The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-11-14
BARNARD
CLUB HOLDS
MEETING
lIstsns TO Address on "Sscrst
Of a Strenuous LIf1," by G.
II. M.rti.l Of Boston.

The Barnard club held a meeting In the
Trocadero this afternoon at which there
was large attendance. The speaker of
the occasion was Mr.. George II. Martin.
superior OF the Boston public schools,
and his subject was 1.-The Secret OF
Strenuous Life"
Mr. Martin spoke in part as follows
The text is found in Kate Douglas
Wiggin's story, Polly divers Problem,
it?"
done from necessity. The toiling millions
toll because they must. Hunger Is piu-
less tyrant and rules the world
Some work Is done from sense or
duty. This motive impeled Scott In his
later writings. and Grant in preparing
his memoirs as il had impelled him In his
military career.
There Is another motive exemplihed by
Peary I'm his search for the North Pole.
He does IL because he wants TO do 1t. be-
cause he likes II. Necessity, duty, and IN
tcrest divide the worlds work among
themselves
The impulse which moved Columbus was
from within. He sought new world.
Necessity keeps the old world alive. In
enson, Roentgen aid Pasteur, Copernicus
and Darwin all illustrate the power OF In
terest and show I'm their achievements the
nattre of It's work
That is the impelling motive In all mas.
ter workmen. Their heart is in their
work. And under the higher names of
love and passion. interest has moved
to all noble deeds. The kind OF work
done by interest Is the work by which
the world get on from generation 10
generation. 10y which the secrets of nature
are discovered and it's forces overcome.
by which new truths furnish new in
spiration and impulse to men.
The spirit In which interest does its
work Is peculiar to itself The workers
from necessity are always looking over
the edge or their work waiting for their
play to begin.
Duty pays its tithes even to the mint,
anise, and cumin.
Interest breaks the alabaster box of
priceless value.
Necessity does its work haltingiy. Duty
does It's work resolutely. Interest does
its work eagerly. Necessity does its work
skimpingly. Duty does it's work honestly.
Interest does It's work generously.
III we search the world over for the
people who are most undaunted by iiffi-
culties we shall find them among people
who are doing freely what they like to
do. The secret of the strenuous life Is
interest with freedom
All this is as true OF children as Of men
and women The life which in men we ad-
mire, in children we look down upon and
call II play A boy never chooses play
because II Is easier than work The boy
building a dam across the brook and set
ting up his little machine Is doing what
Fulton was doing with his steamboat, and
what Marconi Is doing with wireless tel
egraphy. The discipline OF play leads TO
and Ats for the strenuous life
Here is a supreme law OF life. 1t Is
the business of education to recognize IT.
and to preserve the freedom. the abandon.
the eagerness. the joy, of the child life,
to make life continuous.
This effort underlies the philosophy of
the kindergarten and equally the theory
OF electives in school and college.
It Is objected that life is hard. full Of
trials and disappointments and that the
preparatory discipline should be severe
and stern and unyieldng. But suhmis-
sion TO the inevitable Is not the highest
type OF virtue.
The conscious effort of all the older
systems OF educat tion was to break the
childs will. This made of birch and the
ferrule typical of school life and made the
schoolmaster the butt OF all literature
Children develop to the best ends when
they develop naturally, according TO the
law of their own life.
The object OF the many-sded curricu-
lum is to discover the mind of the child.
TO strike many notes In the hope to find
the dominant one to which the child will
respond.
Interests once discovered are to be fed
IL children are sent out with interests.
though they may be all their lives hewers
of wood and drawers OF water. they may
be at the same time free and find Joy
I'm their freedom as did Hans Sachs the
cobbler poet. and Hugh Miller, the stone
mason. and Charles Lamb. the book
keeper. Aristotle said. Liberty kindleth
love; love refuseth no labor; and labor
obtaineth whatsoever IL seeketh.'