) M ■1^^ (Wlmomf ^it>)ic^0 IN HONOR OF Rs. Mary Hemenway BY THE Boston Public School Teachers GIFT OF SEEI.EY W. MUDD and GEORGE I. COCHRAN MEYER ELSASSER DR.JOHN K. HAYNKS WILLIAM L. HONNOLD JAMtS R. MARTIN MRS. JOSEPH F. SARTORI re the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN BRANCH This book is DUE on the last date stamped below ronor of ^'-^s Southern Branch of the University of California Los Angeles Form L I Memorial :f>crbicc.!^ IN HONOR OF MRS. MARY'HEMENWAY BY THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS EDITKD BY LARKIN DUNTON, LL.D., HBAD MASTER OF THE BOSTON NORMAL SCHOOL BOSTON Geo. H. Ellis, Printer, 141 Franklin Street 1894 S8()S1 INTRODUCTION. Memorial services in honor of Mrs. Mary Hemen- way were held in the Old South Meeting-House Wednesday afternoon, May 2, 1894, by the teachers of the public schools of Boston. These services were the result of a spontaneous desire on the part of the teachers to give expression to the love and esteem which they bore for her while living. c^ Mrs. Hemenway was born in the city of New ^ York, Dec. 20, 1S20, and died at her home in Bos- o ton, March 6, 1894. She was the daughter of 'rr Thomas Tileston, from whom she seems to have 'H i- inherited her remarkable business ability. She married Mr. Augustus Hemenway, a great shipping merchant. Several years before his death his health had so failed as to throw much of the oversight of his immense business upon Mrs. Hemenway. By this means was developed that remarkable talent for the directing of affairs which subsequently proved 4 Introduction so useful in carrying on her great benevolent enter- prises. She certainly possessed business ability of a high order. Ilcr insight into the causes of suffering among the people, far and near, present and fut-ure, and into the remedies for this suffering, was wonder- ful. Ilcr breadth of view was only equalled by the warmth of her heart. It was the generosity of her nature that so endeared her to the teachers of Bos- ton. They came to know her as a fellow-worker for the good of the people. Pride, haughtiness, and con- descension, which too often accompany the posses- sion and even the distribution of wealth, were so conspicuously wanting in her nature that every teacher who was brought into contact with her in her benevolent work felt only the presence of a great heart beating in sympathy with all mankind. Her beneficent plans were never set on foot, and then left to the management of others. She not only followed her work with her thought and her kindly interest, but she stimulated and cheered her coworkers with her inspiring personality. It was her clear head, her warm heart, and her cheerful presence that gained for her admiration and affec- hitrodiiction . 5 tion. In a word, it was her noble nature that so won the Boston teachers as to call them together to speak and hear the words recorded in the follow- ing pages. The order of exercises will be found in full on the following page. The Editor. ORDER OF EXERCISES. Chant, The Lord's Prayer. Introductokv Remarks by the Chairman. Edwin P. Seaver, Superintendent of Public Scliools. Reading of Resolutions by Robert Swan, Master, Winthrop School. Address by Henry C. Hardon, Master, Shurtleff School. Address by Granville Putnam, Master, Franklin School. Address by Edwin P. Seaver, Singing, "America," Director, Henry G. Carey. Address by James A. Page, Master, Dwight School. Address by Dr. Larkin Dunton, Head Master, Boston Normal School. Address by John O. Norris, Head Master, Charlestown High School. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS By the Chairman Fellow-tcacJicrs : We have called ourselves together to-day, not merely to express a sense of personal bereavement, nor yet merely to lament the public loss consequent upon the ending of a life of singular devotion and helpfulness, but chiefly, with hearts full of gratitude that such a life has been lived among us and that we have been permitted to have some share in executing its beneficent purposes, to commemorate those deeds of wise charity which have come more immediately under our personal observation. It would seem to have been a settled principle with Mrs. Hemenway that the wisest charity is that which prevents misery rather than waits to alleviate it, which purifies the sources of domestic and civic life rather than seeks, too late, to clear it of accu- JO Me^norial Seiince mulated ills. Hence was her charity applied largely in the domain of education. She rested her hopes for the future domestic and civic well-being of the people on the children. These — and particularly the less favored ones — should receive generous and wholesome training for their coming duties in family and in State. If e.xisting educational agencies were inadequate or imperfect, her aid was ever ready for the work of enlargement and improvement. Believing that the ordinary conditions of school work were physically injurious to children, she introduced into our city, and through a practical demonstration of its benefits persuaded the school authorities to adopt, a sys- tem of physical training which will do much — nay, which has already done much — to give the next generation stronger and healthier bodies. Seeing that the arts which promote thrift, comfort, and hap- piness in the home were falling into neglect among the people, she sought, through the introduction of sewing and cooking as matters of instruction in the public schools, to promote more sensible views on the importance of domestic education. Realizing the vital necessity of a pure, ardent, and intelligent Mrs. Mary Hemenway il patriotism in the hearts of all the people, she insti- tuted within these historic walls — hallowed by sa- cred associations of religion and freedom — courses of instruction for young people in history and civil polity which have done and are doing much to awaken and cherish the best patriotic sentiment. In these and in many other ways has she aided the teachers in the great work of public instruction. Even where her beneficence appeared to assume a more personal relation, — as when she aided the Teachers' Benefit Association or when she helped many a weary teacher to get needed rest and recu- peration, — her warm sympathy with the workers was the outflowing of her deep interest in their work. So it is altogether fitting that we, the teachers of the public schools of Boston, should place upon record an expression of our appreciation of Mrs. Hemenvvay's educational work. And let it be said at the outset that the crowning excellence of that work is not found in the large gifts of money, useful as these have been, nor in the support accorded to new enterprises and experi- ments in education when these had not yet estab- lished their claims to public support ; but it is found 12 Memorial Service in her most generous giving of herself to every beneficent scheme she undertook, — her untiring sympathy and care, her wise, far-seeing counsel, and her frequent inspiring personal presence. It may be remembered now, as a significant instance of this, that her very last appearance in public was in this meeting-house with the young people celebrating the birthday of Washington. Nothing less strong than the Life Destroyer himself could overcome her interested activity in these things. Thus in briefest outline have I mentioned the matters for commemoration. It remains for me to call upon representative teachers, who will speak more in detail on each particular. RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED BY ROBERT SWAN 0\4aster of the IVinthrop School Resolutions presented by Robert Swan On account of my long association with Mrs. Hemenway in her efforts to give the girls in the Boston public schools useful instruction, it has been assigned to me to prepare resolutions of respect for her memory. The following are submitted for your considera- tion : — Whereas, it is fitting, at the close of Mrs. Mary Hemen- way's useful life, that the Boston public school teachers, assembled in the Old South Meeting-house, which she loved so well and did so much to save, should place on record their profound appreciation of the noble work she has accomplished for the /r^rZ/Va/ education of the children under their care, by which the pupils, and through them the homes from which many of them come, have been elevated both mentally and morally, — therefore be it Resolved, That through her wise foresight and long per- severance in the introduction of a systematic training in sew- ing, by which girls in the public schools are made proficient in 1 6 Memorial Service needlework, the first step toward manual training, now ac- knowledged by all to be an essential part of our school pro- gramme, she exhibited an almost intuitive sense of the needs of the community, and enabled the children to relieve their mothers of many weary hours of labor. Resolved, Tliat by the introduction of the Kitchen Garden, and, later, the School Kitchen,— a long step in progress, — she accomplished, by this wise provision of her studious care, an inestimable benefit to the city, children being thus taught not only to cook intelligently and economically, but also to buy understandingly, the various articles required, by which the manner of living has been changed, healthful food and proper service displacing uncomfortable and unhealthful methods. Resolved, That by the introduction of the Ling System of Gymnastics, in which Mrs. Hemenway's liberality and care for the physical development of the children were the principal factors, the city is greatly indebted for another advance in education. Resolved, That by the establishment of the " Normal School of Cooking " and the " Boston Normal School of Gymnastics," furnishing qualified teachers to inaugurate the work in other cities, by which the full advantage of Boston's experience is reaped, her beneficial influence has made instruction in these branches national instead of local. Resolved, That by her contribution in money and intelligent helpfulness in promoting the Boston Teachers' Mutual Benefit Association in the days of its inception, much was done to in- sure the success of the enterprise. Mrs. Mary Honenway 17 Resolved, That by the purchase of Dr. John D. Philbrick's library, and its presentation to the Boston Normal School, she has made easily accessible to the pupils the choicest works on educational subjects, thus making the valuable information acquired a part of their equipment for their chosen profession. Resolved, That by her prizes for essays on subjects con- nected with American History, awarded to graduates of the Boston High Schools, on Washington's Birthday, in the Old South Meeting-house, she has caused a thorough research into our colonial and national life that can result only in in- spiring patriotic ardor which must conduce to the best citizen- ship. Resolved, That, by these and many other acts which cannot be enumerated at this time, her name is justly entitled to rank with the names of Pratt and Drexel, who have established institutes in Brooklyn and Philadelphia that will confer incal- culable benefits on the people of this country. Resolved, That Mrs. Hemenway, in these varied interests, gave what is infinitely more important than money, her con- stant sympathy in, and enthusiasm for, the work, — which is an invaluable memory to all who were blessed with her assistance. Resolved, That, in tendering these resolutions to the family of Mrs. Hemenway, we desire to express our deep sympathy in their bereavement. At the close of the services the foregoing resolu- tions were unanimously adopted. ADDRESS HENRY C. HARDON {Master of the Sburtleff School Address by Henry C. Hardon It is probable that every one in this audience acquainted with the work and character of Mrs. Hemenway would be glad to second the resolutions offered. What a life of benevolent work ! She had wealth, and we know some of the ways she chose to use it. An excellent understanding and a most sensible edu- cation made an outfit for most effective action. The results are already far-reaching, and are to add still farther to our appreciation of the value of her life. Within four years this most worthy lady said to me : "In my youth girls in the best of families were accustomed to participate in many of the household affairs. Some occasionally assisted in other homes. If we were to have evening company, the little col- lation was prepared by our own hands." "As for myself," she said again, " I read not many books. They were not so numerous as now. I was reared 22 Memorial Service principally on household duties, the Bible, and Shakspere." What other educational tripod has such breadth of base ? Health, increase of physical strength, and not a little important directing power are all pro- moted by the first ; and only few persons propose to better the second as a means of moral and spiritual training for this world or any other. The third, with its vocabulary of thirteen thousand words, the vigor of its dealing with folly and vice, its English never excelled, — how all these must have fed the growing thought and purpose of this character, one of the worthiest of this great city ! Here was edu- cation, indeed! A few subjects, it is true, but well chosen and greatly utilized. To one thus furnished, whose business in life was to be and to do, and to pay no attention to seeming, how strange must have appeared the fact of a later growing disinclination or inability on the part of so many families to minister to the equipment of girls, after the fashion of a former time ! This must have appeared doubly strange, with an increasing incom- ing population of so many from abroad, adding to clumsy fingers and unmanaged households. The Mrs. Mary Heniemvay 23 end of all that is not yet. The beginning of that which, if prosecuted, will make toward an end, is under way. It is the reformed educational concep- tion — a sort of renaissance of common sense for the new conditions — which is to give children in the present enormous population of city life as much as we can for what they have lost. Mrs. Hemenway saw the situation, doubtless, as distinctly as she did the truth of the proverbs of the Great Book. She had the lasting benevolence to go deep and often to her pocket to pay the salaries of well-trained sewing teachers, that poor girls might get some of the training that many homes were ceasing to furnish. We will not forget that this kind of training was added to school work by the School Committee before this. Nearly four thousand women had peti- tioned for it, but the results were small for at least ten years. The teachers of sewing were then poorly equipped, working without system, and not well sup- ported, quite different in the main from what they are now. Some of the mothers also — not many, I think — thought this new departure a scheme to promote caste, and fix the social status of the workers. The sewins: machine had turned some 24 Memorial Service heads. All labor is soon to be done by machinery, said they. We will direct or stand by, and see it work. But, worse than this, many of the educational corps objected : this is not education ; the schools were not made for it ; it will cause the loss of time. Some of the more thoughtful saw that better things could come, and said that they should. They knew that work, early in life, had played no small part in their own education ; that, according to strength, with very ample intermission of course, all children are greatly educated and bettered by the experience. Whole nations now see it. A good knowledge of it may bring a love of it. " The slug- gard will not plough by reason of the cold ; there- fore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing." Let us see that he is taught to plough, says the philoso- phy of Mrs. Hemenway, fortified by many a Script- ure text ; and the ploughing shall be any human labor that answers human needs, and renders beg- gary and vice less probable. The thought here and in the last of Proverbs is not for a far-off time only. The working in flax and wool can and does have its corresponding duty ; but the looking well to the ways of the household will be a duty never to be Mrs. Mary Hcnienway 25 abandoned in any country that is to rear children to self-reliance and the truest success. All this truth was at the very core of the character of Mrs. Hemenway, who knew that it was for all households of all generations ; that the family unity is promoted by duties performed by children early in life; that a sure part of moral education goes with it of neces- sity ; that dark days are less dark with and advance in training, and that hope for the future has its strongest seat in increasing efficiency. But, in the household or out, the successful prosecution of any department of training requires good teaching. The large sums of money paid by Mrs. Hemenway for good teaching, with the large result achieved, showed what the public school also could do. A new start was made. Miss Cummings was ap- pointed in the Winthrop School as sewing teacher. Things changed. Mr. Swan became a strong advo- cate of the work, a second right hand to Mrs. Hem- enway, a vigorous apostle for industrial training in at least two departments, through whom also the facts have gone across the country. Other parts of the city took a start. Methods of retaining and distributing work, keeping the accounts, and re- 26 Memorial Service porting to the School Committee, originated, I think, in South Boston. Opposition died. Converts came in from near and far. They took notes, exam- ined, asked questions, and went home to imitate and surpass us in method if they could. Finished articles are now numbered by the thousand, made every year in nearly every girls' school. Drafting, cutting, and fitting have been added in many schools, and the kinds of work increased. All this has been accomplished, from the beginning, in forty years ; some of the best of it in twenty. What is our just tribute of praise to the author of this pro- nounced success ! But this is not the end. Too much or too little, badly prepared, or wasted in serving, is the record of many of the human race as to food. Too little, surely, is the testimony of many teachers in this audience, according to the repeated observation of the past winter. Too little and the wrong kind fit no children in vigor for the responsibilities that are to come. Bread and tea work up poorly into physi- cal size and brain power. Programmes go off badly under it. This is a fraction of the answer why chil- dren are left behind. " Name some one thins: that Mrs. Mary Hememvay 27 would enable your boys to achieve more and build up the school," said one man to another, "A plate of good soup and a thick slice of bread after recess," was the answer. " I could get twice the work before twelve. They want new blood." This side seems discouraging. We will look further. Enough is spent, many times, when the result is poor. Edward Atkinson, the leading Benjamin Franklin of our time, has shown that repeatedly. We all know it, and want it remedied. Mrs. Hemenway knew it. She knew that one cause was ignorance; that judicious buying and better cooking would have very important effects, — more vigorous children, less sickness, less drinking, — plainly, more family success. To see was to do. She caused the school kitchen, called "No. i," to be established. It was planned and equipped by that admirable lady and remarkable executive ofificer, Miss Amy Morris Romans, another of the right hands of Mrs. Hemenway. This kitchen has been extensively copied over the country. What has al- ready been the result in Boston alone .'' Six or seven thousand girls have had either a half or a full year's course in cooking. The knowledge of the 28 Memorial Service preparation of plain food has been thoroughly pre- sented, thousands of dishes cooked at those schools, a far greater number at home. What to buy with scant money is now also a part of the much needed and received instruction. Without the knowledge that these girls have gained, the past year might have been still more severe. The good work goes on. The School Com- mittee, a body thanked little, but worked hard, try- ing to make the money at their disposal result in the completest service, is, like the community, I think, a convert to the industrial side of education. The immense labor of some of them to this end would show it. Of the past members, Mr. Capen and Mr. Murphy would well illustrate that fact. The successful beginnings of a part of this training, and the large results over a wide territory, are owing to the clear vision and great benevolence of Mrs. Mary Hemenway. Mr. Chairman, I heartily second the resolutions. ADDRESS BY GRANVILLE B. PUTNAM Master of the Franklin School Address by Granville B. Putnam Why this gathered throng of teachers upon a mid-week afternoon ? Why are thirteen hundred schoolrooms silent and deserted ? Why has the hum of the educational machinery of the city ceased ? This is a memorial service ! Yes ! But in whose honor are we assembled in this place sacred with hallowed memories ? Is it some mili- tary chieftain, whose name, "untarnished on the roll of fame, has added lustre to a new historic page"? Is it some dead statesman, whose words swayed senates or whose will controlled the nation's destiny ? No ! We, the teachers of the public schools of Boston, have assembled to pay our hum- ble tribute to a private citizen, — a woman, a noble woman. Her name is Mary. " This sweetest name that mortals bear Were best befitting her; For she, to whom it once was given, Was half of earth and half of heaven." 32 Mcmoi'ial Service And, since all titles seem but to belittle the names of great men and women, shall we not call her simply Mary Hemenway ? She possessed many virtues, which won the respect and admiration of friends and those who were brought into intimate relations with her. To most of us, and to the public at large, she was known chiefly by her interest in education and the wisdom which she manifested in the annual distribution of her large income. If all the facts were known, her benevolence would ap- pear even greater than it now seems. Of late years she has trenched upon her invested resources, in order that projects dear to her heart might not suffer for lack of aid. Contrasted with her generous deeds, how pitiable appears the course of many who have possessed large wealth ! The last will and testament of a woman recently filed in New York decreed that the sum of $1,000,000 be devoted to the building of her own mausoleum ; and far too many live and strive merely to pile thousands upon thousands, or, it may be, millions upon millions already secured, and all for selfish ends. To such is it unjust to apply the caustic words of Walter Scott .-' Mrs. Marjf Hemenway 33 " The wretch, concentred all in self, Living, shall forfeit fair renown, And, doubly dying, shall go down To the vile dust, from whence he sprung, Unwept, unhonored, and unsung." Not of such as these was Mary Hemenway. The mother love of her heart embraced not her own off- spring alone, but, broadened and extended, it in- cluded the child of the poor white of the Carolinas, the black man of the cotton field, and the Indian of the prairie. She knew from daily experience the luxury which comes from generous deeds, and felt a profound sym- pathy for those who never tasted of its blessedness. Grateful to the teachers of the city for their hearty co-operation in the execution of her plans, she gra- ciously said, " Wc have done thus and so," or " Our purpose is," etc., thus cordially recognizing the teachers' agency in the outworking of her grand designs. She poured forth her gifts in unfrequented chan- nels. She was less interested in those perpetually poor, feeling that there were organizations of charity devoted to their interests. She sought rather to 34 Memorial Service find out those who had seen better days, but who from stress of circumstances were in temporary need ; and to such she loved to give, that by so doing she might bridge the stream of adversity, and land them safely on the solid bank of prosperity beyond. She was a zealous patriot, and believing, with Edward Everett, that "education is a better safe- guard of liberty than a standing army," she sought to secure the best practical instruction to fit children for the common employments of life. At the same time she used direct means to instil into youthful hearts the fervor of patriotism. But it is mine to speak, more especially, of her relations to the Boston Teachers' Mutual Benefit Association. While it existed as yet but in the minds of a few determined women, its purpose was explained to her. She entered heartily into its spirit, delighted at the thought that at last a plan was being devised by which provision would be made for those infirm through age or disabled by service. In the course of conversation, she exclaimed, " Nothing is too good for the Boston teachers." "Tell them to go for- Mrs. Ma)-}' Heinenway 35 ward and form the Association, and I will be with them." She offered $500 as a gift with which to start the enterprise, but was told that it was not money, but patronage, which was then desired. Gladly was the influence of her name given as a supporter of the movement. When the matter was brought before the masters, and with their hearty co-operation the Association was formed upon its present basis, she proved a friend indeed. Not only was the money, early promised, forwarded to the Treasurer, but other gifts followed. But for her assured assistance, I am confident the great Bazaar, which netted our treasury $56,000, would never have been held. Those who consti- tuted the Board of Trustees were absolutely adverse to fairs, even though they saw the needs of the Association and longed for the time when $60,000 should be secured for the permanent fund, so that all the income might be applied to annuities, accord- ing to the terms of the constitution. All relutance to enter upon the project was laid aside, however, when from her lips came the assurance that our efforts would certainly be crowned with success. 36 Memorial Service When the time for action came, she took her carriage, day after day, and went from house to house among her friends to tell of our plans, and solicit the co-operation of the wealth and culture of our city. Nor were her efforts vain. The best names of Boston found a place upon our list of patrons ; and, when the long-looked-for 5th of De- cember came and the doors of Music Hall were opened, the elite of Boston flocked to it, and their money was generously bestowed. The then unknown donors of $500, $1,000, and $5,000 still remain unknown to the Trustees ; but I doubt not that, directly or indirectly, these generous gifts may be traced to the words or deeds of our most noble patron. Far more to her than to any other person is our phenomenal success to be as- cribed, when we consider the Bazaar as a whole ; but a general interest in it did not satisfy her. She vol- untarily took charge of the table of " Comfort for the Sick." It was furnished from her own purse. New York and other cities were drawn upon for everything which the ingenuity of the past decade has invented to minister to the needs of suffering humanity. Every afternoon and every evening of the week Mrs. Mary Hemcmvay 37 found her at her post behind that table ; and, when the Bazaar was closed, she purchased, at its full value, all that remained unsold. Indebted as we of the Association are to her, let us not forget that this was but a single one of her many benefactions. Busy with her plans for doing good, unconsciously she was writing her name upon the tablets of human hearts ; and distant be the day when that name, honored and beloved, shall be effaced ! '* Margaret Fuller Ossoli was a great being," ex- claimed a college mate of mine, years ago, in the opening sentence of an oration upon the life and character of that remarkable woman, the friend of Emerson and Hawthorne and Channing. The abruptness of the expression stamped it upon my memory, while all else in the oration has long since faded from it. With like vividness would I impress upon your memories the thought that Mary Hemen- way was a great being. I use the expression ad- visedly. "Great minds alone, like Heaven, are pleased in doing good." True greatness cannot exist apart from goodness. It is of the heart, first of all ; and 38 Memorial Service "he alone is great who floods the world with a great affection." She attained to this greatness because she came to feel that her life belonged to humanity, and that whatever of heart or money God had be- stowed upon her had been given that therewith she might bless mankind. My mother was a pupil of Mary Lyon, that great teacher who founded Mt, Holyoke Female Seminary, and planted the germ of all the female colleges of the land. At that now sainted mother's knee I learned to revere that hon- ored name. It was a household word in my boy- hood home. In early manhood I made a pilgrimage to South Hadley and stood beside her grave. There upon the monumental stone I read these words, which I would now address to Mary Hemenway : — " Servant of God, well done, Rest from thy loved employ ! The battle fought, the victory won, Enter thy .Master's joy." ADDRESS BY EDWIN P. SEAVER Superintendent of Schools Address by Edwin P. Seaver How the Old South Meeting-house was saved from threatened destruction is a well-known story that needs not now to be repeated. Mrs. Hemen- way's interest in that patriotic enterprise did not end with her giving a large share of the purchase money. That generous gift was but the beginning of a larger enterprise, — the prelude to a nobler history. These ancient walls had been saved. What should be done with them .'' They might have been allowed to stand as mute witnesses to the events of a glorious past. They might have been used merely as a shelter for curious old relics, which antiquarians love to study and passing visitors cast a glance upon. And so the old meeting-house might have stood many years more, — a monument to religion and freedom, not unworthy, indeed, of its purpose, but yet a silent monument. 42 Memorial Service The plans of Mrs. Hemenvvay were larger and more vital. The old building should be not only a relic and monument of the past, but a temple for present inspiration and instruction. The thoughts and the hopes that aforetime had thrilled the hearts of men assembled in this house should live again in the words of eloquent teachers. Here should young people gather to learn lessons of virtue and patriot- ism from the lives of great men whose deeds have glorified our nation's annals. What has now become known throughout the country as " The Old South Work" is the outgrowth of this fruitful idea. Let us briefly review the particulars of this " Old South Work," keeping in mind as we do so its main pur- poses, which are first to interest young people in American history, and then, through that interest, to inspire them with a love of their country, and to instruct them wisely concerning the duties and privi- leges of citizenship under a free government. Can any instruction more vital to the public good be thought of 1 First, we may notice that Washington's Birthday has been appropriately celebrated in this house every year from 1879. Other national holidays have been Mi's. Mary Hcmenzvay 43 celebrated likewise, or may hereafter be celebrated ; for the idea is a growing one. Next should be noticed "The Old South Lect- ures." As early as 1879, '^'^^ i'^ ^^^ ^wo years fol- lowing, courses of lectures on topics of American history were delivered in this house by Mr. John Fiske, who has since become so well known as a brilliant writer on historical subjects. That these lectures would be intensely interesting to the adult portion of the audiences was naturally enough ex- pected at the time ; but it was hardly foreseen that the young people would be so thoroughly fascinated as they were with a lecturer who had been known chiefly as a writer on deep philosophical subjects. Mr. Fiske has been a frequent lecturer on this plat- form from 1879 down to the present time. In 1883 "The Old South Lectures," properly so called, were organized on a definite and permanent plan. Each year the work to be done is laid out in a systematic manner. A general topic is chosen, and particular topics under this are assigned to different speakers, who are invited because their special knowledge of the topics assigned them gives great interest or importance to what they may have 44 Memoj'ial Service to say. The great interest awakened by these lect- ures has led to the repetition of many of them in other cities. " The Old South Leaflets " are an interesting aux- iliary to the lectures. A practice was early adopted of providing in printed form the means of further studying the matters touched upon by the lecturer of the day. The leaflets so provided contained not merely an outline of the lecture, but the texts of important historical documents not otherwise easily accessible, and references to authorities with critical notes thereupon, and other interesting special matter. These leaflets have proved to be so useful to teachers in their school work, that the directors of " The Old South Work" have published a general series of them, which are to be continued, and are supplied to schools at the bare cost of paper and printing. Perhaps "The Old South Essays" touch the Bos- ton public schools more immediately than does any other part of "The Old South Work." Every year, beginning with 1881, have been offered to high school pupils soon to become graduates, and also to recent graduates, four prizes, two of forty and two of twenty-five dollars each, for the best essays on Mrs. Mary Hemcnway 45 assigned topics of American history. The usual objection to the plan of encouraging study by the offer of prizes, that many strive and few win, so that the joy of victory in the few is more than offset by the disappointment of failure in the many, was met in the present case with characteristic wisdom and liberality ; for every writer of an essay not winning a money prize has received a present of valuable books in recognition of his worthy effort. The judges who make the awards of prizes state that crude essays, betraying a want of study and care on the part of the writers, are extremely rare. On the other hand, there are often so many essays of the highest general excellence that the task of making a just award is a difficult one. Some of these essays have been printed in the New England Magazine and in other periodicals. Some have been published in pamphlet form, and have received the favorable notice of historical scholars. It is now the custom to invite at least one of the prize essayists each year to deliver one of "The Old Soutli Lectures." Among the more distinguished of the essayists may be named Mr. Henry L. Southwick, a graduate 46 Memorial Service of the Dorchester High School, whose prize essay of the year 1881, entitled "The Policy of the Early Colonists of Massachusetts toward Quakers and Others whom they regarded as Intruders," attracted much attention ; Mr. F. E. E. Hamilton, a graduate of the English High School, and since an alumnus of Harvard College ; Mr. Robert M. Lovett, a graduate of the Boston Latin School, who led his class at Harvard College ; Miss Caroline E. Stecker, who took prizes in two successive years ; and Mr. Leo R. Lewis of the English High School, now a professor in Tufts College. Others there are who may be expected hereafter to distinguish themselves in the line of work for which the writing of their essays was the beginning of a preparation. The whole number of Old South essayists is now over one hundred. About twenty of these have been or still are students in colleges, some proceed- ing thither in regular course from the Latin schools, but others in less easy ways, being impelled to the effort undoubtedly by a desire for higher education that had grown out of their historical studies for their essays. But among the essayists who have not become college students, the interest in historical Mrs. Mary Honenway 47 studies has been no less abiding. The Old South Historical Society, formed about two years ago, is composed of persons who have written historical essays for the Old South Prizes, Quarterly meet- ings are held for the reading of papers and for dis- cussion on historical subjects. This society may well be regarded with peculiar interest by our teachers, because it represents the best historical scholarship of successive years in the high schools of Boston. It may soon become, if it be not already, one of the most important learned societies in this city. But historical study and writing are not for the many, nor are they enough to satisfy the few. A broader influence may touch the hearts of all through music. Out of this thought has grown the society known as " The Old South Young People's Chorus." At many of "The Old South Lectures" there has been singing of national patriotic hymns by large choruses of boys and girls from the public schools, three or four hundred often taking part. On the Washington's Birthday celebrations there has always been singing by the public school children. These interesting exercises have led to a more permanent 48 Memorial Service organization for the practice of patriotic music, which flourishes now under the name of "Young People's Chorus." Finally, let us note the extension of "The Old South Work" to other cities, as Providence, Brook- lyn, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, and others. Everywhere the idea of bringing our national history home to the minds and hearts of young people through an awak- ened interest in monuments and memorials of the past has been enthusiastically received. Philadel- phia no less than Boston has her shrines of freedom. There is no city or town in the land that does not possess something interesting as a memorial of past events, — events which the national historian may regard as of no more than local importance, but which, by the very circumstance of being local, best show the child the stuff out of which the fabric of our national history is woven. Everywhere, there- fore, the materials for " The Old South Work " are at hand ; and the plan of this work is so simple that it can be adopted everywhere. Let us hope, then, that "The Old South Work" may spread all through the land, everywhere yielding a rich fruitage of pure Mrs. Mary Hevicnway 49 patriotism and good citizenship. Like the Tree of Life in the City of God, may it flourish and yield fruit every month ; and may the leaves thereof be "for the healins: of the nations !" ADDRESS BY JAMES A. PAGE (Master of the Dwighi School Address by James A. Page I cannot feel that we come here this afternoon to lament and regret so much as to appreciate and to respond, and to gird up our loins for work along the pathways which have been so liberally and so dis- tinctly blazed for us. We know, none better than we, that the good school is the product of many factors. The teacher himself is one certainly, but only one. We see daily and hourly in all our classes the pale face and the unhealthy complexion, and we hail the coming of the cookijig school. We know well enough what that will do for us when it shall have reached the lowest levels of the public mind and life. How often we see the dull eye and the drooping head ; and then we know that the "cubic spaces" in the sleeping-room and living-room at home have been ignored ; and we stand up in our places to salute, "the anti-tenement house league." 54 Memorial Service Wc know the alert mind in the sound body, and we render thanks for the gyvinasium. Boston has been grateful many times that public-spirited in- dividuals have been found within her borders. This house and this occasion are the place and time in which to speak of such as they. Of the public-spirited woman in whose honor we are met it may be said, in the language of Sydney Smith, that she was three women, not one woman. Practical as a business man, she was yet tender and generous to many different sorts of people. Expecting always faithful and loyal service, she was considerate of those carrying forward her great plans. She delighted to spend money, as she was spending it, for lofty purposes. She had strength, — the strength of opposite qualities, the strength that fits for public service. The city was fortunate that at such a time, or at any time, such service was to be had. The woman who gave this service saw very surely that any institution, to be lasting, must be firmly founded ; and her motto therefore in this, as in other things, was, "go slowly." We had had "systems" of gymnastics before, and they had vanished. We Mrs. Mary Hemefiway 55 had had "fads" of this kind, and they had perished one by one. The thing to be done now was to se- cure a plan that should be workable, and yet should be based on well-ascertained physiological and psy- chological data. She gave her mind to this. In 1888 the co-opera- tion of twenty-five teachers was secured, and the work was carried on for a considerable time in rooms at Boylston Place. After much experience had been gained and circumstances had seemed to justify it, larger rooms were obtained ; and in 1889 the masters of the schools were invited to interest themselves in the movement and to take part in the exercises. They responded to the call without an exception, I believe; and the work took on a wider scope. It was in this year also, 1889, that the Conference on Physical Training took place, under the auspices of this school ; and the advocates of many different systems were invited to take part, and each to show by example and on the stage the special excellences of his own school of work. The German pupils, those of the Christian Associations, of Delsarte, of the colleges, of the Swedish, and of some private, schools, took the stage successively, and had ample 56 Mevwi'ial Service opportunity to demonstrate the value of their several systems. A brilliant reception was given in the evening. It was determined, I think, at this time, by a very general consensus of opinion, that for the public schools of this city as a whole, and with all their limitations, the Swedish system was the best adapted. From this time, convinced it was on the right track, the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics has continued a constantly growing power and success. Under the same firm but fostering hand as at the beginning, it outgrew its quarters in Park Street, and since 1890 has been located in more commo- dious rooms at the Paine Memorial Building. It has graduated three classes, that of 1891 consist- ing of twelve students, that of 1892 also of twelve, and that of 1893 consisting of forty-three students, and this with a constantly advancing standard as to conditions of admission. In addition to these regu- lar graduates, thirty pupils have received one-year certificates ; and some of them are now doing good work as teachers. The school has at its head Miss Amy Morris Ho- Mrs. Mary Heincnway 57 mans, and in its staff such men as Dr. Enebuske, tiie Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University, the Dean of the Harvard Medical School, and the Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is not strange, then, that the services of pupils trained in such a way should be in demand in all parts of the country. Two have gone to the Drexel Institute of Philadelphia ; two have gone to Smith College, Northampton ; two to Radcliffe College, Cambridge ; one to Rryn ]\Iawr, Pennsylvania ; four to different State normal schools in Massachusetts ; one to Oshkosh, Wisconsin ; one to Denver, Colo- rado ; one to the Normal College, Milledgeville, Georgia ; and one each to Gloucester, Lynn, Law- rence, Dedham, Cambridge, and Pawtucket. The aggregate salaries paid to the young ladies of the three classes already graduated are not less than $50,000, the highest single salary reaching $1,800, and the average being slightly less than $1,000. These statements give but a faint idea of the work of the school. — its fineness, its scope, its far-reach- ing quality. But we can see that the bread cast on the waters is bejrinnins: to return. These centres 58 Memorial Service throughout the country are already established. Im- agine them, as the years go by, multiplied a thou- sand-fold, making a better and happier because a stronger people, and then bring the threads back to this place, and connect them with the deed of one noble, public-spirited woman. The counterpart of this picture is the one of 60,000 children taking the Swedish exercises daily in our own city schools, under the direction of teachers acquainted with the system from actual contact with it, and under the supervision of an expert like Dr. Hartwell. Who that saw the exposi- tion of it at the English High School on Saturday last can hesitate in his hearty God-speed, or forget the one whose initiative made it all possible } It is pleasing to think that she saw some of the fruits of her work, some of the coming events cast- ing their brightness before. Guizot said of Wash- ington : " In men who are worthy of their destiny, all weariness, all sadness, though it be warrantable, is weakness. Their mission is toil ; their reward, the success of their works, but still in toil. Often- times they die, bent under the burden, before that meed is vouchsafed to them. Washington obtained Mrs. Mary Hememvay 59 it. He deserved and tasted success. Of all great men, he was the most virtuous and the most happy. God has, in this u^orld, no higher favors to bestow." Mrs. Hemenway must have felt this sacred joy. But there is another joy hardly less sacred, the joy in the very doing of the work. "What a delightful time I am having with it all!" she said to her friend ; and at the moment her charities were flowing out in channels wide as seas. And so her work was done. The lesson of the hour is the "lofty deed": the world is hungry for those who will do things. It is the amount of character that we put into conduct that tells. When Charles Kingsley was asked to write something worth remembering in a young girl's album, he wrote, — "Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever: Do noble things, not dream them all day long. And so make life, death, and that vast forever One grand sweet song." Learning, money, personal quality, are nothing till they express themselves. Pestalozzi taught us the value of the object lesson, clear impression. Froebel went farther, and insisted on expression. The child (3o Memorial Service must do something, hence clay-modelling and draw- ing. All the poets and all the educators agree in this. "Battle nor song can from oblivion save, But fame on a white deed loves to build ; From out that cup of water Sidney gave, Not one drop has been spilled." The other lesson of the hour is that of " the pure intent." Two things are necessary to the life that would become open to the highest experience, — "the life of the pure intent and the life of the brotherly act." And it is because the life of our dear friend and benefactor was lived out on these lines that we are here this afternoon. It seems to me that from now on, and to us teachers, another " Presence " is added to those who seem to look down upon us from these sacred walls, and that always, when we come in here, she will be one among those, — " The dead but sceptred sovereigns, who still rule Our spirits from their urns." ADDRESS BY LARKIN DUNTON Head Master of the Bosioti Normal School Address by Larkin Dunton Any great philanthropic enterprise, to be emi- nently successful, needs to be planned in wisdom, conducted in love, and sustained with money. The ideal philanthropist knows the weaknesses, wrongs, and sufferings of human beings. He knows what they suffer now and what they will suffer in the future; and his prophetic view is just as clear as his direct vision. He knows, too, the possibilities and conditions of higher happiness. He also knows the causes of human misery, whether these causes e.xist in a starved and sickly body, in ignorance of the laws of health, in the lack of the means of proper activity, in the inability to do what ought to be done, or in bad habits of physical, intellectual, and moral action. He sees with equal clearness the causes of present suffering and the influences which are to bring suffering upon generations yet unborn. As he sees the past in the 64 Memorial Service present, so he sees the present in the future. Pain and pleasure are, in his view, alike subject to the eternal law of causation. The remedies of human ills are equally clear to him. He knows that, as pain never comes uncaused, so it never disappears while the cause remains. He sees that the prevention of suffering consists in the removal of the conditions that produce it, and that higher happiness depends upon a higher life. He knows that these laws are applicable not only to individual men and single moments, but to races, and through the ages, as well. Then, too, the ideal philanthropist has a kind heart. His vision of human woe is so clear that he becomes a fellow-sufferer with those in distress. Every revelation of pain in others, whether it be present or prospective, brings to him a sympathetic pang. More than this, his tender heart is melted in love ; and he is impelled to labor for the relief of the distressed and the uplifting of the dejected. He sees the future so clearly that he is equally moved with sympathy and love for those now living and those yet to be born. But, while wisdom and love are the sruide and Mrs. Mary Henioiway 65 inspiration of the ideal philanthropist, the furnishing of ways and means for his contest with evil requires a full purse. Money is needed for feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, for strengthening the weak and instructing the ignorant, for opposing the wrong and guiding the right, and, no less, for creating the aspirations and means for higher living. Though the head be clear and the heart be warm, without money little can be done. If a man has wisdom and money, but no heart, he does nothing for his fellovv-mcn. If his purse is full and his heart is warm, yet, if he lacks wisdom to guide his efforts, he is as likely to harm as to help. But happy is it for the world when wisdom, love, and wealth are the joint possession of one great soul. They then constitute an irresistible force. Mrs. Mary Hemenway possessed them all in largest measure. Let us note briefly the comprehensive- ness of view and kindness of heart that are shown in the work of this grand woman. She was allowed to grow up, as she said, without learning to do things ; and she noticed that girls who were efficient workers were happy. She felt that she had been deprived of her birthright. This 66 Meviorial Service was her first inspiration for teaching girls to sew ; though she saw also the effect of a knowledge of this work in their future homes as well as in helpfulness to their mothers. Through her efforts sewing was introduced into the schools of Boston. But she was too wise to allow this branch of instruction to depend upon the life of any one person. She began at once to interest the School Committee and teachers in the work, to the end that it might be incorporated into the regular programme of the schools, be given to all the girls, and, more than this, be made perpetual by being put under the fostering care of the im- mortal city. The example of Boston has been widely copied, so that the influence of the work thus unostentatiously begun, but so wisely managed, has extended and will extend to millions of children and millions of homes. A legitimate result of the introduction of this new branch of instruction has been the creation of a department of sewing in the Boston Normal School, so that hereafter sewing is to be taught by women as able and as well educated as those who teach arithme- tic or language, and is, therefore, to take its place as an educational force in the development of our girls. Mrs. Mary Hcnicmvay 6y Through various experiments in vacation schools in summer, Mrs. Hemenvvay came to see that it would be possible to raise the standard of cooking in the homes of the people by teaching the art to the children in the public schools. This, she thought, would not only raise up a stronger race of men and women, but would make their homes happier and more attractive, and so would lessen the temptation of fathers and sons to spend their evenings at the saloon. And thus good cooking came to stand in her mind as the handmaid of temperance. But she was wise enough to see that the realiza- tion of her ideal — namely, the universality and per- petuity of good cooking — depended upon two condi- tions : first, that the work must be under the care and support of an abiding power ; and, second, that the instruction must be given by competent teachers. Hence she set herself to work to demonstrate the feasibility of the plan to the school authorities, to the end that they would undertake it for all the girls of the city. At the same time, seeing that there were no suitable teachers for this new branch of education, she established a normal school of cook- ing, which she has maintained to the present time. 68 Memorial Set'vice This normal school has not only supplied the school kitchens of Boston with competent teachers, but has supplied other cities with teachers, so that other centres of like influence could be created. This institution has also shown the authorities here the necessity of training teachers for this kind of school work, and a department of cooking has been provided for in the city Normal School. So the con- tinuation and improvement of the work are secured. When Mrs. Hemenway's attention was called to physical training as a means of improving the health, physique, and graceful bearing of the young, she im- mediately began experimenting with various systems of gymnastics for the purpose of ascertaining which was best adapted to the needs of American children. She soon became so favorably impressed with the Swedish system that she invited twenty-five Boston teachers to assist her in making her experiment with it. Their judgment of the result was so favorable that she made an offer to the School Committee to train a hundred teachers in the system, on condition that they be allowed to use the exercises in their classes in case they chose to do so. The offer was accepted, and the result proved a success. Mrs. Mary Hcinenii'ay 69 Mrs. Hemenway saw at the outset that what she could do personally was but a trifle compared to what ought to be done. So she decided to start the work in such a way that it would become as broad as Boston and as lasting. Hence she began at once to share the responsibility with the city, and to train the teachers for the work. She soon gained such a broad view of the possi- bilities of the system that she decided to make it more generally known. This led to the great Con- ference on Physical Training in Boston in 1889, which did so much to arouse an interest in the sub- ject and to create a demand for teachers specially trained for the work. But it was not enough to cre- ate a demand for teachers : the demand must be met. So she established the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics for the education and training of teachers of gymnastics. Mere imitators would not do for this work. She believed the body to be the temple of God, and that it should be guarded and adorned by those who knew it so well as to believe in its possibilities and its sacredness. This school has done much to qualify the teachers of Boston for conducting the 70 Manorial Sej'vice Swedish exercises ; and it has sent its graduates into many other cities, which in turn have become centres of inspiration and help along the same line. Mrs. Hemenway through this school will improve the physical power, health, and morality of millions of our children. But she was not satisfied with all this. She saw that, to make this work perpetual in Boston, the education of teachers of gymnastics must be made perpetual : it must not depend upon one frail life. So she furnished the best equipped teacher that she could procure to give instruction in the theory and art of gymnastics in the Boston Normal School, till a woman could be educated for the place. When this was done and the School Committee had ap- pointed a competent teacher, Mrs. Hemenway's influence was gradually withdrawn. So that now every graduate of our Normal School goes out pre- pared to direct intelligently the work in gymnastics ; and all is done that human foresight could devise to make instruction in this subject perpetual. Her work in connection with the Old South had the same general aim. It was to improve the morals of the people by teaching patriotism widely and Mrs. Mary Hcincwii'ay yi perpetually. She once said : " I have just given a hundred thousand dollars to save the Old South ; yet I care nothing for the church or the corner lot. But, if I live, such teaching shall be done in that old building and such an influence shall go out from it as shall make the children of future generations love their country so tenderly that there can never be another civil war in this country." This senti- ment accounts for her support of Old South summer lectures and Old South prize essays for the develop- ment of patriotism in the young. Mrs. Hemenvvay spent a hundred thousand dollars in building up the Tileston Normal School in Wil- mington, North Carolina. When asked why she gave money to support schools in the South, she replied : " When my country called for her sons to defend the flag, I had none to give. Mine was but a lad of twelve. I gave my money as a thank-offering that I was not called to suffer as other mothers who gave their sons and lost them. I gave it that the children of this generation might be taught to love the flag their fathers tore down." Her great heart harbored no resentment to those who had sent suffering and sorrow to thousands of 72 Memorial Service homes. She loved her country and all its sons, and gave her fortune that its blessings might be eternal. What a work to accomplish in one short life ! How could it all be done .^ Mrs. Hemenway had a profundity of wisdom which few people compre- hended, because she never paraded her wisdom or her work. She saw broadly and deeply. She sought remedial measures. She built for all time. She called about her efficient workers, and secured their best efforts. She saw that great results must come from the co-operation of large numbers. She en- listed the whole teaching force of Boston and other cities in her great enterprises. She was a lover of her kind. She gave full credit to those who worked with her. She said and she believed that her co-workers were the more impor- tant factor in securing results. She praised little, because she believed in generosity and duty. She worked not for her personal glory, but for the good of humanity. Her benevolence fell little short of perfect disinterestedness. This is what made her philanthropic spirit so contagious. What a pleasure it was to work with her! She always put her heart Mrs. Mary Hemenway 73 where her money went. She cheered every class of her fellow-workers with her sympathetic presence. She was a happy woman. She put herself so perfectly in the place of those she helped that their joys were her own. Her life is a living example of what, under God, the use of a great fortune should be. Any man of talent, heart, and wealth might well aspire to imitate the example of wise and far-reaching benevolence set by this noble woman. ADDRESS JOHN O. NORRIS Head (Master of the CharUstown High School Address by John O. Norris The true measure and estimate of a human life is the sum of its beneficent deeds. The best story of such a life is the record of those deeds from the lips of persons familiar with them, and, consequently, able to understand and appreciate them. That rec- ord you have heard to-day, respecting the life of her whose memory we are met to honor, told with elo- quence, with fidelity to truth, with profound grati- tude, with sincere admiration and affection. But more eloquent, far more eloquent than human lips, is this occasion and this place. Remarkable, indeed, is this occasion, perhaps without a parallel in the history of our city. Often before has Boston paid honor to those who, by distinguished services to the city, state, or nation, have made themselves dear to the hearts of the peo- ple ; but to-day it has closed its public schools, by official direction, that its servants, the teachers, may 78 Memorial Sendee unite in this service to the memory of a woman who, in a most quiet and unostentatious way, for years devoted her time and her means to making its children and their teachers happier and better. This place also speaks to us. Hallowed by more than a century of divine worship, vocal, almost, with the echoes of purest patriotism and of most he- roic deeds, teeming with glorious memories of the founders of our nation, it bids us remember her whose efforts saved it from destruction, and made it an object lesson to future generations, the home of all that is most inspiring to our youth. It bids us remember that here, initiated by her patriotic wisdom, shall be taught the noble lessons of love of country, of gratitude to those who made and preserved the nation, of high and devoted service to the commonwealth, of true, unselfish citizenship. Were this all, it would entitle Mrs. Hemenway to the gratitude of every lover of his country ; but, great and valuable as was all this, it formed but a small part of that for which we hold her in grateful remembrance. We must also and always call to mind what she Mrs. Mary Hcmemvay 79 did for public education by broadening and develop- ing it, so that it should touch more closely the prac- tical side of life. As my mind has turned to this subject of late, again and again, two scenes have associated themselves in my thought. The first is purely the child of the imagination, which delights itself in picturing the birth of the idea in that noble mind. I see a woman sitting by the seaside while the sun is setting. Its fading light falls on her and about her, and lends to her face a glow like "the light that never was on land or sea." She looks out on the billov/s beautiful in the coming twilight ; but she sees them not, nor yet the solitary star in the east, that seems to look kindly on. Deep in thought, she is oblivious to the beauty of the dying day. An open book is in her lap, and her finger marks lines that I can plainly read : — " For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat. I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink ; naked, and ye clothed me. I was sick and in prison, and ye vis- ited me. " Then shall the righteous answer. Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee ; or thirsty, 8o Memorial Service and gave thee drink ; or naked, and clothed thee ; or sick and in prison, and visited thee ? " And the King shall answer, and say unto them. Verily I say unto you. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Thus it is, devoutly and deeply do I believe, that the heavenly vision that came to Jesus comes to the great souls of all the benefactors of the race, and that spirit of ministry which he taught and manifested finds a recognition and response in their hearts. Blessed are those who, like our friend, are " not disobedient to the heavenly vision." The other scene is one that we all know and remember. The great Music Hall is in gala attire, arrayed for the Bazaar of the Teachers' Benefit Association. The vast throng of people fills every nook and corner. From the Governor of the Commonwealth to the little girl or boy of the primary school, come the helping hand and the encouraging word. Touched by the magic of one woman, the wealth and culture of the city go up thither to assist in making the effort a great social and financial success. Mrs. Mary Henietiway 8i Up and down the hall stretches the double row of booths, presided over by many of Boston's most dis- tinguished daughters. At one of these sits this woman, whose influence and leadership made it possible to record the mag- nificent result. Day after day finds her there as many hours as her strength permits, delighted with everything and delightful to everybody. Her courage, her enthusiasm, her confidence in the sympathy and support of the public, never waver nor falter. From the beginning she has insisted that the net result will be greater than the most sanguine dare expect. From day to day the proceeds swell toward her estimate ; and at last, when the fulfilment of her prophecy and desire becomes certain, none of those immediately and directly interested express more genuine satisfaction. Never, to my eye, was presented a scene more beautiful than that of this woman, so near the sun- set of life, looking back through vistas of good deeds, grateful for present opportunities for service, and trusting the future with hope and confidence. 82 Memorial Service It is fitting at this time that some mention should be made of the qualities of mind and heart that con- tributed to the greatness of Mrs. Hemenway. First of all must be put great mental power and insight, which enabled her to make plans which worked through a long series of events to a given result. It is the creative mind that builds everything which contributes to human progress and happiness. As the first locomotive existed complete in the mind of its builder before his hands set about the work of construction, so the work to be done by this building, and by all the movements that bear its name, existed in the mind of Mrs. Hemenway before she drew the check that secured it to the uses for which she intended it ; and this is but typical of all in which she was engaged. No less important were her lofty moral character and high moral ideals. While much of her work, ex- ternally, seemed devoted only to the physical well- being of men, it was always so considered and so presentedjas to build up in the young a high moral purpose. In all that she did this was a central thought. Mrs. Mary Hcmcnivay 83 In her mind, character was fundamental, attain- ment was secondary. She believed that healthy- bodies, well fed and comfortably clothed, were more susceptible to moral influences, and less likely to meet the snares and pitfalls of life that immorality and vice prepare on every hand. She had rare discernment and insight in selecting assistants to carry out the work that she wished to accomplish ; and, when once selected, she gave them her entire confidence and support. She possessed that true greatness which does not desire to know the minute details by which results are accomplished. Given the results, she was sat- isfied. These qualities made it a pleasure to work with her and for her, and produced in all those associ- ated with her the same enthusiasm and fidelity that were so conspicuous in herself. Her assistants were made to feci that they were not employees, but part- ners. At the outset she recognized that the true method to improve the condition of society is to act on the child before habits and tastes are fixed in grooves from which it is difficult and almost impossible to 84 Memorial Service move them. She believed in prevention rather than in reformation. When Horace Mann closed his last case in court before entering upon his duties as first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, he wrote in his journal, "Henceforth my clients shall be the next generation." This was the sentiment that guided and influenced Mrs. Hemenway. She was careful, however, to select such lines of action as, after a suitable trial, would prove to be of general utility, and to pursue them no longer than was necessary to convince the public of this, and thus secure their general adoption. She looked upon the system of public education as it was a quarter of a century ago, and said, " It deals chiefly with the intellectual and moral nature." "Is it not possible to add to it subjects that will in no wise abate or abridge the results now accom- plished, but rather will re-enforce them by reaching the intellect and the soul through that temple of God, the human body .'' " " Is it not possible that public education should in- clude such exercises as will give to the next and to Mrs. Mary Hcmetnvay 85 subsequent generations better bodies, that shall be better fed and better clothed, and thus help to cre- ate better conditions for the indwelling of good char- acter and the building up of better homes ? " A good, healthy body, a lofty ideal of character, and true home life were the educational ideals of Mrs. Hemenvvay. On these lines she thought and labored. The results, remarkable and beneficial as they are, are not more so than were the mind and life of her who planned them, and carried them forward to a suc- cessful issue. She chose Boston as the principal field of her work, because it was her home, because she believed that, planted here, the seed-corn of new ideas would spread wider and faster than from any other spot, and because she found among the masters of Bos- ton's public schools such hospitality and support as were essential to the perfect trial of her plans. But not for what she did in the public schools of Boston, alone, are hands now outstretched to bless her memory. She made possible the work of the South End In- dustrial School, one of the many monuments to the 86 Memorial Service philanthropic genius of the Rev. Dr. Hale, from whose printing presses come our programmes to-day. Thousands of black men and women in the South thank God for the blessings of education bestowed by her in schools that she maintained ; and on West- ern plains or mountain slopes the voices of red men tell with gratitude, how time and again, she aided the Hampton School in its time of dire necessity. She wisely preferred to use the means at her dis- posal during her own life. She did not endow great institutions. No college bears her honored name ; but all over this land, in humble homes, in the pub- lic schools, in great institutions of learning where the departments of education that she created have become a part of a liberal education, her name is to-day honored ; and her memory as a great public benefactor will be held sacred forever. But dearer to our memory than great and noble deeds is her beautiful, symmetrical character, which in honor preferred others, and put a worthy cause above all personal considerations. To us whose high privilege it is also to work for the next generation, such a character and such an example are far above the power of words. Mrs. Mary Hemetiway 87 They reveal to us anew the possibilities and op- portunities of our human nature, and call upon us to renew our fidelity and devotion to the work remain- ing for us to do. Thus does she whom Death has taken "Join the choir invisible Of those immortal dead who live again In minds made better by their presence, — live In pulses stirred to generosity, In deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn For miserable aims that end in self, In thoughts sublime, that pierce the night like stars, And with their mild persistence urge man's search To vaster issues." Thus shall she " Be to other souls The cup of strength, Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love, Beget the smiles that have no cruelty, Be the sweet presence of a good diffused, And in diffusion ever more intense. So shall she join the choir invisible. Whose music is the jrladness of the world." University of California Library Los Angeles This book is DUE on theiast date stamped below. DUE 2 WKS FROM L 007 976 406 4 UCLA-Young Research Libra^, LB875.H3 D9 L 009 517 568 3 immp^^ Los UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 001 224 999 i