Elizabeth Leavitt Keller - Walt Whitman, the Last Phase 1909-11-04

WALT WHITMAN : THE LAST PHASE Author(s): ELIZABETH LEAVITT KELLER Source: The Journal of Education, Vol. 70, No. 17 (1752) (NOVEMBER 4, 1909), pp. 457-458 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42812422 Accessed: 09-03-2020 20:43 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

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November 4, 1909 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION 457 WHITMAN halls for them, and all must be in the WALT buildings of : THE LAST PHASE.

BYthe ELIZABETH LEAVITT KELLER. the college. Two societies must occupy same The upon. late Dr. They Maurice Bucke of London, hall, on such days as they can agree furnish them themselves. No student is of eligible Canada, one Mr. Whitman's most intimate

to membership until the faculty is satisfied as his to biographer, and one of his friends, afterward his scholarship, character, and earnestness, literary executors,and met me at the Nurses* Directhen he may be solicited and captured by any so- and in a measure prepared tory of Philadelphia,

ciety.

THE TRAINING SCHOOL.

me for the scenes and the people I was to en-

counter.

A feature which signifies much in this For institution twenty years Mr. Whitman had lived in is the training department, under the Camden direction of the last seven in the only house he - for W. H. Bender. Every phase of student up to his own.* To this poor little fram hadlife ever called entrance to college is in this training school, bebuilding, crowded in between two much large ginning with the kindergarten, andones, ending a Dr. in Bucke accompanied me. standardized high school.

Our ring was answered by Mrs. Davis, Mr TEACHER EQUIPMENT. Whitman's good housekeeper, so well known to al the from friends of his later years. I saw a tall, sweetThere is no teacher in this training school,

middle-aged woman of quiet, modest de the kindergarten upward, who has notfaced, a college

meanor, degree. This is as true of the critic teacher of the and when she spoke I noticed that he voice was fourth grade as of the head of the department of remarkably pleasant and well modu lated. psychology.

DI FFERENTIATION. I laid aside my wraps, and, still in company with The most significant feature of the Dr. professional Bucke, groped my way up the dark staircase, work is the fact that the training differentiates and passingso through a closet-like ante-room, en that students of teaching can get an expert preptered the chamber of the dying poet. The sma aration for primary work, .or as specialists in room was crowded with objects which the dusk o physical education, domestic science, forestry, or a winter's afternoon did not fully reveal. The other phases of school work. only things that stood out vividly were the white

pillow and the placid face encircled with snowy Dr. Seerley has escaped an annoying hair. feature Motionless of he lay, but when I was premost state teacher training plants sented in that he he has to him raised his eyelids, extended his. never had any dormitories ; he has not one me kindly. His brother, his hand,wasted and welcomed minute of his time in the twenty-four years in runliterary executors, and certain other friends,, ning a hotel. * What he has escaped many a nor-were speaking in low tones. A grouped together, mal school principal knows, and he has made the handsome, boyish-looking man, who seemed to be escape in such a way as to strengthen the school at every one's beck and call, greeted me pleasin many ways. He has made life for antly, the students and although he was seemingly tired to exmore real and more human, and thehaustion, development there was a merry gleam in his eves as of character is a positive gain. we shook hands. This was Warren Fritzinger,. his nurse, and my constant associate in taking THE SOUL. care of the patient. Some etchings of the poet,,

BY WALT WHITMAN. •ecently completed, had just been sent to him..

The Soul, One of these he gave to Dr. Bucke, who was Forever and forever - longer than soil is brown and about to return home; by request he added his solid - longer than water ebbs and flows. autograph. He was held up in bed for this purNO DORMITORIES.

Each is not for its own sake,

pose, which he accomplished with much difficulty.

Dr. Bucke took an affectionate leave of his friend,, I say the whole earth and all the stars in the sky are for

and bidding all good-by, hastened away; the

religion's sake.

In this broad earth of ours,

others soon followed, and I was summoned to tea.

Amid the measureless grossness and the slag, Enclosed and safe within its central heart,

- as I have since learned that others have been -

Nestles the seed perfection.

By every life a share, or more or less, None born but it is born, conceal'd or unconceal'd the seed is waiting.

Do you not see, O ray brothers and sisters?

On entering the dining-room, I was impressed

by its remarkable likeness to the cabin of a ship.

The table, with but one leaf up and just large enough for two places, was placed against the

wall. The stove stood near enough to serve as side table when needed; and in line with this was a small sink, over which were some closed shelves

It is not chaos or death - it is form, union, plan - it is for dishes. In order to reach these dishes it was eternal life - it is happiness.

The song is to the singer, and comes back most to him, The love is to the lover, and comes back most to him - it

necessary to stand upon a stool. This was at

hand under a rear extension of the stove.

Then came a passage from the hall to the back door. In the hall was the flour barrel, oppoI see Hermes, unsuspected, dying, well belov'd, saying to site which was the cellar door. The cellarway I the people, "Do not weep for me; found had a wide shelf for food, and was hung This is not my true country; I have fived banish'd from around with tins, rolling pin, and other kitchen my true country, I now go back there, utensils. Elsewhere in this room - which might I return to thé celestial sphere where every one goes in properly be called the living room, being dininghis turn." cannot fail.

- Putnam's Magazine; by permission.

•Late number, 328 Mickle Street.

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458 JOUBNAL OF EDUCATION November 4, 1909 room, kitchen, and sitting-room combined were a height -of at least four feet. On investigation, however, there proved to be a lounge underneath.

The tables stood like cows in a meadow with the were small shelves, brackets, wall-pockets, a grass up to their bodies ; and the legs of the bed,

a lounge, a sewing machine, and some chairs.

Every inch of wall space was covered. There

clock, a calendar, and some pictures. The ceiling also, were buried out of sight. The only thing

was hung with cages, in two of which were turtle that had gone up with time was the imposing easy doves ; in the others were a robin and a canary. chair. This, with its white wolfskin, surmounted

The plaintive cooing of the doves and the shrill the pile like a throne. The wolfskin was sadly notes of the canary were deafening. In a wooden eaten, as were the old and poor garments that case, behind a glass, were the stuffed remainshung of upon the walls. At one of the tables a bent a paroquet, which formerly had added his voicemetal to drop-light held a chipped argand burner at the din. On the lounge a coach-dog, carefully a dangerous angle, and within this dingy glass covered with a shawl, was serenely sleeping; two shone a feeble ray of light, just making visible the cats were sitting near the stove. These showed pallid face and hoary hair of the dying man. As every disposition to friendliness by coming at onceI stood on the mass and looked down, the sight to the table and rubbing against me. Everythingwas beyond description. - Putnam's Magazine, wa$ homelike, and the table was well supplied.May, 1909. By permission.

When I returned to the ante-room, Warren gave me some instructions, and insisted that I should call him if needed ; then I was left alone.

VALUE OF HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS' LOYALTY TO As I sat in that little, dimly-lighted den and THEIR CITY. w • » ■■ w »

peered into the still dimmer apartment beyond, or stood upon the heaps of rubbish in the doorway, -

over which I occasionally stumbled, - either to

BY D. CHARLES O'CONNOR, Fitchburg, Mass.

minister to my patient or to replenish the fire, I

We are taught loyalty from cradle days. We grow up filled with loyalty for our parents, our sides. My first glance had been one of bewilder-brothers and sisters. Loyalty is a positive ment ; I now looked with deliberation and amaze- quality, and should be developed to a marked dement at my surroundings. Confusion, dust, andgree. Unfortunately, many boys and girls, litter - it seemed the accumulation of ages. Ithrough indifference, bad company, and the like, afterwards learned that for over two years noallow the weeds of the negative or undesirable books, magazines, or manuscripts had been re-quality, disloyalty, to take root, and as it is nursed moved from this, Walt Whitman's peculiar sanc-along it grows so rapidly as to choke the positive tum. quality of loyalty and prevent its development.

This is to be avoided, as it changes the entire naThere were no bookcases, large shelves, or writing desk; there was no receptacle for newspapers, ture of the person from an optimistic and agreeand apart from the two overloaded tables, the able attitude to a pessimistic and disagreeable one., It may be asked at the outset, Why should floor had received all of them. Upon this his genhigh eral table the daily papers had been dropped when 1 school pupils be more loyal than any one read ; the weeklies had followed, and in their turn else ? One reason is that most boys and girls the monthly magazines. An immens.e numberfinish of their education when they leave the high' periodicals and pamphlets had been received in the school, going directly to their chosen vocation in -course of two years, and all were still here. life, Al- and should be equipped to meet the different problems that will confront them. By cultivatmost everything was yellow with age and soiled ing the two positive qualities of loyalty and enwith the constant tramping of feet.

The mass, which was nearly solid, was two feet thusiasm, they will command the respect of every one, and their opinion and advice will be eagerly in depth, and had many transverse ridges. Mr. sought. In direct contrast are those that have alWhitman had never bought stationery ; he utilized the negative qualities of disloyalty and inwrapping papers, old letters and envelopes, and lowed as difference to gain the mastery. Which will be the he was in the habit of making his poems over and most desirable acquisition to a communitv? A over, afterwards tearing up rejected bits, I found, second reason is because high school pupils are on clearing up, bushels of fine litter, evenly disat the impulsive, impetuous, and talkative age. persed. Upon the stove was a large earthen dish.

They like to talk. The boys will talk all day One author, to emphasize the neglect in which he about a terrific drive over the left fielder's head thought Mr. Whitman lived, has declared that this was more and more struck with the disorder on all

for three bases bringing in the winning run in the contained his soup; but the dish never held any-

inning of a ball game, or a goal from the thing but clean water, designed to keep the air ninth of field in a football game, and the girls will chatter the room moist by evaporation. On the right like a flock of sparrows pver an intricate stitch in side of the bed was an antiquated chest, on top of embroidery, or the shading of roses in a fancy which were two bottles, one of eau-de-cologne and centre piece or bureau scarf ; but if you ask any of the other brandy, an old-fashioned candlestick, them how many acres of parks in their city, or with candle and matches, a wine glass and

what section could be improved by adding a few tumbler, and a covered stone mug for drinking shade trees, or how much money their city approwater. Within reach was his cane, which he was priates for schools, or her standing in industrial accustomed to use to summon attendance. On circles, the enthusiastic illumination of their coun-

the left of the bed the mass of rubbish had reached tenances would change to a dark cloud effect, and

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