The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-06-12
ABOUT TOWN.
Reflections and Observations.

"How beautiful is the rainl
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street.
In the narrow lane
How beautiful is the rainl
How 1t clatters along the roofs,
Like the tramp OF hoofsi
How it gu5hes and struggles out
From the throat of the OVERLOOKING spout
Across the window-panel
1t foams and pours,
And swift and wide
With muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars-
The rain, the welcome rainl
-
Inhabitants OF this region are we'll quail
flied, so far as experience will do it, to write
reams OF such descriptive verse as the
above. Doubtless 'twould be the vindctive
pleasure Of most to change the character OF
the adjectives descriptive of"the rain, ,"for 1t
must be allowed that rainy season which
foists itself upon the first of New Eng
land June, when, ''if ever, ut is well said),
we have learned to expect "perfect days."
Is an enemy to the common veal Evident
ly 1t Is good for the verdure which waves
every where, OF a surprising greenness, but
its effects upon humans is quite otherwise,
investing them with a sodden gloom, an
ominous gravity OF aspect that often teto-
kens desperate deeds like those Of the
French Revolutionists, who at last grew
tired Of having "the deluge" after them
But at any rate, there is this consolation to
be hoped for: il it rains partly for the benefit
OF the unjust, as we are told, some OF that
obiectional element will be drowned out
should the present high water rate continue.
."s
Nothing less than a foot of water on the
diamond will quench the baseball fever
which burns in the heart Of every boy at
this time OF the year. The well-fought
fields OF the school teams are good fun, but
the younger mines, shuffled out from the
Qnly hot fnfn ait nffxhh hOr Aa
make interesting material. Debarred from
playing on the campus, except at odd inter-
walls when the school nine has deserted 1t,
they take to the open road, +" or to the com
paratvely level top Of some suburban up.
land for their contests. They are not in the
league, but the plucky fights they put up
and the impsssoned utterances they give
vent to would almost entitle them to that
distinction.
A perusal Of the list OF graduates from
| the High School this year would furnish one
more statistic to the professors who have
been looking up the matter OF comparative
numbers of feminine and masculine aspi.
rants for education-one, the president Of a
western college, the other, German pro-
fessor at Harvard. They agree in proph
| esying that there is danger of our develop
ing in this country an alarming majority Of
| "undertaught men," They show that girls
| far outnumber boys in the classes of the
| public High Schools and the private pre-
paratory institutions and that the per cent
of girls who seek the higher education at
colleges and universities is steatily on the
| increase.
-
The most superficial observer knows that
women form the large majority of a church
congregation, theater, concert, or lecture
audience Searching for cause for this
condition and tendency, one Of them finds
| it in the devotion of the American man to
his family, which leads him to keep to him
self the cares and anXieties OF his business
life, and leave his wife and daughters free
| to pursue culture as it is presented in these
various attractive forms. The German
maintains that these things are arranged on
a partnership basis in his country, and in
the other progressive nations Of Europe,
| and that, unless we modify to some extent
this tendency to a one-slded development OF
our population, there will be trouble ahead.
1t certainly is to be regretted, as a matter
OF local interest, that so few boys see fit, or
are made to see fit, to complete at least
full course in the High School, az a basis
for whatever may be their scheme Of action
afterwards. And it is to be hoped that, as
the standard OF the school is raised, there
will be more enthusiasm for this four years
apprenticeship to the world university >"
There is need of outside help, as well
Parents, who, having had 1t, value it, or
having lacked 1t, miss it, should support
the teachers in their endeavors to maintain
a sustained interest in the requirement OF
the benefit to be derived from a we'll
planned, well-taught High School course OF
study.
There are numberless students OF modern
tendencies. Some one ought to specialize
on the tendency to study tendencies. They
climb up to the pilot house Of the Liner OF
State and watch out for the reefs and
breakers. And, since they are prohibited
from talking to the man at the wheel, they
reel it off to the rest of us, passengers of the
stateroom and steerage, crew and all. It'i
bewildering, to US below, because they ge
so many points OF view, and we seem
somehow, placed in such irresponsible po
sitions.
80
"It may be that the CULTS will wash US down
1t may be we shall touch thu Happy Isles
-.
But here's to the lucidity of their spy