The Republican journal., 1909-08-26
:rl1,,ds Old School Readers.
n,-;tten for The Ellsworth American
by E. H. X.

women who attended the public
fly and sixty years ago than
h has driven out the good old
ways of teaching how to read
cad well. In those times the
asses were called upon, one at
tile down the aisles of the little
houses, and each pupil, in turn,
loud one or more paragraphs.
we're many good readers in
.rlct, this system alone put am
, the hearts of the others to do
at all times.
100, the books we had at that
well worth reading, being fill
,e choicest selections of poetry
Clergymen, college profess
zen of letters generally edited
leaders in those far-off years.
Iohn Pierpont edited the old
and other readers which were
P long time. He was from
at, was graduated at Y ale and
rs at the Litchfeld law school,
he went to Massachusetts to
gal profession. He soon de-
ldon that for the pulpit, and
Harvard divinity school. In
- he was ordained over the
.at Congregational Unitarian
oston, where he preached for
ears.
Porter, who was professor
rhetoric at the Andover theo-
mary for fifteen years and
ne president of that institu-
t which he held until his death,
,ompiled the Old Rhetorical
and wrote many books. But
became very popular, and
.gh nearly 100 editions.
Murray gave to the world, not
1rglish Reader" but several
d books, among them a very
I interesting autobiography,
published after his death. He
selected library to his niece,
Of Washington, D. c. After
her husband presented these
b Congressional library.
makers of school-books were
their readers We're remark
so good, in fact, that it seems
ti5ious to make comparisons.
he later ones passed through
JUS number of editions. and
.y the million; and yet it would
1g everything into considera-
Gorge S. Hillard's were some
vance of the others. Surely
tons were all of the best and
-ded by brief biographical and
etches of the writers. This
e was new, and it helped Won
make his readers more inter-
valuable, not only to the stu
also to the general public, for
p scarce and the heads of many
re glad to devour the contents
s. of literature.
.e books were not at hand in
+ libraries as they are in the Ii
to-day. Encyclopedias We're to
jnly in an occasional home,
Dictionary of Authors, the
Dictionary of Proper Names,
of that class, had not
existence. We knew very little
and women whose writings
being made familiar with, so
-hes doubled our interest and
ard was a Maine boy, having
The light of day at Machias in
alter years he went to Boston
! the Latin school, where he
'5r Harvard college. In the
8ook' published in 1850, Mr..
$ an article on the destruction
Latin school in 1874. 1t also
few "reminiscences of some of
rs and classmates which are
sting, and he tells with what
he witnessed the demolition
building on School street.
graduated from Harvard in
If which he became George
assistant in a seminary in
ION, Mass. In 1888 he became
II the Boston bar, where he
red a most enviable reputa-
Nv in his profession, but as a
q scholar, an eloquent ora
shed writer, and one of the
ant conversationalists Of his
-her in this country or Europe.
several books, Of which pro-
Six Months in Italy had
largest circulation, for it
10 an immediate and much de-
9iarity.
the compilation of these
KS may have yielded some
ut we are inclined to believe
Prevailing motive with these
i and high-thinking men was
ational lines, for the benefit of
tture generations of students.
ard S First Class Reader
he'd in 1856, in Boston, New
adelphia, Baltimore, Washing
matt, st. Louis, Chicago and
I was quickly followed by the
Third" and Fourth Glass"
rst volume, he says in his pre-
2 compiler of a book like this
no higher praise than that
corded to judgment and taste.
en- prepared under a strong
the responsibility which rests
j, one who aspires, in however
way, to take part in the moral
] training of the youth of our
Should this volume result in
to the great cause of educa-
Id it help to touch the heart,
he mind and train the moral
he coming generation, it will
source of grateful re-
the compiler. "
selection in this volume is an
of a Wonderful Sky-lark, -
5 copied from the Illustrated
Of Art, and the second came
zen of Washington Irving, and
was "The Bobolink." Next
he Mocking Bird by Alex
son. All these in prose. N.
tells, in his graceful and airy
= cross-beam, under the Old South
a pigeon is builded well.
and winter that bird is there,
with the morning air.
!, t,-oo1r tho ctr