Lyceum Phoenix of Friends School - Phoenix Echo Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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this view of it strike thee?-The New England Yearly Meeting School and its Principal do not undertake to teach music, as a part of the regular sanctioned course. But pupils not of our faith, and others by their parents' wish and sanction, desire or demand musi- cal instruction g and the Principal rather than leaving them to go into the city for it, where he could not extend his oversight, per- mits them to have a competent teacher, of whose moral character he is assured, to visit them, at the Institution, as a matter entirely apart from it, paid for by the pupils themselves, and in no way compromising the Yearly Meeting, as the Trustee of the donor's fund.-I think this might be done, without much difficulty. I write hastily and without any communication with Friends hereabout g and leave the matter with thee, feeling prepared to be- lieve that whatever thou dost, will be conscientiously done, and in all probability the best that under the circumstances could be. Thine truly, JOHN G. VVHITTIER. Has thee seen my ballad 1' The Kingls Missive in J. R. Osgood's Memorial History of Boston, just published? Clark Shove, of Fall River, gave a grand piano, and the Com- mittee consented to the introduction of pianos and teaching of instru- mental music, according to the spirit of the above letter. Eighth Mo., 4th, 1881. The Providence journal the next morning had an editorial on pianos at Friends School, beginning Shade of Moses Brown ! The friends of the measure felt that the broad, catholic spirit of Moses Brown in the day of his strength would have been with them, and that they had adhered to the very spirit of his teachings. The principal said to the Committee, in 1883, that it would be an excellent thing to have some pictures of the great characters of the Society on the walls, to suggest to the people who come and go the mission of the Society as shown in its distinguished members. Subsequently, as the principal was about to visit England, James H. Chace, of Providence, who for many years has been one of the most efficient men on the School Committee, suggested to him that if he found works of art when abroad of the kind mentioned in his former remarks he might purchase the same, and draw on him for a very generous sum of money, or any part thereof, which he would donate for the purpose. His meditations over the ocean resulted in the determination to spend all the money upon a bust of John Bright, under the convic-

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tion that there was more potency in one really good piece of art with a very great character for its subject, than in many indifferent pictures. He secured the assistance of Margaret Lucas, a distinguished sis- ter of John Bright, by whom he was introduced to the sculptor of the queen, William Theed, and We have, according to the opinion of the family, the finest bust of the great commoner in the World. This was unveiled the 28th day of Third Mo., 1884. l Charles F. Coffin, of Lynn, Mass., one of the best friends of Friends School, and a very dear friend of Whittier, presented the portrait of the poet to the School, Tenth Mo., 24th, 1884. The last time Charles F. Coflin sat as a member of the school committee he made a very impressive speech, and secured the Studio of the Three Oaksu by convincing the committee of the expediency of it. Ella J. Wheeler had named her donation of S3o,ooo the Eliza- beth Fry fund, because she admired the excellent Woman who had reformed the prisons of the world. She Was looking at the bust of John Bright, and she said: That is excellent for the boys, but Elizabeth Fry should be in the other corner for the girls. You send to London and ask Mr. Theed to cut her out of the same quality of Carrara marble, and you place her in the other corner upon a proper pedestal, and I will pay for it all, and she did as she agreed. h It was unveiled Ninth Mo., 29th, 1885. Robert C. Winthrop said of the three, in a beautiful letter com- plimentary to Vifhittier, dated Tenth Mo., 16, 1884: Eloquence, poetry, and philanthropy will form an inspiring group for your scholars to have ever before their eyes, and may lead them to emulate what they admiref' John Bright Went to the Royal Academy to see the bust of Eliza- beth Fry which was exhibited there a short time, and he said: I am proud to have mine by the side of it. Mrs. Fry's children all approved of it in letters which We have in our possession, also George Richmond, of London, who painted her portrait when living. We have three excellent pictures by William Bradford, the dis- tinguished marine and Arctic painter. Une, in the sitting-room, he gave because he was a New England member of the Society of Friends, as a monument here of himself and of his work. Walter S. Meader generously contributed Ice Under the Midnight