Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-07-19
THE PROFESSOR OF TODAY.
Traditional Marks Of Scholarship
Are Not Noticeable in His APP
penrance,

The tradition, fostered largely by
| contemporary comic literature, that
men of one profession or trade gath
cred in convention infallibly exhibit
! the sign-manual of their occupation.
would have been highly difficult Of
application in the case Of the Amer
icsn Modern Language association,
which held its meetings at Columbia
university recently. Professors and
| instructors from colleges all over the
country make up the principal mem
bership of the organization. The con-
yention was homogeneous in type:
oil the members were scholars and
| followers Of the worlds literature.
Hardly could any other convention
lave brought together a body Of men
| Ehose lines of thought and habits Of
life in general were more similar.
Yet 10 the eye of the layman there
was nothing in their appearance 10
/ indicate in the slightest degree their
profession, and nothing short of IN
tuition could have decided, without
reference to the papers which were
-ead and discussed, what the nature Of
! the gathering might be. One might
well have supposed it 10 be meeting Of
stock brokers or the conference of d
high class club. Many of the men
we're young-prcbably half of the en-
| tire number being less than 40 years
old. 4 quite surprising number Of
| them had the set of the shoulders and
/ the Gecisivencss of muscular move
ment that proclaim their possessor TO
/ Adve been at some time in his life
trained athlete.
In the matter of clothing the ma
| jority Of the men were Enthusiastically
modish, though the prevalent start
| ling waistcoat and flamboyant neck
| tie were notably absent, and in this
sartorial respect the out-of-town pun
! dts were in no wise inferior 20 their
metropolitan brethren. Bald heads
were few; eyeglasses not in greater
proportion than with the general pub
| lie Of the brain working classes.
I When the men spoke they spoke sim
/ ply, sharply ana briefly, with an occa-
sional fash of wit or stroke Of satire.
The old-fashioned professional pre-
| fessor was scautily represented. Per
! haps half dozen Of the older men
were of this type, and these pro-
claimed themselves TO the eye and ear
alike. Their speech was measured,
dignifed and academic. In marked
contrast was one Of the notable fig
ures Of the convention, young man
o. high standing as a scholar. who
looked like the dishevelled outCroD-
ping OF some artists Bohemia, and
who brought 10 his part in the dis
cussion convincing judgment and
sound sense, together with a fervor
almost anarchistic. Add 10 this man
and the little group Of old-timers an
| eager and voluble little elderly men,
Der with a pronounced accent; slow
and pcuderous scandinavian, and a
blithe young conversationalist who hit
out right and left and made an sorts
Of fun for himself and the rest. and
the list of eccentrics is completed.
The remainder of the convention was
in no sense professionally typical.
The same caruut be said Of The
women members, who. with very few
exceptions, were distinctively Of the
pedagoFic type. They came early and
stayed late, taking notes Of the pa
pers read and otherwise evincinr a
determined earuestness in the pursui.
Of learning, while their compeers Of
the sterner sex. II the truth must be
told, spent half their time foreCath-
ering and gosgiping in the lobby.
I y. sun.