THE STATE COLLEGE. 61 



be than period, with all its marked political events, would be 

 of secondary importance. Literature, robing the material 

 world with its associations, imparts to it even something of 

 the beauty and excellence of our spiritual nature. A more 

 than earthly light rests upon English paths trod by saint and 

 sage. The dun heather and the scanty lakes of Scotland take 

 on new beauty from the romance and song of Scott. There 

 never was a plainer or more philosophic truth than that ut- 

 tered by the poor Scotch carpenter, who said that, "it 

 seemed to him that the country had grown more beautiful 

 since Burns had written his bonnie little sonsrs about it." 

 What would the hills of Judea be to us if stripped of the as- 

 sociations which come to us throug^h our English Bible. 



The course in the study of English Literature at the col- 

 lege shall do something to at least introduce the student to 

 the study and the appreciation of the wealth treasured 

 in our literature. Under the present arrangement of the 

 studies of the course we are dividing the students in part of 

 their work into two sections, — the scientific and the literary 

 section, and the scientific and the agricultural. Those who are 

 to engage in farming or horticulture will thus constitute 

 smaller classes and secure more thorough instruction, while 

 those who are to engage in other employments will better 

 secure the training they need. The literary and scientific 

 section of students will devote a portion of their time to the 

 study of the modern languages. Very much might be said 

 of the value of a knowledge of French and German, as a 

 means of keeping abreast the line of progress in science. 

 The latest discoveries in science are often announced in these 

 languages long before they are described in English. An- 

 other advantage is, the introduction of the student to the 

 modes of thought of other nations. You must read an au- 

 thor in his own language to feel the force of his thought and 

 to appreciate the tenor of his feelings. 



The German and the English languages have largely a 

 common source, hence a knowledge of German greatly aids 

 a knowledge of Eno^lish. 



By the study of the French the student is led to some 

 proper apprehension of the Romance element of the English 

 language. 



