River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1925-12-03

| beautiful IN nature, experiencing the
deepest delight in all Of the out-of-
door world. She loved the beautiful
IN art and literature. AS think OF
Miss Fleming it is this characters
ic above all others-the love of the
beautiful-which distinguished her.
1t was this quality which made her
great teacher. Every lesson that she
taught, every exercise that she con-
Quoted, was characterized by this
quality. She put her heart and soul
into every task to make it perfect as
the artist in other fields seeks per
feet expression of his ideals.
During her quarter century of ser
vice in the River Falls Normal
School Miss Fleming touched the
lives of hundreds of boys and girls
and scores of young women and men.
Not one of these lives but what was
improved and enriched by this con-
tact; not one of these boys and girls
but what received from her, as his
teacher, at least little glimpse OF
the beauty in life, beauty in pictures,
in nature, in art, in literature. Not
one boy or girl but what caught from
her some inspiration.
There was not one of those stu
dents who learned to teach under her
direction but what grasped, to some
extent at least, the ideal that true
teaching is a work of art-and that
the true teacher is an artist.
Miss Fleming aimed at perfection
in all things both great and small.
She approached her daily tasks with
an appreciation of their Importance.
She had an outlook on life that rails
ed her above the small, mean and
sordid things which cripple the lives
of so many.
In her desire to attain perfection
in her daily work; in her search for
the beautiful in life; in nature; in the
materials with which she worked,
Miss Fleming attained in her own life
and character a rare perfection which
will always afford an inspiration to
those of us who were privileged to
know her.
j. III. Ames, President.
My acquaintance with Miss Flem-
ing began when she was an instruct
or in History in the Normal Depart
ment of this school and |, student
in her class. Our relationship then
was the usual relationship of teach
er and pupil. Friendship is not made,
it grows; it requires time for de-
velopment and it was during later
years, when she and l both became
members of the Training School fac
ulty, that our acquaintance grew in
to friendship.
During those first years in the
Training School, when, as a young
teacher in new work, / was often in
need of some helpful suggestion or
word of encouragement, Miss Flem
ing, with her high standards, her ex
perience and her sympathetic CO.
operation, was my constant guide
and inspiration. But if our work
helped US to become friends, even
more so did our hours of leisure.
Emerson, in his essay on Friend
ship, names several initial causes
which may result in friendship.
But" he says, "better than all such
is a single strong and wholesome in
terest, be it literally, artistic or prac
teal, round which as rallying point
for kindred spirits, companies may
meet and learn the secret of COM
radeship. And the rallying point
round which we as companions met
and learned nature which was so
much a part of Miss Fleming's life.
Hers was that personal intimacy
with nature described by Hamilton
Wright Mabie. "Such people," he
says, "are constantly in the presence
and company of Nature. They not
only seize, they make opportunities
for getting into the woods, for lott
ering in the fields, for exploring the
streams, for walking across the
country, for studying the stars.
Whenever they are out of doors they
are aware of Nature; they constantly
emphasize upon it, and so it comes
to pass with them that the beautiful
order of seasons, stars, flowers and
verdure which surrounds US and
which most of US barely notice, be-
comes constant companionship in
their most secret thoughts and in
their daily occupations"
One could not take an hours walk
with Miss Fleming through the
woods or along the streams in the
springtime, nor take days ride