University of Virginia Library

26. CHAPTER XXVI.
A FIELD-DAY OF THE TRUSTEES.

St. Bartholomew's School had no endowment but its
buildings, most of which it had paid for itself already.

This fall, an announcement had appeared in the papers
“that Thomas Parmenter, Esq., of Eastham, had
begun a system of graduated endowment” in St. Bartholomew's
School in that town; and, as he wished to
benefit by the wisdom and experience of others, he
would be glad of communications from persons familiar
with the subject of higher education and the operation
of endowments. This piece of information was worded
in much the same way in different papers in which it
appeared, as any inquiring man, who read different
newspapers, could easily assure himself. It was, in
substance, taken from a sort of circular letter which
the originator had sent to faculties of colleges, to heads
of schools, and to eminent literary men and scholars.

Of course, this publication and Mr. Parmenter's action
were early known in Eastham. In the first place,
the Trustees of St. Bart's School had been officially
notified of the munificent disposition of their fellow-member,
and had convened at the School, in unusual
numbers; Mr. Parmenter's carriage having gone ten
miles to bring Judge Pearson, who was hard to get.
This meeting had received an explanation of his plan

from its author in person; his purpose being, as he
explained it, to endow by instalments. “For this reason,”
he said, “he had used the word `graduated.'
There were dangers in too sudden inflation by very
large endowments; and there was, at least, safety in
endowing by degrees or step by step, as he believed
(in deference to classical scholars who were present) the
word `graduated' implied.”

At this appeal to classical scholars, Mr. Manson
said, in an aside, “I'm afraid that word `graduated'
often implies very partially endowed, — indeed, chiefly
endowed by their degrees.” The members of the
Board generally smiled; and Mr. Parmenter, having
accepted the interruption with a smiling bow, began
again: —

“It wouldn't do for him to question the attainments
of college-men; he took it for granted that they were
all learned, — as Shakspeare, he believed, said, `all
honorable men.' Possibly, too, the Trustees would
pardon in him, as a man of business, a natural anxiety
to see to the operation of his own plan, and to help in
the administration of it.”

Mr. Parmenter then informed the Board that “Mr.
Don, who was one of their number, would, he was
sure, do him the favor to furnish any explanation which
might be desirable for the action of the Board, while
he himself withdrew, in order to leave their consultation
quite unembarrassed. He was aware that the
question of endowment was not perfectly simple. There
were evils to be guarded against. Endowments sometimes
checked the spontaneous flow of liberality, were
sometimes a hindrance to life and progress, and occasionally
furnished incentives to extravagance. Perhaps

he would be pardoned for using an illustration from his
experience in the country. The Trustees were aware
that he had devoted himself a good deal to the interests
of the country, and, among other things, to the
development of agriculture, — indeed, from early life,
he had been more or less practically familiar with agriculture.
Now, he had had occasion, in connection
with agriculture, to use guano, as well as other kinds
of manure; and he had observed that, while the manure
helped the development of good crops, it helped the
development of weeds too. He would here leave the
matter, — asking the indulgence of the Trustees for
having occupied them so long, and referring to his
friend Mr. Don for any information which might be
needed in his own absence.”

He then took his hat, and withdrew; and the Trustees
had the matter before them, after a grave set of
vibrations from different members of the Board in
returning Mr. Parmenter's parting salutation.

There was the very moderate-sized and large-mannered
Dr. Farwell, with one long-necked, sober-looking,
white-cravatted man; one short and squat man, in
white cravat; several respectable gentlemen not noticeable
for their dress; and one perhaps as likely to catch
the eye of a stranger as any, the hearty, wholesome-looking
Mr. Manson, who, partly behind the capacious
chair-back which rose above Dr. Farwell's head, was
reading, and with a pencil making notes. The life
of this organized Board soon began to show itself
after its manner.

“The first motion in order, I suppose,” — said the
long-necked serious clergyman.

“I think, myself,” said the Reverend Dr. Farwell,

beginning in a tone, slow, measured, and important,
which implied keeping on, “that we have arrived
at an important era — I think we may, perhaps, fairly
call it AN ERA — in the affairs of this School. The
communication which has just been laid before us, as
a Board, strikes my mind — I don't know how it may
strike other members of the Board, but, I confess, it
strikes my mind — as what may be the inauguration —
I will use the word `inauguration' for want of a better
— the inauguration of a Great Day!” (This last expression
was pronounced with strong emphasis.) “The
general question of endowments — particular endowments,
profuse endowments — I am not at this moment
prepared to go into myself; but I think we can't be
mistaken in regarding this benefaction as an accession
of just so much power and force to this School.”

“Yes,” said a gentleman opposite with a face somewhat
like that of a reflective racoon, though with much
more solid whiskers: “five thousand dollars is five
thousand dollars;” and he relaxed the gravity of his
face, with a smile, for that expressed the thing, and
implied that the speaker knew more than that.

“I agree with Mr. Pettie,” said the short and stout
clergyman, as if he, too, understood that thing about as
well as anybody: “five thousand dollars is five thousand
dollars.”

“There is more involved in this case than that,” said
a thoughtful gentleman, taking off gold spectacles and
holding them in his hand. “I don't wish to interfere
with any expression of opinion, or the offering of any
motion; but, if agreeable to all the members of the
Board, I should like to call upon Mr. Don for an explanation
of the plan proposed.”

The President bowed, saying that the suggestion
seemed a very reasonable one.

Mr. Don assured the meeting that “it would give
him much satisfaction to comply with Judge Allen's request;”
and the general silence indicated that everybody
present agreed with him. Dr. Farwell, seeing
an occasion to give to that silence fitting expression,
said: —

“Undoubtedly — he spoke for himself — it was eminently
proper, before any action was taken, that they
should have the case in its length, and in its breadth,
and in all its dimensions, before them, that they might
act understandingly.”

When Dr. Farwell had thus put himself in the
proper attitude to the business, Mr. Don began: —

“It had been (he believed) the intention of Mr.
Parmenter — until diverted, perhaps, by a suggestion
of his own (the speaker's) — to give a full explanation
of his plan to the Trustees in person. The suggestion
referred to was one made by himself, without premeditation,
— a mere thought of the moment, — that the
Trustees would like to testify by some action their
appreciation of his liberality. This was simply his
own natural feeling. Mr. Parmenter's explanation to
himself had been brief. As he understood Mr. Parmenter,
the plan was to endow with five thousand dollars
now, and, after an interval, with five thousand
dollars more; after another interval, five thousand
dollars more; and so on. How long it was to go on,
he could not say.”

There was a pause, and, in the silence, a gentleman
who had not yet spoken, but who seemed as if he had a
good deal to say, inquired: —

“Do we understand, then, that five thousand dollars
is already presented, is already in hand? That is part
of the statement, I think? — I wish simply to put the
thing into shape.”

“Certainly, sir,” answered Mr. Don; then, being
familiar with propriety and parliamentary usage, turning
to the President, he said, “If I may reply to Judge
Pearson,” and received a bow from the presiding officer.
Then he proceeded, “I should say, in the absence of the
Treasurer, that that amount, or its equivalent, is in the
Treasurer's hands.”

“It is in the Treasurer's hands, sir, at this moment?”
repeated Judge Pearson, blandly.

“Yes, sir, so I understand, — some days ago,” said
Mr. Don.

“That seems to be conclusive, upon that point,” said
the Reverend Doctor Farwell.

“Then I should like to inquire — if there is no objection,
and if I'm not taking the place of any other
gentleman,” said the Honorable ex-Judge Allen, — “for
the purpose of laying the subject still further open, —
whether the principal or the interest is available for the
School.”

“The interest, sir,” said Mr. Don: “the principal is
part of a permanent fund.”

“Then,” said the Reverend Doctor Farwell, who had
a faculty for knowing just when he ought to speak, “the
case, as I understand it, is in this way: The principal
of five thousand dollars — or five thousand dollars —
is in fund; is, to all intents and purposes, the commencement
of a fund, which fund is to be increased.
The interest of the five thousand dollars is to be used
for the School, as it comes in.”

“Will the gentleman,” said Judge Allen, as soon as
Dr. Farwell had put things into a shape satisfactory to
himself, “pardon my asking one farther question: I
wish to know the conditions attached to the donation;
or whether the interest is placed unreservedly at the
disposal of the Trustees.”

“As I understand,” said Mr. Don, in answer, “there
are no conditions whatever, except the general condition
that the interest of the fund shall be devoted to
the payment of the teachers of Saint Bartholomew's
School.”

“That seems to settle the matter,” said the long and
serious-looking clergyman, who had not sat impatiently
under the interruption of Dr. Farwell and the rest, but
had entertained himself partially, in the mean time, by
side-talk with different persons near him till his time
should come. “Whenever the Board is ready for my
motion, I am ready to put it.”

“It will be proper, I suppose, to accept the endowment
formally, and to thank the donor,” said Judge
Allen.

“Without passing judgment upon the plan of occasional
endowment, which is only partially before us,”
said Judge Pearson.

“What we've got, we've got,” said Mr. Pettie, with a
smile.

“But expressing our willingness to take a few
more of the same sort,” said Dr. Buttonn (whose name
we write with a second `n,' to suggest its own pronunciation).

“My motion” — said the clergyman, who had waited
so long.

“I cannot feel willing,” said Dr. Farwell, sententiously,

“I am decidedly unwilling to allow this subject
to pass to a vote without” —

“We haven't any thing to vote upon yet,” said the
mover. “My motion” —

“I will wait for Mr. Merritt's motion,” said Dr.
Farwell, “of course.”

“My motion is,” said Mr. Merritt, reading, “`That the
Trustees accept, with much satisfaction, the munificent
gift of T. Parmenter, Esq., one of their number, and
place upon record their grateful appreciation of the
same; that the Clerk be directed to forward a copy of
this resolution to Mr. Parmenter,' — simply a formal
resolution of acknowledgment. We can now consider
the matter, and take such action as we may see fit.”

“Whatever action the gentlemen may take will, of
course, be agreeable to me,” said Judge Allen, putting
on his coat, which he had left on a chair. “I shall be
obliged to excuse myself.”

Judge Pearson, too, “had engagements, and would
be glad of Judge Allen's company;” and so the two
ex-judges took their leave.

“I was merely going to say,” said Dr. Farwell, begining
another speech, with something of his large manner,
and gaining more of it as he went on, “and I am glad
to have an opportunity of giving expression to my decided
conviction that this day may prove a turning-point
in the history of our School. Already, without
help, and under the excellent management of the
Rector of the School, we are paying our way, and
more, — we are more than paying our way, — I suppose
I might say, we are prosperous, — without endowment.
Now we shall be able to do more” (emphatic) “than
we could before” (emphatic).

This was a good place to stop at; and, at this place,
Mr. Manson, who had kept himself quietly occupied
with his book and pencil until the judges, by going
away, had left the burden of debate and deliberation to
be borne by fewer members, said: —

“Verse again: `Do more, Than we could before.'
That's like your rhyme upon the Trustees.”

Whether Dr. Farwell would have taken with perfect
equanimity this obstruction to the flow of his
speech, if there had not been in it the reference to his
former success in a still higher department of letters,
we will not say; but, as it was, he at once, with a wave
of the hand, disposed of the rest of his speech: —

“That was all that I think it necessary to say;” and then
turned, smiling pleasantly, to his neighbor, and said, —

“This, of course, was nothing: that was an accident,
and was entirely unintentional, — unpremeditated. I
wasn't conscious, at the time of making that rhyme
(there it is again), that I was saying any thing more
than plain prose, — the plainest prose. You know, of
course, I didn't mean to call that poetry; but (you're a
literary man) did it ever occur to you that poetry might
not be confined to a few, the Sacra Vates, (what was
it we used to learn in our Horace?) but was rather
appropriated to certain states of mind” (with a very
definite emphasis, for the doctor had thought these
things over), — “states of exaltation? So that we're
poets, just as we're eloquent, under what you may call
an exaltation of the faculties. You're a poet when you
feel lofty emotions. You're an orator the same way. I
don't know whether this ever occurred to you so; but
it seems to me often that I could be a poet, — that I
wanted only `the divine afflatus,' the breathing.”

“It seems very probable,” said Mr. Manson. “As an
editor, I should say that was all that was wanting with
most of our contributors.”

“I never tried it on a large scale,” continued Dr.
Farwell, sententiously, as usual; “but I suppose that a
man does it when he's in the state to do it. You put
water into one condition, and it freezes: you put it
into another, and it boils. You put a man into the
condition, and he's a poet.” (Here the vote was taken,
and Dr. Farwell interrupted himself long enough to
say “ay,” and then continued.) “That idea struck me
so forcibly that I wrote a sermon on that subject once,
— `All Scripture is given by inspiration,' — first showing
the general meaning of `scripture' (writing).”

“Mr. Don is coming with a proposition,” said Mr.
Manson, and so lost (if he had never heard it before)
a summary of that discourse; for the speaker recovered
himself easily from his flight, and alighted in silence
among the discussions of the Trustees of St. Bartholomew's
School.

“I had in mind, sir,” said Mr. Don, who had not been
in the Legislature for nothing, “that it seems proper
to make some substantial recognition of the liberality
which has been announced to us, — something more than
a passing vote of thanks. I know that it is not uncommon
to do it, in a lasting way. There's the Hemingway
Classical Institute and the Phillips Exeter Academy,
and others of that character.”

“How would you propose to do in our case?” inquired
Dr. Farwell. “`Parmenter's St. Bartholomew's'
or `St. Bartholomew's Parmenter's' would be a little
harsh, wouldn't it?”

“Somebody else may give us five thousand dollars,”

said Dr. Buttonn, with a smile. “I don't object: I
only think that we may be put to inconvenience if we
undertake to name the School after every donor. I
don't object.”

“Couldn't we make it understood,” asked Mr. Merritt,
smiling, “that we'll adopt anybody's name that'll
give us so many thousand dollars, and put the sum
pretty well up?”

“Of course,” said Mr. Pettie, “a prospective endowment
isn't an endowment in hand.”

“Suppose we adopt a system of graduated naming,”
said Mr. Manson, “at ten thousand dollars a letter, — or
twenty thousand,—beginning with the Christian name?”

“All this perhaps, which is only intended for fun, is
very well,” said Dr. Farwell, with a genial smile. “I
should be sorry to check the flow of fun: it wouldn't
be good for boys, it wouldn't be good for men. I'm
inclined to join in it, I'm inclined to make it at proper
times; but it is not business. As Beauregard, or whoever
he was, at Balaklava, said of the charge of the
Six Hundred (I'm no Frenchman; indeed, I'm pretty
much an Englishman about French): `Say magnific,
but non la gare,[1] — it isn't war.' Is there any further
business? If there is not, I think we may as well be
going about our own business.”

Mr. Merritt, during Dr. Farwell's modest utterance
of his quotation from Balaklava, had slyly remarked to
Dr. Buttonn that “what was not French in it was
pretty good English, which was probably better than
their Mr. Sabot-Roquelaire would have done.”

This criticism Dr. Farwell overheard, and answered
good-naturedly: —

“Don't you meddle with my French! it's the French
of the Academy.”

“Yes, you'd have learned better, in College,” said
Mr. Merritt, facetiously.

While this little by-play was going on, other members
of the Board were engaged in conversation. There
was by this time a general readiness of the Trustees to
adjourn, when Mr. Don, saying that he saw the difficulties
about the name, suggested that there might be
some other way in which the Board could testify its
appreciation.

“You've voted to thank Mr. Parmenter,” said Mr.
Pettie. “That's a beginning.”

“If you do too much for one, you'll never be able
to encourage anybody else,” said Dr. Buttonn; “but I
don't object to any thing, — I only make that suggestion.”

“As I understand it, sir,” said Mr. Don, holding
faithfully to his purpose, “Mr. Parmenter is beginning
a series of endowments” —

“You might combine two things in this way,” said
Mr. Pettie. “The boys have a `Pro-St.-Bart's-Day,'
in December, because St. Bartholomew's comes in
Vacation: you can have something special, on that
day. Mr. Don tells me Mr. Parmenter's birthday
comes about that time. You might put 'em together.”

“That would be a very proper subject for future consideration,”
said Dr. Farwell, and, with general assent,
the Trustees rose and adjourned.