The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-07-08

way of changing the color and APP
pearance of birds and animals. For
example. white sparrOws are pro
duced by selecting a pair OF grayish
birds and keeping them in white
cage. in a white room. where they
are attended by a person dressed in
white. The mental affect on a Sc
ries Of generations of birds results
in completely white birds
SO those living in the at
mosphere Of the good, the true
and the beautiful will have those
attributes develop and blossom forth
In their characer.
The ancient Romans were accus-
toned to place In the vestibule of
their houses the busts of great
men that the young might be re
minded OF thoir noble deeds and IL
lustrious virtues
Sirens according to Greek mythol
0gy. were young maidens. beautiful
of form and sweet OF voice, who
sat on the shores of n certain is
land ar southwest coast of Italy
and sang with bcwitching sweetness
songs that allured the passing sail
or TO draw near. only TO meet his
death by being dashed upon the
rocky promontory extending in
to the sea
If any seaman could not resist en-
Elements OF their magic music they
were doomed. but only Ulysses and the
! ArsOnauts succeeded ID Is related
by Homer, In the Odyssey. that
when Ulysses approached their peril
ous home, by direction of Gree. ne
ul'cd The ears Of his seamcn with
wax, so that they could not hear
the music they made. and had him
II bound 10 the mast with the in
Junction TO his people that whatever
~ might say CT do by no means
90 release him till they should have
pas d 'hc Sirens Island
As they approached. over the wat
ers cam the notes Of music so raw
lshing and attractive that UN- /
g IL = 80 80 r-lea ej. but ODE /
10 nt 20 as ..ous order they
lolnd him The faster until they had
pass q and the music grew fainter
md IN" fatal sons c.ascd 10 be
heard. Thus j., was with gr AT
struggling and di'fi uly hat ne
oyercamc the temptation.
The ArgOnauts were wiser than
NJ. When they wished 10 sail by
This enchanted place they took with
them Orpheus The God of Music
aud so filled were they with the
superior cnchantment of the music
watch he sang that the music Of the
Sirens had NJ attraction for them
ana they passed 10y in perfect safety.
This interesting story illustrates
APPLY the effect of beautiful envir-
rOnment on child. surround him
completely with that which is beau
uful. eleyating and ennObling. and
there will be no room for that which
Is ugly and degrading Fill him full
OF that which is good and there will
be no room for the evil Let truth
prevail about him and error and
ialsehOOd will find no lodging place
Ia his character. Evil and false
hood and ugliness find their effec-
tive antidotes in that which is good
and true and beautiful II is.
therefore. proper that the home in
which our children are housed dur
ing the formation period OF their
lives should be as b autiful and al
trdctiVe as we can make it,
The idea which Southern men in /
herited was that it was only nee S.
sary TO train some men rs leaders
This WAS good. but did not 20 far
enough Who will deny that the
splendid achievement Of the South
RISING from the ashes OF the civil
To-.
~ attributable TO the remarka- .
BIZ fact hat through it all. in her
poverty. in her degradation, in the +
darkness and gloom which cnyelOp- .
ed her she looked 10 her education .
al institutions as the guiding star
Of hope to lead her ont OF her vii .
derness Of woe and distress
For never once did she permit
them to close their doors. Though .
pinched by poverty and oppressed .
by the burdens OF a horrible recon
struction. she. in her wisdom and .
ardent patriotism. disciples OF JEFF
fersOn. as We're her sons. she reali2-
ed almost with prophetic vision
that what the South needed most .
was wise and intelligent leadership.
which could only be furnished from
these institutions OF learning as JEFF
fersOn had pointed out TO them: 50
she pinched herself to the very bone
to maintain and patronize them.
I'm these efforts she was nobly led
by that peerless leader and princely
man. Robert +. Lee.
The same devotion to his South
land. the same lofty patriotism, the
same wisdom, caused him to refuse
all positions of honor and emolu-
ment. and, in his own words, to de
vote his remaining energies to train
ing young men to DO their duty in
life" For, said he, the thorough
education of all classes of the PEG
pie is the most efficaciOus means
in my opinion of promoting the
prosperity of the South. and the ma
terial interests of its citizens.
as well as their moral and intellect
ual culture depend upon its ac-
cOmplishment."
We are proud of our past achieve
ments, glorious and brilliant as they
have been, but we should not forget
that We are going forward and not
backward. and that however great
the deeds of our forefathers, it is
our own discredit if, in the light
OF their achievements, and possess
ing as we do the advantages of bet
ter opportunities than they. We do
not accomplish even greater things.
| believe with McKelway mot in Vir
ginia is the roll of great men the
roll of the dead alone"
We should treasure up the his
tory of the past, We should learn
its Lessons. we should walk in the
light of its experience. but we
should not live in It. Its atmOs-
phere is more or less morbid. We
are going forward and not back
ward. God put our eyes in the
front of our bodies, because we are
going that way.
We must, therefore, look to the
morning of the future. not content
with the achievements of the past,
because greater opportunities lie be-
fore us. We should light the fire.
and watch the beams gild a new
glory for the future The establish
ment here of this institution is an
evidence, believe. that this spirit
of progress and optimism is domi-
Uqtiutr ouF educational .,I r,aItffouI