The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-24
"A VISIT TO THE FRANCIS III. HILL
LIZARD SCHOOL


"A VISIT TO THE FRANCIS III. HILL
LIZARD SCHOOL.
The doctor had said of my one frail
daughter ''she must have change of
climate. cheerful companionShip and
something to interest and occupy her
mind without over-taxing it,
O, these doctors! who imperatively
order certain thing not to be found
at the corner drug store, and COM
placently add, you probably know
of just the right place" But l did
not, and my perplexed face brought
forth the further remark, Il should
recommend Arizona for climate with
which he bowed himself out.
For the rest of that day the words
change of climate" cheerful compan-
ionship," interest and occupation for
the mind" persistently repeated them
selves in my mind until at last they
seemed to find an echo. What was
it? Where had | gotten a.pleasant pic
ture that seemed to combine these re-
auisites? 1t all came back to me. and
going to my desk / took out a pack
age containing a newspaper clipping
and three or four letters, which had
interested me before BessieS illness,
and which l had put aside until she
should be we'll again. The clipping
contained an advertisement of a girl
school in these words:
The Francis billiard School for
Girls, a home school, in the best sense,
presenting high ideals of Christian
culture. Thorough instruction. Adj
vanced courses. Ideal climate. In
dividual care and instruction. Terms
moderate. For catalogue apply to
The Rev. F. w. billiard, NJ. A.
(Harvard)
MISS MARGARET 3. HILLIARD..'
The letters were from Miss billiard
and as / read them over the first
a rather formal reply to my request
for a catalogue, but growing more in
innate and personal as the CORE
Spondence advanced, until they UNI
consciously revealed more and more
the personality of the writer. They
seemed even more attractive now that
they offered two of the doctors re-
quirements-cli and occupation
and possibly the last cheerful COM
panionship''-upon which he laid SO
much stress. SO, on receiving the doc
tors rather reluctant consent and his
admonition examine the school well
before leaving your daughter there"
| made hasty preparations and started
for oxford.
We arrived in cold November rain
which was rather discouraging, but
on driving up to the school we were
shown at once to our room where
good warm fire proved very comfort
ing and we were further cheered by a
pot of delicious tea, so that after get
ting rid of travel stain we felt re-
freshed and quite equal to meeting
the household at the evening meal.
My mind was Immediately relieved
as to the cheerful companionship, for
in the large brightlyl lighted dining
room around the tea table was the
merry chatter of school girls not re-
strained but guided by the teachers.
1t was indeed like a home with rather
more than the usual number of daugh-
ters. After an evening spent in the lib
rary in conversation with the court
eous and scholarly head of the school
and his wife and daughters and closed
by family prayers, in which we were
joined by the pupils and the young
teacher, who had been keeping study
hour, | retired. convinced that / had
done wisely in coming, | spent two
weeks in the school and was more
and more impressed with the air Of
culture and refinement by my sur
roundings with the high scholarship,
combined with facility of expression
which interested the pupils in their
work rather than drove them to it,
with the entente cordiale between
pupils and teachers, with the genuine
ness and absence of sham: with the
HlSn luedlS VI I'll lSLietll CulluAC e19
| found myself unconSciously quoting
the advertisement. / talked with the
students. particularly with one who
had been longest liz the school, and !
was struck with the purity of their
pronunciation and dictiOn as we'll as
with the easy way in which they
talked of the books they have read
the subjects that they were studying,
their pleasures and their duties.
My stay was pleasantly varied by
the occurrences of the fall recital
which was charming not only for the
sweet pure voices of the pupils in
their choruses, quartettes and solos
and the excellent technique with which
they rendered their piano pieces, but
also for the sweet unaffected man
ners of the young musicians. After
it was over. / said to Miss billiard,
81 see that you have found the secret
of culture and that is what | want
specially for my daughter but can you
with all the time you give to litera-
ture, voice training. French and Ger
man find time for the more practical
education" She smiled as she replied,
II could hardly convince you that the
studies YOU call culture studies are
really the most practical but the fact
that our graduates stand the test of
severe examinations Cone of them TAX
ing Harvard Freshman tests in Latin
and Mathematics and are in demand
for the graded schools may best an
swer your question: More than salts
fed | left my daughter to their kindly
care and have never regretted it.
M E. p