The New York herald., 1921-07-10


to cherish for ourselves and to recommend
to all our pupils those ideals of spirit and
form which have been embodied in lasting
hterature-lterature that keeps the intellect
strong, the heart young, the imagination
fresh and the feelings pure. For my
self l am thankful to Wesleyan
for having given me the Privilege of spend
ing fifty years of my life largely in the read
ing and studying of such literature in the
company of younger pupils who shared and
doubled my own enthusiasm. 1t has
been my privilege for all these years to
think almost daily, and i'm some measure to
help others to think also, upon those things
that are pure, and just, and honest, and
lovely, and of good report, as they are en-
shrined in literature"
Therein lay the incalculable value of the
man; he was an inspiring embodiment of
these high ideals; a warmly human humor-
Gus, understanding personality whose own
warmth lit up and brought into full play
the latent spark of aspiration, the desire TO
know and understand, in his pupils. Nearly
fifty college generations at Wesleyan knew
and loved Winch" as they called him and
no one in the academic life of the past
half century exerted wider influence than
he. II reached beyond his own campus:
Yale, Johns Hopkins. Smith. Wells and
other institutions also knew and admired
him. To this he added wide success as a
popular lecturer, going even to California
His connection with Wells College was es-
pecially close for over thirty years and he
gave important courses at Johns Hopkins.
Prof. Winchester was one of the leaders
In the movement that began somewhat
more than fifty years ago for the better
ment of the teaching of English literature
and humane letters in general i'm American
colleges. Before that time there was no
real study Of English here. Prof Win
chester's career says Prof. Wilbur Cross
of Yale in a speech printed in this volume
covers nearly the entire period of English
studies. apart from philology and compost
ton, In American schools and colleges He
entered upon his work somewhat later than
Child Of Harvard, along with Lounsbury
and Beers of Yale. These are the four
pioneers who blazed the trail"
Winchester has left no such monument of
scholarship as Child's Ballads" though his
literary criticism is of lasting value. He
had not the cXuberance. the controversial
power and brilliancy and caustic wit of
Lounsbury, nor the rare subtle poetic in
sight and gift of creative expression of
Prof. Beers. but it is probably true that
Winchester exerted a wider humanizing and
inspiring influence. with more direct per-
sonal appeal than any Of his fellow pioneers
This volume is no more than it's title i'm
plies; a collection OF tributes TO his memory
pupils and a record OF various memorial
services. II also contains a photography Of
his writings and an outline of his courses.
Prof Winchester had a singularly direct
human touch in his method; rare faculty
of getting close TO the author whom he was
presenting as well close to his audience.
Says Prof. Rice. who colleague Of his
for fifty years: HE has made us acquainted
with the writer's of whom we have heard
him speak. so that we have taken those men
into the circle OF our friends. We like
him. too. for his interest i'm normal mental
processes, in wholesome thoughts and feel
ings and passions. Literature, as he has
presented il TO us. is not a museum of mental
and moral pathology"
Such great teachers are born. not made.
and inevitably although much endures i'm
n continuing influence. their best work ends
with the death Of the individual But It is
we'll TO preserve as much may be kept
Of their memory. This volume is excellent
and Of lasting value. but there should also
be- some day, full. comprehensive biog-
raphy Of Prof. Winchester.
Y