St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-02-19
Woman's Club.-Al those who we're

DR.. Talmage.- The Advance, Chicago.
Woman's Club.-All those who were
present at the extra meeting OF the Wo-
mans club on Friday evening last, felt
that the education committee had done
wise thing in securing the services OF Mrs.
Alice Freeman Palmer, who delivered an
address upon "The Duty of the Citizen to
Our Public Schools"
In the absence OF the president, Mrs.
Henry Fairbanks the vice-president,
presided at the meeting, and after stating
that it had been arranged by the educa-
tion committee, she introduce the
chairman, Mrs. Truman c. Fletcher
Mrs Fletcher, in introducing the
speaker, said it was the earnest desire of
the committee to bring to our people some
fresh and eevating influence, which would
make clear to us our sacred duty in CO.
operating with the school directors,
superintendent and teachers in fitting
our boys and girls for lives of highest
usefulness.
Mrs. Palmer's talk impressed most
clearly the fact that it is the duty of
women to face and help solve the prob
lens of the day, and most especially
those of education, which have grown so
difficult ard so varied She dwelt upon
the Importance of our secondary schools.
Many of our boys and girls receive only
a grammar school education, and our
coming citizens need careful training in
these schools, So she urged professional
training for the teachers of such schools,
and felt sure if teachers were not ham,
pered by political and sectarian differ
ences, more of our young men and women
of broad and high culture would enter
the field.
We all earnestly desire for our children
three things: First, good health; second,
appreciative knowledge of the world of
nature and literature; and third, ability
to produce.
We can secure the first for our children
only by carefully ordering their habits
and surroundings at school as well as at
home. Here the domestic instinct of
woman finds full play, and she can devise
means to secure clean surroundings,
proper ventilation and desks and chairs
of suitable size for the children, and see
that the rooms are not overcrowded.
To these details most men are too much
occupied in their business to give proper
attention. 1t is not possible to begin
too young to attain the second, and
here the kindergarten is most valuable
ally. An institution like the museum
here opens to the children knowledge
OF the world of nature, that is denied to
a great proportion of children.
The third is obtained by wise system
of manual training. Practical experience
has demonstrated that itisa valuable ad-
junct to the education of all children, but
especially to those who were dull at their
books but under the discipline oil
manual training soon developed the
power to work out the pro 5lems that
they could not understand from their
books.
She made clear the wisdom of provid,
ing generously for our schools. even il
from the lower plane of dollars and
cents. From a higher standpoint we
must realize that we give to our children
a greater capacity tor usefulness anc
enjoyment throughout their lives. Gov
Russell once said to the Harvard stu
dents, "Fellows, always remember ther
is an almighty difference between maxim,
a living aud making lite."
Mrs. Palmer's address was eoouen
and convincing, and was aptlv poiute,
with many illustrations from her ow,
experience, which has been wide. as
former president of Wellesley college,
lecturer in the Chicago university, and a
= present member of the Massachusett
state board OF education
At the close OF the address the audien,
y were invited to the art gallery to me,
Mrs. Palmer in a social way.