The evening times., 1899-03-25
AN APPEAL FOR
GREAT LITERATURE
Columbian kindergarten AssO-
ciatiOn Hears Miss Blow.
Officers Elected at the Annual
Meeting.
Lecture on the Proper Cultivation ot
the Minds OF Young
Pupils.

The i.nnual meeting Of the Columbian
Kindergarten Association was held this
morning at 1880 O'Clock in the chapel OF
the Columbian University, at the corner
of Fifteenth and II Streets north est.
officers for the ensuing year were elected,
and Miss Susan Z. Blow delivered a lee
ture In which she made an appeal for the
study of Great Literature"
In the absence of Mrs. John G. Walker,
the president of the Association, who was
unable TO attend on account of illness, the
Hon. Carroll ID. Wright, vice presider- of
the Association, presided. Upon taking
the chair the presiding officer appointed
committee to prepare list of nominations
OF officers for the ensuing year. He then
introduced Miss Blow, who took the plat
form reading her lecture from manuscript.
She began by defining literature, describ-
ing il as picture OF life. She brought out
the idea that the greatest writers are those
who depict great truths with accuracy and
who foresee and describe truthfully the re-
suits at a future time of conditions and
environments of their. own day. She il
Illustrated this statement with examples
from the writings OF ancient and modern
writers. She said that every author must
nave q uClu lIOlu WHICH " SOlStd-
sions, and this field may be found in the
actions and conditions OF the people of all
times The productions of writers who do
not forecast these conditions with truthful
ness do not live for any length OF time or
only until their statements are tested and
found lacking.
The lecturer advocated the study Of
truthful literature, stating that by reading
OF the deeds Of past ages and the conditions
and reasons under which they were per-
formed, the reader of today gets an op-
portunity to produce good results, as he is
able TO see the the errors of past actions
and avoid them.
She deplored the study by the young of
literature which advocates fatalism. IL was
her opinion that the study of great litera-
ture should be begun in small way in
the kindergarten, supplementing this be-
lief with the statement that the study OF
human nature should be prosecuted more
than it is al present. She believed that
scientific studies as they are introduced in
the kindergarten should give way more 10
human nature study. She thought that the
knowledge of ones fellow being is some
what important because it enables one to
understand and get along better with those
around him.
Miss Blow thought that scientific studies
do good but are not absolutely essential
Her ideal of a perfect curriculum was the
combination Of human nature study
science, literature. art, history, and rell-
glon She expressed the belief that an
accurate knowledge of human nature can
not be acquired from the study of the
characters of those around US, but must bl
found in a large measure in the study OF
great literature, which describes accurate
ly the actions Of people of the past and the
conditions under which these act ons were
performed. She objected strenuousiy Il
the attempt which is made in Sunday
schools 10 teach small children grea
truths which are beyond their comprehen-
sion. She expressed the opinion that thosi
truths could not be presented in such {
form as 10 be made comprehensive to tn,
childish mind.
The lecture throughout showed deep OBJ
servation and a large knowledge OF tbs
literature of all ages The lecturer al il
close was warmly applauded.
Following the address the president call
ed for the report OF the nomination com
mittee which was read and accepted with
cut dissent
Mrs. John G. Walker, President; Hon
Carroll ID. Wright, Vice President; 3
Peckman Mann, Recording Secretary: Mis-
Sarah E. Stevens, Corresponding Secreta
ry; Mrs. Lucy S. Doolittle. Treasurer. TIL
following were elected as members of TIL
executive committee: DR.. William T. Har
ris, Miss Hariette Mel, Prof. William 3
Powell, Mrs John Cropper. H. B. F. Mac
farland. Rev. Frank Sewall, Mrs. Luciou
Tuckerman, and Hon. Simon Wolf.