The American Missionary — Volume 35, No. 8, August, 1881Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 35, No. 8, August, 1881
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
On Monday the examinations began. This Institution is fortunate
in having an excellent primary school in the building. It is a
constant object lesson to the little army of teachers who go out
every summer to teach just such children, and also dignifies
primary work, which, in spite of Frœbel, Pestalozzi and the
truly wise and good everywhere, is too often considered of minor
importance. The principal of the intermediate department has
remarkable ability in bringing her pupils up to her high standard
of excellence. In the rear of her school-room is a power for good
which is inestimable. It consists in a long, low table with seats.
On it are fastened, by a very simple contrivance, interesting and
instructive illustrated papers and magazines, which the children
are allowed to read after lessons are prepared. In an age when
the best literature floods our land in such cheap forms that the
humblest need never thirst, what nobler philanthropy than to allure
these often worse than homeless children on to an early taste for
good reading?
The normal work and classes in natural science are in charge of a
graduate lately from Beloit College and Whitewater Normal School.
The classical department is in charge of an Olivet graduate, whose
three years here have proved him invaluable. A most interesting
acquisition to the corps of teachers is a scientific farmer, a
graduate of Massachusetts Agricultural College. To enjoy the
delicious vegetables from his garden is enough to convert a sceptic
in scientific agriculture. It really looks as though, under his
skill, these unsightly acres of red clay were, in time, to blossom
as the rose. The joy and pride of this Institution, however, is its
theological department, and well it may be. Its class of eleven
were examined two hours of one of their hot days, and nobody seemed
weary. The clear, simple topics, recited in such an interesting,
lucid style, tolerated no hovering fog, that I had supposed always,
more or less, mystified a recitation in systematic theology. The
accuracy of their knowledge in Bible history, too, was wonderful.
None but a born teacher could have secured such results from
a class of that grade of scholarship. Classes in geometry and
rhetoric told unmistakably of thorough work.
We were entertained, Monday evening, by prize speaking and essay
reading; Tuesday evening, by an interesting account of Mr. Ladd’s
African experience, in place of the expected address by Dr.
Willcox; Wednesday evening, by the ordination of two candidates;
Thursday evening, by a musical concert. There are a few rare voices
here that vocal training would develop into marvellous sweetness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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