Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-03-11
PROFESSOR NC FARLAND'S
ADDRESS.
Third in Series of the Union Nor
NAL Class Monday Eveninq,

Third in Series of the Union Nor
NAL Glass Monday Evening.
AT the Monday evening meeting of the
Union Normal Glass, Prof. Raymond
Mcfarland of Middlebury College gave
the third lecture in his course to Bible
School teachers. His general topic was
1.-THE Making of a Man., and he spoke
especially of the influence of heredity
and environment, reserving for future
meeting the subject of the will.
He said, IN part, as follows: "Hered-
ity is term applied to that law of living
things whereby the offspring resembles
the parent, the characteristics of one
generation being repeated in the next
1t is through the action of heredity that
forms of life remain practically fixed
Heredity not only affects the outward
forms of life, but it profoundly modfies
the moral and spiritual capacities of
man. Nero, the tyrant, was the son of
weak and wicked father and of a
strong-willed and equally wicked moth
er. Marcus Aurelius, one of the best of
the Roman emperors, was the son of
good parents. Though a mans capac-
tiles are modified by the acts and aspira-
tions of countless ancestors, yet man is
by no means enclosed in straight jack
Ell. 1t is the glt ry of man that, through
the exercise of his will, he can rise
above his environment. Thousands
have risen from humble stations in life
to positions of influence, trust and honor.
1t is one OF the highest privileges that
he not only imparts information of
value, but stimulates his pupils to grow
upward and outward. There is no slim.
illus, moving the young to seek a higher
and purer environment, like that sup
piled by strong truth.loving, truth-tell
ing and trueliving teacher.
Our environment is often called oul
social heredity', and the name is appro
pirate. We not only receive physica
and mental forms and capacities from
ancestors, but we live in the houses they
built, in the towns and cities they
erected, in the freedom they wor
through toll and suffering and blood
end we profit through the institutions
which they established. Students oil
biography often note, in all well-writter
lives, that the attention of the reader i,
centered upon two things in the opening
chapters: First, the ancestors are pho
tographed in detail and then it is shown
how the chief character reproduces tn,
| N IF 10
the reader is asked to consider the NOR,
external influences, such as schools ant
schoolmasters, neighbors, homes, seen
cry, and the moral, religious and politl
cal atmosphere of the time.
This two-fold relation of the individ
ual, first, to his parents, and, secondly
to his circumstances, is not peculiar L
human beings. Animals are not onl,
like their parents, but they are also lik
their environment. The tawny lion i:
80 like the desert sand that he can croucl
on the fiat surface and be scarcely de
tected Birds and fishes are so marke,
that they are protected from man,
enemies.
The significance of environment can
not be overestimated by the religion
worker. The spiritual principle in maj
requires an environment. Without
true and pure environment averag
humanity will be unlikely to live purel,
and nobly. 1t is the pre-eminent gor,
of Christianity that it offers men bet
ter environment for the development o
the moral and spiritual life than tina
offered by any other religion on earth
) To help to build up and maintain tn
Bible school, and by so doing striving t
supply a Christian environment for tn
youth of today, is to make men'-strong
! noble men for tomorrow"
} The address was exceedingly interest
!, ing. Illustrations were used, and wer
, drawn from wide reading and careful
' observation.
/. The meeting was called to order b.
, the president, DR.. Howard L. Averill
! Rev. d. III. Corkran, D. D., of the VI. E
Church offered the opening prayer, ant
Mrs. s. r. Patrick, the secretary, rea,
the minutes Of the previous meeting.
The next session of the class will b.
held on Monday evening, at 1880 p. m.
in the Congregational vestry. Professo
Mcfarland is to speak ON "Child Study.