Philadelphia High School for Girls - Milestone Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 20 text:

In Our Idle Momgnfg 12

Page 19 text:

ruler who already reigned enthroned in their hearts. And from that day to this contentment has filled the lives of the people throughout the realm The old man Hnished his story. Thoughtfully the stranger gazed out into the night. There was much to learn in this Land of we THE BUBBLE What is that in the fairy bubble? Is that joy or is it trouble? ls it hardship, is itlcare? That to me is pictured there. I look and now the phantom fades, This is no game for fair young maids! Mayhap the vision tells the worst! But no, no fear, the bubble burst. -H. 11 Brotherly Love A. Lachman

Page 21 text:

Education in Colonial and Revolutionary Times D. A. R. PRIZE ESSAY E. Virginia Smith F' DUCATION is a mighty foundation stone without which the structure of any nation is unfinished and not worthy to be called the dwelling place of a people of high and noble ideals. Our ancestors, by whose toil and manhood the foundations of this republic were laid, saw the true value of so great a support, and, as they slowly and laboriously piled upon one huge stone after another, brought education into its rightful position. It is true that education was not the first consideration of our pilgrim fathers, when they landed on these wild and unknown shores. Not at all, the first thought was that of shelter from savage men and beasts,-and not only a shelter, but a home, the desire of every heart. What place could schools, such as they had left in their fatherland, have had in the small widely-scattered settlements, which were so busily striving to establish a government, under which the children of the nation-to-be might ever press onward and upward? But, when the weightier problems had been solved and the home and church well established, the minds of these early founders of the nation turned immediately to this new task of establishing a successful system of education. This task of founding schools and colleges was by no means an easy one. Among the many obstacles to be overcome was the lack of teachers and books. The difiiculty of securing instructors was met in many ways. Very often the parson also served as schoolmaster. ln other cases we find the schoolmaster carrying on some such trade as tailoring or shoemaking while he taught. We find an ordinance of the selectmen of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which details the following as the duties of the school- master: To act as a court messenger, to serve summonsesg to lead the choir on Sundays, to dig the graves, to ring the bell for public worship, to take charge of the school, and to perform other occasional duties. The lack of books also had to be contended with, although this want was not so serious in the common and elementary schools as in the colleges, which were springing into existence. The founding of Harvard and Yale Colleges was made possible by contributions of books from the private libraries of learned men. In like manner many other schools were begun. Despite the many difhculties, schools were established, but we find a marked difference between their success in New England and the colonies of the central and southern regions. The schools of the northeastern colonies flourished rapidly, while in the central and southern settlements they were often decided failures. This difference was most likely due to the fact that the latter colonies were more widely scattered than the former. So we 13