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give rise to a poor and bald render
ing, or to the necessity of breaking
his single period into several. It is
instructive also, to see in this manner
how efficient our language is in the
inverted order, and how much more
of Ciceronian pomp is gained by
such a method.
Enough has been said, I trust, to
show the connexion between the stu
dy of the Classics and of Rhetoric,
and to induce those who desire to ex
cel in the study as well as practice of
composition, to give attention to an
element of education so important.
It will bo observed that the only
point of view in which the study has
been insisted on, regards simply the
assistance to be derived from it in
practical composition. When we
come to add to this the improvement
of taste by intimate acquaintance
with models of style whose purity,
elegance and simplicity have never
been surpassed, an additional and
higher reason might be assigned for
this study. It is from this pure
source that all that is truly excellent
in modern literature has flowed.—
They form still, and will always form
the standard by which we measure
the excellence of our literary work—
the patterns by which we shape our
efforts of to-day, if we wish to attain
the perfection of style. The litera
ture of England, as compared with
that of other nations of modern times,
occupies a position unsurpassed for
extent, variety and power. It is im
possible to estimate the amount of
human happiness and interest at
tached to this noble litorature, which
speaks in that language which has
encircled the globe. This grand lit
erature, to which we are so much in
debted, owes its origin, its growth
and its mature power, to these clas
sic originals. There is not a writer
in the language, from Spenser to Ma
caulay, who has not been thoroughly
imbued with classical learning and
classical taste. The writers of the
greatest fame, have all been tho
roughly taught in the classics ; and
their own manifold excellences are
due to the thorough infusion into
their own works of classic purity and
elegance. The long period from 12
years of age to twenty-five, through
which English youth were compelled
to pass in delving at these Ancient
Languages, however much derided
and sneered at by modern utilitarians,
would seem not unworthily or use
lessly spent, when such fruit is the
product of that labor.
If we turn to our own literature,
what a falling off do we see from that
of England, though it uses the same
nobio language for its vehicle. Can
it be from lack of native genius ? Or
is it that the genius which has shone
so conspicuous in letters in the Fa
therland, has been here turned alto
gether to the useful and metalic? —
Or is it because we have neglected a
study—a method of intellectual cul
ture found so beneficial elsewhere ?
Whatever the solution, tho fact re
mains, that we are far behind tho
THE GEORGIA COLLEGIAN.
English in a literary point of view.
But it is likewise a striking fact that
even with ns, wherever there has
been a thorough instruction of the
author in these classic models, we
find tho best examples of style and
matter. Need we compare Irving
with Headly—Prescott and Long
fellow with hosts of fameless if not
nameless writors, who stuff out the
long roll of our book makers ?
LETTER FROM ATLANTA.
The Georgia State Fair—Glorious sue
cess—General satisfaction.
Dear Collegian 1 have just ex
cused myself from tho ladies in the
parlor, to run up stairs, and have a
chat with you about what I have
seen, heard and done. It would be
as useless as uninteresting, to give
you a detailed account, so just let
mo tell things as they happened.—
Now one would imagine that in At
lanta, everybody was seized with the
Fair fever; and so they were; but to
make matters worse, they tried to be
unconcerned and indifferent, seeming
to live in utter ignorance of the exis
tence of any exhibition. But their
enthusiasm would crop out here and
there. Every morning, as the train
camo to the depot to carry passen
gers to the grounds, every man made
it a point of life and death to get on
first of all, and those left behind were
virtually dead to U3 on the train—
for your correspondent was always
lucky and prompt. The trains left
the depot every half hour during the
day, and returned after the same
intervals of time. The grounds were
just two miles from the city; the
whole park was on a slope stretch
ing down towards Atlanta, and was
more than four miles in circumfers
ence. The train entered the grounds,
and then the passengers were turned
out as if they were cattle; and the
first thing I saw, were somo large
letters staring me in the face, “ Be~
ware of Pickpockets.” So I bawled
out as loud as I could, ‘ Beware of
Pickpockets .’ Instantly every man
buttoned up to his chin ; the women
began to scream, police blew their
whistles, and during the excitement
the crowd gave way, so that your
humble correspondent entered in fine
style. I made my way to the ampi
theatre, which faced the race track,
and although it was yet early, the
crowd was quite large. People from
everywhere were there; of all colors,
from the lily white of the ladies, to
the ebony black of the african. And
every man was for himself, and the
d —l take the hindmost. But as I
was not interested either in the crowd
or the race, I was off to see. I went
to the Floral hall, but did’nt sec a
flower, unless they call stoves, and
preserves and fruits flowers. I went
to the Fine Arts hail—but so many
strange and wonderful things con
tinually met my gaze, that I could
not remember a thing, except Motes’
photographs of our Athens ladies.—
What a sensation they created !
when I wakled towards them, there
was no one by—but I began to ex
press my admiration in such glowing
eloquence, that the people wanted to
know what was so beautiful; and
when I felt that I had done my duty
for the ladies, in securing them many
admirers, I silently stole away. I
went to the Bellwood department,
where everything was put up in bot
tles, and they fed me with a straw,
although I assured them I was in
perfect health. I went to see the
educated pig, who knew the day of
the month, when it was the first; I
went to see the fat woman, who
weighed down all opposition ; I went
to see the Siamese twins who were
joined together just below the neck;
I went to see the little man, who in
the words of his manager, “ was the
smallest man in the world, only 3
feet 2 inches and a half high, weighed
eighty-five pounds, and could cons
verse with remarkable fluency upon
any topic, from the state of the
weather to the most abstruse politi
cal myth." I went to the Episcopal
Hall, where I ate a dinner for the
benefit of tho church ; I went to de
partment of manufactures, where 1
was so much pleased, that the man
ager lectured me two hours on his
patent egg-beater; and then I went
back to the Ampitheatre.
Now can you imagine how the
things I saw could interest any one,
for I spent about as much time in ex
amining them, as you editors ap
parently do in composing your edi
torials. I can only remember how
vast a multitude of various articles
were crowded together; how many
beautiful women I saw; how many
ugly men who did’nt have any wo
men with them ; how many bad boys
who crowded me out of all shape and
then trod on my toes; how many
squalling babies who disturbed my
reveries as I stood disconsolate in
the crowd ; how many disappointed
people I saw who did’nt get the ex
pected premiums; how tho Athens
Base Ball Nine was beaten ; how the
knight was killed; how tho people
were sad and the tournament was
postponed to Monday; how some
people could be proud, when, if they
could only have seen themselves as I
did, they would die of shame; how
11. I. Kimball is making money and
how Bullock is gradually growing
into a calf; how Atlanta is a thriv
ing place for thieves and other mem
bers of tho General Ass embly ; all
these things I can remember. But
have I told you anything about the
Fair? No; for the fair is each man’s
knowledge of it.; and to me, it was
very small. The largest crowd num
bered only twelve thousand people;
and they were so scattered, that they
did not seem as many as when the
chapel here is crowded at Comment
cement. But the Fair was a success;
it was managed well; as well as some
men can ever do anything—and
everybody was satisfied and glad that
they went.
As I was reporter for your paper,
I had many courtesies shown mo
which otherwise I would not have
enjoyed, such as standing with the
judges, wearing a blue ribbon, shout
ing for John Smith till I was hoarse,
ringing a bell for dinner and many
others of less notice.
Accept my many thanks.
Yery truly yours,
Hash.
Praiseworthy Liberality. —ln
the Northern States and in Europe,
large sums of money are frequently
given, by will, or during the life of
the benefactors, for the endowment
of educational institutions. Such
Colleges as Brown, Colby,Drew, Ho
bart, &c., perpetuate the names of
their founders, or most liberal friends.
Other persons have been quite as lib
eral. Wm. Packer gave half a mil
lion to Lehigh University, in Penn
sylvania; Yassar expended over
$500,000 of his estate in founding the
noble institution that immortalizes
his name; Ezra Cornell has given
$600,000 to Cornell University, at
Ithiea, New York; Samuel Willis
ton gave $256,000 to Williston Semi
nary, in Massachusetts; the Crozers
have given several hundred thousand
dollars for the endowment of the
Crozer Theological Seminary; 11.
Pardee $120,000, for La Fayette Col
lego, Pa.; Daniel Drew, $250,000, for
a Methodist College in New York ci
ty; Dr. Wm. Walker and Sylvanus
Pakard, each, $250,000 for Tuft’s
Coliege, Mass. Certainly, no higher
earthly honor can be coveted than to
link one’s name with an institution
which is to mould character for ma
ny centuries. “No benefactions have
such a guarantee of perpetual useful
ness as those judiciously bestowed in
laying, or improving, the foundations
of a seat of learning, and no benefac
tors go down to posterity with such
assured and honorable fame as the
founders or benefactors of Colleges."
We could wish that tho liberality of
Southern Christians and patriots
could be turned in these channels.—
There are few bequests for charitablo
purposes. It has not been a habit
with our people to devise their prop
erty to others than their relatives.-
We commend the example of wealthy
men and women elsewhere as wor
thy of frequent imitation.— Richmond
Rel. Herald.
...Mr. Henry Durant has been
elected President of the University
of California, vice Prof. Gilman, de
clined. The session opened on Sep
tember 22d.— Southern Presbyterian,
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