X MEMORIAL ADDRESS 



The shortest distance between two points. In 

 another school this would be the end of it, but on 

 that straight line he would lay open the whole science 

 of geometry. For text-books he had little respect, 

 and they played but a minor part in his system. He 

 taught from nature, from the fields, the woods, rocks, 

 and streams, the home, the shop, the street, the daily 

 newspaper, from which he used to read and draw us 

 into discussion upon it. I remember that he took 

 occasion of a thunder-shower one afternoon to tell us 

 more about electricity than I have ever learned since 

 in an age of electrical science. He was a master of 

 the neglected art of reading, for which he had every 

 qualification, a rich and resonant voice, perfect utter- 

 ance, and a soul in tune with the highest themes, and 

 he rarely selected any other. He made the scripture 

 reading with which he used to open the school the most 

 impressive religious service I ever saw. It was usu- 

 ally from the Old Testament, and to hear the tones 

 of majesty in which he would deliver the Ninetieth 

 Psalm or other favorites was like sitting at the feet of 

 David. 



Perhaps his example was not less striking or fruit- 

 ful than his precept. And of this let me say first, in 

 view of the cigarette and cocktail type of school-mas- 

 ter which has succeeded him, that there was nothing 

 in his example that could not profitably be followed. 



