The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-05-21
LECTURE BY PROF. E. H. GRIGGS
. Education IN the Arr Of Lffe,' SET
Forth in Graphic Manner.


Forth in Graphic Manner.
The lecture of last Friday was one
of very high quality throughout,
whether we consider the theme, or
the way it was treated, the breadth Of
the speakers view or his ability to
present it in simplicity and directness.
The view of life itself as fine art is
perhaps not new one, but the man
ner Of its presentation was stimulat-
ing and inspiring. Prof. Griggs spoke
in part--for it was impossible to re-
tain it alias follows:
Our nation to-day boasts of great
progress and phenomenal advances in
every field: production trade, science.
art, and education. Under this last
head we claim great deal, and our
boast, in the main, is justified. An
other advance, not so generally men
toned. but as real and even more signi-
ficant than the others is the change
in the attitude towards life. This
may be epitonized thus "a greater rev.
erence for the individual. Formerly
art and literature treated only types,
not individuals, as we may see in
studying the Greek arts, and Dante's
works. The keynote of modern art is
humanity the individual. This then
is the first of the three great concep-
tions we recognize in the modern
movement human life as personal
individual. Secondly. is the concept
of human life as positive and not neg
atiye. We lay stress to-day on the
fact of affirmative Lying Lastly, the
view of life as growth process, con-
tinual progress. We are, only while
we grow. Life is growth. Nothing is
finished, completed. There is, beyond
our conception of perfection, some
thing even higher, larger, grander.
Life is ever progressive. Life also is
dangerous; death only is safe The
more alive you are, the more you are
in danger of making mistakes some
times. There is uncertainty in all
life, and an unavoidable element of
experiment. 1t is trust and faith that
enables US to meet this.
There is a class of those who are
cowardly virtuous, who are good only
because uhey lack the strength to be
bad. We must uplift, strengthen and
develop these people, And again,
some of the greatest tragedies have.
taken place in the souls of those who
have been afraid to live, such as was
the case with the great GeneYan pro-
fessor, Amiel. We are growing away
from the idea that to be virtuous one
must withdraw from the world.
Art is the most discouraging and
the most exaltiEg thing in life, and
the art OF life no less so than any of
the others. All human life is based
on few simple elements and laws,
and yet each individual is special
case. 1t does not do, just to tolerate
others, for federation is not virtue :;
for what we need to cultivate is per-
sonal appreciation Of each other. We
must be ready to welcome difference
of opinion and to realize that the one
who differs most widely from US is the
one who can teach us the most. The
lack of this sympathetic imagination is
very evident in our modern life. The
art of living demands imagination.
The education for the art of life
should be found in the schools, and it's
first requisite is personal inspiration
in and by the teacher. The old-fssh-
ioned country schools with all their
inadequacy had one great advantage
over the modern public schools. There
was this personal element, the direct
and living contact of pupil and teacher.
In the so-called perfection of the pub
lie school system to-day, and the stress
laid on specialization, the chance for
this precious vital touch of personali-
ties, diminishes. We want also great
teachers. A really great teacher is
one who makes himself unnecessary at
the earliest possible moment, but
whose influence still stimulates to
better work. Leonardo de Vinci was
a great teacher, but his pupils all bore
the imprint of his personality and
genius. St. Francis of Assist was an
other great teacher but his pupils, in
following his teachings never lost their
individuality. Christ was the greatest
Of all teachers for His inspiration man
Tested itself in the individual express
sion of each of His disciples.
The lecture was summed up and
brought to a conclusion stated with
much force and terseness that the in
dividual soul and spirit of each person
is more important than any amount
of scientific or intellectual knowledge
he may possess. To save, upift and
deyelope each individual soul is the
ideal Of education, and thus to in
spire men and women to give the ex-
Pile of well-lived lives.
SOPHIA b. WALLER.
Invitation Concert.
A large audience assembled in the
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