1905.] DISCUSSION. 31 



school I did get a taste for pretty much all kinds of knowledge. 

 I know that I got a little of the sciences, I read a little history, 

 and I imbibed something of philosophy, something of the com- 

 mon branches and of other things, which created a taste for 

 greater familiarity with human knowledge. Then said Dr. 

 Elliot, with that beautiful smile of his, " You were brought up 

 on a farm. You had great good fortune. All the efforts of 

 the schools today," said Dr. Elliot, " all the manual training, 

 and all this kind of scientific nature study, and all those kinds 

 of observational studies, are directed towards the one end of 

 trying to find some substitute for those things that came 

 naturally, as a matter of course, into the life of the country 

 boy on a New England farm. We may succeed in doing it, but 

 so far I do not believe we have." Certainly that was an 

 opinion worth considering. 



Well, while it is a splendid thing to live in close connection 

 with nature, and to work with her in the fields, as was our 

 opportunity in the old days in the country life, it was a good 

 thing, and it still is a good thing, for the boys and girls. 

 Happy are they that grew up in those surroundings, and blessed 

 vi^as our lot, that we studied the mechanics of the wood-saw, 

 the axe, and the crowbar, to say nothing of the toy mill and 

 water wheel. Happy were we that we learned respect for the 

 great beliefs of mankind in our fathers' smithy or blacksmith 

 shop. Happy were we that we breathed the fresh air of the 

 country and took into ourselves the strong breath of the hills, 

 and blessed were we because we had a chance to wander over 

 the hills and under the skies. Blessed are we as we look back 

 now to those days, all glory tinted, out of which has gone every 

 recollection of everything that is hard or toilsome, or difficult 

 to be borne. It is all splendid now. Heaven grant that it may 

 be equally splendid as our children look back, fifty years hence, 

 to their early days in this dear land of ours. (Applause.) 



Mr. Gold. ]\Ir. Chairman, may I be allowed to say a word 

 at this time? 



Secretary Brown. With pleasure. 



Mr. Gold. Mr, Chairman, I have listened with high appre- 

 ciation to the address which we have had upon the country boy. 

 I am glad to hear from Brooklyn, Conn. Particularly glad. 



