74 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



great forest trees, and in the hospitable halls of this home, many 

 a generation of Normal pupils have had their merrymakings — 

 springtime maple-sugar parties and autumnal fruit festivals and 

 corn-roasts — the hearty participation of the master and mistress 

 of the place making all feel at home. This home — with its evi- 

 dence that refinement and simple but generous hospitality can be 



Isaac B. Pouoheb. 



maintained without wealth or extravagance ; that gentle, winning 

 manners and a cheerful heart are not incompatible with serious 

 character and heavy burdens — has been the finest object lesson at 

 Oswego. 



Thirty years have passed since the tender shoot was planted 

 that has grown into this stately tree : its fruits have dropped all 

 over our land ; some of the seeds have fallen on stony ground and 

 withered away after a superficial growth ; others have been choked 

 by the growth of purely selfish ambitions and brought forth little 

 fruit ; but some have fallen on good soil and brought forth an 

 hundredfold. Much has been done for education in our land dur- 

 ing these thirty years, but a thousandfold more remains to be done 

 to make the public schools what they must become to merit confi- 



