The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-23
MRS. ELLIOTT WRITES OF THE
SCHOOLS MAINTAINED BY THE
WOMAN'S MISSIONARY COUN-
Gil OF METHODIST CHURCH
by CAROLYN II. ELLIOTT


A land without mountains is IA land
without an upward vision. a land bereft
of its Ioftiest ideals 1t knows not the
glory of deepening sunrise. nor feels the
tender calm of a twilight after glow
But the mountainous country That
steadfast region whose peaks rise heaven
ward, to be the perpetual glory of the
valley For the crown of the south is
its mountains. and the glory of the south
lis its manhood. And with the psalrnist of
old, it is unto the hills that we lift up
our eyes for strength"
The native strength, purity, courage
and independence can be found in the
mountains The heritage of all the past,
the hope. of all the future of the Anglo
Saxon of America is embodied in the
heart and BRAIN the wholesome strength
of the young mountaineer. But is the
future left in his hands alone? No. Be-
cause he isn't prepared for the future.
all he heeds is opportunitq. If he comes
to the civilization of our cities, before -
is prepared, he seeks lower level than
he deserves, a lower ideal than was Of
fered him in the mountain fastness Of
his home And civilization is slow to
climb TO him, because it is so busy and
self absorbed it has found easier prog
ress than mountain climbing. Not more
profitable progress, however for civiliza-
ton is leaving the highest patriotism, the
noblest possibilities slowly to deteriorate.
because of long neglect. But, won't you
light and hitch your beastie'' and SO
with me for a moment back to the time
of Chaucer. far back into the mountain
caves into the great heart of the prtni-
tive?
There you may pass the time o. day"
with our kinsmen, as King Richard did
with Hastings when he said, Good time
o day to you, my most gracious lord"
There, you may listen 20 the English of
Shakespeare's day, and despite the hui
morous misinterpretation of the dialect
novel, find simplicity and strength in a
language where the wife is my woman"
and the husband my man."
There, too. you will find material worthy
the effort of any state, but very few state
educational Institutions. Church schools
are nearly as rare, but 1t is of two that
we wish especially to interest you. These
are the Sue Bennett memorial, in the
mountains of London, NY. and the Bre-
ward institute. in the sapphire region Of
North Carolina. Here the women of
southern Methodism, through the Wom-
ans Missionary council, are annually
training 600 mountain boys and girls.
as teachers, home makers, farmers busi-
ness men and Christian workers. Each
school includes an Industrial and nor
NAL department. Both endeavor to teach
the young people appreciation and use of
49, .e..r.
advantage, and also to prepare them for
future citizenship, which in many in
stances falls to the lot of our cities. The
purpose of the Brevard school, as stated
in the catalog is Ito reach and help
poor families by offering their children
an accurate and practical education at
q very low rate" While these schools
are denominational, they are non-secta-
ran. and they are proving to be training
schools for the states when the pupils
return to their own communities as teach
ers in various county Schools The Bre-
ward school has a faculty of IA, which
includes directors of primary and acaden-
ic departments. of business, music, art
departments of domestic and household
economics, of agriculture and farm man
agement There is also a teacher of Eng
lish and a physician who has charge of
the department of hygiene and nursing.
Think of the help to an ignorant com
munity, to have one girl return TO them
with knowledge of the proper care Of
| the sick.
| With a. hospital and trained nurse in
| each settlement, the frying pan, and
| hunks of pork, the sodden biscuit will
| soon cease to be a part of the daily pro-
gramme. The baby will no longer ba
given tobacco to hush his cries, and hook
worm will not be a cause for alarm.
Homes Will cease to be built with tiny
windows (or without any at alb when
| people learn to appreciate the whole
world full of mountain oxygen outside.
| The Kentucky school divides its work
| into four departments, of high school.
| graded school, normal school and school
of music and expression. 1t is also pro-
vided with domestic department. Its
purpose is ito provide an education dis
! tinctly Christian and to send out a leaven
to all the region round" John Knox says,