Framingham State University - Dial Yearbook (Framingham, MA)

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22 INTRODUCTION Away into a grove young Alva strayed, I-lis task to learn beneath the cooling shade: Before him lay an atlas open wide, Where towns and mountains stood on every side: Long on its page his studious mind was placed, But dark Forgetfulness each name defaced: At length discouraged sorrow o'er him pressed, And a deep sigh came from his laboring breast, When lo! a seraph stood before his face, And beamed with radiance of celestial grace: In his right hand a golden lyre he held, And 'mid ambrosial clouds poised o'er the field: The astonished boy could scarce his presence brook While the fair Spirit thus his errand spoke: I am a traveller, on my aerial way: Across the gulf of vast immensity I speed my course, and in a moment pass, From star to star, from world to universe. Creation's furthest skirts I have beheld, And marshalled o'er her wide unbounded field: And when I winged the vast profound of space, This world remote reared up her clayey faceg With rapid flight upon extended oars I came and circled round her terrene shores All I beheld, but ere I passed away To other worlds, I cast mine eyes on thee. I saw a tear roll from thy sparkling eye, And why it rolled, I need not ask thee why: I've come, my boy, to wipe the falling tears, And give an opiate for thy grief and fearsg The towns and mountains which beneath me stood, And rivers rolling to the dark blue flood, And isles and lakes as they were spread to me I'l1 sing and bind upon thy memory: I-larsh sounds in smooth, unbroken lines shall glide, As free and easy as the sparkling tide. When first I launched me down the ethereal sky, Columbia's shores were spread before mine eye In dusky features, for the orb of day Blazed on the antipodes, the other way, And the pale moon, fair empress of the night, Sat veiled in glory, on her chariot bright. And now of that which lay beneath my wing, Harp, raise thine airs, and aid me as I sing. Thus having said, he struck his heavenly lyre And sang in accents of celestial fire. I-I.

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21 On one of the first pages, before the leamer begins upon his easy method of acquiring his geographical knowledge, are two very interesting wood cuts. One shows San Francisco in l848, the other San Francisco in IS49. At the time of the publication of the book, Califomia was the most attractive portion of our country. When the States are taken up, there is given under California a wood cut of men at work on the land, and under it is- Gold digging in California. These are some of the poetical arrangements. GEOGRAPHY The surface of the Earth, with all its tribes Of Sea and Land, Geography describes. CONTINENTS A continent is a vast extent of land Where rivers run and boundless plains expand. Where mountains rise, where towns and cities grow, Wfiere nations live and all their cares bestow. THE OCEAN An ocean is a vast extent of brine Or salt water, boundless and sublime. A MAP A map's a picture, of the whole or part Of the earth's surface, to be learned by heart. The top is North, while South points to your breast. The right hand's East, the left hand's always West. More maps than one bound for school or college Is called an Atlas and contains much knowledge. At the bottom of a page not far advanced in the book, we find this very helpful statement- Questions are not inserted in this work from the fact that it was ,deemed superfluous. All the teacher has td do to form a question, is to read over any sentence and prefix the interrogatives What is or HWTICIC is etc. and it becomes a question. He turns to page seven, for instance, and glances his eye upon,the word Geography in full faced letters over the poetry that defines geography and asks the question. ...What is Geography? Then, What is the Earth? and, to answer the question, the pupil repeats the poetry, and, in his oxm language gives the sum and substance of the prose. The teacher in all instances should explain the licensed poetic phrases to juvenile classes. Who dares to say that there is no royal road to learning? Would that these halcyon days were with us now!

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23 The Joys of Saturday Awake! awake ye Normalites, For Saturday is here, And brings along its own delights, Of dusting and good cheer. Get ready now to sweep the room, With a smile of great content. Take the furniture outside, We are in our element. Open all the windows wide, . Take broom, with courage gayg We'll make the room all clean inside, For it is sweeping day. The kitties that once decked the floor, 'Neath bed and bureau lay, Alas! poor things they are no more, For this is Saturday. Now to the laundry we shall go, .To make our linen white, For starching shirt waists, we all know: Is our extreme delight. But, ah, these joys of work-a-day, That do our muscles strain, Shall end, for Monday comes our way, With lesson-books again. M. I. and C. B. The Personality of the Teacher COLERIDGE. says that personality is individuality existing in itself, but with a nature as a background. Behind each teacher's individuality there must be a background of human nature, a great store of sympathy .for children and of understanding of their needs. This she must have in order that she with them, may explore all the wonderful highways and byways that lead to knowledge, and to right liv-