenths Of the poetical
quotations found on tablets in the ma
tional cemeteries are written by
southern poet of Kentucky. Sidney
Lanier of Georgia struggled for years
in our midst unapprecia'ted, and now
he is ranked by intelligent and dis
crimating readers at home and abroad
the greatest American poet. The
world has never produced a greater
naturalist than Audobin of Louisiana.
In the formation and establishment
of This great country of ours the mas
ter minds sprang from the south. The
people of the south are learning year
by year to appreciate more and more
the splendid work of our own writers.
A few years ago l attended the great
Worlds fair at Chicago and examined
with care the paintings, statuary and
interesting works of art on exhibition,
and the finest piece of Statuary in all
of the great worlds exhibit was by a
southern artist; the greatest feats of
engineering and the greatest work in
mechanical arts have been accom-
plished by men born and reared in
the south: the largest reaper factory
in the world, both the machinery and
the factory, was the creation of the
brain and energies of Virginia boy.
Mr.. Edward w. Box, the editor of the
Ladies' Home Journal, through a for
eigner by birth but thoroughly Ameri-
canized in his ideas, recently travelled
extensively in the south, and l take
pleasure in giving herewith his tribute
to the people of the south. He, as
well as many other thinking men,
realize that the south in the truest and
most Americanized part of America.
He says:
THE most wholesome American
ideas, those ideas upon which our gov
eminent rests, are nowhere so preva
lent they are at present in the south.
They do not question Divine laws in
the south; they accept and perpetuate
them. Intellectual progress there goes
hand-in-hand with a strict adherence
to the accepted beliefs of religion.
The southern mother does not explain
the Bible to her children in the light
of so-called modern teachings" she
places it in their hands as her mother
gave it to her. And with the funda
mental principles of religion the
southern child is taught patriotism
and love of country; hence, religion
and patriotism stand side by side In
the education of a southern child.
"The southern people believe in pro-
gress. but progress along healthy, ra-
tional lines. Theories which mentally
upset find no sympathy with them.
They are content to move slowly, but
sanely and surely. And some day
when the vast majority of us who live
in other portions Of this country get
through with our camping-out civili- |
cation, when we drop our boastful |
manners, when we get old enough to
understand that there is a stronghold |
of conservatism, which stands between |
tyranny and anarchism, our eyes will |
turn toward the south. And we will |
see there a people who are American
in ideas and in living; people wor-
shipful, progressive, earnest, courag-
eOus and patrotic-a people who have
made their land, against defeat and
the heart of America.
But for the brave and self-sacrificing
efforts of our soldiers of the south,
America would never have been free
from British rule.
If space permitted / would be glad |
to multiply striking facts and relate
many more Interesting incidents. but |
let us here consider the conclusion of |
the whole matter. Young men, young
women, of the south. educate your
selves. Cultivate the noble mind that
God has given you. Spend a little
time in the freshness of The morning,
the first part of the day in studying
Tie greatest and best textbook of all.
Learn system of physical culture
hat will bring into play every muscle
If your body. Cultivate your intellect
study the questions that will best pro-
note your health and strength. Keep