The study of the Bible, not from a theological or critical point of view but from that which is solely literary, makes a fascinating subject for clubs. Many distinguished writers have treated it in this way, and by using their books in connection with the suggested Bible readings clubs will find a year all too short to do justice to the subject.
The first meeting will be on the Creation, with three main topics for papers,—the Creation narrative, the idyl of the Garden of Eden and the entrance of sin,—with readings from Genesis to illustrate each point. The emphasis should be laid on the simplicity, dignity, and naïveté of these early chapters, and their high literary value as a poetic attempt to describe the origin of the world. Compare with this Hebrew account that found in the Babylonian myths onthe clay tablets discovered in the ruins of Nineveh, and also the Chaldean account of the victory of their chief god Marduk over chaos. These will be found in "The Religion of the Babylonians and Assyrians," by Morris Jastrow, Jr. (Ginn & Co.). Read these, and also Milton's account in "Paradise Lost."
The next meeting should take up the leading men of early times, beginning with Noah.
Notice the recurrence of the story of the Flood in the primitive legends of many lands. Look up the Deucalion story in Greek mythology, and see the Hindu, Australian, and American Indian myths on this point, and read the translation of the Chaldean account of the Deluge. The period closes with the story of the Tower of Babel, which is to be read from the Bible.
A study of the Patriarchs follows next. Abraham's life should be read, wholly or in part, and a picture should be drawn of him as a wealthy Oriental, pastoral chief, and the immense importance of his character in the thought of Jews, Moslems, and Christians. Select and read some of the traditions embedded in the Koran.
To introduce the topic of Isaac read first thecharming love story of the wooing of Rebekah. Then read the story of the selling of Esau's birthright, and Jacob's dream. Compare the characters of the brothers.
The most complete story in the Bible from a literary standpoint is that of Joseph. After the description of his childhood give the outline of his earlier dreams and their result, his life in Egypt and his prison dreams, his release, the visit of his family, and his later life. This will all lead up to the topic of the next meeting.
The civilization of early Egypt is of great interest, and material for a study will be found in Breasted's "History of the Ancient Egyptians" (Scribner), and the "Short History of Ancient Egypt," by Newberry and Garstang (Dana Estes). To illustrate, read quotations from "The Book of the Dead," in "Literature of All Nations" (Hawthorne's Library).
Show pictures of the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Nile, and any others which may be obtained, and have a talk on the relations between masters and slaves at this time.
The story of Moses the Deliverer may be introduced by reading from the Bible the account of the finding of the baby by the princess, and his adoption. Tell of his later history and his resolution to be the leader of his people, and read of the passage of the Red Sea, and Miriam's Song of Triumph. Follow by descriptions of episodes of special interest in the wanderings in the desert, the golden calf, the story of Korah and that of Balaam.
One paper should take Moses as a Lawgiver for its subject, with a brief outline of the remarkable Hebrew legislation; notice that this was what kept the Jews as a separate race. Have an estimate of Moses, comparing him with other great national leaders. Show a picture of Michael Angelo's statue; have recited the farewell of Moses to his people, given in Monitors "Modern Reader's Bible," in poetical form. The old poem "The Burial of Moses," by Cecil F. Alexander, in Warner's "Library of the World's Best Literature," may also be given.
Next will come the study of Joshua the Conqueror. At this meeting have a map of Palestine and use it to show the settling of the Hebrewsin the land. Read the story of the expedition of the spies and its result, the siege of Jericho and, last, Joshua's farewell. Compare Moses and Joshua, and show the differences in their character and work.
The hero stories of the nation come in at this point. Deborah and Sisera is a subject often used in poetry and painting, and the song of Deborah, one of the earliest pieces of verse in history, should be given. The story of Gideon, full of picturesque detail, and the pathetic story of Jephthah's daughter may be read, as well as the many references to the latter in literature. The curious story of Samson will follow this, and Milton's Samson Agonistes may be read in part. Close the study of the period with a reading of the entire book of Ruth, one of the most charming of Oriental idyls.
At the meeting following this last one, compare the Bible heroes with those of other nations of the same time, particularly those described by Homer. Bulfinch's "Age of Fable" may be used as a basis for the study.
This is one of the historical sections of the Bible, and is mostly in prose. In studying it a good plan is to have some one write a paper briefly outlining the period and giving the main events clearly. Then the different men of importance should have separate studies. One of the first is that of Saul, and at its beginning comes in the lovely little story of Samuel, which may be read, together with the short Song of Hannah.
The account of the anointing of Saul may be given, and in this connection note that the old custom is still in use to-day in the coronation of kings. Have a reading from Browning's "Saul" and discuss the two points of view.
Next will come the story of David and Goliath, the anointing of David, the feud between Saul and David and the idyllic story of the affection of David and Jonathan. Brief readings from all of these should illustrate the papers or talks upon them. Notice the other famous friendships in history, and compare them with that of the two Hebrews.
The subject of witchcraft may be brieflytouched upon in connection with the old story of the Witch of Endor, and its singular persistence through the history of all nations down to the present time.
David's lament over Saul and Jonathan should be read and compared with other elegies, and also that over the death of Absalom; notice the difference in spirit between them.
The life of Solomon is full of unusual touches. Read his dream, the story of the judgment about the infant, and then the majestic dedication of the Temple, the last, one of the stately pieces of literature of the Bible. The visit of the Queen of Sheba may be read after this, and the allusions to it in literature noted.
The divided kingdoms furnish many episodes of literary value. The stories of Elijah and Elisha have a marked dramatic quality; the incident of Naaman and Gehazi is a bit of romance; the fall of Samaria is a tragedy, as is the fall of Jerusalem, about one hundred and fifty years later. There is a bit of interesting work which some clubs might like to undertake, the comparison of the literary style of Kings and Chronicles,one colored by the prophetic and the other by priestly ideas.
The subject of the Exile may be used in one meeting, as it relates itself to a considerable part of Hebrew literature, especially in poetry. One prose passage may be read, the brief book of Esther, which has always been of great importance to the Jews, and full of interest.
This has no regular rhyme, nor is it divided into feet like the classical poems of Greece and Rome. Instead it has a certain stately sweep, a rhythm, which is the very essence of poetry. In structure it may be compared to Walt Whitman's rhythmical prose.
As the stage was unknown to the Hebrews, the drama was strange to them also. The book of Job is the principal poetic exception to this, although some authorities place the Song of Solomon as a versified drama also. Observe here the difference between the Hebrews and Greeks, and give reasons for it.
Occasional bits of ancient folk song may be found in the historical parts of the Bible: read the "Song of the Well" (Numbers xxi, 18), the"Song of Lamech" (Genesis IV, 23) and the "Song of the Bow" (II Samuel, I, 18-27). The riddles of Samson also come under the head of folk song.
The poetry of the Bible divides into two classes: lyrical poetry, such as the Song of Solomon, Lamentations, the Psalms, and certain passages in the prophets; and the so-called wisdom poetry—Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. The latter, however, come more properly under the head of philosophy. Notice one of the peculiarities of Hebrew verse, especially in this last division, the curious parallelism which is constantly found.
The extent of the book of Psalms is so great that selections are difficult to make. But by taking Moulton's "Modern Reader's Bible" (Macmillan & Co.), and Courtney's "The Literary Man's Bible" (Crowell), and Henry Van Dyke's "Story of the Psalms" (Scribner), the best will be found, and these should be read. Notice especially the wonderful imagery, so characteristic of the Oriental mind.
Many great poets have worked on the book of Psalms, trying to make transcriptions andtranslations, and it will be most interesting to look up some of them. Clement Marot, Martin Luther, Milton, Addison, Sir Philip Sidney, and many others have used them, and any hymn book will show how many familiar hymns are based on them. Programs might be illuminated by choir music, such as "Had I the Wings of a Dove," "How Lovely are Thy Dwellings Fair," "The King of Love My Shepherd Is," and a hundred other lovely songs, the themes all taken from Psalms.
Prophecy has been called the most typical part of Hebrew literature, and as such it should receive especial study. But prophecy does not mean prediction, but teaching, especially the teaching of morals.
A good way of handling this subject is to divide it into three parts, one on Isaiah, one on Jeremiah, and a third on Ezekiel, briefly describing the historical conditions under which they were written, with readings from each. The minor prophets might also have three papers, with readings showing the quality of each.
The conscientious severity of the prophets asthe great moral teachers of their times should be emphasized, and their relation to our modern ethical ideas may be touched upon. Matthew Arnold's "Isaiah of Jerusalem" may be read in this connection. Carlyle is often spoken of as embodying the spirit of the Hebrew prophets. One paper might speak of the connection between the prophets and Puritanism. A meeting might be given to the great oratorios which have been written upon themes drawn from the writings of the prophets, with selections.
The philosophy of the Bible is embodied in the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. These are what are called "late" books, and lack the fiery quality of the more original period of the prophets. The prudential, cautious spirit of Proverbs should be illustrated with quotations.
Ecclesiastes represents the hesitating, somewhat skeptical aspect of human thought, and is in some respects the book of the Bible which comes nearest to the modern temper. Plumtre's handbook on Ecclesiastes (Cambridge University Press) has in its appendix comparisonsbetween this book, Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Omar Khayyám which are interesting to refer to.
Carlyle called the book of Job the greatest literary creation of history, for it first deals with the problem of human suffering. Professor Genung has arranged this book in dramatic form, and clubs should read this aloud, in part at least.
Coming to the New Testament, it may be divided into three parts: History, correspondence, and allegory. The history comprises the four Gospels and Acts. A preliminary paper might show the varying points of view of the authors and compare their literary styles. Read from Matthew part of the Sermon on the Mount, noting his Jewish outlook always; from Mark, part of chapter III, showing him as the historian of action; from Luke (the writer was a physician), the story of the Good Samaritan; from John the philosophical prologue and the parable of the vine, displaying his mystical mind. Make a special study of the literary quality of the parables.
From Acts may be read passages showing the historian's vivid descriptions; see the riot at Philippi, Paul's address at Athens, and the shipwreck.
Letters form the greater part of the New Testament. Those of Paul should be arranged chronologically, and a brief account given of the circumstances under which each was written.
Some of the striking passages in the Epistles should be read, such as chapter XIII in I Corinthians which has been called a Hymn in Praise of Love. The whole of the little Epistle to Philemon may be read, to show the position of the early church on slavery. Reference should be made to the fact that Matthew Arnold said that Paul stood among the seven greatest literary men of history.
The book of Revelation is of immense interest. Have a preliminary paper on the position of Jews and Christians at this time in relation to the Romans, and show the necessity of concealing the meaning of the book. Follow this with another on the allegory in literature: Spenser's "Faërie Queene" and Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" are two famous examples of its use. After this read some of the famouspassages from the Revelation; notice the extraordinary wealth of imagery and the stately beauty of its style.
To these meetings on the direct study of the Bible may be added almost as many more on subjects nearly related to it.
One of these is the Bible in art. From the early days of the catacombs to the present time, themes have been drawn from it for paintings and sculpture, mosaics and glass. The old masters' work was almost wholly based on Bible stories or sacred subjects. The study of Italian art shows this in its most marked form, and many pictures should be shown. Notice also such books as "The Bible in Art" by Estelle M. Hurll, and "The Bible Beautiful," by the same author (The Page Company), and "The Gospel Story in Art," by John La Farge (Macmillan), as well as reproductions of the Tissot pictures.
The Bible in music is a theme already suggested, but meetings may be arranged on this by themselves, or each program may have selections appropriate to the day.
As a source of literary inspiration the use of the Bible is world-wide. From Milton and his successors to Browning and Tennyson, all have drawn largely from its wealth. The titles of novels, as well as their plots, have largely been taken from the same source. Roll calls might take up this topic.
What great men have said about the Bible is an interesting subject. "The Women of the Bible" is the title of a book. Shakespeare's use of the Bible has also been noticed, and could be used extensively.
The reign of Queen Anne, the last sovereign of the House of Stuart, is one of the important epochs in English history. McCarthy says it ranks with that of Pericles in Greece, of Augustus in Rome, and of Elizabeth in England. In war, in politics, in the spread of social democracy, and above all in literature, this was truly a remarkable period.
In order to understand the times several meetings should be given to a comprehensive view of Europe. The reign of Louis XIV and a sketch of his court will fill one meeting. One on Spain should follow; a third may take up Germany, Poland, Austria, and the Holy Roman Empire, and what it stood for. After these have a fourth presenting the question of the balance of power in Europe. Discuss the English Pretender in France. Follow with brief papers on Peter the Great and Charles XII of Sweden.
Turning now to England, Queen Anne and her court may be taken up in detail. Anne lacked the force of the Tudors and the attractive temperament of the Stuarts. She had neither the brains of her predecessor, William, nor the Teutonic dullness of the Georges who followed her; but she was, above all things, distinctly English. She loved her people; she believed in Protestantism; she was kind, affectionate and good; she possessed all the domestic virtues. Yet she was by no means a strong character. Her reign owes nothing of its brilliance to its queen. In everything she had to be guided, and the power of the individuals who governed her is one of the curious facts of the time. One paper may present her home life, with its simplicity. Contrast the court life of this period with that which had preceded it. Read selections from "Henry Esmond."
The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough should be the theme of two papers. The latter had an extraordinary influence upon Anne and dictatedher court policy. Read of the letters they exchanged, signed "Mrs. Morley" and "Mrs. Freeman." The Duke was a man in whom weakness and strength united. Have the paper on his character show his self-interest, his treachery even, and his notorious parsimony; contrast these qualities with those which redeemed the man. Note his wonderful military genius.
After this will come the subject of the Grand Alliance, which will serve as an introduction to the great topic of the European wars which occupied the Continent for years. In studying this use a map at each meeting, and have papers on Marlborough in Flanders; the campaigns of the armies in Germany, Bavaria, and the West Indies; the war in Spain; the persecution of the Huguenots and Camisards and, finally, a summing-up of the struggle.
The next stages of the war may be divided into the Year of Victory and the Year of Defeat. If time allows, follow the war to its close.
The next great subject under Queen Anne'sreign is that of the extension of power in England of the two great parties, the Whigs and Tories. Notice how the ministry changed from time to time, and who its leaders were. See how Anne, under the influence of a favorite, Mrs. Masham, gave her support to the Tories, and how this finally led to the Peace of Utrecht, which concluded the war.
Observe here the alienation which rose between the Duchess of Marlborough and the Queen, also the disgrace of Marlborough; read his letter of defense, and have a sketch of his later life. Show pictures of Blenheim Palace.
Following these events comes the Union of Scotland, Ireland and Wales with England, a topic full of interest. Discuss the bargain each country made; what did she lose and what did she gain? What results were brought about later?
The unpopularity of the Union in Scotland had one direct result, that of the rising in favor of the Young Pretender. Have a paper on this romantic episode. Observe how it led to the establishment of the Protestant Succession.
In closing this period study as many of thegreat leaders of English political life as possible, notably Walpole, Bolingbroke and the Earls of Oxford and Shrewsbury.
Turning now from war and politics, there may be a delightful study of the literature of the time, for the period was one of great intellectual originality.
Dean Swift, the greatest English satirist, may be taken up first, his life, his work and his influence. Read from "The Tale of a Tub."
Addison may be studied as a man, a poet, an essayist and a dramatist. It was, however, as one of the two authors ofThe Spectatorthat he was most remarkable. Writing in collaboration with his friend Steele he gave his paper a world-wide popularity. Read from "Sir Roger de Coverley" and from comments upon it from some writers. Note also the founding ofThe Tatler, and point out the differences between that andThe Spectator.
Alexander Pope was one of the geniuses of the time. Give a sketch of the man and his eccentricities. Read from the "Rape of the Lock," the "Dunciad," and the "Essay onMan"; also from his other poems, and his translations from Homer.
The life of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu should be discussed, with readings from her still celebrated "Letters." The work of Daniel Defoe must also be noticed.
Addison was famous as a dramatist, and his "Cato" was believed at that time to be the forerunner of a new and brilliant era in the drama; it was received in London with enthusiasm.
But it was perhaps the rise of the English novel which made the time most notable. Samuel Richardson wrote "Pamela," the first novel in which the interest centered exclusively upon the heroine, and followed it with "Clarissa Harlowe," which was immediately popular all over the English-speaking world. Both books were intended as moral tales by their author, whose sympathy with women was genuine and intelligent. The work done in science by Bishop Berkeley, and that of Sir Isaac Newton, with an account of the great controversy, should be studied. Take up also the music of Handel,then living in London, and the art of Wren, who was completing St. Paul's.
A study of the many famous clubs and coffee houses frequented by the writers of the day should be made here. There is much of interest in the life of the times, the duels, the gambling, the coaches and quaint inns and hostelries.
London itself is a most interesting subject; it was just being rebuilt after the great fire, and its churches should be especially noted as they almost wholly conform to the ideas of Wren. Describe the prisons, especially Newgate and the debtors' prisons.
There is an abundance of material on all these subjects, and many pictures. The book on coaching suggested below will give many ideas on vehicles and inns. Chapters in McCarthy's history will be found readable also. Among other reference books are these:
"Social life in the Reign of Queen Anne." J. Ashton. (Scribner.)
"Queen Anne and Her Court." P. F. Ryan. (Dutton.)
"The Reign of Queen Anne." Justin McCarthy. (Harper.)
"John and Sarah, Duke and Duchess of Marlborough." Stuart J. Reid. (Scribner.)
"Coaching Days and Coaching Ways." W. Outram Tristram. (Macmillan.)
"Among English Inns." Josephine Tozier. (The Page Company.)
In order to understand the state of education in our land to-day it is necessary to know something about the beginnings in our early history. So the first meeting should be on the founding of schools in Colonial and Revolutionary days.
One paper should tell of the earliest grant of money made by Parliament in 1619 for a university in Virginia. The Indian wars prevented the carrying out of the plan for a time, and meantime the first schoolmaster came over to the Dutch of New Amsterdam and opened a school in Brooklyn. The Boston Latin School was begun in 1635, two years later, and schools were opened also in Dorchester and New Haven. Notice that in many of these early schools provision was made to educate Indian children free of charge. Rhode Island had the first public school, founded at Newport in 1640. Throughout the colonies the schools were endowed withlands and money and later taxes were given for their support, but tuition was always paid.
The Colonial colleges rose from the spirit of forty men, all educated at Cambridge, England, who lived in the New England colonies. John Harvard, a young minister, gave his library of two hundred and sixty volumes and half his estate of seventeen hundred pounds to found Harvard College.
The University of William and Mary rose in Virginia at this time, richly endowed at once with money, a tobacco revenue, and lands; this was the direct outcome of the school originally planned sixty years earlier.
Yale was founded in 1700, each trustee giving a few books as a guarantee; but it had been originally planned as early as 1647, when John Davenport had a lot set apart for a college in New Haven. Its early years were full of hardship; it existed at New Milford for fifteen years, and was not settled at New Haven until 1718, when it received a bequest of five hundred pounds from Elihu Yale.
All the colonies had grammar schools and afew had dame schools. The Massachusetts law of 1647 provided that when a town had one hundred families or householders they must set up a school under penalty of a fine. One paper should deal with the interesting topic of these early schools, their discipline, their curricula, their teachers. Notice especially the famous teacher Ezra Cheever, who compiled a Latin book and taught in many places for seventy years. His salary, a large one, was sixty pounds a year.
Another paper may be on the lack of school advantages for girls in early times. A few went to the dame schools, but many to none at all. It was not until Revolutionary times that the Moravians established a girls' school at Bethlehem and girls were admitted to the Penn School in Philadelphia and the Female Academy there; and in 1785 a girls' school was opened at Greenfield, Connecticut, and the Medford School near Boston in 1789.
Read from the opening chapter of "Education in the United States," by B. G. Boone (Appleton) and from "Old Town Folks," by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Close this meeting with a talk on early educationin general; show how poor the school system was in the early days of the nineteenth century; speak of private schools for boys and girls, of schoolhouses and playgrounds and their gradual improvement. Mention the founding of each great college and where possible show pictures of them from old books and catalogues. Speak of famous educators and college presidents, and also of such women as Mary Lyon; read from her life recently published. Discuss the former attitude of men toward women's education with that of to-day.
Education to-day usually begins in the kindergarten, so the second meeting may begin with this topic by presenting a paper on Froebel, his ideas and methods, the adoption of his system of early education all over the world. Have a brief discussion follow it, showing some of the possible disadvantages of the work. Are children paid too much attention? Are they over-amused? Is it a benefit to children in their later education to have it begun in the kindergarten?
The second paper should turn at once to theMontessori method of teaching. It should explain exactly what it is and show how it differs from the kindergarten. There is abundance of material in present day magazines to make it perfectly plain. Speak of the rapid advance children make in development under this new system. Then have again a brief discussion: Is the Montessori system adapted to American children? Is it a benefit to them? Is it wise to develop the mind of a young child rapidly? What is the effect in its later education? Compare the system with that of the kindergarten. See: "Dr. Montessori's Own Method," by herself (Stokes), and "A Guide to the Montessori Method," Ellen Yale Stevens. (Stokes.)
Close this meeting with a talk by a trained kindergarten teacher, if possible, who can set before the club members the advantages of her work. If there is time, have some short stories read: "The Madness of Philip," by Josephine Baskam Bacon, and one from "Little Citizens," by Myra Kelly (both by Doubleday Page). Some songs of childhood will also be delightful between the papers or talks, and perhaps some little kindergarten children may come and sing also.
The next subject, that of the public school, is so large that a number of meetings should be devoted to it. Although only four papers are outlined here, there is sufficient material given for a dozen and more.
The first paper may speak of the early days of public schools and their inadequacy in the light of to-day, of their lack of sunshine and air, the poor buildings, the insufficient exits and arrangements for safety from fire. Then follow with a description of our great schools of to-day, showing pictures of them and noticing their beautiful architecture, their perfect equipment. The whole system of discipline and oversight should be spoken of.
The cost to the State of the public school is an interesting theme. Notice in this connection that the United States has the shortest school day, week, and year of any civilized country. Discuss the fact.
The second paper should speak of the curriculum of the public school, and give a clear idea of what is covered by the child. Discuss: Is it too comprehensive? Is it sufficiently practical?Does it fit the child for business and home life?
The third paper should be on the health of the school child as the club members know of it. Is the building in which he studies clean, well-ventilated, and sanitary? Does he have too much home work? Is there a doctor to supervise the children's eyes, ears, throats, and general condition? Is there an oversight against contagion? Is the common drinking cup used? Is there a fund for cheap food for the very poor children?
The playgrounds and plays should be the next topic. These should be large, fitted to the needs of boys and girls, and there should be a teacher of athletics. Basket ball, foot and base ball, and games of all sorts should be encouraged, and a spirit of rivalry between schools fostered. Discuss: Are athletics neglected or overdone? Do our growing girls receive the care they need in this regard? If the playgrounds of the school are inadequate, can they be supplemented? Are the playgrounds used in summer time?
A brief paper following this may speak of the morals of the public school, the dangers and safeguards, and discuss the relation betweenteachers and parents in this regard. Is hygiene taught? Is a high standard of purity held up always?
Follow this by a presentation of the value to a school of a club for parents and teachers; one may be established if there is none, perhaps. Beautifying the schoolhouse and schoolroom, having a library and a few pictures and casts, and making school life attractive are suggestions to be worked out, and the value of teaching sewing, cooking, the care of babies to girls, and manual training to boys.
The subject of the high schools will naturally succeed this and the first paper may take up the question, Why do so few boys and girls go to high school? Is it only because so many go into business life? Is the preparation for college adequate? Is the general course too cultural and not sufficiently practical for a boy who is going into business? Are sufficient numbers of courses offered?
The next paper may speak of vocational training, or fitting boys and girls for their work in life, teaching girls to sew, cook, and care forchildren, and boys to farm, to learn the principles of business, and manual training. What has been done along these lines, and what is still to be done?
The third paper may speak of vocational guidance or the aid given in finding work for graduates suitable for them, and following them up in it. Material for this may be had from the Vocational Guidance Association of New York, part of the Public Education Association, 38 W. Thirty-second Street.
Many other topics will grow out of the discussion of school problems. Some to be discussed are these: Equal pay for men and women teachers; the married teacher in the school; the personal influence of the teacher; the efficiency of the school; the training in citizenship. It is urged that club women have members of their Board of Education and school teachers speak to them on as many subjects pertaining to school as possible, and become better fitted to coöperate in the work of the schools.
The next meeting of the club may have a varied program: one paper will be on schoolsfor the defectives, the blind, deaf and dumb and feeble-minded. A second will take up the use of the school buildings for evening classes and lectures, for parents of school children, for men and women who need a broader education, and for foreigners. Some idea may be given of the great work done in this way in our large cities in the way of instruction and recreation. A third paper may speak of the numberless aids to schools in the way of libraries, museums, nature classes, and special instruction. A final paper may be on Schools for Teachers, and the work done there. Some teacher should describe this. Have some readings from "The Wider Use of the School Plant," by Clarence A. Perry (Sage Foundation).
A very interesting meeting may be arranged on private schools. This will have a paper or talk on college preparatory schools for boys, showing how thorough the training is. It will raise such questions as these: Are standards of character higher than in the public schools? Is the training in athletics valuable? Do boys go from them to college better prepared to meetthe life there than from the high school? Is there a lack of democracy about them? Do they send a yearly clique to college?
The paper next to this would be on the finishing school for girls, and will raise the questions: Are the standards of education sufficiently high? Is a mere smattering given? Is too much attention paid to social preparation? What advantages has the finishing school?
The following paper would take up military schools, first the small private ones, then West Point, giving the life at each, the training, the advantages and disadvantages. Show pictures of West Point.
A paper on naval schools would come last, especially on Annapolis, and would follow the same lines as the paper on West Point.
The final paper should be on technical schools, those where mining, electricity, engineering, architecture, and other subjects are taught. There are great institutes in Pittsburgh, Boston, and elsewhere, from which catalogues may be obtained to show exactly what work is done there.
Modern schools of domestic science and business colleges should be considered.
Colleges and universities is the next subject for the club. The best known of the colleges may be described and pictures shown, and the difference between a college and a university made plain. Denominational colleges should especially be spoken of, and the little colleges of the West and South. The value of the small college in bringing students near their teachers may be pointed out. Some of our great men have come from these little colleges, and they may be mentioned.
The next paper should be on the university. The leading endowed universities are to be named, their history studied, and their peculiarities noted. The famous presidents, professors, and graduates of each should be spoken of also. The curriculum, the athletics, the ideals of each university may also be taken up. Notice that those universities which have private endowments often stand for culture rather than practical work.
The third paper should take the State Universities, and show the difference between them and the endowed universities. They stand distinctlyfor what is practical, and it is here that most technical work is done and specialties, such as agriculture, forestry, domestic science, and others, are taught. Discuss the relative values of the two; is there a tendency more and more toward having the State give the whole education? How do our great endowed universities compare with those of England and Germany?
One meeting should be on women's colleges, taking them in the order of their establishment, and showing how they have developed. Have descriptions of each and tell of its special aims. Discuss the value of a college training for women, and its faults. Speak of coeducational colleges and State Universities; have they advantages over the rest? Does a college woman lose interest in her home? Does she marry early, or does she drift into a career?
Have some college woman address the club on work done in the line of higher education of women, and its results. See "The College Girl of America," by Mary C. Crawford (The Page Company).
Postgraduate work, the topic for the next meeting, includes that done in medical, law, and theological schools, and the work for degrees. Representative schools may be selected as the subject for papers, and speakers from these should be had to tell of them to the club, if possible.
The final meeting on education may take up some of the new ideas of work, such as the opening of the school of journalism at Columbia University, and other attractive fields of study. Summer assemblies may be spoken of, and their value, especially to those who have had few opportunities for study early in life. Correspondence schools may also be mentioned and their work discussed. Are they really as useful as they seem at first sight? Notice that many of them are able to give important help on special lines. Musical festivals, lecture courses, illustrated talks on travel, and other of the many opportunities offered to the public may also be spoken of.
There is an abundance of material to be found on all educational subjects in a good encyclopedia.On special topics there are the educational journals, the educational department of theSurvey, and magazine articles constantly. The Educational Bureau at Washington will give information and material on request. The excellent book "Citizenship and the Schools," by J. W. Jenks (Holt), should be read, and "Education for Efficiency," by E. Davenport (Heath), and the life and work of Horace Mann.
Often a club finds it best to break into its ordinary routine of work by having a special program. The birthday of a great writer, artist or musician offers a good subject for such a meeting, and the following programs are arranged to suggest such names with a brief outline of work on each.
Some clubs may like to select from the names given two or more for each month and so arrange a program for an entire year. In this case it is a good plan to take alternate writers, musicians and artists, giving a day to each one.
History, music and literature may be represented by the life and work of Queen Elizabeth, General Lafayette, Dvorak, and our own Eugene Field, who were all born in September.
Divide the age of Elizabeth into several topics: the Court and the Queen's favorites; discoverers; wars; Mary, Queen of Scots; and the great literary men of the time, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Spenser, and others. Have readings on all these.
The story of Lafayette begins with the American Revolution; then the Revolution in France and the part he played in it. Follow his career and friendships, and the relations between France and America. Close with a sketch of Lafayette's visit here after the war, and read a description of it. (See the Diary and Letters of Gouverneur Morris.)
A good musical program can be arranged by having first a paper on the composer, Dvorak, with comparisons of his work and that of his contemporaries, and then several selections played from his compositions.
Last, the life and work of Eugene Field will be found delightful. Have a paper on his home life, his whimsical personality, his friends; read from his prose, and have some of his verses sung. Compare his poems with Stevenson's "Child's Garden of Verse."
In this month art, drama and music are offered, in the works of Sir Christopher Wren, Sheridan and Verdi.
In art Wren was a prominent figure in his century. Living when London was being rebuilt after the great fire, he stamped his genius on no less than fifty churches, and built St. Paul's, his own great monument. He was called a "rare and early prodigy of universal science." His friendships are among the most interesting points to be studied.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan wrote the "Rivals" and "The School for Scandal," two plays which stand unequaled for humor and clever satire. Read of their presentation, and of Sheridan as manager and theater owner. Turn from this to his career as a parliamentarian and read his speech at the trial of Warren Hastings, which marked him as one of our most brilliant orators. Notice his death in poverty and his burial in Westminster Abbey. Read from his plays.
Verdi wrote "Ernani," "La Traviata," "Riggoletto" and "Aïda." Speak of his long andinteresting life, and his remarkable work. Note that his influence over others was of unusual force. Have a musical program from his operas.
Martin Luther, Schiller, Oliver Goldsmith and George Eliot all have birthdays to remember at this time.
Luther was the greatest of the Protestant Reformers, and has left his mark not only on Germany but on the whole world. Read of his early peasant life, his education, his career as priest and teacher. Then notice his trip to Rome and its results, and follow him through his struggles with Emperor and Pope. Discuss his work as a whole. Read from his Letters.
Schiller, the great German dramatist and poet, is honored and beloved both in his native land and elsewhere. Give the story of his struggles with poverty in exile, his love affairs, his professorship, his marriage and invalidism. Notice especially his friendship with Goethe. Read from his ballads, but especially from his dramas, "Die Jungfrau" and "Wilhelm Tell."
Oliver Goldsmith, the eccentric genius, poet,essayist, dramatist and novelist, should have special study, for he is a unique figure. Mention his school days, his vagabond pilgrimage through Europe, his work as a struggling hack writer; his remarkable friendships; read from "The Deserted Village," "The Vicar of Wakefield," and "She Stoops to Conquer."
The life and work of George Eliot are familiar to most club women, yet they are always a delightful study. Papers may tell of her home life and training as a free-thinker; of her translations, her marriage and its social consequences, and her work as writer. Read from "Scenes from Clerical Life," and from "Adam Bede." Discuss her philosophy, her moral purposes, her humor, her realism; have several readings from both prose and poetry.
The special meeting should be on the subject of the Christmas Birthday. Describe the Christmas customs in mediæval times, and read of the Yule log, the waits, the boar's head, and other customs, and show pictures of baronial halls. Have following papers on Christmas in various lands; one paper may be on the ChristmasSpirit. Read from Christmas stories, and have carols sung.
There are four famous birthdays in January, those of Joan of Arc, Mozart, Molière, and Tennyson, illustrating history, music, drama and poetry.
Of late so much has been written of Joan of Arc that there is an abundance of material on her. Give a sketch of her personality, and show what she did. Read also appreciations from different writers. Show pictures of some of the statues of her, and, if possible, one of the picture by Bastien Lepage, called "Joan of Arc Listening to the Voices," in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
Mozart was a child prodigy at six years and maintained his ability through a long life. Hampered, like most musicians, with poverty, he still had many friends, wrote excellent music, played at various courts and enjoyed a career full of interest, if not always of success. He died in poverty, and no one knows where he is buried. Show a copy of the well-known picture of him playing at court.
Molière, the great French dramatist, presents a study which should fill more than one meeting. Speak of his early life as a strolling player, his failure as a tragedian and his success in comedy. Sketch the stage of the period. Have scenes read from (translations of) "Tartuffe," "Le Misanthrope," and other plays. Compare him with other dramatists. (See his life by Chatfield-Taylor.)
Tennyson, the representative poet of the Victorian age, gives opportunity for a charming meeting. Sketch his calm, delightful life; show his interest in science and all modern ideas. Read from his ballads; his other short poems; his longer poems, especially "In Memoriam," the "Idylls of the King" and the "Dream of Fair Women," and compare them. If possible, sing some of his verses, many of which are set to music.
Among many birthdays of famous men and women four may be chosen: those of Madame de Sévigné, Charles Lamb, Dickens and Mendelssohn.
Madame de Sévigné lived at a time when therewere many conspicuous people at the court of Louis XIV, and she was the friend of them all; Turenne and Condé, however, may be especially noticed. Her fame rests on her Letters, which she wrote to her daughter with no idea any one else would ever see them. They have slight pretension to literary quality, yet they are among the classics of French literature. Have several selections from them read, illustrating the times and the court life.
Charles Lamb and his friends will make the subject of more than a single meeting. Give his life as a Blue Coat Boy and his early friendship with Coleridge at school. Speak of him as a clerk in the East India House, with his evenings at the Cat and Salutation. Tell of his family troubles and of his sister Mary; then of his literary career, his life in the Temple, his friendships with the Lake Poets and others. Notice the peculiar gentle charm which is associated with him. Read from his essays; give "Dream Children" as a whole.
Charles Dickens is a name to conjure with. Sketch his early life; read from many of his books, and point out his humor, pathos, tragedy, comedy, and realism; show his love of caricatureand its place in his methods. He is called to-day The Prince of Story Tellers by well-known critics. Have each club member bring in and read her favorite passage from his books.
Mendelssohn stands alone among musicians, for he was born to a comfortable lot in life, was successful in whatever he undertook, happy in his home and renowned abroad. His relations with his sister, his position at the German courts, his various trips to England and what he accomplished there will furnish topics for papers. If he seldom touched the deeper side of life, yet what he gave was always good of its kind. Illustrate this program with many selections from both his instrumental and vocal music.
Michelangelo, and in later times Mrs. Browning, and our own William Dean Howells, were born in March.
Michelangelo was the most distinguished sculptor of the modern world, the most brilliant representative of the Italian Renaissance. Show the assistance Lorenzo the Magnificent gave art at this time. Notice Michelangelo'searlier work; speak of the curious way in which he, a sculptor, was compelled to paint the frescoes in the Sistine chapel; then how he became an architect, a builder of fortifications, a sculptor again, and finally the architect of St. Peter's. Show pictures of his best-known statues, and also of the frescoes.
Mrs. Browning is our best known and loved English woman poet. Her life is inseparable from that of her poet-husband, yet it has great individuality. Have papers on her early life, her marriage, her life in Florence and her work. Read from the "Sonnets from the Portuguese," addressed to her husband, from "Aurora Leigh" and from her shorter poems.
Howells is considered the most distinguished of our modern American prose writers, the leader of the realistic school which has so largely influenced recent work. He has written much besides his novels, but they are perhaps best known. Notice his ability to portray character; the delightful ease and naturalness of his style and his humor and truth in character drawing. Read from "The Rise of Silas Lapham," and "A Modern Instance." Read also from his sketches of travel.
Study Hans Christian Andersen, Murillo, Wordsworth and Charlotte Brontë, whose birthdays come in this month.
Andersen's life is full of a simple interest, and a sketch of it may be followed by many readings from his books, especially from "A Picture-Book Without Pictures," "Tales for Children," and "The Ice Maiden." Notice that most of his work was illustrated from incidents from his own experience, which makes it natural.
Murillo, the Spanish painter, the friend of Velasquez, painted in three different styles, but he used only two classes of subjects; papers may work out this suggestion and illustrate it from his well-known pictures. Show copies of the "Assumption of the Virgin," his best-known religious work, and of others of the same style. Notice the beauty and charm of his children.
Wordsworth should certainly have more than one meeting given to him. Write of his quiet country life, of his wife and sister Dorothy; of his many friends; show his different styles ofverse and read poems from each; read also his best-known sonnets.
Charlotte Brontë is one of the unusual English women writers. Write of her home life on the moors with her talented family, her work, especially "Jane Eyre," so full of striking romance, and her early death. Read several scenes from "Jane Eyre."
Dante, Andubon, Browning and Brahms belong to May.
Dante's story, his life in Florence, his love for Beatrice, his military service, his exile and death all need plenty of time to study. His fame as a poet is unrivaled in its power and beauty of language. Have sketches of his life, his times and his work, and read what critics have said of it. Read also from translations of the "Vita Nuova" and the "Divina Commedia," in their translations. (See Longfellow's.)
The work of our own Audubon is better known to-day than when he was living. His life story is most romantic; read this, and show what he accomplished. Have shown somecopies of his famous pictures of birds. Compare him with other naturalists.
Robert Browning did what no other poet has done; when he was twenty years old he found the theme for his life work, the development of the human soul; this is the key to his verse.
Read of his life in England and in Italy; speak of his friendships; study his philosophy; discuss his versification; show his different styles of work; have many illustrative readings. Compare him with other poets. Have some of his songs sung which are set to music; read also "Pippa Passes."
Now come the birthdays of the musicians, Gounod and Schumann, and also of the patriot Nathan Hale, the teacher Thomas Arnold, and the novelist Thomas Hardy.
Hale is one of those men of whom we are always learning more. Have papers on his early life, his years at Yale, the events which led to his capture and his execution; show a picture of the statue in the City Hall Park of New York. Compare him with André. Give selections from different writers showing their estimate of him.
Thomas Arnold is the ideal for all teachers, and so an excellent subject for a meeting. Tell of his home; of Rugby as he found it; of his ideas for the school and for the individual boys; mention some of the great men he trained; read from "Tom Brown at Rugby" and show pictures of the school.
Hardy is one of the great Victorian novelists, a writer of somber, realistic and pessimistic stories of great power. Read of Wessex and its moors and wind-swept fells in the "Return of the Native." Notice the homely humor in all his books. Read from his most artistic work, "Far from the Madding Crowd," and from "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," his most dramatic. Compare him with other writers of the day. Discuss his philosophy.
A Virginia club has studied this group of painters:
Italian Artists: Raphael, Titian, Correggio.
Flemish Artists: Van Eyck, Rubens, Van Dyck.
Dutch Artists: Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Ruysdael.
Spanish Artists: Velasquez, Murillo, Fortuny.
German Artists: Dürer, Holbein, Hoffman.
French Artists: Rosa Bonheur, Corot, Millet.
English and American Artists: Sir Joshua Reynolds, Millais, Sargent.
The Girls' Club of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, was started several years ago as a department of the Woman's Club. Its membership includesgirls in the grade below the high school and the girls who have left school and have not gone to college or into business. The attendance has grown so that one winter there was only one meeting when the number did not reach a hundred.
The meetings are held every Monday afternoon at three-thirty and some well-known speaker gives a short talk. Sometimes a musical is given. After the lecture there is dancing for a half hour and light refreshments are served by the girls.
The club has two unique features: first, it has no officers, but is managed by a committee of five ladies, all mothers of high school students. The girls are willing to help at all times, but those who know girls realize that most clubs are "officered" to death. Another unique feature is that there are no dues. There are many minor expenses, such as printing and traveling expenses of the guests, and the first three years the Woman's Club met these, but later the Girls' Club became self-supporting. One afternoon entertainment was given for the children and one evening entertainment for the "grown-ups," making enough to pay all the yearly expensesand present the Woman's Club twenty-five dollars as a gift for their building fund.
The club now has started a prize competition in bread-, cake- and dressmaking, offering a first prize of five dollars and a second prize of two dollars and fifty cents.
A club that is doing practical work is following this varied program:
Roll call: Kitchen appliances and conveniences.
Paper: Household accounts. Are they essential?
Paper: System in household work, and economy of time.
Demonstration: Sandwiches and canapés.
Roll call: Helpful suggestions for housework.
Paper: Fireless cookers and their usefulness.
Demonstration: The fireless cooker.
Roll call: Waste; what is it?
Paper: The household waste.
Paper: Fuel and fuel economy.
Demonstration: Paper-bag cookery.
Roll call: Emergency luncheon menus.
Paper: Modern problems in the home. The servant problem.
Paper: The seamstress problem.
Paper: The nurse, or the hospital?
Paper: The guest.
Demonstration: How to shape croquettes and seal molds.
Roll call: Supper ideas.
Paper: A balanced dietary.
Paper: Suitable combinations of foods.
Paper: Food values.
Demonstration: Supper dishes.
Roll call: Ways of serving fruit.
Paper: Soups and soup-making.
Paper: Planning the menu for a formal luncheon.
Demonstration: Laying the luncheon table.
Roll call: A chafing-dish menu.
Paper: Planning the meals so as to reduce cost.
Paper: The chafing dish; is it practical?
Demonstration: A chafing-dish luncheon.
Roll call: Where shall we market?
Paper: Marketing and the cheaper cuts of meat.
Paper: The old market and the new.
Discussion: Is it more economical to buy bread or make it, for a small family?
Demonstration: A luncheon costing twenty cents per capita.
Roll call: Breakfast dishes.
Paper: The adjustment of home duties to social requirements.
Discussion: Fats; lard, butter, butterine, etc.
Demonstration: Cakes made with different shortenings.
Roll call: How shall we replenish the preserve closet in winter?
Paper: Sweeping made easy.
Paper: Labor-saving devices.
Demonstration: New labor-saving devices.
A teachers' club in the West has an excellent travel and study program based upon books of current interest.
Roll call: Current Events.Paper: "Through the Heart of Patagonia."
Roll call: Unique Customs of Countries.Paper: "Changing China."
Roll call: Quotations from Doctor Grenfell.Paper: "The Possibilities of Labrador."
Roll call: Persian Epigrams.Paper: "Modern Persia."
Roll call: Anecdotes of Famous People.Paper: "The Passing of Korea."
Roll call: Conundrums.Paper: "Tripoli the Mysterious."
Roll Call: Selections from Spring Poems.Paper: "Turkey and the Turks."
Roll call: Epigrams.Paper: "The Balkan States."
One of the most interesting clubs in New England has a membership of farmers' wives and daughters, scattered around for ten miles. It has astonishingly clever programs, prepared with few library helps. Each program is clearly written on a small folder, adorned with a Perry picture bearing on the subject of the day. One program was:
Our Friend the Horse. Music; Current Events; paper, "Horses, Past and Present"; reading, "The Council of Horse," by Gay; reading, "The Blood Horse," by Barry Cornwall; reading, "The Leap of Roushan Beg," by Longfellow; paper, "Some of the Horses in Bookland"; reading, "How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix," by Browning.
Another meeting, a social one, had for its subject:
Tea. Paper, "Tea Culture"; "Tea in literature"; reading, "The Boston Tea Party," by Holmes; reading from "Cranford," The Tea Party; toasts, presented by members, drunk in tea.
A program for the year on Domestic Science begins each month with a roll call, answered by Helpful Hints. Here is one meeting:
Roll call: Helpful Hints on Vegetables and Soups.
Paper: Furnishing a Dining-room.
Paper: Furnishing a Bedroom.
Discussion of certain recipes (read aloud).
Practical demonstration.
Another meeting was even more interesting:
Roll call: Helpful Hints for the Kitchen.
Paper: The Evolution of the Modern House.
Paper: The Woman Who Cleaned Atlanta.
Notes on Meats and Deep-fat Frying, by members.
Discussion: Made-over Dishes.
Practical demonstration.
Discussion: Use of butter substitutes.
A charming yearbook has come from Flatbush, Long Island:
The Ocean. Importance of the Ocean; Life in the Deep; Sea Animals; Whales and Whaling; Turtles and Tortoise Shell; Sharks, Sword Fish, Sea Serpents; Modes of Fishing in Various Countries; The Sponge; Pearls and Pearl Diving; Sea Gardens, Sea Weeds and Mosses; Shells; Superstitions and Folklore; Coral; Birds of the Sea; Phenomena of the Ocean; Influence of the Sea on Poetry and Music; Marine Painting; Deep Sea Explorations; Evolution of Sea Craft; Famous Navigators; Pirates; History of the Battleship; Naval Heroes; Polar Explorations; The Life Saving Service; Light-houses and Beacons; Roll Call, answered by Fish Stories.
A new idea from Tacoma, Washington, is a Query Club. The members write on slips of paper the questions they wish answered and the president gives the slips to a committee of three to prepare the answers for the next meeting of the club.
A club in the West doing practical work reports:
It has the promise of a city market.
It has made a study of the state pure-food laws.
It has personally inspected dairies and ice cream factories, and studied the state laws of weights and measures, and had lectures on them.
It has had a weights and measures exhibition at the state fair, and is working on a new weights and measures law.
It has written to the Secretary of Agriculture for valuable bulletins on household economics, to be distributed among the women of the state.
A club in Illinois which has addresses before it made by "ministers, doctors and school superintendents," as well as papers by members, has studied these topics:
Pure Food; Juvenile Courts; Industrial Homes; The School as a Home; The Home as a School-Maker; Books by Age and Temperament; The Psychology of Success and Failure; Environments: natural, civic, esthetic and ethical; The Psychology of Occupation and Dress;Playgrounds, Games and Systematic Recreations; Woman's Place in Civic Improvement; The Conservation of Health; and, What the People Have a Right to Expect of the High School. Other clubs will find these may easily be expanded into many interesting sub-topics, and many of them may be used as suggestions for practical work in the home town or city of the club.