Read Ebook: The Trinity Archive Vol. I No. 4 February 1888 by Trinity College Randolph County N C

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Cigarette smokers who are willing to pay a little more than the price charged for the ordinary trade cigarettes, will find this brand superior to all others.

The Richmond Straight Cut No. 1 Cigarettes

are made from the brightest, most delicately flavored and highest cost gold leaf grown in Virginia. This is the old and original brand of Straight Cut Cigarettes, and was brought out by us in the year 1875. Beware of imitations and observe that the firm name as below is on every package.

ALLEN & GINTER, MANUFACTURERS, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

GREENSBORO

Female College,

GREENSBORO, N. C.

The Sixty-Sixth Session of this well-equipped and prosperous School will begin on the 11th of January, 1888. Faculty able, accomplished and faithful. Instruction thorough in all departments. Superior advantages offered in the departments of

Music, Art, Elocution and Modern Languages.

Location, healthful and beautiful; fare good. Premises large, with ample walks for out-door recreation. Buildings large, convenient, comfortable, and furnished with all the appliances of A FIRST CLASS FEMALE COLLEGE.

Special attention paid to physical health, comfort, and developement, and moral and spiritual culture.

For catalogue apply to

T. M. JONES, PRESIDENT.

Group Photographs.

I would announce to the students of Trinity College that with a view to doing school work I have specially fitted myself for making

LARGE GROUPS,

such as Classes, Fraternities, Literary Societies, &c. Will be glad to serve with whatever they need in Photography, in that or any other line of work. I also make

Portrait Frames and Mats to Order.

Respectfully, S. L. ALDERMAN, GREENSBORO, N. C.

THE TRINITY ARCHIVE.

Published under Supervision of the Professor of English.

TRINITY COLLEGE, FEB. 1888.

That toy of modern linguists--Volap?k--is having a wonderful run with publishers. Handbooks to it "now tread on one another's heels." The American Philosophical Society, at a meeting last fall, appointed a committee to examine into the scientific value of this "universal language." Their report points out the requirements for such a language, and finds on comparing them with Father Schleyer's system, that it is "synthetic and complex," and therefore unsuited to modern needs.

M. Renan has a picturesque way of putting things. In his "History of the People of Israel," he says of David:

TWO SHAKESPEARIAN CHARACTERS

Of all the characters that acquit themselves in this drama, no two show such different dispositions as Imogen and the Queen; for, wherever and under whatever conditions they are found, antagonism in character is sure to be shown. The leading purpose of the play is to be sought for in the character of Imogen. She is an impersonation of the moral beauty of womanhood. This beauty is the vital current of the whole delineation, and everything about her, her form, her features and expression, her dress, her walk, her every motion are steeped in its efficacy. This virtue radiates from her on others and exercises a wonderful influence on almost all about her. Already a wife when we first see her, Imogen acts but little in any other quality; yet in this one she approves herself mistress of that womanly perfection which would make glad the heart and perfect the character of every one who stood in any relationship with her. To make up a perfect woman, she possesses sound judgment and decision of character, which are most admirably displayed in her choice of a husband. Irrespective of parental desires and the efficacy of royal blood, she wisely preferred a true, though humble man to a royal personage that could well be regarded as a counterfeit of humanity. Posthumus sprang of heroic stock. Having been left an orphan at birth, he was taken by the king and grew up the foster-brother and playmate of the princess; and their love, rooted in the innocence of childhood, interlacing all their childish thoughts and pleasures, has ripened with their growth; and now appears the settled habit of their very souls. Cloten, whom she had the good judgment to refuse, was well described when Mr. Hudson phrased him a "noble instance of a man or thing, with not merely a loose screw in the gearing but with all the screws loose." He was, therefore, the last man that any body, of such sense and refinement as Imogen possessed, could ever be brought to endure. Her faithfulness is seen in her bearing Cloten's persecutions with patience, till he begins to abuse her exiled husband; then, true to him who is a part of her very nature, she quickly turns upon Cloten, at the same time regretting that he puts her to "forget a lady's manners by being so verbal." That Imogen was sincerely virtuous is proved by the fact that Iachimo, upon approaching her with evil intentions, was compelled to exclaim, "Boldness, be my friend! arm me, audacity, from head to foot!" Truly appropriate was this language, for having once learned his wilful intention she with one word shattered his armor of "audacity." So great was the influence of her purity that Iachimo was at once charmed and chastened, for "under the ribs of death" her moral beauty had created a soul. And further is the truth of her virtue confirmed when Iachimo discovers himself and speaks of her as "that paragon for whom my heart drops blood, and my false spirits quail to remember." That her moral delicacy shrinks from the least atom of untruth, is touchingly shown in this, "If I lie, and do not harm by it, though the gods hear, I hope they'll pardon it." Imogen might don a man's attire, but her pure motives and God-given virtues had shaped a heart that could not contain the sterner qualities of the other sex; and so utterly did she fail in her attempt to appear as a man, that we find wise and reverend manhood exclaiming at sight of her, "Behold divineness no elder than a boy!"

It might be with reluctance that we would turn from contemplating a perfect character to look at the faults of an imperfect one, if we did not first remember that the Queen possesses only those commonplace elements of character that characterizes, though in a less degree, all moral beings. But, since we are through natural instinct and acquired inclination always ready to blame poor human nature, we cannot but give vent to our feelings when we find so mean a grade as is possessed by Cymbeline's Queen. She is deeply false, false to everything but her son and her own ambition. She has the king quite under her power, the lords blame not the king for any wrong act, knowing that he sees only through her eyes, acts only as she plans, and speaks only as she dictates. The Queen has set her heart upon matching her son with the princess, who is expected to succeed her father in the kingdom, not so much through love for the poor clod, as that she knows him to be a clod whom she will be able to control, and thus secure the continuation of her power. Perhaps the depth of her character is not fathomed by all, and certainly not by the king, until on her death-bed she reveals the most detestible qualities of a corrupt nature.

Thus it is seen that in these characters we have simplicity and harmony of character, clearness of understanding, depth and purity of feeling, the whole circle and aggregate of eloquent womanhood contrasted with a character inconsistent only with the truth, vile deceit, a masculine disposition combined with all that is complex, detestible and fiendish, last, but most prominent of all, a woman destitute of womanhood.

R. R.

Editorials.

Some boys console themselves for their want of energy in study by the fact that Patrick Henry, for instance, was a very poor student at school, or that Byron, or some other illustrious character was the poorest member of his class at College. They have the presumption to imagine that, because they follow in school the example of Henry and Byron, they will be as renowned in after life as an inevitable sequence. They dream of doing great things bye and bye, but are very indifferent about the present little things, which are the essentials of greatness. Such boys forget to compare what Patrick Henry was, with what he might have been, had he diligently applied himself at school. Therefore it is no wonder that in after life they realize their mistake and exclaim farewell, a long farewell to all my anticipated greatness!

That old bigot Berkley, governor of the colony of Virginia, once said, "I thank God that there are no free schools, nor printing-presses, and I hope we shall not have them these hundred years!!" It was thought that this sentiment had long ago been eradicated from the minds of the American people, especially of the higher classes, but it is a sad fact that a few weeks ago an expression of like import was uttered even within the halls of the United States Senate. Now, two centuries after Berkley, a United States Senator says that, were he called upon to frame a title for the Blair Educational Bill, he would call it an act to erect a monument to Alexander Hamilton, and to encourage mendicancy in the South. Such a sentiment as this needs no comment, for every man who is a true patriot and has ever been outside of his own county will condemn the Senator's remarks upon him who first "smote the rock of national resources and abundant streams of revenue gushed forth, who touched the corpse of public credit and it sprang upon its feet."

The primary object of a collegiate education should not be to educate for the sole purpose of making money, but to educate for education's sake. The statement can be made, without too much self-laudation, that many Southern boys give evidences of great original ability while at college, but just as soon as they complete the course, too many think only of making money, and therefore entirely neglect literary work. Never can the South boast of a golden age of literature, nor can she furnish her own text-books, until this mistaken idea of education is driven out by the substitution of one which will give us a higher standard of refinement, and make us independent so far as poetry, history, fiction and text-books are concerned.

People cannot do without news, and therefore newspapers are necessary. Furthermore, if their object be improvement in literary attainments, they exert an indispensable influence for good. They unite the people more closely, and have a great tendency to prevent sectionalism. But in our modern newspapers there is too much of the sensational and of the worthless. There is a continual contest between some papers to see which one can give the best account of the most brutal murders. In addition to this, every little thing, of no importance whatever, must be noticed, and therefore it takes up the space which should be occupied by good solid reading. Zeb. Vance can't have a photograph taken, nor can President Cleveland wear a plug hat without its being mentioned in some newspaper.

Many young men who read of the eccentricities and vices of men of genius at once try to become eccentric by practicing the same vices. Some who have morbidly sensitive dispositions, imagine that they are exactly like Edgar Allan Poe, and determine to become poets. They let their hair grow long, assume a dreamy expression of face, write poetry that is enough to exasperate any man of sense, and because every body does not go into ecstacy over their literary performances, talk about how inappreciative the world has always been of the first efforts of genius. These same young men will practice the vices of Goldsmith, Byron, Poe, and other great geniuses of the past, and imagine that it is conclusive proof of the fact that mentally they are like these great men. Some are always trying to say something witty in a brusque way, because that was the way Dr. Johnson did. Others imagine that they can never become lawyers or politicians unless they get drunk occasionally. They say that Sheridan, Webster, Prentiss, and other great orators drank freely.

It is to be feared that stump speaking, in its highest and best sense, is becoming a thing of the past. People no longer delight to hear the great political questions of the day discussed in a sound, sensible manner on the stump, but seem to have a morbid appetite for smutty jokes and low buffoonery. The man who can tell the most anecdotes is the man for the office. It is a shame for the citizens of a State to applaud the vulgar jokes of men running for high offices. Such men deserve to be frowned upon with the virtuous indignation and contempt of every true citizen. It matters not how well they may tell their jokes, yet they are corrupters of the morals of the young who hear them, and do injury to the State in which they live, just in proportion to their talent and influence. Why is it that we so rarely have discussions now to which ladies can listen? Why is it that we do not have canvasses like that of Prentiss in Mississippi years ago, when he stumped the State for Congress, and the ladies turned out to hear the famous orator? Such stump speeches as those made by Douglas and Lincoln in Illinois, and Gov. Wise in Virginia, in which these great men discussed the political issues of the country in a statesman-like way? Why was President Garfield abused so outrageously by the stump speakers of opposite political faith to him, and a few months afterwards, when he was assassinated, lauded to the skies by the same men? Stump speaking in these latter times seems to have been assigned, in the main, to the lowest demagogues in each party, who see how much mud they can throw at each other, and how many vile jokes and political lies they can tell.

The students of Trinity have in the past had the reputation throughout the State of being good speakers. They should determine to maintain this reputation. The way to do this is for them to take an interest in Society work. Society training is an invaluable part of every young man's college education. No student should fail to improve the opportunities offered to him in this line. There is nothing that should be more congenial to a student who has any ambition than a good literary society--a society where he can learn to express himself with ease and fluency, with grammatical correctness, and rhetorical finish, where he can learn to clothe his thought in appropriate language, where he can cultivate his imaginative and reasoning powers. Some students seem to think that because they gave not the rhythmic flow of language of a Cicero, the information of a Burke, or the wit sarcasm and fluency of a John Randolph, that it is useless for them ever to try to become speakers. They seem to forget that no man can be a grand success right at the start, and that persistent effort is required to succeed at anything. Those who have no natural talent for speaking should be encouraged when they think of Demosthenes and other great orators, who possessed little natural powers of oratory. Let every student, at the beginning of this new year, take more interest in society work, and strive to become at least a moderately good speaker.

Reviews.

This is one of the books "to meet a long-felt want." The work is intended not only to give a biographical sketch of the representative writers, but also a criticism of their work, and, following this, a masterpiece selected from each author's writings, with such explanatory notes appended as will lead the pupil to study more critically and with more profit not only the beauties but also the defects, of his language. It is a book on literature, criticism, and the literary analysis of the English classics in one, and is an admirable supplement to the study of both Rhetoric and English Grammar. The plan is the now so popular method used by Kellogg, Swinton, and others, thereby giving this book many of the excellences found in the works of those scholars. If, however, it be pertinent to mention among its good qualities a defect, it may be said that the number of American authors is out of proportion to the English, thereby unduly emphasizing American literature. In the main, this is a very good book, and is altogether worthy of the ready acceptance which it is receiving in quite a number of our schools and colleges.

LIGHTS OF TWO CENTURIES: Edited by Edward Everett Hale. Illustrated with fifty portraits. A. S. Barnes & Co. New York. 1887. 8vo. pp. vi, 603.

This work is a series of biographical essays comprehending fifty of the leading artists, sculptors, prose writers, composers, poets and inventors of the last two hundred years. It treats of those master spirits who, in contradistinction to those who belonged to "schools", have caused by their individual efforts material improvements in their respective spheres. The essays are written in a perspicuous and easy style, although the matter is very condensed. They treat of the subject's life as directly influenced by his works, carry the reader through philosophy, veiled by incident, and finally drop him much pleased and wishing there were more. We may learn a little of our national inclinations by looking over the Table of Contents. Among the artists, sculptors and composers, not one American is found, showing that in these features we are deficient. Among prose writers and poets, America claims one each. But when we come to the inventors we find that four of the nine, classed leading in two hundred years, were natives of our one-hundred-year-old republic. An agreeable feature is the pronunciation affixed to all proper names, so that we feel more at ease when we meet in print our cousins from abroad. The portrait of each one is given, and dubious points are explained in ample foot-notes. The type is large and leaded, and the volume tastefully bound.

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, for the year 1887; W. N. Jones, Commissioner; Josephus Daniels, State Printer and Binder.

The first part of Whitney's French Grammar, supplemented by conversational exercises and lists of idiomatic phrases, has just been brought out by Henry Holt & Co. This adds what was lacking in the other, and affords a welcome relief from the imperfections of the conversation-grammars of the B?cher-Otto type.

Exchanges.

Were 'should' inserted in each place preceding 'use,' the above would be true here. Text-books should blaze the way, as it were, for the student in the acquisition of an education. Nothing is more difficult to instill into the mind of a student than the principle that he is to study for an education and not for a grade. He will not comprehend that, when school days are over, the world is not going to look in the "grade-book" for figures by which to size him up, but is going to estimate him by what is in his head. The abolition of the marking system would be a great boon to the cause of education. Then would students leave off worrying and cramming their heads with the contents of dry text-books, the knowledge of which remains only temporarily, and broaden out with a course of reading, making the acquisition of knowledge not a burden but a pleasure.

Many of the ARCHIVE'S political exchanges are sharply censuring Speaker Carlisle on account of his treatment of North Carolina representatives in regard to the formation of the House Committees. True, all of them occupy rather insignificant places. But, upon taking second thought, fair-minded men will not accuse Mr. Carlisle of partiality, but will rather ascribe the placing of North Carolina members to the short duration of their membership. North Carolina has many able sons and delights to honor them all. To do this, she distributes Congressional honors too frequently, so that, when a representative's reputation and influence is just budding, he must step down and out to make place for a new member. Thus the State suffers. In regard to this, North Carolina may well take a lesson from the North and West.

Locals.

Good looking set of "Newies."

Rain, hail, sleet and snow on the 17th.

One hundred and fifty-five students enrolled.

Rev. Mr. Sharp and family are boarding at Mrs. Carr's.

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