Skip to main content

Full text of "The life of Prof. F.T. Kemper, A.M. : the Christian educator"

See other formats 


^H 

oc 

o 

=^ai!=! 

^ 

i=^^ 

o 

^^^s:^ 

o 

^^^j^j^ 

r* 

^^^ 

(O 

CO 

>- 

o 

E5 

^4 

§1^ 

=:=:== 

o 

C.I 

ddis 
.T. 
LIB 

== 

U) 

y.<CU.Z 

g 

OS-B° 

_ 

SJi-g 

=^= 

CO 

^^.o< 

gS^cd 



'  -r-  :=      . 

23^3: 

wai=cE 

■ 

THE  LIBRARY 

The  Ontario  Institute 
for  Studies  in  Education 

Toronto,  Canada 


LIBRARY  i 


L 


FEB  25  ISn         I 


■^'^9^hySBSaUiSonsif^- 


c^JTm 


^^y<r^/ 


THE     LIFE 


PROF.  F.  T.  KEMPER,  A.M., 


T/IE   CHRISTIAN  EDUCATOR. 


BY 

J.  A.   QUARLES,  D.D. 


Published  for  Mrs.  S.   H.   Kemper. 


BURR   PRINTING   HOUSE, 

New  York. 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTORY v 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  Family  History 15 

CHAPTER  n. 
Home  and  Early  Life 29 

CHAPTER   HI. 
Leaves  Home  for  Missouri 47 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Marion  College  63 

CHAPTER  V. 
Life  at  Marion  College 79 

CHAPTER  VI. 
In  Marion  County,  After  Graduation 103 

CHAPTER  Vn. 
The  Boonville  Boarding-School 120 

CHAPTER  VIIL 
The  Male  Collegiate  Institute  of  Boonville 140 

CHAPTER   IX. 
His  Marriage 164 

CHAPTER  X. 
Kemper  Family  School 179 


I 

iv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XI. 

PAGE 

'  Westminster  College 197 

CHAPTER  Xn.     -;^ 
The  Kemper  Family  School,  1861-1881. 219 

CHAPTER  XHI. 
The  Reunion 238 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Well  Done  ! 258 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Perfected  School 280 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Educator 301 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Maker  of  Men 321 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  Sage 343 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Moralist 364 

CHAPTER  XX. 
The  Christian 384 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Victor  Crowned 406 

APPENDIX. 
A  Bereaved  Mother , 453 


INTRODUCTORY. 


••  Who  reigns  within  himself,  and  rules  passions,  desires,  and 
fears,  is  more  than  king." — Milton. 


There  are  several  classes  of  great  men.  There  are 
some  whose  grandeur  of  spirit  never  manifests  itself, 
except  to  the  small  inner  circle  of  special  friends. 
Another  class  of  the  world's  elite, 

"...  the  few,  the  immortal  names, 
That  were  not  born  to  die," 

succeed  in  securing  a  place  upon  the  scroll  of  fame, 
and  as  poet,  painter,  sculptor,  and  historian,  photo- 
graph their  memory  for  future  generations.  These 
are  of  two  widely  distinct  classes,  the  intellectually 
great  and  the  morally  great.  It  is  a  curious  and 
sad  fact  that  many  if  not  most  of  those  whom  the 
world  has  delighted  to  honor  have  achieved  their 
distinction  by  virtue  of  mental  rather  than  of  moral 
power.  Run  the  eye  down  the  galleries  of  the  tem- 
ple of  fame,  and  you  will  find  that  the  towering  and 
conspicuous  statues  are  of  those  who  have  extorted 
the  homage  of  mankind  by  making  the  widow  sigh 
and  the  orphan  weep.  They  "  have  paved  their  way 
with  human  hearts."  They  have  changed  the  map 
of  nations  by  new  boundaries,  traced  with  the  red 
lines  of  human  blood.     They  have  changed  the  cur- 


VI  INTRODUCTORY. 

rent  of  the  world's  history  by  choking  its  channel 
with  the  bodies  of  their  victims. 

"...  On  history's  fruitless  page, 
Ten  thousand  conquerors  for  a  single  sage." 

Of  a  few,  happily,  this  is  not  true.  One  of  the 
greatest  of  uninspired  men  is  here  the  most  illustri- 
ous example.  He  was  merely  a  student  and  a  teacher. 
He  never  wore  a  warrior's  hemlet  nor  drew  a  sol- 
dier's sword,  and  yet  his  influence  over  human 
thought  in  western  civilization,  for  nearly  twenty 
centuries,  was  well-nigh  supreme.  To-day,  though 
no  "  storied  urn  nor  animated  bust"  may  exist  to 
perpetuate  his  memory,  yet  in  the  text-books  and 
the  languages  of  Christian  civilization,  and  in  the 
thinking  of  the  world's  sages,  he  possesses  a  "  raon- 
umentum  sere  perennius,"  and  the  college  senior  as 
well  as  the  learned  philosopher  unite  with  the  school- 
man of  the  Middle  Ages  in  calling  Aristotle  "  The 
Master"  in  the  realm  of  human  thinking,  even  as 
Dante  saw  him,  in  the  world  of  departed  spirits, 
"  seated  amid  the  philosophic  train,"  "  maestro  di  color 
che  sannoy 

But  they  are  the  world!s  true  heroes  who  are  so 
written  in  the  heraldry  of  heaven.  The  man  who 
brings  his  selfishness,  his  genius,  his  life,  and  lays  it 
all  upon  the  altar  of  service  to  his  fellows,  shows  a 
spirit  likest  unto  His  who  went  about  continually 
doing  good,  who  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but 
to  minister  and  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many.  The 
spirit  of  Christ  is  the  spirit  of  self-renunciation  for 
the  sake  of  others. 

It  is  not  meant  that  every  one  who  does  a  kind  act 
is  entitled  to  be  called  great.     Eminence  is  essential 


k 


IN  TROD  UC  TOR  V.  Vll 

to  greatness.  A  great  conqueror  must  show  skill 
beyond  that  of  the  average  of  soldiers.  The  great 
thinker  must  display  an  intellectual  vigor  which 
elevates  him  above  his  compeers.  So  the  man  for 
whom  the  highest  of  all  claims  is  made,  that  of  moral 
grandeur,  must  be  one  who  has  distinguished  himself 
by  a  spirit  of  generosity  and  by  deeds  of  benefaction. 
Every  rivulet  is  not  a  river,  nor  any  pond  a  sea. 
If  we  call  every  hill  a  mountain,  what  name  shall  we 
give  to  the  peaks  that  pierce  the  clouds  and  crown 
themselves  with  the  eternal  snows? 

But  there  are  grades  as  well  as  kinds  of  greatness. 
A  hill  may  not  be  a  mountain,  and  yet  it  is  not  a 
part  of  the  valley  or  the  plain.  Within  the  limits  of 
a  district  more  or  less  wide,  to  his  own  generation 
and  in  his  own  profession,  a  man  may  be  eminently 
useful,  far  above  his  contemporaries  and  associates, 
and  yet  he  may  not  attain  unto  the  first  or  even 
the  second  rank  of  the  heroes  of  the  race.  A  great 
mind,  or  a  warm  heart,  or  a  strong  will,  used  for  a 
grand  purpose,  makes  a  great  life. 

It  is  such  a  life  that  we  are  now  to  consider.  A 
life  rooted  in  the  soil  of  true  humility,  but  lifting 
its  trunk  and  magnificent  branches  above  the  sur- 
rounding forest — a  banyan  in  its  wide-spreading 
influence,  a  cedar  in  its  evergreen  freshness,  an  oak 
in  its  majestic  strength,  an  apple  in  its  generous 
fruitfulness,  a  tree  of  knowledge  from  whose  laden 
boughs  hundreds  of  eager  souls  have  eaten  and  been 
made  wise.  Frederick  Thomas  Kemper  was  a  man 
among  men.  Richly  endowed  in  intellect,  in  feel- 
ing, and  in  will,  he  devoted  his  life,  with  all  its 
wealth  of  resource  and  with  a  heroic  singleness  of 


Vlll  INTRODUCTORY, 

purpose,  to  the  work  of  raising  his  fellow-men  from 
ignorance  and  vice  to  intelligence  and  virtue. 
Forty  years  he  spent  in  the  school-room.  Forty  years 
of  lahor,  patient,  persevering,  self-sacrificing,  in- 
telligent, efficient,  successful.  A  teacher,  a  profes- 
sional teacher — more  than  that,  an  educator;  a  worker 
upon  and  within  the  human  mind  ;  the  developer  of 
thought ;  the  purifier  and  elevator  of  affection  and 
desire  ;  the  trainer  of  habit ;  the  fashioner  of  char- 
acter ;  the  maker  of  men.  The  giddy,  greedy,  am- 
bitious world  did  not  know  him.  No  listening  sen- 
ates nor  applauding  multitudes  ever  recognized  his 
merits.  No  roll  of  musketry  nor  roar  of  cannon 
sounded  their  coarse  praises  as  he  was  laid  to  rest. 
But  to  hundreds  and  thousands  who  did  know  him 
well,  he  was  the  simplest,  truest,  noblest  soul  ever 
met  in  these  days  of  sham  and  mediocrity,  these  days 
of  energy  and  intelligence.  As  we  shall  review  his 
life  and  study  his  character,  we  shall  be  taken  to 
Mount  Olympus,  and  there  see  him  a  veritable  Jupiter 
Tonans,  wielding  the  sceptre  of  conscious  power, 
and  reducing  to  unquestioning  obedience  every  soul 
around  him.  But  we  shall  also  be  led  up  the  height 
of  Calvary,  and  there  behold  him  as  "  the  disciple 
whom  Jesus  loved,"  as  the  gentle,  generous  spirit  to 
whom  a  dying  Saviour  would  have  intrusted  his 
weeping,  desolate  mother. 

This  volume  is  a  biography.  It  is,  however,  not 
so  much  a  record  of  events  of  a  startling  or  even  an 
impressive  nature,  as  it  is  an  attempted  portraiture 
of  a  strong  and  noble  character.  In  the  life  of  the 
most  earnest  and  successful  teacher  there  is  little  to 
gratify  an  idle  curiosity  or  to  enlist  the  interest  of 


IN  TROD  UC  TOR  Y.  i  X 

the  reader  of  romance.  Those  for  whom  it  is  spe- 
cially written  will  be  most  gratified  where  the 
draughtsman  shows  the  least  of  his  art  and  the  most 
of  his  subject.  His  fellow-workmen  will  appreciate 
it  in  proportion  as  they  shall  find  in  it  a  true  and 
living  description  of  their  foreman. 

In  one  sense  it  is  a  volume  of  memoirs,  in  an- 
other it  is  not.  While  it  contains  some  personal  rec- 
ollections of  his  friends,  these  do  not  form  a  prom- 
inent feature  of  the  work.  It  is,  however,  a  piece 
of  mosaic.  Most  of  the  beautiful  squares  were  fur- 
nished by  the  master  himself.  Indeed,  it  is  largely 
an  autobiography,  and  the  purpose  has  been  to  make 
it  as  much  so  as  possible.  Let  him  be  seen  as  he 
was,  and  as  he  revealed  himself  in  his  own  acts  and 
words.  He  kept  a  journal  from  his  earliest  man- 
hood ;  not  of  his  acts  (for  there  is  very  little  of  his 
outer  life  in  the  records),  but  of  his  thoughts,  feel- 
ings, purposes,  plans.  Thus  has  he  for  himself  set 
forth  his  inner  life. 

The  work,  as  has  been  already  suggested,  is  a  bou- 
quet, its  richest  beauties  cut  by  the  great  teacher 
himself.  But  other  flowers  have  also  been  contrib- 
uted. Of  these,  some  of  the  chief  are  from  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Bocock,  whose  graceful  pen  and 
tender,  touching  thoughts  will  be  recognized  in  the 
earlier  portions  of  the  life.  His  cousin,  Mrs.  Louisa  A. 
Kemper,  of  Cincinnati,  has  also  furnished  a  very  in- 
teresting sketch  of  the  family  history.  But,  except 
himself,  the  work  is  chiefly  indebted  to  the  w^oman 
who  for  nearly  twenty-seven  years  had  the  honor  to 
be  his  cherished  and  respected  wafe.  There  is  no  one, 
perhaps,  "  with  soul  so  dead  "  that  he  can  read  un- 


X  IN  TROD  UCTOR  Y. 

moved  her  simple  recital  of  his  closing  hours,  or 
with  an  undimmed  eye  can  turn  the  pages  which 
tell  of  the  seven  little  graves  that  were  made  before 
their  father  was  laid  beside  them. 

To  the  reputed  author  of  the  volume  has  belonged 
the  humbler  service  of  furnishing  the  tie  which  binds 
these  flowers  together.  It  is  hoped  that  the  band, 
which  is  not  of  silk,  will  not  be  seen  ;  or,  if  seen, 
will  not  be  noticed.  It  need  not  be  said  that  the 
honor  was  by  him  unsought.  "  It  is  no  easy  thing 
to  write  for  the  public  eye  an  account  of  a  deeply 
venerated  friend  whom  death  has  newly  taken.  It 
is  a  task  on  which  one  might  well  shrink  from  en- 
tering, save  at  the  wish  of  those  whose  desire  m  such 
a  matter  carries  the  force  of  a  command.  He  who 
makes  the  attempt  can  scarcely  avoid  two  opposite 
perils.  Strangers  will  be  apt  to  think  his  admira- 
tion excessive.  Friends  more  intimate  than* himself, 
on  the  other  hand,  will  find  a  disappointing  incom- 
pleteness in  any  estimate  formed  by  one  less  close 
than  they,  —  one  who,  seeing  only  what  his  own 
nature  allowed  him  to  see,  must  needs  leave  so  much 
unseen,  untold.  Between,  these  conflicting  dangers 
the  only  tenable  course  is  one  of  absolute  candor. 
To  fail  in  candor,  indeed,  would  be  to  fail  in  re- 
spect. Obedience  is  tlie  courtesy  due  to  kings,  and 
to  tlie  sovereigns  of  the  world  of  mind,  the  courtesy 
tlue  is  truth." 

It  was  only  at  the  call  of  Mrs.  Kemper,  supple- 
mented by  the  urgency  of  several  common  friends, 
that  the  work  was  undertaken.  It  has  been  a  labor  of 
love  ;  nay,  more,  of  reverential  gratitude.  The  writer 
was  put  under  Mr.  Kemper's  care  in  the  year  1845, 


IN  TROD  UCTOR  V.  Xi 

and  continued  with  him  until  the  summer  of  1854. 
No  other  pupil  was  so  long  under  his  tuition.  Since 
his  manhood  he  has  felt  more  and  more  that  in 
this  he  enjoyed  an  inestimable  privilege.  Moreover, 
contrary  to  every  expectation  of  his  early  life,  he 
has  been  led,  in  the  providence  of  God,  to  the 
teacher's  profession.  This  has  given  him  a  sympathy 
with  his  old  master  and  an  appreciation  of  his  char- 
acter, which  he  could  not  otherwise  have  enjoyed. 
No  one  who  is  not  himself  a  Christian  is  in  a  posi- 
tion rightly  to  estimate  the  character  which  is  now 
to  be  reviewed  ;  for,  as  will  be  most  clearly  seen,  the 
foundation  of  that  character  was  a  reverent  trust  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  sinners. 

The  author  has  accepted  the  trust  with  a  reverent 
purpose  to  discharge  it  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  and 
to  inscribe  upon  the  effort,  as  the  chief  end  to  be 
sought,  the  sentiment,  so  fully  realized  by  Mr. 
Kemper,  and  by  him  often  written  in  his  journals — 
/lo^a   rep   Seep. 


THE    LIFE 


OF 


PROF.  F.  T.   KEMPER, 


CHAPTER   I. 


THE    FAMILY    HISTORY. 


"It  is  indeed  a  blessing  when  the  virtues 
Of  noble  races  are  hereditary, 
And  do  derive  themselves  from  the  imitation 
Of  virtuous  ancestors."  Nahb. 

In  this  land  of  democratic  ideas  we  find  several 
evil  tendencies,  so  far  as  family  pride  is  concerned. 
Of  these,  the  worst,  undoubtedly,  is  the  disposition  to 
pay  court  to  wealth.  Money  is  not  a  thing  to  be  de- 
spised in  itself.  Indeed  it  is  a  good  and  necessary 
thing.  Moreover,  when  it  is  associated  with  gen- 
erosity and  intelligence  it  deserves  to  be  honored. 
Still  more,  when  it  is  the  symbol  and  proof  of  frugal, 
persevering,  wisely  directed,  and  honest  industry,  in 
those  who  have  amassed  and  hold  it,  it  becomes  the 
index  of  mental  and  moral  qualities  which  challenge 
our  esteem.  But  surely  in  civilized  lands  there  can 
be  no  more  abject  idolatry  than  that  which  fawns  upon 
and  flatters  the  rich  merely  because  they  have  money. 
Nevertheless  there  are  thousands  that  do  it.  The 
wealth  may  have  been  gotten  by  trickery,  or  by  open 
dishonesty,  or  by  grinding  the  faces  of  the  poor  ;  it 
may  be  associated  with  ignorance,  boorishness,  and 
depravity,  and  yet  "  the  cloth  of  gold,"  as  Hare  says, 
"  hides  all  these  blemishes,"  and  the  wicked,  ignorant 
millionaire  is  looked  up  to  as  a  demigod,  his  wife  is 


i6  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

courted  in  society,  and  liis  children  are  flattered  as 
paragons. 

But  men  who  may  not  bow  at  the  gilded  shrine  of 
mammon  may  become  excessively  democratic  in  dis- 
paraging the  nobility  of  birth.  But  heredity  is  a  law, 
both  in  the  natural  and  the  moral  worlds.  God  wrote 
it,  with  his  own  finger,  on  the  stony  tablet,  when 
he  declared  that  the  iniquity  of  the  father  should  be 
visited  upon  the  children  of  the  third  and  fourth 
generations,  and  that  his  mercy  should  be'  shown 
to  thousands  of  pious  generations.  It  is  a  law  which 
is  seen  written  in  the  flesh  and  bones,  in  the  habits 
and  character,  to  a  more  or  less  marked  degree,  of 
every  family  in  every  ct)mmunity.  Like  every  other 
law,  it  is  subject  to  modifications,  from  the  co-opera- 
tion or  opposition  of  other  laws ;  so  that  the  excep- 
tions are  but  the  operation  of  the  composition  of 
forces.  It  is  a  great  thing  to  belong  to  a  good  family. 
It  is  a  blessing  to  come  of  a  healthy  stock  ;  so  that 
the  soul  has  a  good  house  in  which  to  live,  and  good 
tools  with  which  to  work.  It  is  a  greater  blessing  to 
come  of  an  intelligent  stock,  to  inherit  a  mind  capa- 
ble of  conceiving  and  of  executing  great  and  noble 
plans  in  life.  It  is  perhaps  a  greater,  blessing  to 
come  of  a  gentle,  cultured  stock;  to  be  cradled  and 
trained  in  the  nursery  of  refinement  and  social  ele- 
gance. It  is  the  greatest  blessing  of  all  to  come  of  a 
pious  stock  ;  not  from  a  family  of  Pharisees,  but 
from  one  whose  various  branches  can  say,  "The 
Lord  has  been  our  dwelling-place  in  all  generations  ;" 
and  of  whom  others  may  say,  "  Ye  are  a  chosen  gen- 
eration, a  royal  priesthood,  an  holy  nation,  a  peculiar 
people." 


THE   FAMILY  HISTORY.  17 

They  whose  family  has  no  claim  to  consideration 
beyond  its  wealth  vulgarly  magnify  the  value  of 
riches.  They  whose  family  record  is  either  negative 
or  positively  besmirched,  upon  whose  escutcheon  the 
bar  sinister  is  a  conspicuous  feature,  naturally  under- 
rate all  family  pretensions.  They  whose  ancestral 
record,  is  chiefly  negative,  but  also  contains  some 
bright  and  it  may  be  brilliant  pages,  and  yet  them- 
selves are  at  best  but  negative,  are  prone  to  overvalue 
the  blood  which  infinitesimally  they  inherit  ;  while 
the  genuine  "  blue  blood"  of  a  truly  noble  ancestry, 
as  it  now  courses  through  the  veins  of  the  undegen- 
erate  sons  of  worthy  sires,  is  but  a  stimulus  to  em- 
ulate the  virtues  which  have  served  to  make  their 
ancestral  name  honored  or  illustrious. 

As  will  be  seen  from  the  family  traditions  now  to 
be  given,  the  Kempers  were  immigrants  to  this 
country  from  Germany,  and  were  of  a  generous 
stock.  It  is  believed,  however,  at  least  by  some  of 
the  family,  that  they  were  originally  Danes.  Mrs. 
Louisa  A.  Kemper,  the  accomplished  wife  of  An- 
drew C.  Kemper,  M.D.,  of  Cincinnati,  furnishes,  in 
a  letter  to  the  wife  of  the  subject  of  this  volume,  the 
following  interesting  statement  of  the  ancestral  his- 
tory : — 

"  I  have  '  dug  and  delved  '  until  I  have  pieced  out 
the  records  so  satisfactorily  that,  as  far  as  they  go, 
they  may  be  relied  on  as  authentic.  I  doubt  not 
Missourians  will  be  glad  to  know  that  Frederick  T. 
Kemper  and  Bishop  Jackson  Kemper  were  of  the 
same  lineage,  the  good  bishop  being  a  grandson  of 
John  Jacob  Kemper,  who  settled  in  New  York  in 
1 741.     His  elder  brother  John  had  come  to  Virginia 


1 8  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

in   1 7 14.     John  Kemper  was   the  great-great-grand- 
father of  Frederick  T.  Kemper. 

"  My  own  personal  correspondence  with  Bishop 
Kemper's  grandson,  Mr.  Adams,  and  with  Miss  Eliza 
S.  Quincy  of  Boston,  has  settled  beyond  dispute  the 
fact  of  the  brotherhood  of  John  Kemper  of  Virginia 
and  Jacob  Kemper  of  New  York. 

"  From  the  fact  of  three  brothers  bearing  the  names 
of  John,  John  Heinrich,  and  John  Jacob,  it  is  presum- 
able that  their  father  bore  the  name  of  John.  This 
John  Kemper  was  a  colonel  in  the  army  of  the  Prince 
Palatine  (Frederick  I.  of  Prussia),  but  after  being 
severely  wounded  was  forced  to  retire  upon  a  pen- 
sion. He  was  made  Hereditary  Commander  of  the 
fortress  of  Boekrack  on  the  Rhine,  in  his  native 
province  of  Nassau. 

"  Kemper  is  a  Dutch  name,  signifying  a  champion, 
a  soldier,  a  defender,  a  striver  for.  [It  is  probably 
the  German  Kaempfer,  which  has  the  same  meaning. 
There  is  a  German  name  Kaempfer,  seen  in  the 
author  of  the  "  History  of  Japan  and  Description  of 
Siam."  Q.]  These  Kempers  were  Palatines  by  birth 
and  education,  and  seem  to  have  zealously  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  German  Calvinistic  Church.  They 
became  restive  under  the  restraints  of  '  Church  and 
State,'  and  two  of  them  set  out  for  Holland,  where 
there  was  greater  religious  freedom.  Shortly  after 
reaching  Amsterdam, John  Kemper,  the  oldest  brother, 
joined  a  colony  about  to  set  out  for  Virginia.  The 
names  of  the  twelve  men  composing  the  colony 
were  John  Kemper,  John  Fishback  and  his  brother 
Holtzclaw,  Utterback,  Hoffman,  Weaver,  Martin, 
Coons,  Wayman,  Handback,  and  Hitt. 


THE  FAMILY  HISTORY.  19 

"  This  was  the  colony  settled  by  Governor  Spots- 
wood  on  his  place  in  Orange  County,  and  known  as 
'Germanna.'  But  these  sturdy  Palatines  were  not 
content  to  stay  with  so  hard  a  taskmaster  as  the  gov- 
ernor ;  and  so,  about  17 17,  John  Kemper,  the  Fish- 
backs,  and  some  others  decided  to  push  northward 
into  the  woods  of  Lord  Fairfax.  This  new  settlement 
was  called  Germantown,  and  is  now  to  be  found  a 
few  miles  south-east  of  Warrenton. 

"John  Kemper  married  Alsey  (Alice)  Utterback ; 
and  John  Fishback  married  Agnes  Hager,  '  daughter 
of  Parson  Hager.'  John  Kemper  and  his  wife  Alsey 
had  nine  children — John  Peter,  Catherine,  John, 
John  Herman,  Mary,  John  Jacob,  Dorothy,  John 
Henry,  and  Elisabeth. 

"John  Peter  Kemper  married  Elisabeth,  daughter 
of  John  Fishback  and  his  wife,  Agnes  Hager,  Dec.  7, 
1738.  They  opened  up  the  tract  of  land,  given  by 
his  father,  known  to  us  as  *  Cedar  Grove.*  Here 
were  born  to  them  ten  children — John,  Peter,  Sarah, 
Frederick,  Judith,  James,  Charles,  Elisabeth  ,  Agnes, 
and  Ailsie, 

"  Frederick,  the  fourth  child,  was  born  June  20, 
1748.  The  house  in  which  he  was  born  is  still  stand- 
ing. Over  the  door  was  the  Bible  verse,  '  Believe 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved, 
and  thine  house,'  carved  by  a  knife  in  a  board,  in 
German.  I  saw  it  when  at  Cedar  Grove  in  1875,  and 
will  send  you  a  photograph  of  it,  if  you  would  like 
to  have  one.  Frederick  married  Mary  Jeffries,  and 
they  had  five  children — William,  Agnes,  Sarah,  Su- 
sannah, and  Lucy.  He  died  Nov.  20,  1783,  aged  35 
years  and  five  months.     He  was  thrown  from  a  horse 


20  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

and  killed,  or  he  died  from  the  effects  of  it.  He  lived 
at  '  Pig  Mountain,'  Fauquier  County,  I  suppose,  from 
references  in  grandfather's  diary.  For  many  years 
the  entry  is  made,  '  Rode  to  Pig  Mt.,  and  saw  sister 
Molly,  all  well.'  *  Spent  the  night  at  Pig  Mt.— had 
a  settlement  with  sister  Molly.' 

"  I  suppose  you  know  William  Kemper  (the  father 
of  Frederick  T.)  came  to  Cincinnati  nearly  eighty 
years  ago,  to  study  under  his  uncle  James.  There 
seems  to  have  been  a  very  strong  attachment  between 
them,  a  proof  of  which  William  Kemper  gave  in  nam- 
ing a  son  (the  Governor)  for  his  uncle.  Governor 
Kemper  told  me  that  he  was  grandfather's  namesake. 

*'  I  have  run  out  an  outline  for  you,  showing  your 
husband's  '  line  of  descent '  unbroken.  There  is  much 
else  in  my  books  and  '  in  my  head  *  which  I  will  fully 
give  if  it  is  wanted. 

"  That  in  Germany  the  Kempers  were  somewhat 
better  than  the  ordinary  line  of  emigrants  is  proved 
by  some  of  John  Kemper's  possessions.  The  family 
Bible  and  books  were  extant  and  perfect  when  last 
seen  (i  834)  by  living  witnesses.  I  made  a  fruitless  jour- 
ney into  Garrard  County,  Ky.,  three  years  since,  to 
find  and  see  the  Bible,  which  is  described  as  a  huge 
brass-bound  book,  weighing  fifty-three  pounds.  At 
Cedar  Grove  is  a  gun,  sent  from  Germany  to  John 
Peter  Kemper,  that  proves,  by  its  workmanship  and 
elegance,  to  have  been  too  costly  a  present  for  a 
peasant. 

"  The  Germantown  people  talked  and  worshiped 
in  'a  German  dialect,'  up  to  the  time  of  the  war  of 
independence,  when  they  became  merged  in  their 
surroundings. 


I 


THE   FAMILY  HISTORY.  2i 

"  The  Kemper  likeness  is  something  quite  wonder- 
ful, cropping  out  as  it  does  in  the  most  unexpected 
way.  Governor  Kemper  and  my  husband  are  wonder- 
fully alike.  The  pictures  of  Bisliop  Kemper's  little 
great-grandchildren  are  very  much  like  my  own.  The 
children  of  Dr.  Kemper,  of  Muncie,  Ind.,  descended 
from  John  Herman  and  John  Henry  Kemper,  are 
strikingly  like  my  own.  Here  in  Cincinnati  the 
prevailing  '  ear-mark'  is  the  brown  eye,  known  as 
'  the  Kemper  eyes.'  " 

Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Bocock  writes:  "The  two  ancestors 
of  the  Kemper  family  of  this  country  came  over  from 
Germany  about  the  year  1700.  They  were  said  to 
have  been  Danes  originally,  and  to  have  gone  over 
into  Germany  from  Denmark  during  some  political 
troubles.  Two  of  them  came  to  this  country  and 
settled,  one  in  New  York  and  the  other  in  Virginia. 
The  descendants  for  a  great  while  were  principally  an 
agricultural  and  also  a  godly  people." 

From  these  statements  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
Kempers  were  Germans,  that  their  earliest  known 
ancestor  was  Colonel  John  Kemper,  of  the  Prussian 
army ;  and  that  the  genealogy  of  Professor  Kemper  in 
the  male  line  runs :  Colonel  John  Kemper,  the  father  of 
John  Kemper,  the  immigrant  to  Virginia  (wife,  Alsey 
Utterback)  ;  the  father  of  John  Peter  Kemper  (wife, 
Elisabeth  Fishback) ;  the  father  of  Frederick  Kem- 
per (wife,  Mary  Jeffries) ;  the  father  of  William 
Kemper  (wife,  Maria  E.  Allison) ;  the  father  of  Pro- 
fessor Frederick  Thomas  Kemper. 

Of  the  Kempers  of  this  country  there  are  at  least 
four,  besides  the  subject  of  this  volume,  who  have 
been  distinguished  men  :  The  Rt.  Rev.  Jackson  Kem- 


2  2  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

per,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  bishop  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  who  first  presided  over  Indiana  and  Mis- 
souri, and  subsequently  over  Iowa  and  Wisconsin. 
He  was  of  the  New  York  family. 

Colonel  Reuben  Kemper,  born  in  Fauquier  County, 
Va.,  the  son  of  a  Baptist  preacher.  He  settled  in  Mis- 
sissippi, and  became  one  of  the  most  noted  characters 
of  that  south-west  country  during  the  first  quarter  of 
this  century.  He  was  the  determined  foe  of  the 
Spaniard,  the  leader  of  several  expeditions  against 
them  in  Florida  and  at  Mobile,  the  commander  of 
the  Americans  who  went  to  help  the  Mexicans  throw 
off  the  Spanish  yoke,  and  the  trusted  assistant  of 
General  Jackson  in  important  and  perilous  duties 
connected  with  the  defence  of  New  Orleans.  He  was 
undoubtedly  a  strong  character  and  a  man  of  unusual 
courage.  Kemper  County,  Mississippi,  was  named 
in  his  honor. 

The  Rev.  James  Kemper,  Presbyterian  Bishop  of 
Cincinnati,  in  the  last  decade  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, was  perhaps  as  remarkable  a  man  as  either  of 
the  preceding.  He  was  born  in  Fauquier  County, 
Va.,  Nov.  23,  1753;  was  the  son  of  John  Peter  Kem- 
per and  Elisabeth  Fishback ;  and  it  is  over  the  door 
of  his  father's  house  that  the  Scripture  verse,  already 
alluded  to,  is  to  be  found  engraved.  When  he  was 
thirty-four  years  of  age  he  was  licensed,  by  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Transylvania,  as  a  catechist,  on  the  condi- 
tion "  that  he  would  not,  by  virtue  of  this  appoint- 
ment, attempt  to  explain  the  sacred  Scriptures,  preach 
the  gospel,  or  dispense  the  sealing  ordinances  there- 
of." He  was  licensed  to  preach,  by  the  same  pres- 
bytery, when    he   was  thirty-six   years  of  age,   and 


THE   FAMILY  HISTORY.  23 

ordained  lo  the  full  work  of  the  ministry  at  Cincin- 
nati, Oct.  23,  1792.  Of  him  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Montfort, 
D.D.,  says:  '*  Perhaps  no  man  in  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi  has  been  a  first  pioneer  in  so  many  places 
and  departments  as  James  Kemper.  He  was  the  first 
catechist  ever  appointed  west  of  the  Alleghanies  and 
south  of  Virginia;  the  first  student  of  theology  ;  the 
first  licentiate  of  the  first  presbytery  ;  the  first  supply 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Ohio,  in  answer  to  the  first 
request  for  preaching.  He  preached  the  first  sermon 
in  Ohio  that  was  preached  by  a  representative  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  He  was  the  first  minister  or- 
dained on  the  north  side  of  the  Ohio.  He  preached 
the  first  sermon  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  first  pres- 
bytery that  met  in  Ohio,  it  being  his  own  ordination 
sermon.  He  received  the  first  call,  and  was  installed 
the  first  pastor  on  the  north  side  of  the  Ohio.  More- 
over, he  preached  the  first  sermon  at  the  first  meeting 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati,  and  of  the  Synod  of 
Cincinnati,  in  1829.  He  was  elected  the  first  Moder- 
ator of  the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati,  and  also  of  the 
Synod  of  Cincinnati."  He  settled  Walnut  Hills  at 
Cincinnati,  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  founding 
Lane  Theological  Seminary. 

The  last  of  the  four  is  Governor  James  L.  Kemper, 
the  youngest  brother  of  our  Professor  Kemper,  still 
living  in  his  native  county  in  Virginia.  He  was  a 
General  in  the  army  of  the  Confederate  States,  and 
was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Get- 
tysburg, where  he  greatly  distinguished  himself.  He 
was  chosen  Governor  of  Virginia  in  the  fall  of  1877, 
and  served  his  State  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people. 

From  this  survey  it  is  manifest  that  the  Kempers 


24  THE   LTFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

are  a  family  of  positive  characteristics,  among  which 
the  most  marked  have  been  intelligence,  courage,  en- 
terprise, and  piety. 

Of  our  Professor  Kemper's  family  history,  on  his 
mother's  side,  we  have  no  extensive  information. 
There  is,  however,  one  character  among  the  mater- 
nal ancestors  so  remarkable  that  every  reader  will 
thank  Mrs.  Bocock  for  the  sketch  of  her  which  she  has 
furnished  for  our  perusal.  It  is  the  maternal  grand- 
mother, Mrs.  Mary  D.  Allison..  Mrs.  Bocock  says: — 

"  Mrs.  Allison's  maiden  name  was  Dorothea  Stad- 
ler.  She  was  the  only  child  of  Colonel  John  Jasper 
Stadler.  He  was  a  trusted  friend  of  General  Wash- 
ington, and  the  engineer  to  whom  was  intrusted  the 
planning  of  the  fortifications  of  three  States-^Ma- 
ryland,  Virginia,  and  North  Carolina.  His  child 
thought  that  she  had  never  known  so  perfect  a  char- 
acter as  her  father,  and  long  after  his  death  would 
amuse  her  children  and  grandchildren  by  telling 
them  how  she  knelt  and  kissed  the  prints  of  his 
horse's  feet  as  he  rode  off  to  headquarters,  after  a 
visit  to  her  and  her  mother  in  their  Stafford  home. 

"Her  early  life  was  one  of  singular  happiness  in 
her  own  home,  and  she  and  her  mother  enjoyed  to- 
gether the  society  that  gathered  about  the  old  town 
of  Fredericksburg  in  that  day.  She  married  Mr. 
Thomas  Lawson  Allison,  a  man  of  many  attractions, 
but  too  fond  of  wine  and  sport.  Both  of  her  parents 
died  soon  after  her  marriage,  and  in  a  few  years 
her  husband  died,,  leaving  her  many  debts  and  five 
young  children.  Her  father  had  received  from  the 
Government  for  his  services  a  grant  of  a  large  body 
of  land  in  what  is  now  Kentucky,  and  on  a  part  of 


THE   FAMILY  HISTORY.  25 

which  Lexington  stands.  While  surveying  the  land 
they  were  surprised  by  the  Indians  and  some  of  the 
parry  killed.  Before  it  was -safe  to  return,  Colonel 
Stadler  died.  His  only  child  being  a  daughter,  and  she 
in  what  seemed  to  be  prosperous  circumstances,  but 
little  effort  was  made  to  secure  her  Kentucky  land. 
Thus  before  arriving  at  middle  life  she  found  her- 
self a  widow,  in  totally  changed  circumstances  pe- 
cuniarily, and  poorly  fitted  to  battle  with  adversity. 

"  In  order  to  meet  her  husband's  debts  she  sold 
her  home  and  the  greater  part  of  her  servants,  and 
moved  to  a  cottage  on  a  small  farm  about  ten  miles 
above  Fredericksburg,  where  she  tried  to  adapt  herself 
to  her  new  conditions.  Here  she  sought  and  found 
Him  who  is,  as  He  promised  to  be,  the  Husband  of 
the  widow  and  the  Father  of  the  fatherless. 

"  Many  were  the  anecdotes  told  of  her  faith  and 
its  rewards.  So  powerfully  were  her  neighbors  im- 
pressed by  her  life  that  some  of  them  were  in  the 
habit  of  recording  her  strange  experiences.  From 
these  I  send  you  two. 

^' After  she  had  become  somewhat  tranquil  in  her 
new  life,  a  debt  of  considerable  amount,  of  which  she 
knew  nothing,  was  brought  against  her.  She  felt 
almost  powerless  to  meet  it.  Nevertheless  she  sold 
her  gig  and  horse  and  whatever  else  was  not  neces- 
sary for  her  comfort,  and  still  quite  a  little  sum  was 
needed  to  make  up  the  amount.  Her  habit  now  was 
to  commit  all  her  ways  to  tlie  Lord,  who,  she  seemed 
to  realize,  was  indeed  her  '  Father  in  heaven,'  and  thus 
she  was  enabled,  in  an  unusual  degree,  to  'wait  upon 
Him.' 

''  One  nio^ht  she  dreamed  that  a  letter  was  handed 


26  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

her,  whicli  on  opening  contained  a  bill  or  draft  of 
just  the  amount  needed  to  finish  paying  her  debt. 
It  was  from  Mrs.  Race,  then  living  in  Genesee,  N.  Y., 
who  had  been  her  intimate  friend  in  prosperity,  but 
from  whom  slie  had  not  heard  for  a  long  time.  Very 
soon  after  a  neighbor,  Colonel  Briggs,  rode  by  to  tell 
her  that  he  was  going  to  town  that  day,  and  would 
attend  to  any  command  from  her.  She  sent  for  some 
little  purchases,  and  asked  him  to  inquire  at  the  post- 
office,  as  she  was  expecting  an  important  letter. 

"  The  next  morning  a  servant  came,  bringing  the 
package,  but  no  letter.  Later  in  the  day  Colonel  B. 
rode  over  and  said,  '  Well,  Mrs.  Allison,  I  suppose 
you  received  your  package  and  letter  ? '  She  told 
him  of  her  disappointment,  and  he  assured  her  that 
he  had  not  only  got  a  letter,  but  had  noticed  that 
it  was  from  Genesee,  N.  Y. ;  and  as  it  had  been  a 
long  while  since  they  had  heard  from  their  friend 
there,  that  was  one  reason  why  he  had  come  over 
that  day.  He  at  once  rode  back,  made  the  servant 
show  him  just  which  way  he  had  walked,  and  found 
the  letter.  It  was  from  their  mutual  friend,  and  con- 
tained the  sum  needed  to  finish  paying  tJie  debt.  Mrs. 
Race,  feeling  anxious  to  hear  from  her  old  friend, 
and  knowing  of  her  reverses,  had  written  this  letter 
of  inquiry,  asking  her  to  accept  the  inclosure  as  a 
memento  of  their  early  friendship. 

"  At  another  time  she  was  very  anxious  to  attend 
a  meeting  of  presbytery,  which  was  to-  be  held  in 
Fredericksburg.  Having  no  suitable  conveyance 
now,  she  'made  her  request  known  unto  God,'  as 
she  believed  she  had  a  right  to  do.  She  became  sat- 
isfied that  she  would  go,  and  made  all  needed  prepara- 


THE   FAMILY  HISTORY.  27 

tion.  On  the  day  on  which  presbytery  was  to  meet 
she  dressed  lierself  ready  to  start,  put  up  such  cloth- 
ing as  she  thought  would  be  needed  while  there, 
and  laid  out  her  bonnet  ready  to  put  on.  When  her 
family  and  servants  spoke  to  her  about  it,  she  told 
them  that  God  knew  her  desire  to  mingle  with  his 
people  in  worship,  in  his  sanctuary  on  that  occasion, 
and  that  she  believed  he  would  grant  her  request. 

"  Toward  the  middle  of  the  day  a  friend,  Mr.  Grin- 
nan,  who  lived  in  Madison  County,  forty  miles  away, 
drove  up  in  a  gig.  He  sent  a  servant  in  to  say  that 
if  she  could  get  ready  in  a  short  time  he  would  be  very 
happy  to  have  her  compnay  to  town,  but  was  sorry 
that  he  could  not  wait  long,  as  he  had  a  note  to  meet  in 
bank  on  that  day.  She  put  on  her  bonnet,  sent  her 
little  baggage  by  the  servant,  bade  a  loving  adieu  to 
her  family,  and  was  on  her  way  to  presbytery  in  a 
few  minutes. 

"  She  never  doubted  the  direct  providence  of  God 
in  these  and  many  other  incidents  in  her  life.  The 
light  of  her  faith  shone  round  about  her  to  her  dying 
day,  and  remained  as  a  beacon  to  guide  and  animate 
surviving  friends  for  generations  afterward.  The  di- 
rectness and  clearness  of  her  faith  was  what  impressed 
all  who  came  in  contact  with  her. 

''  Her  servants  confided  in  her  and  loved  her.  and 
her  God  was  worshiped  by  them  as  their  God  and 
Guide  ajso.  Though  but  a  little  child  when  she  died, 
I  well  remember  with  what  awe  1  listened  to  her 
voice  at  her  family  evening  prayers,  and  how  she 
would  conclude  the  services  by  calling  on  '  Uncle 
Jack '  (an  aged  Christian  slave)  to  pray.  I  recall  as 
yesterday  the  tearful,  earnest   manner    in    which  he 


2  8  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

would  beg  for  blessings  for  every  member  of  the 
family. 

''The  two  aged  Christians,  mistress  and  slave,  have 
long  since  been  washed  and  made  white  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb.  In  heaven  they  have  loved  their 
Saviour  and  each  other  none  the  less  for  the  relation 
which  providentially  existed  between  them  here,  and 
\yhich  both  so  beautifully  adorned.  Doubtless  their 
prayers  have  stood  as  a  memorial  before  God  through 
succeeding  generations  ;  and  it  may  be  seen  yet,  in 
the  unfoldings  of  eternity,  that  the  great  grace  given 
the  subject  of  your  memoir  was  partly  in  answer  to 
those  very  prayers.  Certain  it  is,  he  always  cherished 
the  most  loving  and  tender  memories  of  his  grand- 
mother, whose  love  for  him,  as  her  oldest  grandson, 
he  valued  as  a  rich  inheritance. 

"  *  Uncle  Jack  '  lived  a  good  while  after  his  old  mis- 
tress's death.  I  well  remember  his  pleading  prayers, 
after  her  death,  when  I  was  older  and  could  be  more 
attentive.  It  was  in  Stafford  County,  forty  miles  from 
our  home.  Our  mother  was  in  the  habit  of  going 
there  in  our  childhood.  She,  too,  enjoyed  Uncle 
Jack's  prayers." 

From  these  two  recitals  it  is  clear  that  good  blood, 
both  from  the  father's  and  the  mother's  side,  mingled 
in  the  veins  of  Frederick  T.  Kemper,  and,  as  we  shall 
see,  showed  itself  in  his  character.  His  masculine 
virtues  seem  to  have  come  from  the  paternal  line, 
while  the  softer  graces  of  his  nature  were  an  inheri- 
tance from  his  motlier's  ancestry.  Witli  regard  to 
both,  we  are  reminded  of  the  Psalmist's  words,  "  God 
is  in  the  generation  of  the  righteous." 


CHAPTER  II. 


HOME    AND   EARLY    LIFE. 


"  I  love  that  dear  old  home  !     My  mother  lived  there 

Her  first  sweet  marriage  years,  and  last  and  widowed  ones. 

The  sunlight  there  seems  to  me  brighter  far 

Than  wheresoever  else.     I  know  the  forms 

Of  every  tree  and  mountain,  hill  and  dell  ; 

Its  waters  gurgle  like  a  tongue  I  know  ; — 

It  is  my  home."  Mrs.  Frances  Butler. 

The  father  of  our  Professor  Kemper,  as  we  have 
already  learned,  was  William  Kemper,  who  in  his 
earlier  life  was  a  merchant  at  Madison  Court-House, 
Virginia.  There  are  probably  many  readers  who  are 
somewhat  mystified  by  the  term  "  Madison  Court- 
House''  They  will  be  relieved  by  the  statement  that 
it  was  quite  common,  in  the  settlement  and  organiza- 
tion of  Virginia,  to  call  the  county  capital  or  seat  of 
justice  the  Court-House.  Thus  we  have  Appomat- 
tox Court-House,  rendered  famous  by  the  inter- 
view between  Generals  Lee  and  Grant.  Madison 
Court-House  was  the  village  in  Madison  County 
where  the  courts  were  held. 

Mr.  William  Kemper  was  a  successful  merchant, 
but,  tiring  of  the  business,  he  invested  his  means  in 
lands  not  far  from  the  Court-House.  He  was  a  man 
of  stroQg  and  sterling  traits  of  character.     There  lie 


30  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

before  me  some  half  a  dozen  letters  written  by  him  to 
his  sons.  The  earliest  are  dated  1832.  In  those  days 
there  were  no  envelopes  for  letters.  Many  of  us  for- 
get how,  in  these  little  things,  times  have  improved 
since  our  childhood.  People  comparatively  young 
can  remember  when  mucilage  and  blotting-paper 
were  unknown,  and  we  thought  the  old  red  wafer  and 
the  sand-box  great  conveniences.  It  was  a  part  of 
the  regular  instruction,  given  by  Professor  Kemper  on 
the  art  of  letter-writing,  to  show  us  how  to  fold  a  sheet 
of  old-fashioned  letter-paper  so  that  it  would  be 
smooth  and  the  direction  could  be  written  on  the  last 
page.  Those,  too,  were  the  days  when  there  were  no 
star  routes  nor  expedited  mails,  and  yet  every  letter 
cost  its  writer  or  reader  twelve  and  a  half  cents  post- 
age if  a  single  sheet,  and  double  that  amount  if  two. 
In  one  of  the  epistles  of  William  Kerhper,  to  which 
we  have  alluded,  reference  is  made  to  a  letter  on 
which  the  postage  was  seventy-five  cents,  and  the  old 
gentleman  very  gravely  doubts  whether  its  contents 
were  worth  the  money. 

As  another  illustration  of  the  progress  of  this  coun- 
try, we  read  in  one  of  his  letters,  written  in  the  year 
1836,  the  following  about  Chicago  and  Illinois  :  *' You 
will  sometimes  see  the  women  wading  through  the 
mud  up  to  their  ankles,  barefooted  and  barelegged. 
When  you  go  into  their  houses,  instead  of  a  broom 
you  will  see  a  shovel  or  a  spade  to  clean  out  the  mud. 
Then  read  the  description  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  in  the 
Observer,  and  you  will  see  how  easy  it  is  for  people 
who  are  interested  to  paint  things  in  high  colors. 
But  the  richness  of  that  soil  will  sustain  such  a  dense 
j)oi)ulation  that,  I  have  no  doubt,  the  time  is  not  far 


HOME  AND  EARLY  LIFE.  31 

distant  when  they  will  sway  the  destiny  of  these 
United  States."  In  less  than  fifty  years  that  son  lived 
to  see  Chicago  a  city  of  more  than  half  a  million  of 
inhabitants  and  the  grain  emporium  of  the  world. 

One  marked  trait  in  the  father's  character,  as  re- 
vealed in  these  letters,  was  a  disposition  to  look  on 
the  dark  side  of  any  question  which  greatly  concerned 
him.  It  sometimes  shows  itself  in  a  way  that  is 
almost  amusing. 

These  letters  further  evince  that  he  was  a  man  of 
strong  native  intelligence.  There  is  a  robustness  and 
vigor  about  his  thoughts  and  modes  of  expression 
which  make  you  cease  to  wonder  that  the  unlettered 
merchant  and  farmer  should  have  been  the  father  of 
a  Governor  of  Virginia,  of  one  of  tlie  most  distin- 
guished teachers  of  tiie  country,  and  of  a  daughter 
.who  is  worthy  of  being  named  in  company  with  her 
illustrious  brothers. 

He  was  a  man  of  a  high  sense  of  commercial  honor. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  give  the  details,  but  one  of  his 
letters  clearly  reveals  this,  in  the  advice  given  to  one 
of  his  sons,  but  a  boy,  who  might  be  influenced,  he 
was  afraid,  by  the  questionable  advice  of  another. 

More  than  all  this,  he  was,  without*  doubt,  a  man 
of  sterling  though  modest  piety.  He  was  an  elder 
in  the  church  for  many  years;  and  there  is  hardly 
one  of  these  letters  which  does  not  show  that  with 
him  religion  was  "the  one  thing  needful,"  A  few 
brief  extracts  will  here  be  interesting.  He  writes  : 
"  I  have  one  request  to  make  of  you,  and  that  is,  to 
make  a  business  of  writing  to  your  younger  sisters 
and  brothers,  separately  and  by  name.  I  am  the 
more  anxious  for  this  because  I  tliink  you  can  make 


32  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

a  more  powerful  appeal  to  their  tender  consciences, 
and  a  deeper  and  more  lasting  impression  on  the 
subject  of  religion,  in  this  than  in  any  other  way, 
and  think  that  you  can  be  the  means  of  doing  them 
more  good  than  if  you  were  present."  Again  :  "  It 
would  be  vain,  in  such  an  ignoramus  as  myself,  to 
say  a  word  on  the  subject  of  religion  to  one  who  has 
now  been  about  four  years  under,  I  hope,  the  best 
and  the  brightest  ;  but  I  will  say  that  I  think  all 
knowledge  is  worth  but  little  without  religion. 
Therefore,  read  your  Bible,  and  pin  your  faith  to  no 
man's  sleeve."  Once  more  :  "I  know  that  education 
is  an  all-important  thing,  and  I  have  felt  the  want  of 
it  all  my  life.  But  the  most  of  the  literary  men  are 
poor  ;  and  when  I  read  in  your  paper  last  year  about 
the  German  literature,  I  had  almost  concluded  that 
it  had  made  them  fools.  I  have  no  doubt  but  many 
a  poor  illiterate  Christian,  who  never  read  anything 
but  his  Bible,  is  happier  and  will  shine  much  brighter 
in  heaven  than  they  will,  with  all  their  mistaken  the- 
ology." 

Frederick  T.  Kemper  was  also  the  son  of  Maria  E. 
Allison,  whose  remarkable,  mother  has  already  in- 
terested us.  The  cases  are  certainly  rare  in  whicli 
great  men  have  not  been  the  offspring  of  mothers  of 
more  than  ordinary  character.  How  far  the  physical 
law  of  heredity  will  account  for  this  it  is  perhaps 
impossible  to  say.  There  are  moral  reasons  for  it, 
however,  which  it  is  not  difficult  to  see.  As  the 
whole  shape  and  durability  of  a  house  depend  on  the 
foundation,  so  the  superstructure  of  the  matured 
life  is  generally  determined  by  the  early  influences 
which  form  the  basis  of  the  character.     These  early 


I 


HOME   AND  EARL  V  LIFE.  ^iZ 

influences  arc  mainly  furnished  by  the  mother,  during 
those  impressible  years  when  her  plastic  power 
moulds  the  habits  and  fashions  the  principles  which 
are  the  foundation  of  the  after-life,  and  make  or  mar 
the  man. 

Mrs.  William  Kemper  was  such  a  woman,  not  en- 
dowed with  masculine  or  heroic  virtues,  but  gifted 
with  powers  which  are  none  the  less  potent  though 
more  gentle  in  their  operation.  She  was  naturally  a 
poet,  fond  of  music  and  of  flowers.  Who  can  meas- 
ure the  moral  might  of  a  mother's  lullaby,  as,  with 
words  which  breathe  the  sentiments  of  heaven  and  a 
voice  whose  melody  is  that  of  the  angels,  she  sings 
her  son  to  sleep  night  after  night  for  half  a  score 
of  years  ?  His  pupils,  at  least  of  the  earlier  days, 
often  heard  him  sing  Kirke  White's  "  Star  of  Beth- 
lehem." He  learned  that  song  from  his  mother's  lips 
as  she  rocked  him  to  rest,  a  little  boy  on  the  moun- 
tains of  Virginia 

Mrs.  Bocock  writes:  "  Do  you  remember  a  story 
that  brother  Frederick  used  to  tell  the  boys  some- 
times, in  talking  to  them  about  the  love  of  a  mother 
and  their  duty  to  her }  When  a  boy  he  had  spoken 
rather  petulantly  to  his  mother  one  day,  when  she 
made  some  request  of  him.  He  went  ofll[  to  his 
duties,  but  his  conscience  hurt  him  so  he  could  not 
rest.  He  went  to  her  chamber  to  ask  her  forgiveness. 
She  was  not  there.  He  looked  all  around,  but  could 
not  find  her.  Then  he  sat  down  and  wrote  her  a  loving 
note,  asking  her  pardon  for  his  manner  to  her  that 
morning.  He  gave  it  to  a  servant,  telling  her  to  hunt 
for  her  mistress  until  she  found  her.  After  a  while 
the  servant  returned,  bringing  him  a  large,  beautiful 


34  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

rose!  She  had  been  found  among  her  flowers,  and, 
true  to  the  delicate  promptings  of  her  nature,  she 
sent  this  beautiful  rose,  without  a  word,  knowing 
that  his  instincts  would  enable  him  to  understand 
the  meaning  it  conveyed."  Can  literature  furnish  a 
more  exquisite  incident 4han  this?  Did  we  not  say 
truly  that  she  was  a  born  poet? 

She  was  also  a  woman  of  decided  piety.  Her  love 
of  truth  and  conscientious  fear  of  deviating  from  it 
were  such  as  often  created  a  smile  among  her  friends. 
To  say  that  Mrs.  Kemper  made  a  statement  was 
understood  to  mean  that  no  further  testimony  could 
be  needed.  What  higher  element  can  a  character 
have?  No  one  without  it  can  be  rich;  none  with  it 
can  be  poor.  The  Rev.  Daniel  B.  Ewing,  D.D., 
writes  in  her  obituary  :  "  The  spiritual  welfare  of 
her  household  was  the  most  prominent  object  of  her 
life.  It  was  her  habit,  when  her  children  were  young, 
to  retire  daily  with  them,  and,  kneeling  before  her 
God,  to  commend  them  with  tears  to  his  fatherly 
care.  Who  can  tell  how  much  of  tliat  grace,  which 
has  shone  in  children  and  in  children's  children,  is 
due  to  her  prayers  and  influences  ?" 

Well  might  each  of  her  sons  and  daughters  say  : 

"  She  led  me  first  to  God  ; 
Her  words  and  prayers  were  my  young  spirit's  dew, 

For  when  she  used  to  leave 

The  fireside  every  eve, 
I  knew  it  was  for  prayer  that  she  withdrew. 

How  often  has  the  thought 

Of  my  mourned  mother  brought 
Peace  to  my  troubled  spirit,  and  new  power 

The  tempter  to  repel  ! 

Mother,  thou  knowest  well 
That  thou  hast  blessed  me  since  my  natal  hour." 


HOME  AND  EARLY  LIFE.  35 

We  shall  be  interested  in  the  following  family  notes 
furnished  by  the  facile  pen  of  Mrs.  Bocock  : — 

"  Brother  Frederick  thought  that  there  were  but 
few  homes,  even  in  old  Virginia,  which  combined  so 
many  elements  of  beauty  as  that  of  his  boyhood.  It 
is  still  in  the  family.  An  old-fashioned  brick  house, 
in  the  midst  of  shade  trees  and  shrubbery,  on  an 
eminence  that  commands  a  view  in  front  of  over  fifty 
miles  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains,  with  a  wide  ex- 
panse of  hill,  valley,  and  running  streams  between. 
To  the  rear  is  the  Thoroughfare  Mountain,  a  part  of 
the  family  estate,  and  between  the  old-fashioned 
'falling-garden'  and  that  little  mountain  is  the  Fam- 
ily Graveyard. 

"  Here  his  taste  for  the  beautiful  was  cultivated, 
not  only  by  the  surrounding  scenery,  but  under  the 
intluences  of  a  gentle,  refined  Christian  mother, 
whose  memory  he  ever  loved  to  keep  green.  She 
lived  to  be  eighty-five  years  of  age,  and  her  love  for 
the  young,  for  music  and  flowers,  for  kind  and  char- 
itable deeds,  never  abated.  Even  to  old  age  she  was 
rarely  seen  without  some  little  flower  or  sprig  of 
green  upon  her  bosom.  She  drew  and  painted 
quaint  pinks  and  roses  until  after  she  was  eighty 
years  old.  This  is  a  .true,  though  faint,  picture  of 
his  mother.  His  pupils  will  recall,  in  his  talks  te 
them,  many  an  allusion,  made  with  softened  tone,  to 
'  My  mother  in  old  Virginia.' 

"  Here  too,  no  doubt,  in  the  overflowing  hospitality 
of  his  father's  house,  he  imbibed  that  genial  habit 
which  was  so  conspicuous  in  his  social  life. 

"  It  is  probable  also  that  his  ideas  of  independence 
on  his  own  farm  were  acquired  from  the  patriarch:il 


36  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

example  of  his  father,  who  (and  this  was  not  unusual 
in  the  South  in  those  days)  kept  his  own  mill  and 
shops — shoemakers',  blacksmiths',  and  carpenters' — in 
full  operation  for  the  benefit  of  his.  own  family  and 
slaves. 

''  His  father  never  wanted  office  of  any  kind,  or  he 
could  have  had  any  within  the  gift  of  his  county. 
One  thing  is  well  remembered :  he  ardently  desired 
to  see  some  suitable  system  adopted  for  the  gradual 
emancipation  of  the  slaves  of  the  South.  He  never 
thought  the  relation  in  itself  was  wrong,  however,  and 
was  himself  a  most  humane  master. 

"  The  subject  of  this  volume  inherited  much  of  his 
sterling  love  of  right  from  his  father,  who  was  left 
fatherless  when  a  child,  and  lovingly  cared  for  his 
widowed  mother  and  for  his  sisters  all  through  his 
long  life.  His  son  Frederick  felt  the  value  of  '  a 
good  name  '  as  an  inheritance,  when  once,  while  a 
student  at  Marion  College,  Missouri,  he  needed 
a  sum  of  money  promptly,  and  went  to  an  old 
Virginia  settler  to  borrow  it,  offering  good  security. 
The  old  man  replied,  *  If  you  are  a  worthy  son  of 
your  father,  I  need  no  security  ;  and  if  he  has  an  un- 
worthy son,  I  shall  not  expose  him.' 

"  The  population  of  Madison  County  was  always  a 
quiet,  moral  one.  No  railroad  has  penetrated  the 
county  to  this  day. 

*'  There  were  eight  children  in  the  family — four  sons 
and  four  daughters.  Mrs.  Mary  Freeman,  the  old- 
est child,  died  recently  at  her  home  in  Georgia,  a  con- 
sistent Christian.  Mrs.  Susan  Matthews  and  Mrs. 
,  Maria  Botts  lived  honored  Christian  lives  in  Cul- 
pepcr  County,  Va.,  and  died  some  years  ago.     Will- 


HOME  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


Zl 


inm,  the  second  son  and  third  child,  went  with 
liis  older  brother  Frederick  to  Missouri,  graduated 
at  Marion  College,  then  took  charge  of  a  classical 
school  at  Raymond,  Mississippi,  and  died  there  of 
fever  in  less  than  a  year.  His  character  was  a  singu- 
larly pure  and  attractive  one,  much  inclined  to  inno- 
cent merriment,  and  a  joyous,  earnest  Christian. 
His  death  was  the  first  great  sorrow  of  his  mother's 
life.  John,  the  third  brother,  is  proprietor  of  the  old 
home,  *  Mountain  Prospect,*  and  is  a  useful  citizen. 
James  L.,  the  youngest  brother,  is  practising  law  at 
the  county  seat  of  his  native  county,  after  having 
served  his  country  as  a  brave  officer  and  his  State  as 
legislator  and  governor." 

The  family  list  is  made  complete  by  the  addition  of 
Frederick  Thomas,  the  oldest  son,  and  Mrs.  Sarali 
M.  Bocock,  the  youngest  child.  Of  Mrs.  Bocock 
nothing  further  need  be  said,  as  she  speaks  for  her- 
self most  engagingly  in  this  volume.  Her  husband, 
however,  deserves  v^pecial  mention.  He  was  a  brother 
of  the  Hon.  Thomas  Bocock,  one  of  the  ablest  repre- 
sentatives whom  Virginia  has  sent  to  the  national 
Congress.  He  was  the  Rev.  John.  H.  Bocock,  D.D.,  a 
distinguished  clergyman  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
a  man  of  vigorous  intellect,  a  veritable  Titan  in  the 
pulpit. 

At  Mountain  Prospect,  the  family  residence,  in  Mad- 
ison County,  Virginia,  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  Octo- 
ber, iSi6,  Frederick  Thomas  Kemper,  the  second  child 
and  oldest  son  of  William  and  Maria  E.  Kemper,  began 
his  eventful  life  on  this  earth.  We  have  already  learned 
the  influences  around  him  in  the  family  circle. 

The  scenery  of  his  home  must  also  have  made  a 


38  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

great  and  lasting  impression  on  him.  We  who  have 
been  born  and  bred  upon  the  rich  and  beautiful 
prairie  plains  of  the  interior  West  can  hardly  have  a 
conception  of  the  blended  beauty  and  sublimity  of 
the  mountains.  It  has  been  the  writer's  privilege  not 
only  to  cross  the  Appalachian  chain  of  the  East  at 
several  different  points,  but  also  to  stand  upon  the 
snow-capped  summit  of  the  greater  Rocky  range  of 
the  West.  What  shall  one  used  to  a  softly  roll- 
ing prairie  say,  as  he  stands  at  the  foot  of  a  real 
mountain,  whose  regal  height  the  pines  strive  in  vain 
to  reach,  though  they  gnarl  their  roots  far  up  on 
its  rocky  sides  in  the  endeavor  ;  whose  towering  top 
the  hardy  grasses,  clambering  inch  by  inch,  fail  to 
find  ;  whose  majestic  coronet  is  of  granite,  porphyry, 
agate,  opal,  and  topaz,  and  upon  whose  shoulders 
there  ever  gracefully  rests  a  mantle  of  snowy  ermine  ? 
He  can  only  kneel  in  rapt  adoration,  and,  as  he  looks 
still  higher,  exclaim,  "Behold  what  hath  God 
wrought !"  "As  we  look  up  to  thee  it  would  seem 
as  if  God  made  thee  with  His  mighty  hand  to  notch 
His  centuries  in  thy  eternal  rocks."  As  we  see  the 
flower,  the  grass,  and  the  tree  vainly  struggle  to 
gain  thy  pure  and  lofty  summit,  we  tliink  of  human 
efforts  to  reach  the  mount  of  perfection,  where  the 
soil  of  earthliness  is  not  known,  and  where  all  va- 
pors crystalize  into  the  spotless  snow  of  innocence. 
As  we  gaze  upon  thy  pure,  unshadowed  height,  our 
soul  longs  to  breathe  thy  heavenly  air,  and  we  recall 
to  mind  a  mount  higher  far  than  thine  own,  yet  on 
whose  top  the  tree  of  Calvary  grows,  around  which 
the  Rose  of  Sharon  exhales  its  fragrance,  and  wliere 
the  l.ily  of  the  Valley  raises  its  head  in  modest  Uut 


HOME  AND  EARLY  LIFE,  39 

glorious  triumph.  It  is  not  strange  that  mountains 
should  make  poets,  and  freemen,  and  Christians,  and 
men. 

"  My  mountain  home,  my  mountain  home  ! 
Though  valleys  fairer  lie, 
My  spirit  pines  amid  their  bloom — 

It  shuts  me  from  the  sky. 
The  mountains  holier  visions  bring 

Than  e'er  in  vales  arise, 
As  brightest  sunshine  bathes  the  wing 
That's  nearest  to  the  skies." 

As  to  the  early  education  of  our  Mr.  Kemper,  we 
know  that  it  was  conducted  at  a  home  school  on  his 
father's  place,  until  he  was  sent  off  to  college.  His 
father  and  Colonel  Henry  Hill,  who  had  a  large  family 
on  an  adjoining  estate,  for  many  years  employed 
teachers  for  the  benefit  of  their  own  and  their  neigh- 
bors' families. 

Of  his  earlier  teachers  we  know  only  two  by  name. 
Of  one,  the  pastor  of  the  family  at  the  time,  the  Rev. 
A.  D.  Pollock,  D.D.,  writes:  "His  own  teacher,  so 
far  as  I  know  (Alexander  L.),  was  a  very  ordinary 
man,  a  dull  man  ;  anything  other  than  a  genius  in 
teaching  or  in  anything  else.  In  fact,  the  man  that 
is  a  man  usually  makes  himself,  or  rather  comes 
out  from  within  himself.  Frederick  did  this  in  an 
eminent  degree." 

The  other  teacher  of  whom  we  know  was  William 
H.  Field,  Esq.,  afterward  a  successful  lawyer  for 
twenty-five  years  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  of  whom  Pres- 
ident Laws,  of  the  Missouri  State  University,  once 
remarked  that  he  was  a  man  of  senatorial  dignity 
and  intelligence.  But  he  well  illustrates  what  is  un- 
fortunately a  very  large  class  of  the  teachers  of  this 


40  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

country.  They  are  men,  manv  of  them,  of  very  re- 
spectable talents,  who  teach  merely  as  a  stepping- 
stone  to  something  else.  Mr.  Field  made  an  eminent 
lawyer;  he  might  have  made  an  eminent  teacher. 
But  it  is  morally  certain  that  he  could  and  did  ac- 
complish but  little  during  the  few  months  which  he 
gave  to  the  school-room. 

Mr.  Kemper  continued  to  attend  the  home  school 
until  the  fall  of  1829,  when  he  was  nearly  thirteen 
years  old.  From  a  memorandum  made  by  him  on 
the  back  of  one  of  his  early  journals,  we  know  that 
he  was  placed  as  early  as  this  in  the  store  of  Finks 
&  Banks,  at  Madison  Court-House,  and  that  he  re- 
mained in  their  employ  two  years.  We  know  that  he 
left  Virginia  about  the  first  of  October,  iS3i,togo 
into  business  as  a  clerk  with  Messrs.  Lougli  &  Mc- 
Kee,  merchants  in  Market  Street,  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more; that  he  remained  with  them  one  year,  when  he 
returned,  on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  cholera,  to 
Madison  Court-House,  to  enter  the  store  of  his  uncle, 
Mr.  Henry  Allison,  with  whom  he  continued  until 
January,  1834.  The  next  two  and  a  half  years,  until 
he  was  ready  to  leave  home  for  Marion  College,  were 
probably  spent  in  teaching  his  younger  brothers  and 
sisters,  the  first  service  which  he  performed  in  the 
profession  in  which  he  was  destined  to  become  so 
eminently  useful.  Mrs.  Bocock  says  that  he  disliked 
the  business  of  clerking.  It  does  seem  incongruous, 
with  all  we  know  of  him,  that  he  should  ever  have 
stood  behind  a  counter.  Boy  as  he  was,  he  must  liave 
felt  like  Samson  when  he  was  grinding  in  the  prison 
of  the  Philistines.  That  he  was  a  popular  and  effi- 
cient clerk  we  know  both  from  the  testimony  of  the 


HOME  AND  EARLY  LIFE. 


41 


living  and  of  the  dead.  We  do  not  doubt  this,  for  he 
was  a  man  of  conscience,  and  if  he  had  been  a  boot- 
black he  would  have  done  his  work  thoroughly  and 
well. 

We  come  now  to  one  of  the  most  interesting  expe- 
riences of  his  life,  indeed  it  is  the  most  important, 
for  it  was  the  turning-point  in  his  history.  It  was  in 
the  Fall  of  1833  tliat  he  was  converted  to  Christianity 
and  joined  tlie  Presbyterian  Church  at  Madison  Court- 
House.  He  had  just  completed  his  sixteenth  year. 
About  a  year  before  there  had  been  a  very  remarkable 
revival  of  religion  in  the  church  at  Fredericksburg, 
under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  S.  B.  Wilson,  D.D. 
We  have  before  us,  in  one  of  Mr.  Kemper's  letters,  the 
testimony  of  an  eye-witness  tliat  there  were  as  many 
as  one  hundred  and  fifty  anxious  inquirers  at  one 
time.  This  meeting  produced  a  great  impression  in 
all  the  surrounding  country.  In  the  fall  of  1832  the 
Rev.  A.  D.  Pollock  took  charge  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Madison  Court-House.  Frederick  T. 
Kemper  had  but  lately  returned  home  from  Balti- 
more. Dr.  Pollock  gives  this  account  in  a  letter  to 
Mrs.  Bocock :  "Dr.  Post,  of  Washington  City,  was 
holding  a  sacramental  meeting  at  the  Court-House, 
and  thus  I  commenced  my  stationed  ministry.  When 
the  communion  board  was  spread,  three  persons  came 
forward  and  were  announced  as  communicants  for 
the  first  time.  One  of  the  three  was  Frederick, 
then  a  clerk  in  Mr,  Allison's  store.  That  was  forty- 
eight  and  a  half  years  ago.  That  good  and  honest 
old  man,  your  father,  was  then  an  elder  of  the 
church." 

Mrs.    Kemper  says  :     "  He  was  favored  with  an 


42  rilE  LIFE   OF  PROF,    KEMPER. 

intimate  acquaintance  with  Mrs.  Ann  Swift,  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Henry  Allison.  She  was  a  woman 
of  rare  accomplishments  and  earnest  piety.  She  was 
descended  from  a  wealthy  and  influential  French 
family,  by  the  name  of  Roberdeau.  The  association 
and  influence  of  this  cultured  woman  doubtless  had 
much  to  do  in  forming  the  character  and  destinies  of 
the  young  boy.  At  this  time  a  series  of  meetings 
were  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Septimus  Tustin,  and 
Mrs.  Swift  attended  them,  taking  Frederick  with 
her,  who  at  an  early  stage  of  the  meeting  became 
interested  for  his  soul's  salvation. 

"  Mrs.  Swift  was  not  well  at  the  time,  but  she  was 
so  concerned  for  her  young  charge  that  she  would 
not  stop.  So  the  disease  of  her  throat  became  so 
serious  that  medical  skill  failed,  and  she  died  after  a 
few  days'  illness,  testifying  to  the  last  hour  her  per- 
fect trust  in  her  Saviour.  Already  Frederick  had 
united  himself  with  the  people  of  God,  and  this 
sudden  death  of  one  he  loved  and  who  had  guided 
his  footsteps  in  the  path  of  everlasting  life,  stamped 
most  deeply  his  religious  character." 

Mrs.  Bocock  gives  a  different  but  not  an  inconsis- 
tent, statement  of  the  attending  circumstances: — 

*'The  churches  at  Madison  Court-House  were  in 
such  a  cold  state  that  people  said  that  religion  was 
dead.  The  ministers  who  lived  there  at  last  resolved 
to  hold  a  ministers'  prayer-meeting,  to  pray  for  a  re- 
vival. The  young  men  were  mostly  sceptical,  under 
the  lead  of  a  young  lawyer,  who  was  a  pronounced 
infidel  and  a  cultivated,  scholarly  man.  The  general 
prayer-meeting  of  the  village  was  a  union  one,  but 
poorly  attended.     After  a  wliile  it  was  noticed,  to  tlie 


HOME   AND   EARLY  LIFE.  43 

great  joy  of  the  ministers,  tliat  tliere  was  an  increase 
of  the  congregation,  and  they  appointed  nightly  ser- 
vices. Soon  some  of  the  sceptical  young  men  were 
seen  in  the  audience.  One  night  (I  have  heard 
brother  Frederick  tell  it  with  tears  in  his  eyes)  the 
room  or  house  was  crowded.  There  was  deathlike 
solemnity.  The  ministers  invited  every  one  who  was 
anxious  about  his  soul's  salvation  to  make  it  known, 
that  they  might  be  assisted  in  their  inquiries.  To 
the  astonishment  of  everybody  in  the  house,  the  in- 
fidel young  lawyer  arose  and  asked  to  be  prayed  for. 
He  said  that  he  was  utterly  wretched.  He  knew 
that  he  had  led  others  astray, and  now  would  earnestly 
beg  all  who  had  been  thus  influenced  by  him  to  ask 
God  for  mercy,  and  to  start  with  him  to  the  heavenly 
kingdom.  This  had  such  an  effect  that  a  powerful 
revival  continued  for  a  long  time.  Almost  all  the 
people  of  the  village,  and  many  around,  became 
Christians.  That  young  lawyer  is  now  the  Rev. 
Horace  Stringfellow,  who,  though  now  old,  is  one 
of  the  most  useful  men  and  ministers  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church.  Brothers  Frederick  and  William  were 
brought  in  at  that  time.  I  never  heard,  however, 
that  either  had  ever  been  sceptical." 

It  is  a  mighty  change  in  any  man's  life  when  he 
becomes  a  Christian,  whether  previously  he  had  been 
moral  or  immoral.  The  Scriptures  call  it  a  new 
birth,  a  resurrection  from  the  dead,  a  new  creation. 
These  terms  are  not  extravagant,  nor  meant  to  be 
Oriental  hyperbole.  They  express  a  sober  and  a 
pregnant  fact.  Many,  however,  Christians  and  non- 
believers,  mistake  its  nature.  It  is  not  such  a  moral 
transformation  that  its  subject  immediately  becomes 


44  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

a  perfect  cliaracter.  Thus  it  might  have  been,  doubt- 
less, if  God  had  so  thought  it  best.  So  far  from 
this,  the  converted  man  is,  in  one  aspect,  but  little 
more  like  an  angel  than  he  was  before. 

Habits  and  dispositions  to  form  habits  are  the 
great  facts  and  factors  of  human  character.  Habits 
are  a  growth,  and  are  necessarily  of  slow  and  gradual 
formation.  They  are  the  exhibits  of  character,  and 
are  themselves  the  outgrov/th  and  the  proof  of  the 
dispositions  that  lie  back  of  them  and  give  them 
being,  complexion,  and  development.  When  a  man 
is  converted,  his  dispositions  are  thoroughly  and 
radically  changed,  but  his  habits  are  not.  His  moral 
tendencies  are  reversed,  and  in  this  lies  the  great 
fact  and  interest  of  his  renewal.  There  is  a  new 
creation ;  but  it  is  a  new  creation,  and  must  be  de- 
veloped. It  is  a  resurrected  life,  but  a  life  that  must 
be  lived,  and  matured  in  the  living  of  it.  It  is  a  new 
birth,  but  a  birth  into  spiritual  babyhood,  that  must 
have  its  infancy  and  youth  before  it  reaches  a  ripened 
manhood.  There  is  a  new  disposition,  but  this  dis- 
position is  to  cast  out  the  old  and  form  and  perfect 
new  religious  habits.  This  may  be  done  very  slowly, 
very  gradually ;  but  always  as  surely  as  the  purposes 
of  God  and  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  atonement  and 
the  efficiency  of  the  Spirit's  sanctifying  power  can 
make  it. 

It  is  a  great  thing  then  to  become  a  Christian  ;  for  it 
is  the  starting  upon  a  new  road,  that  leads  onward  and 
upward  to  the  higher  and  the  perfect  life.  It  is  a  great 
thing  to  become  a  Christian,  not  only  for  himself, 
but  also  for  the  sake  of  others.  For  it  is  the  intro- 
Uiction    of   a   new  spiritual    Iok  o   into  our   ruined 


HOME  AND  EARLY  LIFE.  45 

world,  which,  by  the  power  of  its  moral  attraction, 
is  to  lead  others  with  it  on  the  ascending  path  of 
purity  and  piety.  Who  can  estimate  the  worth  of 
that  change  in  young  Kemper's  heart,  when  he  was 
but  sixteen  years  of  age?  What  a  different  boy  he 
was,  and  how  different  a  man  shall  be  forever  after- 
ward !  How  much  higher  and  purer  have  been,  and 
shall  be,  the  lives  of  hundreds  of  others  for  the  same 
reason  ! 

He  became  a  Christian  when  he  was  a  boy.  Scep- 
ticism may  carp  at  this,  and  sneer  that  religion  is  for 
boys  and  women,  and  yet  praise  Epicurus  for  be- 
coming a  sceptic  at  twelve.  But  these  same  boys, 
when  they  become  men,  yea,  giant  men,  with  "  wrest- 
ling thews  that  throw  the  world,"  still  cling  to  their 
religion  as  the  dearest  treasure  of  the  mind.  Our 
Frederick  entered  the  Master's  service  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  continued  until  the  sun  went  down.  The 
brightest,  the  strongest,  tlie  most  useful  Christians 
are  the  early  ones.  This  is  the  rule,  to  which  there 
are  but  few  exceptions.  The  Bible  pledges  that  it 
shall  be  so.  The  law  of  habit  teaches  that  it  must  be 
so.  A  general  observation  shows  that  it  is  so.  The 
case  before  us  is  a  brilliant  illustration,  as  we  shall 
see,  of  this  interesting  truth. 

From  the  time  of  his  connection  with  the  Church, 
by  a  personal  profession  of  religion,  the  evidence 
lies  before  us,  in  the  letters  of  his  pastor  and  his 
friends  written  nearly  fifty  years  ago,  that  he  was  an 
earnest  and  decided  Christian.  Boy  as  he  was,  he 
witnessed  a  good  confession,  and  left  behind  him  in 
the  Old  Dominion,  among  his  neighbors  and  friends, 
the  name  of  a  humble,  steadfast  follower  of  the  meek 


46  THE   LIFE   GF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

and  lowly  Jesus.  Writes  Dr.  Pollock  :  "  We  were 
sitting  alone  together,  and  talking  of  our  personal 
troubles  as  Christians,  and  his  soft  voice  said  of  him- 
self (I  can  hear  it  now),  *  I  am  not  worthy  to  name  His 


CHAPTER  III. 

LEAVES   HOME    FOR    MISSOURI. 

"Ah  !  you  never  yet 
Were  far  away  from  Venice,  never  saw 
Her  beautiful  towers  in  the  receding  distance, 
While  every  furrow  of  your  vessel's  track 
Seemed  ploughing  deep  into  your  heart  ;  you  never 
Saw  day  go  down  upon  your  native  spires, 
So  calmly  with  its  gold  and  crimson  glory, 
And  after  dreaming  a  disturbed  vision 
Of  them  and  theirs,  awoke  and  found  ihem  not." 

Byron. 

Fortunately  for  us,  Mr.  Kemper  kept  a  journal, 
beginning  Tuesday,  March  29th,  1836,  and  continued 
more  or  less  regularly  throughout  his  life.  It  is  not 
a  record  of  facts,  but  mainly  of  thoughts,  feelings, 
purposes  ;  of  his  inner,  not  of  his  outer  life.  It  is  all 
the  more  precious  and  interesting  to  us  that  it  is 
such.  While  we  are  surprised  and  disappointed  to 
find  that  the  allusions  which  he  makes  to  the  most 
important  changes  in  his  history  are  quite  meagre, 
and  that  to  some  of  them  there  is  no  reference  in  his 
journal,  yet  we  can  bear  this  with  patient  gratitude 
as  we  turn  page  after  page,  richly  freighted  with 
revelations  of  his  real  self,  the  hidden  man  of  the 
heart. 

While  these  lines  were  all  written  with  the  thought 


48  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

that  no  curious  eye  would  ever  read  them,  and  that 
they  would  never  be  exposed  to  the  garish  gaze  of 
public  scrutiny,  yet  they  contain  nothing  unworthy 
of  the  man  that  wrote  them,  and  much  that  show  him 
to  have  been  a  profound  philosopher  of  the  mysteries 
of  the  human  spirit,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most 
humble  and   unsparing  critic  and  censor  of  himself. 

There  is  need,  of  course,  of  the  most  judicious  care 
in  selecting  the  extracts  to  be  published.  No  man 
would  wish  his  inner  life  exposed  recklessly  to  the 
view  of  the  cold,  critical,  unsympathetic  world. 
There  are  passages  in  the  lives  of  us  all,  which  per- 
haps to  our  intimate  friends  are  the  tenderest  and 
dearest,  yet  over  which,  for  that  very  reason,  there 
should  be  thrown  the  veil  of  hallowed  privacy. 

He  is  now  a  youth,  something  more  than  nineteen 
years  old.  A  few  pages  from  his  journal,  made  at 
this  time,  will  show  what  kind  of  a  young  man  he 
was: — 

"  Tuesday y  2C)ih  March.,  1836. — I  have  this  morning 
made  this  book  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  a  record 
of  my  history,  and  the  manner  in  which  I  may  spend 
my  time  in  future.  I  have  for  some  months  past 
wasted  much  valuable  time.  May  I  be  enabled,  O 
Lord,  so  to  number  my  days  as  to  apply  my  heart 
unto  wisdom." 

*'  Thursday,  i^th  April. — Spent  greater  part  of 
forenoon  in  writing,  or  rather  in  learning  to  write. 
Think  I  have  improved  some  since  Monday,  when  I 
commenced  going  to  the  writing-school,  taught  at 
Madison  Court-House  by  Mr.  Davis.  It  is,  in  my 
judgment,  no  small  or  useless  accomplishment  to 
write  a  fair  hand." 


I 


LEAVES  HOME  FOR  MISSOURI.  49 

''May  ^th.—\  have,  notwithstanding  my  resolu- 
tions, wasted  a  great  deal  of  my  precious  time  in 
reading  improperly  as  to  manner  and  matter,  vitiat- 
ing my  taste,  debasing  my  intellect,  and  ni;iki ng  my- 
self a  smatterer  in  every  kind  of  knowledge  as  well  as 
morals.  I  was  thinking  of  these  things  this  morn- 
ing, and  of  amendment.  I  think  I  am  a  being  in  the 
universe  of  God,  my  Maker.  Whether  I  have  talents 
few  or  many,  I  was  made  for  something.  What  is 
it  ?  To  glorify  God  and  enjoy  him  forever.  To  be 
active,  to  improve  my  talents,  to  be  useful.  What 
are  the  best  means  to  these  ends.^  Study  of  God's 
will,  in  his  word  and  providence  ;  prayer,  self-com- 
munion ;  obedience  universal.  Industry  from  morn 
till  dewy  eve.  Self-denial,  straining  up  perfectioij's 
hill.  Order  in  conduct  and  distribution  of  my  time. 
Keeping  a  strict  account  of  every  day's  duties  and 
sins,  and  examining  at  its  close  how  I  have  fulfilled 
these  obligations,  and  complied  with  these  known 
duties, 

"  I  thank  Thee,  O  Tord,  that  Thou  hast  given 
me  health ;  that  Thou  hast  given  me  Christ  to  help 
my  infirmities,  and  to  be  my  whole  Saviour.  Help 
me  to  follow  him  daily ;  yes,  to-day,  and  to-morrow, 
and  all  my  days.  Melt  my  heart.  Grant  me  repent- 
ance and  faith,  and  every  Christian  grace-  May  I 
grow  every  day  in  Thy  likeness.  Give  a  direction 
to  my  thoughts  that  they  may  always  run  upon 
profitable  subjects.  Keep  me  humble,  and  useful, 
and  holy,  for  Christ's  sake.     Amen  and  amen. 

"  I  purpose  reading  fifty  pages  per  day  in  '  Watts 
on  the  Mind,'  till  I  get  through  that  book  ;  and  then 
reading  '  Abercombie  on    the   Intellectual  Powers.' 

3 


5o  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

As  much  as  tliat,  if  I  do  not  spend  a  good  deal  of 
time  in  reading  explanations  of  his  technical  Aj^ords. 
Lord,  enlighten  and  strengthen  my  mind.  May  I 
improve  morally  and  mentally,  beyond  my  expecta- 
tion, and  all  to  Thy  glory  and  my  good.     Amen. 

"  I  will  try  to  rise  at  4  o'clock  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  the  spring  and  during  the  approaching 
summer,  and  to  improve  all  my  time,  nay,  'redeem  ' 
lost  '  time.'  I  will  strive  to  have  my  Greek  grammar 
well  committed  to  memory  by  the  first  of  June,  and 
Watts  and  Abercrombie  both  well  read,  and  well 
understood,  and  well  remembered,  and  well  pondered, 
and  well  practised.  If  this  be  done  it  will  be  but  a 
small  month's  work,  in  comparison  with  the  labor  of 
such  men  as  Ashmun. 

"  I  will  have  also  a  large  portion  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament (and  some  of  the  New)  read  by  the  first  of 
June,  if  I  live.  Keep  me,  Je^us,  from  falling.  Keep 
me  low  in  the  dust  of  humility.  Make  me  vigorous 
and  active." 

'^  May  24///,  Tuesday. — Am  reading  'Watts  on  the 
Mind.'  Much  pleased  with  it.  To  extract  its  sweets, 
it  must  be  read  as  his  chapter  on  reading  directs  that 
any  book  should  be  read. 

"  Had  many  temptations  to-day.  I  praise  and 
thank  God  that  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  was  victorious 
in  every  conflict.  I  find  more  pleasure  in  quenching 
one  of  Satan's  darts  by  the  shield  of  faith,  than  in 
all  sensual  enjoyment.  Keep  me  in  my  place,  O 
Father,  in  the  dust  at  Thy  feet. 

"  Did  tolerably  well  in  Greek  grammar  Have 
accomplished  more  than  in  some  weeks  of  irregular- 
ity and  sensual  pursuhs," 


LEAVES  HOME   FOR   MISSOURI. 


51 


^^  June  8///,  Wednesday. — I  am  very  sensual  ;  too 
much  so  for  a  Christian  or  a  student." 

^^  Saturday^  June  id>th. — Rose  this  morning  very 
late,  after  breakfast,  owing  in  some  measure  to  being 
up  late  last  night.  Without  my  morning  devotions; 
which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  have  been  much  neglected 
of  late.  I  went  to  Mr.  S.'s  shop,  where  I  met  with 
such  company,  the  keeping  of  which  would  justly 
give  me  the  character  of  a  companion  of  fools.  I 
must  confess  that  I  was  not  benefited  by  this  com- 
pany. I  have  been  criminal  in  keeping  it.  If  I  do 
my  duty  at  my  various  studies,  I  have  but  little  time 
to  spend  in  any  company.  Of  course  that  should  be 
of  tiie  best  sort  possible.  Lost  a  day.  Oh,  how 
wicked,  how  unspeakably  wicked  !  May  I  awake  to 
a  sense  of  my  religious  and  social  obligations.  I 
have  been  asleep  all  my  life.  Take  me  out  of  the 
pit  of  sloth,  O  Lord,  and  grant  that  I  may  walk  in 
the  pathway  of  diligence  and  usefulness. 

"  I  have  had  a  new  confirmation  of  the  importance 
of  beginning  the  day  by  prayer  to  God.  I  can  truly 
say  that,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  all  my  days, 
begun  in  this  way,  have  been  (all  other  things  being 
equal)  much  the  happiest  and  most  useful  days  of 
my  life. 

"  I  have  been  confirmed  in  the  importance  of 
learning  something  from  every  person  with  whom  I 
meet.  In  a  walk  to  James  City,  in  a  little  casual 
conversation,  I  learned  several  things  about  the 
growth  of  wheat.  In  another  casual  conversation, 
learned  something  about  elections,  unknown  before. 
I  have  been  impressed  with  the  importance  of  reading 
with  more  attention,  and  devoting  more  time  to  it; 


52  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

with  the  importance  of  speaking  the  truth  strictly 
upon  all  occasions;  the  importance  of  order  in 
conduct.  Learned  something  about  the  culture  of 
tobacco. 

"  Observed  to-day,  when  an  individual  was  reading 
aloud  in  my  hearing,  that  those  parts  which  he  under- 
stood least  he  read  the  loudest.  '  Empty  barrels 
sound  the  loudest.' 

"  I  may  be  what  I  have  resolved  to  be,  and  I  may 
do  what  others  have  done,  have  been  confirmed  to 
me  to-day." 

These  copious  extracts,  from  the  first  pages  of  his 
journal,  have  been  given  mainly  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  from  his  own  pen,  his  mental  and  moral 
condition  at  this  period,  when  about  twenty,  and 
before  he  had  left  his  home  to  come  under  the  in- 
fluence of  strangers.  They  show  him  as  his  character 
was  formed  and  developed  by  his  family,  his  church, 
his  neighbors,  his  home.  If  his  father  and  mother 
could  look  upon  this  photograph  of  their  son,  taken 
with  the  lights  and  shadows  of  the  family  fireside, 
they  surely  need  not  and  would  not  blush,  except  as 
honest  pride  might  mantle  their  cheeks. 

We  have  come  now  to  another  epoch  in  his  life. 
He  is  to  leave  the  old  Virginia  roof-tree,  and,  in  the 
far  distant  West,  as  it  was  then,  continue  and  complete 
his  preparation  for  the  duties  of  his  mature  manhood. 
He  is  to  leave  Virginia.  Reared  in  the  fertile  valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  the  writer  well  remembers  the 
feelings  of  mingled  disappointment  and  pity  which 
possessed  him  wlien  he  first  looked  on  the  red  hills, 
the  pine  forests,  and  the  sterile  fields  of  his  ancestral 
State.     Only  a  few  months  since  he  again  visited  a 


LEAVES  HOME  FOR   MISSOURI. 


53 


county  adjoining  Madison,  and  was  impressed  with 
the  fact  that,  in  many  things,  the  old  State  seemed  a 
lialf  century  behind  the  progressive  West. 

All  this  may  be  so,  and  yet  he  who  sneers  at  Vir- 
ginia betrays  a  lamentable  ignorance  of  her  history, 
or  a  woeful  want  of  appreciation  of  the  higliest  merit. 

"  What  constitutes  a  state  ? 
Not  high-'raised  battlement  or  labored  mound, 

Thick  wall  or  moated  gate  ; 
Not  cities  proud  with  spires  and  turrets  crowned  ; 

Not  bays  and  broad  armed  ports, 
Where,  laughing  at  the  storm,  rich  navies  ride  ; 

Not  starred  and  spangled  courts, 
Where  low-browed  baseness  wafts  perfumes  to  pride. 

No, — men,  high-minded  men — 

Men,  who  their  duties  know. 
But  know  their  rights,  and  knowing,  dare  maintain. 

These  constitute  a  state." 

Tried  by  this  test,  the  "mother  of  States  and  of  states- 
men" at  once  comes  to  the  very  front.  Like  the 
mother  of  the  Gracchi,  her  children  are  her  jewels ; 
and  though  she  be  now  and  for  years  back  arrayed 
in  the  weeds  of  mourning  and  humiliation,  yet  she 
finds  herself  adorned  with  a  coronet  in  which  there 
sparkle  the  brightest  gems  in  our  country's  history. 
Who  gave  to  our  Revolutionary  fathers  their  leader, 
''first  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of 
his  fellow-citizens  "  ?  Whose  pen  was  it  that  wrote 
the  charter  of  the  nation's  liberty,  on  the  fourth  of 
July,  1776?  Who  was  the  ablest  exponent  and  ad- 
vocate of  the  grandest  piece  of  political  wisdom 
ever  devised  by  man,  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  ?  All  these,  the  proudest  names  in  our  coun- 
try's annals,  were  Virginians.     Take   the    work    of 


54  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

Virginians  out  of  the  warp  and  woof  of  our  national 
life,  and  the  whole  web  would  fall  to  pieces.  Vir- 
ginia has  furnished  the  best  blood  of  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee, Arkansas,  Texas,  Missouri,  southern  Illinois, 
Indiana,  and  Ohio.  They  are  her  children,  and  what 
they  are  to-day,  in  the  purest  elements  of  their  civ- 
ilization, they  owe  largely  to  the  mother  state.  It 
w^as  Virginia  that  nourished  Kentucky's  greatest 
statesman,  the  princely.*'  Harry  of  the  West."  It  was 
Virginia  that  bared  her  gallant  breast  to  the  storm 
and  received  the  scars  of  the  mighty  conflict  which 
for  four  years  shook  this  continent  to  its  centre.  It 
w\as  Virginia  that  furnished  the  able  and  gallant 
Thomas  to  the  Union,  and  Lee,  the  second  Washing- 
ton, and  Stonewall  Jackson,  the  military  genius  of 
the  age,  to  the  Confederacy.  It  was  Virginia  that 
gave  to  the  world  of  science  the  modest  Maury,  who 

"  Laid  his  hand  upon  the  '  ocean's  mane,' 
And  played  familiar  with  his  hoary  locks." 

It  is  Virginia  that  has  to-day  within  her  beautiful 
valley  some  of  the  most  excellent  schools  in  this 
land.  It  is  Virginia  that,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  her 
mountains,  has  her  famous  university,  the  pride  of  the 
Southland,  the  pride  of  this  country,  whose  diploma 
is  the  highest  literary  honor  given  an  undergraduate 
on  this  continent. 

She  has  been  as  renowned  in  the  Church  as  she  has 
been  in  the  state.  We  speak  alone  now  of  Presby- 
terians, as  being  more  familiar  with  their  history.  It 
is  doubtless  true  that  in  other  branches  of  the  Church 
she  has  been  as  eminent.  But  to  the  Church  of 
Calvin   and   Knox  she  has  given  Davies,  the  Alexan- 


LEAVES  HOME  FOR  MISSOURI.  55 

ders,  the  Hoges,  the  Lacys,  the  Rices,  the  Breckin- 
ridges,  the  Browns,  Stuart  Robinson,  and,  peer  of 
them  all,  Robert  L.  Dabney.  There  are  no  more 
ilhistrious  names  in  the  annals  of  the  Church  upon 
this  continent  than  these,  and  no  other  State,  north  or 
soutlji,  can  present  such  an  array. 

But  the  grandest  glory  of  Virginia  remains  to  be 
told.  Eminent  as  she  is  in  cabinet,  in  Congress,  in 
the  White  House,  on  the  tented  field,  in  the  halls  of 
learning,  and  in  the  pulpit,  her  proudest  honor  is  to 
be  found  in  her  quiet  homes,  her  yeomanry,  her 
honest,  gallant  men,  her  virtuous,  refined  women. 
The  truest  chivalry  in  this  land  is  in  the  Old  Dominion- 
She  may  be  poor,  but  there  is  less  of  crime,  both  in 
its  grosser  and  subtler  forms,  within  her  borders ; 
and  there  is  more  of  domestic  and  civil  virtue  and 
genuine  piety  than  may,  for  territory  and  popula- 
tion, be  found  anywhere  else,  perhaps,  on  this  wide 
world. 

Mr.  Kemper  is  now  to  leave  the  grand  old  State 
and  wend  his  way  westward  to  complete  his  educa- 
tion on  the  sunset-side  of  the  Mississippi.  This 
seems  to  us  a  strange  move.  It  was  not  for  lack  of 
good  schools  in  Virginia.  There  was  old  William 
and  Mary  ;  there  was  Washington  College,  now 
the  Washington  and  L'ee  University,  at  Lexington, 
where  his  youngest  brother,  Governor  Kemper,  was 
educated.  There,  within  less  than  a  day's  ride  on 
horseback,  was  the  great  University  founded  by  Jef- 
ferson. Why  he  was  not  sent  to  any  of  these,  and 
why  he  went  over  a  thousand  miles  to  a  college  in  a 
frontier  State,  we  may  not  be  able  fully  to  understand. 
It  is  perhaps  enough  to  say  that  ihe  spirit  of  adven- 


56  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

turous  enterprise,  which  leads  so  many  westward, 
and  the  fame  of  the  college  at  that  time,  of  which  we 
shall  have  occasion  to  speak  more  fully  hereafter, 
were  the  principal  inducements. 

At  any  rate,  on  Tuesday,  August  23d,  1836,  he  took 
the  western  stage  at  Madison  Court-House,  and  start- 
ed to  Cincinnati  on  his  way  to  Marion  College,  Mis- 
souri. The  meagre  notes  of  his  journal  will  describe 
the  trip  : 

''  Tuesda}\2T,rd. — From  the  Court-House  toWalker's, 
on  side  of  the  mountain,  this  side  of  Stanardsville. 
Fine  weather.  Spent  the  day  at  Paris'  Hotel,  in  Al- 
legheny County.  Charged  me  one  dollar  for  dinner, 
supper,  and  washing  three  pieces.  Took  stage  after 
dark,  and  spent  Tuesday  night  at  Shumate's. 

"  Wednesday. — From  Shumate's  to  Callaghan's  to 
breakfast.  Dined  at  the  old  man's,  who  did  not  live 
there,  but  stay  d\  did  not  know  beef  from  mutton. 
Night  at  Dean's. 

"  Thursday  7Jiorriing. — Breakfast  at  a  long  fellow's 
house.  Have  forgotten  his  name  (Morris,  perhaps). 
Dined  at  a  short  man's.  Excellent  dinner.  Supped 
at  Kanawha  House  in  Charleston. 

''''Friday. — Breakfast  at  'a  fine  old  fellow's.'  Saw 
Hawk's  Nest,  then  the  Burning  Spring  and  salt  works 
in  Kanawha.  Dined  at  Guiandotte.  Supped  on 
steamboat. 

"•Saturday. — Breakfast  on  steamboat.  Dined  at 
Cincinnati  Hotel." 

He  was  thus  five  days  going  from  Madison  Court- 
House  to  Cincinnati,  partly  on  the  stage  and  partly  on 
steamboat.  This  was  good  traveling  for  that  period. 
The  same  distance  can  now  be  traversed  in  a  day. 


I 


LEAVES  HOME   FOR   MISSOURI.  57 

He  spent  several  weeks  at  tlie  metropolis  of  Oliio  in 
company  with  his  relatives,  the  family  and  descendants 
of  the  Rev.  James  Kemper,  the  noted  pioneer  preach- 
er. His  venerable  widow,  whom  he  calls  "Aunt 
Nancy,"  was  then  alive. 

He  manifestly  enjoyed  his  visit,  and  almost  every- 
thing he  saw  made  a  pleasant  impression  on  him. 
His  kindred  lived  at  Walnut  Hills  chiefly,  which  is  a 
most  delightful  portion  of  tlie  suburbs  of  the  city. 
He  attended  a  lecture  at  the  Lane  Theological  Sem- 
inary, and  heard  Dr.  Joshua  Wilson  preach.  There 
are  some  interesting  entries  in  his  journal  made  while 
here : 

"  Sunday^  \Wi  Sept.,  i^3^- — Feel  somewhat  indis- 
posed. No  cahii  contemplation,  i.e.,  no  protracted 
thought,  such  as  is  requisite  for  forming  energy,  de- 
cision, and  perseverance  of  character,  How  I  have 
hitherto  neglected  the  study  of  the  Bible  and  prayer. 
I  have  had  the  path  of  duty  pointed  out,  but  I  have 
not  walked  in  it.  I  know  that  I  would  better  omit 
one  meal  each  day,  than  not  to  have  time  for  the 
study  of  my  Bible  and  for  prayer.  /  have  time,  but, 
owing  to  the  bustle  of  company  and  continually  mov- 
ing from  one  place  to  another,  I  have  not  recently 
searched  \\\Q  Scriptures.  O  Lord,  'pardon  my  iniqui- 
ty, for  it  is  great.' 

''  Monda)\i^th  Sept.,  1836. — Walnut  Hills  lias  every 
advantage  :  good  health,  good  water  (for  the  State  of 
Ohio),  rich  land,  and  a  location  near  Cincinnati, 
where  everything  brings  good  prices.  People  live 
as  well  here  as  they  do  in  Virginia,  and  more  happily, 
I  doubt  not.  The  girls  wash,  cook,  and  do  anything 
that  is  to   be  done  ;    nay,  black  shoes.     These   things 


58  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

don't  detract  from  their  high  mental  improvement. 
They  have  not  that  affectation  and  that  want  of  any 
tangible  character  which  are  so  often  observable. 
There  are  no  slaves,  and  often  no  servant  of  any  kind  ; 
yet  all  is  neat,  and  generally  rich.  The  gilt  mirror, 
the  Brussels  carpet,  the  mahogany  sideboard  are  the 
furniture  seen  ;  and  the  ladies  grace  the  parlor,  the 
library,  or  the  kitchen,  as  occasion  serves.  Happy 
people ! 

"  John  H.  Kemper's  calf,  4  months  old,  weighs  415 
lbs.  James  Kemper  refused  $500  for  his  bull,  2  yrs. 
old.  One  yearling  and  one  two-year-old  calf  of  James 
Kemper's  sold  for  $ioPo.  John  H.  Kemper's  Russia 
breed  of  hogs  will  weigh  500  lbs.  He  took  400  bu. 
corn  from  \\  acres,  four  years  ago,  and  thinks  he  has 
as  good  a  crop  this  season.  Land  raises  pumpkins 
enough  to  pay  three  dollars  an  acre  rent,  for  wood- 
land and  all. 

"  Wednesday.,  2\st  Sept.,  1836. — I  find  that  living  dis- 
orderly is  the  very  way  to  live  uncomfortably.  What- 
ever ought  to  be  done  ought  to  be  done  well ;  and 
however  small,  it  is  true  philosophy  to  devote  atten- 
tion to  it,  in  proportion  to  its  relative  importance. 
I  find  that  when  I  devote  proper  attention  to  my  toi- 
let in  the  morning,  I  have  the  satisfaction  of  feeling 
that  something  is  well  done. 

''  People  at  Walnut  Hills  have  very  few  springs. 
They  drink  what  they  call  '  cistern  water  ;'  that  is, 
rain  water  drawn  from  the  top  of  the  house  and  kept 
in  a  cistern.  It  is  cool,  and  not  unpleasant.  The  well 
water  is  not  so  good  as  ours." 

"  They  do  not  envy  us  our  slaves.  David  R.  Kem- 
])er,  while  shewing  me  his  cistern,  said,   '  Tliis  thing 


LEAVES  HOME   FOR  MISSOURI.  59 

cost  mc  seven  dollars,  and  I  would  not  take  that  for 
two  months'  use  of  it.  I  would  not  take  a  negro  for 
it.     No,  I  would  not  give  it  for  a  negro.'  " 

"  They  have  tea  for  dinner,  and  use  preserved  to- 
matoes." 

While  in  Cincinnati  he  first  stopped  at  the  house  of 
Samuel  D.  Kemper,  with  whose  son,  Frederick  E.  H,, 
he  promised  to  correspond. 

On  Wednesday,  September  21,  he  left  Cincinnati 
for  Louisville,  about  ii  o'clock  a.m.  He  took  passage 
on  the  General  Pike,  a  good  boat,  but  wliicli  was  so 
crowded  that  the  dining-tablcs  and  the  cabin  floor 
were  covered  with  mattresses  for  the  sleepers.  At 
2  o'clock  A.M.  on  the  next  day  he  reached  his  des- 
tination, and  put  up  at  the  Louisville  Hotel. 

Here  he  met  his  maternal  uncle,  Mr.  John  Allison, 
who  was  living  at  Richland,  near  the  city.  He 
speaks  of  him  as  "  a  real  friendly,  open-hearted  Alli- 
son and  Virginian."  By  him  he  was  introduced  to  a 
Mr.  Nesbit,  at  whose  house,  on  First  Street  above 
Walnut,  he  dined.  At  his  table  he  met  a  very  agree- 
able old  lady,  from  whom  he  learned,  as  one  of  the 
instances  of  change  of  fortune,  that  the  widow  of 
William  Wirt,  the  distinguished  Attorney-General  of 
the  United  States  under  more  than  one  administra- 
tion, was  reduced  to  poverty,  and  was  teaching  a 
school  in  Richmond,  Va. 

Mr.  Nesbit  entertained  him  in  an  interesting  con- 
versation on  the  facilities  for  making  money  in  the 
West  at  that  time.  Among  other  things,  he  told  him 
that  the  aggregate  amount  of  goods  sold  in  Louis- 
ville in  one  year  was  about  eight  millions  of  dollars; 
that  of  bagging  and  bale  cord  alone,  nearly  a  million 


6o  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

dollars'  worth  was  sold  in  a  year;  that  "  lots  at  Alton 
on  the  Ohio  (?),  which  sold  a  few  years  since  for  six 
dollars  per  foot,"  would  then  sell  for  six  hundred 
dollars ;  that  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  men  to  make 
money  then,  by  investing  their  capital  in  the  rapidly 
growing  towns  and  incipient  cities  of  the  West. 

At  Louisville  he  met  his  old  friend  and  teacher, 
William  H.  Field,  Esq.,  who  was  then  a  young  lawyer 
there. 

While  he  was  at  his  uncle  John's  he  wrote  several 
pages  in  his  journal  on  the  subject  of  social  conversa- 
tion, from  which  we  give  the  following  : — 

"I  feel  rather  dissatisfied  with  my  day's  work,  be- 
cause I  have  pleased  too  little  in  the  social  circle.  I 
feel  as  if  I  always  made  the  social  hours  of  those 
with  whom  I  am  not  intimately  acquainted,  drag 
heavily.  If  they  do  not  observe  it,  I  feel  a  degree  of 
embarrassment  in  their  company.  If  they  do  not  see 
it,  they  are  influenced  by  my  barrenness  at  conversa- 
tion. We  talk,  but  it  is  not  conversation  ;  for  this 
implies  a  flow  of  soul.  Conversation  is  the  spirit  of 
social  intercourse,  speech  is  the  effect.  This  should 
always  be  the  case.  But  my  mind  is  all  the  time 
thinking  of  something  else,  lamenting  my  want  of 
colloquy,  etc.  Why  is  this?  It  may  be  from  an  in- 
ordinate and  proud  desire  to  shine  in  conversation, 
valuing  the  praise  of  man  too  highly,  uneasiness  be- 
cause I  cannot  shine  as  others.  Look  at  that  lady. 
Her  company  is  courted.  She  is  pleasant  and  agree- 
able ;  and  yet  half  she  says  is  nonsense.  Can  I  not 
do  as  well  .'*  Yes,  I  can  be  as  agreeable,  and  speak 
truth  and  good  sense  in  a  good  humor.  If  you  pre- 
pare  a   few    subjects,  upon    which  to   converse   and 


LEAVES  HOME  EOR   MISSOURI. 


6i 


make  it  a  business  to  lug  them  in,  it  will  look  stiff 
and  unnatural,  and  you  will  not  enjoy  the  talk,  nor 
will  your  company.  You  should  be  able  to  converse 
upon  every  subject.  But  this  is  not  the  most  impor- 
tant thing,  for  they  often  please  best  who  know  least. 
The  solution  is,  to  be  free  and  easy  ;  let  your  mind 
be  untrammeled,  so  much  so  that  you  can  keep 
silence  without  feeling  abashed  for  it." 

Sunday,  September  25,  was  a  very  pleasant  day  to 
him.  He  went  with  his  uncle  John  and  family  to 
hear  an  Episcopal  minister,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Page.  He 
was  delighted  with  the  sermon,  which  he  characterizes 
as  "  a  very  argumentative,  reasonable,  plain,  terse, 
practical,  pious  discourse,"  fiom  Luke  13  134.  He 
writes  in  his  journal:  "There  is  nothing,"  said  he, 
*'  so  simple  as  the  religion  of  Christ.  It  is  to  feel  that 
you  are  spiritually  naked,  and  miserable,  and  blind, 
and  wretched,  and  to  put  your  confidence  in  the 
mercy  of  God  in  Christ,  in  his  atoning  sacrifice. 
When  he  was  telling  the  '  way,'  I  was  musing,  and  the 
fire  burned.  1  felt  that  it  was  the  way  for  me.  I 
hated  sin.  I  had  an  unction,  and  knew  all  things. 
Several  Scripture  principles  were  brought  to  my 
mind,  while  I  w^as,  as  I  hope,  under  the  guidance  of 
that  '  spirit  of  truth,'  whose  office  it  is  to  lead  men 
into  all  truth." 

On  Tuesday,  September  2yth,  before  breakfast,  his 
brother  William,  who  had  come  down  the  Ohio  on  a 
boat,  rode  up  to  their  uncle  John's.  As  their  cousin, 
William  McCoy,  was  waiting  in  Louisville  for  a  boat 
to  carry  him  to  St.  Louis,  they  concluded  to  take  pas- 
sage with  him.  Accordingly  at  noon  of  this  same 
day  they  boarded  the  Clinton  for  St.  Louis;  when, 


62  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

to  their  dismay,  William  became  aware  that  he  had 
left  his  money  in  his  berth  on  the  General  Brown. 
Fortunately,  however,  it  had  not  been  stolen.  They 
made  the  trip  to  St.  Louis  without  any  recorded  in- 
cident or  accident  ;  and  Sunday,  October  2,  finds 
them  on  the  steamer  Quincy,  bound  for  Marion  City, 
Missouri.  This  was  their  landing  in  Marion  County, 
nearest  to  Palmyra,  the  county-seat,  their  next  objec- 
tive point.  They  landed  the  same  day,  and  on  the 
next  day,  Monday,  walked  to  Palmyra.  On  Wednes- 
day, he  walked  to  Marion  City  and  back  to  Palmy- 
ra to  dinner.  In  the  afternoon  he  went  to  Marion 
College,  and  he  and  William  were  settled  as  students 
of  that  institution,  of  which  w^e  shall  give  some  ac- 
count in  the  succeeding  chapter. 

It  had  required  six  weeks  to  make  the  trip  from  his 
home  in  Virginia,  a  large  part  of  w^hich,  however,  had 
been  passed  in  the  agreeable  society  of  his  kindred  at 
Cincinnati  and  Louisville. 


I 


CHAPTER   IV. 

MARION     C  O  L  L  E  G  K. 

"  At  my  nativity, 
The  front  of  heaven  was  full  of  fiery  shapes, 
Of  burning  cressets  ;  and  at  my  birth, 
The  frame  and  huge  foundation  of  the  earth 
Shaked  like  a  coward."  Shakspeare. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  in  Missouri  has  been  un- 
fortunate in  the  most  of  its  college  enterprises. 
While  it  has  always  been  one  of  the  glories  of  tliis 
church  that  it  has  been  the  steadfast  friend  of  educa- 
tion, and  has  conducted  its  schools  not  only  with  abil- 
ity but  also  with  success,  yet  it  is  true  that  there  are 
in  Missouri  the  graves  of  no  less  than  three  Presby- 
terian colleges — the  City  University  in  St.  Louis, 
Richmond  College  in  Ray  County,  and  Marion  Col- 
lege near  Palmyra.  This  last  was  the  first  and  most 
magnificent  failure  of  them  all.  As  it  is  an  interest- 
ing story  in  itself,  and  as  the  college  was  the  ahna 
mater  of  our  Mr.  Kemper,  we  shall  devote  this  chap- 
ter to  an  extended  account  of  it,  taken  from  the  cat- 
alogue of  1835-36. 

"  The  reputed  richness  of  the  soil  of  Marion  Coun- 
ty, about  nine  years  since,  turned  the  tide  of  immi- 
gration, previously  setting  toward  the  western  side 
of  the  State  of  Missouri  and  the  Boonslick  Countrv, 


64  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

to  the  north.  In  two  or  three  years  the  county  had 
acquired  a  respectable  population.  Palmyra,  the 
seat  of  justice,  had  become  one  of  the  most  thriving 
villao^es  of  the  State,  and  the  prairie  west  of  that 
town,  in  which  the  college  is  situated,  contained  a 
dense  settlement.  The  inhabitants  were  principally 
from  Kentucky. 

''  A  few  of  the  residents  of  the  prairie,  west  of  Pal- 
myra, Marion  County,  applied  to  the  legislature,  in 
the  winter  of  1830-31,  for  a  charter  locating  a  college 
in  their  midst.  An  ample  charter  was  obtained, 
eleven  acres  of  land  were  given  for  the  site,  and  a 
log  school-house  was  erected.  The  Rev..  David  Nel- 
son, M.D.,  became  at  once  both  the  presiding  officer, 
called  for  by  the  charter,  and  the  teacher  of  the 
school. 

"  About  this  time  it  was  determined  to  endow  the 
institution  with  the  land  unoccupied  around  the  build- 
ing, and  depend  on  its  internal  wealth  and  th^ physical 
strength  of  the  students  in  bringing  it  forth,  for  its 
support. 

"  At  this  time  the  views  of  the  friends  of  the  col- 
lege were  very  limited.  A  few  thousand  dollars,  it 
was  supposed,  would  be  sufficient  to  purchase  the 
necessary  quantity  of  land,  erect  some  plain  dormi- 
tories for  students  ;  while,  from  the  benevolent  it  was 
hoped  that  the  necessary  library  and  philosophical  ap- 
paratus could  be  procured.  The  principal  aid  was 
expected  from  citizens  of  Missouri.  In  this  home 
agency  Dr.  Nelson  was  employed,  while  the  Rev. 
Cyrus  Nichols  was  commissioned  to  travel  east  and 
lay  the  wants  of  the  institution  before  the  benevolent. 
These  agencies,   however,   resulted   in    procuring  a 


I 


MARION  COLLEGE.  65 

very  small  sum.  A  number  of  log  cottages  were 
erected  and  a  small  building  for   recitation  rooms. 

"  Another  effort  was  now  made,  and,  througli  the 
agency  of  Dr.  Nelson,  a  promise  was  obtained  from 
the  General  Assembly's  Board  of  Education  (of  tlie 
church)  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  with  which  to  pur- 
chase the  necessary  land.  A  misunderstanding  arose 
between  the  agents  of  the  trustees  and  the  Education 
Board,  growing  out  of  the  character  of  certain  land 
purchased;  in  consequence  of  which  the  original 
agreement  was  annulled,  and  the  whole  purchase  be- 
came the  property  of  tlie  Assembly's  board. 

"  Disappointed  in  their  anticipated  aid  from  the 
benevolent,  and  at  the  same  time  aware  that  the  re- 
luctance did  not  proceed  from  indifference  to  tiie  proj- 
ect, but  from  the  incredulity  of  the  public  mind  as 
to  the  practicability  of  their  self-supporting  scheme, 
the  only  remedy  appeared  to  be  in  borrowing  the 
funds  necessary  to  make  the  experiment-  As  a  body 
corporate  the  trustees  held  no  property  to  any  amount, 
and  consequently  individual  private  estate  must  be 
pledged  to  effect  a  loan.  Three  of  the  trustees,  whose 
labors  had  already  been  the  most  abundant,  and 
whose  confidence  in  the  practicability  of  the  plan  re- 
mained unshaken — the  Rev.  David  Nelson,  Dr.  David 
Clark,  and  William  Muldrow — in  April,  1833,  bor- 
rowed in  the  city  of  New  York,  on  their  own  respon- 
sibility, by  mortgaging  their  property,  $20,000  for 
ten  years,  at  seven  per  cent  interest.  A  condition 
of  this  loan  was,  that  not  less  than  four  thousand 
acres  of  land  should  be  purchased  in  one  body.  With 
this  money  470  acres  only  were  secured  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  college.     For  the  body  of  land  required  by  the 


66  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

agreement,  that  it  might  be  obtained  at  the  govern- 
ment price,  it  was  necessary  to  go  a  distance  of  four- 
teen miles,  where,  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  and  well- 
watered  prairie,  4619  acres  were  purchased.  For  the 
purpose  of  securing  timber  and  coal  for  fuel,  it  was 
subsequently  deemed  expedient  to  purchase  of  indi- 
viduals, at  a  higher  price,  480  acres  additional. 

"The  individuals  above  mentioned  organized  them- 
selves into  an  association,  by  the  title  of  the  'Educa- 
tion Company  of  the  West,'  and  having,  for  the  sake 
of  counsel,  increased  their  number  to  seven,  proceed- 
ed to  carry  out  the  details  of  their  plan.  Accommoda- 
tions for  students  were  increased  to  one  hundred ;  a 
boarding-house  and  farm-house  were  erected,  and  the 
small  tract  put  under  cultivation  ;  while  arrange- 
ments were  made  to  erect  accommodations  for  an 
equal  number  of  students  on  the  large  tract,  and  to 
bring  it  under  cultivation  with  the  least  possible 
delay.  As  soon  as  funds,  other  than  those  borrowed 
by  the  gentlemen  above  named,  began  to/be  used  in 
the  improvement  of  the  farms,  they,  by  a  deed  dated 
in  October  last,  conveyed  the  title  to  the  whole  prop- 
erty to  the  Trustees  of  Marion  College,  in  trust,  for 
education  purposes,  securing  only  the  right  to  direct 
the 'execution  of  the  details  of  their  plan. 

**  The  method  of  support  at  this  time  proposed  was 
to  furnish  each  student,  fifteen  years  of  age,  with 
twenty  acres  of  land,  which  was  to  be  cultivated  by 
employing  equal  portions  for  the  production  of  corn, 
oats,  wheat,  and  timothy  grass.  Half  of  the  product 
was  his  own,  while  the  other  half  went  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  the  farm.  He  was  to  pay  $50  per  annum 
for  his  board,  and  $20  tuition.     A  confidence  in  the 


MARION  COLLEGE.  67 

success  of  the  enterprise  now  began  to  be  felt,  and  a 
gradual  accession  of  students  commenced,  which  it 
was  subsequently  necessary  to  check  for  want  of 
room. 

"  Recourse  was  had  to  the  appointment  of  numer- 
ous traveling  agents,  in  order  to  obtain  the  funds 
needed  to  put  the  land  into  a  state  of  cultivation, 
and  meet  the  expectations  of  the  public.  Though 
many  of  these  agencies  were  voluntary,  others  were 
entered  into  at  a  salary,  and  resulted  in  bringing  the 
institution  in  debt.  It  will  not  be  a  little  surprising 
to  many  to  learn  that,  up  to  the  first  of  November, 
1834,  less  than  $6,000  had  been  received  as  donations 
by  the  trustees  and  Education  Company. 

"During  the  last  winter  the  three  members  of  the 
board  of  trustees  before  alluded  to  visited  the  East 
for  the  purpose  of  conferring  with  the  prominent 
friends  of  education  in  relation  to  their  plans,  and 
more  perfectly  enlisting  the  benevolent  in  the  cause 
of  the  institution.  This  visit  resulted  in  securing  a 
large  number  of  warm  friends,  by  whose  counsel  it 
was  determined  to  enlarge  the  plan,  and  connect 
with  the  college  a  theological  school.  Accordingly, 
at  a  meeting  of  the  trustees,  held  the  nth  day  of 
May  last,  \i.e.,  1835]  the  fundamental  regulations  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  were  adopted,  and  three  pro- 
fessors and  an  assistant  teacher  chosen.  Previously 
to  this,  the  Rev.  William  S.  Potts,  of  St.  Louis,  hav- 
ing signified  his  acceptance  of  the  presidency  of  the 
institution,  in  August  last,  the  regulations  of  the 
literary  department  were  adopted,  the  college  fac- 
ulty organized,  and  classes  regularly  formed.  At 
the  same  meeting  of  the  board,  the  Rev.  D.  Nelson, 


68  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

Dr.  Clark,  and  W.  Muldrow,  having  stated  that  the 
funds  to  pay  the  New  York  loan  had  been  received, 
tendered  a  surrender  of  the  direction  of  the  trust 
estate  of  the  corporation,  which  was  accepted  by  the 
board,  and  the  necessary  writings  ordered  to  be  pre- 
pared. By  this  act  the  existence  of  the  'Education 
Company  of  the  West '  ceases,  and  the  whole  respon- 
sibility and  control  of  the  property  rests  with  the 
corporation. 

''The  smaller  tract  of  land  will  be  occupied  by  the 
classes  constituting  the  college  proper.  On  this, 
buildings  will  be  erected  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  president,  professors,  and  students,  a  boarding- 
house,  and  a  house  for  the  steward  and  farmer.  The 
president's  house  and  a  new  boarding-house  are  now 
under  contract,  and  will  be  finished  as  speedily  as 
possible. 

"  Upon  one  division  of  the  larger  tract  is  the  pre- 
paratory department,  where  accommodations  for  one 
hundred  students,  it  is  hoped,  will  be  completed  this 
fall ;  comprising  dormitories,  a  recitation  house,  a 
boarding-house,  and  residence  for  the  steward  and 
farmer,  who  superintends  the  labor  of  the  students 
in  this  department. 

"  In  the  centre  of  this  tract  will  be  the  buildings 
necessary  for  the  accommodation  of  the  professors  and 
students  of  tiie  Theological  Seminary,  and  the  farmer 
having  the  supervision  of  their  labor.  It  is  also  the 
purpose  of  the  trustees,  should  circumstances  war- 
rant it,  to  connect  Law  and  Medical  schools,  under 
competent  teachers,  with  the  plan.  A  Female  Semi- 
nary of  a  high  order  will  also  be  located  in  the  vi- 
cinity. 


MARION   COLLEGE.  69 

*'  The  plan  at  present  proposed  for  the  support  of 
the  professors  and  students  is  as  follows :  The  presi- 
dent and  each  of  the  professors  in  the  Theological 
School  is  to  receive  the  net  income  of  five  hundred 
acres  of  college  land,  fifty  of  which  is  to  be  cultivat- 
ed in  grain  and  vegetables,  and  the  remainder  in 
timothy  grass.  Each  of  the  professors  in  the  literary 
department  and  the  principal  of  the  preparatoiy 
school  is  to  have  the  net  income  of  three  hundred 
acres,  thirty  of  which  are  to  be  cultivated  as  a  garden, 
and  the  remainder  in  timothy.  Each  student  will  be 
expected  to  cultivate  one  acre  of  this  land  as  a  gar- 
den, and  harvest  nine  acres  of  timothy.  The  garden 
land  will  always  lie  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
student's  dormitory,  and  the  corner  stake  of  his  acre 
will  be  marked  with  the  number  of  his  room.  This 
will  be  worked  principally  by  hand,  and  in  the  hours 
assigned  for  labor  in  term  time.  The  timothy  will 
demand  his  attention  only  in  harvesting  and  prepar- 
ing the  hay  for  market,  which  will  occur  during  vaca- 
tion. The  timothy  land  will  lie  some  distance  from 
tlie  college,  and  the  students  will  encamp  upon  the 
meadow,  and  continue  there  until  the  whole  work  of 
cutting,  curing  and  baling  is  completed.  The  hay 
will  be  cut  by  a  horse-power  machine,  and  baled  by 
a  power  press. 

*'  The  products  of  the  land  of  each  professorship 
will  be  divi^ded,  one  third  to  the  professor  and  two 
thirds  to  the  student  cultivating  it.  By  this  plan,  five 
hundred  acres  of  land  are  to  support  one  professor 
in  the  theological  department  and  fifty  students ;  and 
three  hundred  acres  support  a  professor  in  the  liter- 
ary   department   and  thirty   students.     The  garden- 


70  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

land,  after  supplying  the  grain  and  vegetables  neces- 
sary for  the  consumption  of  the  boarding-houses,  will 
be  used  for  such  crops  as  the  state  of  the  market  may, 
from  time  to  time,  dictate  as  most  profitable.  The 
hay  will  be  received  by  a  trading-house  at  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  established  for  the  purpose,  at  the 
fair  market  price,  and  by  them  shipped  to  the  New 
Orleans  market.  The  tuition  fees  will  go  into  the 
treasury  of  the  institution,  to  be  used  in  keeping  up 
repairs,  paying  salaries  not  otherwise  provided  for, 
and  incidental  expenses.  One  acre  of  land  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  college,  cultivated  in  onions,  peas, 
beans,  or  hops,  it  is  believed  from  experiments  made, 
will  yield  to  the  student  more  than  a  sufficiency  to 
pay  his  board.  The  hay  market,  extending  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
even  to  the  West  Indies,  is  too  extensive  ever  to  be 
glutted,  and  the  price  scarcely  ever  falls  below  $20 
per  ton  (the  last  season  it  has  brought  $40).  The 
price  of  freight  will  not  exceed  five  dollars  per  ton, 
giving  from  ten  to  fifteen  dollars  as  the  fair  market 
value  of  hay  delivered  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  in 
Marion  County.  The  land  owned  by  the  college,  it 
is  estimated  by  farmers  best  acquainted  with  its  ca- 
pabilities will  cut  two  tons  to  the  acre.  From  these 
estimates  it  will  be  easy  for  any  one  to  demonstrate 
the  entire  practicability  of  the  self-supporting  sys- 
tem proposed  by  the  board  of  trustees." 

So  much  from  the  history  of  the  founding  of  the 
college,  as  given  in  the  catalogue.  Taking  the  es- 
timates given  as  reliable,  it  would  seem  that  the  entire 
practicability  of  the  self-supporting  system  was  dem- 
onstrated. 


I 


MARION   COLLEGE.  _  71 

P'or  each  student  tlie  yield  would  be  : — 

6  iicres  of  hay,  12  tons  at  $10 $120 

Garden  crop  of  onions,  enough  for  board.         50 

Total  for  each  student $170 

For  the  president  and  each  theological  professor  : 

150  acres  of  hay,  300  tons  at  $ro $3000 

Garden  crop  of  50  students,  ^ 1250 

Total  for  each $4250 

For  each  college  professor  : — 

90  acres  of  hay,  180  tons,  at  $10 $i8oo 

Garden  crop  of  30  students,  \ 750 

Total $2550 

These  sums  would  seem  to  have  been  ample  to 
sustain  pupils  and  teachers  well  in  those  early  days. 
But  who  can  suppress  a  smile  as  he  reads  this  plan, 
with  all  of  its  details  ?  The  ?7ionis  multicaulis  cyixzq  or 
the  South  Sea  scheme  were  hardly  more  wild  and 
chimerical.  Doubtless  to  the  infatuated  imagination 
of  Col.  Muldrow  and  Dr.  Ely,  it  was  as  beautiful  as 
any  bubble  that  ever  polarized  the  light  of  the  sun. 
But  to  the  common-sense  judgment  of  practical  men 
it  was  as  sure  to  burst,  as  burst  it  did,  in  less  than 
ten  years.  A  grand  university,  with  college,  and 
theological,  law,  medical,  and  female  schools  attached, 
to  be  supported  by  five  thousand  acres  of  raw  land  in 
the  wilds  of  the  West!  The  different  departments 
fourteen  miles  apart;  and  the  students  to  sustain  it, 
in  their  leisure  moments,  by  raising  onions  and  cutting 
timothy  hay  !  Surely,  as  Dr.  Robert  Breckinridge 
once  remarked,  Presbyterians,  in  some  things,  seem 
to  be  the  Lord's  silly  sheep.     Yet  this  enterprise  had 


72  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

connected  with  it,  as  we  shall  see,  some  of  the  grand- 
est men  that  ever  trod  the  soil  of  Missouri,  or  labored 
for  the  salvation  of  souls  within  its  borders — Nelson, 
Potts,  Ely,  and  Gallaher. 

We  shall  now,  from  the  information  contained  in 
the  catalogue,  set  forth  the  course  of  study,  plan  of 
government,  and  other  interesting  facts  concerning 
the  college,  at  the  time  when  Mr.  Kemper  first  en- 
tered it  as  a  pupil. 

The  course  of  study  was  arranged  upon  the  ordina- 
ry plan  of  the  graded  curriculum.  An  examination 
in  all  previous  studies  was  necessary  for  admission 
to  any  of  the  college  classes.  In  the  freshman  year 
the  studies  were  :  ^neid,  Livy,  Latin  Composition, 
Ancient  Geography,  Roman  and  Greek  Antiquities, 
Cyropaedia,  Graeca  Majora,  Algebra,  Declamation, 
and  the  Bible.  In  the  sophhomore  :  Bucolics  and 
Georgics,  Cicero's  Select  Orations,  Horace,  Iliad, 
Graeca  Majora  (Oratorical  and  Philosophical),  Geom- 
etry, Composition,  Declamation,  Reading,  and  the 
Bible,  In  the  junior:  Cicero  de  Oratore,  Juvenal, 
Critical,  Miscellaneous,  and  Epic  extracts  of  the 
Grseca  Majora,  Longinus,  Greek  Testament,  Hebrew 
(optional),  Trigonometry  Conic  Sections,  application 
of  Algebra  to  Geometry  and  Trigonometry,  Rhetoric, 
Elements  of  Criticism,  Evidences  of  Christianity, 
Political  Economy,  Original  Speeches,  Composition, 
and  the  Bible.  In  the  senior  :  Tacitus,  Cicero  de 
Amicitia  and  de  Senectute,  Graeca  Majora,  Hebrew, 
German,  and  French  (these  three  optional),  Mental 
and  Moral  Philosophy,  Natural  Philosophy,  Astron- 
omy, Chemistry,  Geology  and  Mineralogy,  Original 
Speeches,  Composition,  and  the  Bible. 


MARION  COLLEGE.  73 

Tliis>seems  quite  a  full  course  of  study,  especially  in 
tlie  Latin,  where  Caesar  and  vSallust  were  read  in  tlie 
preparatory  department.  In  the  mental  sciences  we 
observe  the  absence  of  Natural  Theology  and  Logic. 
It  is  noticeable  that  the  natural  sciences  are  post- 
poned until  the  senior  year.  But  the  most  impor- 
tant criticism  to  be  made  is,  that,  for  the  average 
student,  such  a  long  list  of  studies  was  impracticable. 
The  catalogue  says  upon  this  point:  "The  course 
here  laid  down  is  simple  and  practicable,  and  each 
student  will  be  required  to  master  it  fairly."  We 
may  place  ourself  outside  of  tiic  current  of  opinion 
among  teachers,  but  we  venture  to  say  that  it  was 
and  is  a  rare  mind  which  could  or  can  master  the 
above  course  within  the  limit  of  four  years.  It  is  our 
belief  that  this  is  one  of  the  practical  mistakes  made 
by  our  popular  schools  of  to-day.  In  the  attempt  to 
do  too  much,  nothing  is  really  and  fully  done.  In 
the  senior  year  of  the  above  course,  there  are  no  less 
than  ten  different  books,  embracing  nine  distinct 
branches  to  be  pursued  and  completed.  This  omits 
Hebrew,  French,  German,  and  the  Bible.  Seven  of 
these  branches  are  confined  to  this  year.  Now  we 
declare  it  as  our  judgment,  that,  for  nine  tenths  of 
our  young  people,  it  is  impracticable  to  master  the 
elements  of  Mental,  Moral,  and  Natural  Philosophy, 
Astronomy,  Chemistry,  Geology,  and  Mineralogy, 
and  complete  a  course  of  Latin  and  Greek,  within 
the  space  of  nine  calendar  months.  For  the  remain- 
ing tenth  it  may  be  practicable,  but  for  them  it  is 
unwise. 

While  the  course  thus  prescribed  was  necessary  for 
the  regular  college  degree,  it  was  provided  that  ir- 
4 


74  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

regular  students  .^hould  receive  "at  the  end  of  tlieir 
course  certificates  from  the  professors  they  have  at- 
tended." We  do  not  approve  of  the  graded  plan, 
which  ordinarily  obtains  in  our  colleges  and  high 
schools.  We  believe  it  to  be  unnatural,  and  impos- 
sible of  execution,  except  at  the  expense  of  the  best 
results  in  three  fourths  of  our  students.  In  Marion 
College  certificates  were  granted  the  irregular  stu- 
dents by  those  professors  on  whom  they  attended. 
Why  may  not  this  be  done  by  every  college  working 
under  the  graded  system  }  It  surely  may,  and  ought 
to  be.  Here  is  a  young  man,  who  goes  to  our  State 
University  to  study  languages.  He  has  special  capa- 
bilities in  that  direction,  and  the  imiversity  has  excel- 
lent teachers  to  instruct  him.  Why,  then,  should  he, 
after  having  studied  Latin,  Greek,  French,  German, 
Hebrew,  and  Anglo-Saxon  triumphantly,  be  dismissed 
without  any  testimonial  of  his  success  .-*  He  does  not 
merit  A  B  ,  but  he  ought  to  be  pronounced  a  grad- 
uate in  languages,  and  have  a  diploma  to  attest  the 
fact. 

As  to  the  *'  rules  for  the  internal  government  of 
Marion  College,"  there  are  some  points  of  interest. 
One  of  the  distinctive  features  of  its  plan  was,  as  we 
have  already  seen,  self-support  and  the  maintenance 
of  the  professors  by  the  manual  labor  of  the  students. 
We  are  therefore  not  surprised  to  see  among  the 
rules,  that  each  student  would  "  be  r^^7//m/ to  labor," 
in  the  cultivation  of  ten  acres  of  land,  '*  three  hours 
per  day."  In  case  of  bodily  infirmity,  it  is  provided 
that  he  might  be  excused  from  this.  Although  this 
was  a  fundamental  principle  in  the  organization  of 
the  college,  we  know  that  it  was  not  enforced,  and 


MARION   COLLEGE. 


75 


the  whole  thing  was  doubtless  entirely  optional.  If 
a  student  preferred  to  pay,  he  did' so  ;  if  he  preferred 
to  work,  he  did  so.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Mr.  Kemper 
often  said  that  the  only  manual  labor  upon  the  col- 
lege land  which  he  performed,  during  his  stay  of  five 
years,  was  to  help  a  fellow-student  one  morning  to 
dig  his  potatoes. 

As  to  religious  exercises,  a  blessing  was  asked  at 
the  table  before,  and  thanks  were  returned  after,  eat- 
ing. Morning  and  evening  prayers  were  held  in  the 
chapel  daily.  Divine  worship  was  conducted  every 
Sabbath  morning  at  ii  o'clock,  and  a  Bible-class  re- 
cited in  the  afternoon  at  3  o'clock.  All  the  students 
were  required  to  attend  upon  these  several  services. 

An  interesting  and  rather  peculiar  feature  of  the 
college  government  was  the  use  made  of  monitors, 
selected  from  the  students.  There  was  a  monitor 
for  each  class,  taken  in  alphabetical  order,  and  serv- 
ing each  one  week.  He  kept  the  class  roll,  marked 
absentees  from  the  various  recitations  and  religious 
services,  and  reported  to  the  professor  conducting 
prayers  on  Saturday  evening. 

The  students  did  their  studying  in  their  bedrooms. 
*'  All  romping,  wrestling,  scuffling,  vulgar  familiari- 
ties, noise,  whooping,  swearing,  playing  with  cards, 
dice,  checkers,  chess,  or  any  other  game,''  were  "  abso- 
lutely forbidden."  No  student  was  allowed  to  use, 
have  in  his  possession,  or  bring  upon  the  college 
grounds  any  intoxicating  liquor,  or  to  keep  or  use  fire- 
arms on  the  college  premises.  The  punishments  pre- 
scribed were  admonition,  private  and  public,  rustica- 
tion, and  expulsion.  There  was  quite  an  unusual 
arrangement  of  the  terms  and  vacations.    There  were 


76  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

three  vacations,  the  chief  one  commencing  the  last 
Thursday  in  June  and  continuing  eight  weeks,  a  re- 
cess of  two  weeks  from  the  first  Monday  in  October, 
and  one  of  two  weeks  from  the  first  Monday  in  April. 
Board  was  fifty  dollars  per  annum,  or  one  and  one 
fourth  dollars  per  week.  That  seems  cheap,  when  hay 
was  worth  a  minimum  of  $20  per  ton,  and  "  one  acre 
of  land  in  onions,  peas,  beans,  or  hops  would  yield  to 
the  student  more  than  a  sufficiency  to  pay  his  board." 
Tuition  was  $20  per  annum. 

The  trustees  of  the  college  were  :  Rev.  William  S. 
Potts,  Rev.  David  Nelson,  M.D.,  David  Clark, M.D., 
J.  A.  Minter,  Joseph  Lafon,  M.D  ,  Colonel  William 
Muldrow,*  James  Spear,  Samuel  Sloane,  M.D.,  Rev. 
Cyrus  Nichols,  Theodore  Jones,  Esq.,  Henry  Dunn, 
James  Porter,  Major  Henry  Willis,  John  Dunn,  Thom- 
as L.  Anderson,  Esq.,  Jeter  Hicks,  and  Rev.  William 
P.  Cochran. 

The  faculty  of  the  literary  department  consisted  of 
Rev.  William  S.  Potts,  president,  whose  memory  is 
blessedly  fragrant  to  the  hearts  of  the  older  Presby- 
terians of  Missouri ;  Rev.  Job  F.  Halsey,  teacher  of 
mental  and  moral  philosophy  ;  Rev.  Samuel  C.  Mc- 
Connell,  teacher  of  natural  philosophy  and  mathe- 
matics ;  John  Roche,  A.M.,  teacher  of  Latin  and 
Greek  ;  Samuel  Barschall,  teacher  of  Hebrew,  Ger- 

*This  Colonel  William  Muldrow  is  said  to  be  the  original  of 
Mark  Twain's  Colonel  Mulberry  Sellers.  He  could  have  sat  for  the 
portrait.  As  we  have  seen,  he  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  col- 
lege, and  the  oiiginator  doubtless  of  its  scheme  of  endowment. 
It  IS  said  that  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Hutchison  actually 
called  one  of  his  own  sons,  "  Onward  Opposition  to  Bill  Muldrow 
and  Marion  College  Hutchison." 


MARION   COLLEGE. 


77 


nian,  and  French  ;  Rev.  Allen  Gallaher,  principal  of 
preparatory  school. 

The  theological  teachers  were  Rev.  Job  F.  Hal- 
sey,  professor  of  pastoral  theology  ;  Rev.  James  Gal- 
laher (the  author  of  "  The  Western  Sketch  Book" 
and  of  "The  Pilgrimage  of  Adam  and  David,"  and 
one  of  the  most  noted  preachers  of  his  day  in  the 
West),  professor  of  didactic  theology  and  sacred 
eloquence  ;  Rev.  Ezra  Stiles  Ely,  D.D.  (the  Eastern 
Coryphcxus,  who  came  West  to  be  one  of  the  lead- 
ing spirits  in  this,  to  be,  magnificent  university), 
professor  of  polemic  theology,  biblical  literature, 
and  sacred  criticism  ;  and  Rev.  Charles  W.  Nassau 
(for  many  years  afterward  the  accomplished  head  of 
a  female  school  at  Lawrcnceville,  near  Princeton, 
New  Jersey),  assistant  teacher  of  the  original  lan- 
guages of  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 

It  strikes  us  as  strange  that  Dr.  Nelson,  the  au- 
thor of  "  The  Cause  and  Cure  of  Infidelity,"  and  one 
of  the  really  strong  men  of  his  time,  did  not  belong 
to  the  faculty  at  this  date.  He  was  the  original  found- 
er and  president  of  the  institution.  That  he  was  not 
continued  as  a  teacher  is  doubtless  due  to  the  fact, 
stated  in  some  of  Mr.  Kemper's  papers,  that,  with  all 
his  splendid  talents  as  a  preacher  and  writer,  he  was 
not  fitted  for  the  school-room. 

The  catalogue  of  students  for  this  year,  1835-36, 
furnishes  some  interesting  items.  There  were  three 
seniors,  who,  we  may  presume,  were  graduated. 
'J'here  were  none  in  the  junior  class.  There  were 
seven  sophomores.  There  were  ten  freshmen,  among 
whom  we  are  interested  to  see  H.  A.  Nelson,  A.  L. 
Slayback,  and  Sheppard   Wells.     There   were    sixty 


78  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

in  the  preparatory  department.  There  is  no  list  of 
theological  students,  and  this  fact  probably  indi- 
cates that  this  department  was  not  opened  until  the 
fall  of  1836. 

It  will  interest  and  surprise  many  to  learn  that,  of 
these  eighty  students  enrolled  in  this  infant  college 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi  in  the  year  1835-36, 
only  sixteen  were  from  the  county  in  which  it  was 
located;  only  twenty-eight  from  Missouri  altogether; 
while  Maryland,  Connecticut,  and  Illinois  furnished 
one  each  ;  Louisiana,  two  ;  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and 
Massachusetts,  three  each  ;  Virginia  and  Ohio,  six 
each;  and  Pennsylvania  and  New  York,  no  less  than 
thirteen  apiece.  At  least  one  half  of  the  students 
came,  in  those  days  of  slow  travel,  from  a  distance  of 
not  less  than  one  thousand  miles.  The  old  States  of 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Maryland,  and  Virginia,  six  of  the  original 
thirteen,  sent  thirty-seven  students  to  this  college, 
not  yet  out  of  its  swaddling-clothes,  whose  buildings 
were  of  logs,  and  whose  support  was  dependent  upon 
the  hay  and  vegetables  produced  by  its  pupils.  It 
is  not  probable  that  the  annals  of  education,  even 
in  this  wonderland  of  ours,  can  furnish  a  parallel  to 
this.  We  cease  to  think  it  strange  that  our  Mr, 
Kemper  and  his  brother  William  joined  this  eastern 
caravan  of  youthful  pilgrims  seeking  for  knowl- 
edge as  it  flowed  from  the  Pierian  spring  in  Marion 
County,  Missouri.  But  we  do  wonder  that  Iowa 
sent  not  a  single  student,  and  Illinois  but  one,  while 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  with  three  broad  States 
intervening,  furnished  almost  as  many  as  Missouri 
itself. 


CHAPTER    V. 

LIFE    AT    MARION    COLLEGE. 

"  Give  me 
Leave  to  enjoy  myself.     That  place  that  does 
Contain  my  books,  the  best  companions,  is 
To  me  a  glorious  court,  where  hourly  I 
Converse  with  the  old  sages  and  philosophers." 

Fletcher. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  Marion  College  premises  em- 
braced two  tracts  of  land.  The  smallei'  contained 
four  hundred  and  seventy  acres;  was  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  point  originally  selected  for  the  location  of  the 
college  ;  was  about  twelve  miles  west  from  Palmyra; 
and  had  for  its  post-office,  West  Ely.  The  larger 
tract,  subsequently  purchased,  contained  about  forty- 
five  hundred  acres ;  was  six  miles  south  of  Palmyra, 
and  twelve  miles  west  from  Hannibal.  The  former 
was  known  as''  Upper  College,"  and  was  the  seat  of 
the  college  proper.  The  latter  was  styled  "  Lower 
College,"  where  the  theological  seminary  and  pre- 
paratory department  were  located. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  not  prepared  to  enter  the  fresh- 
man class  of  the  college,  but  spent  the  first  two  years 
of  his  sojourn  here  in  the  preparatory  classes.  He 
remained  a  student  of  the  college  five  years,  with  one 
interval   of  about  eight  months,  graduating  with  the 


So  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

class  of  1841.  We  have  the  benefit  of  his  journal  for 
less  than  two  years  of  this  period.  There  is  a  gap 
from  July,  1838,  to  1849.  ^t  is  almost  certain  that  he 
kept  a  record  of  these  years,  but  it  has  been  mislaid, 
probably  has  perished.  We  are  quite  thankful  for 
the  journal  of  the  early  months  of  his  stay  at  Marion, 
as  it  reveals  to  us  much  of  his  character  and  spiritual 
history  during  this  period.  We  shall  be  tempted  to 
make  liberal  extracts,  as  almost  every  page  is  replete 
with  interest. 

"  Sunday,  October  9,  1836. — To-day  heard  Dr.  Ely 
preach  from  '  This  is  a  faithful  saying,'  etc.  I  hope 
the  Lord  blessed  me,  though  evil  and  unthankful. 
I  came  back  to  my  room  and  uttered  the  feelings  of 
my  heart  in  Doddridge's  '  God  of  my  life,'  etc.  I  hope 
that  the  Lord  is  leading  me,  the  chief  of  sinners,  to 
some  establishment  in  the  divine  life.  I  feel  as  if  I 
wanted  to  '  get  away  '  from  sin. 

"  Tuesday,  October  11. — I  have  to-day  recited  the 
three  declensions  of  Greek  nouns  to  Mr.  Marks  [the 
Rev.  J.  J.  Marks,  D.D.,  now  of  Springfield,  Mo.]. 
He  seemed  to  be  quite  pleased  with  my  recitation. 
I  have  accomplished  very  little  yesterday  and  to-day. 
Why  is  it  ?  I  rise  too  late.  I  do  not  observe  regu- 
larity in  my  times  for  exercise  -and  relaxation.  I 
eat  too  much.  I  am  getting  too  familiar  with  some 
of  -the  students,  and  visit  too  long.  I  have  not  com- 
menced the  days  by  fervency  of  prayer  and  dedica- 
tion to  God.  I  have  done  minor  business  in  the  best 
study  hours.  Let  mo  to-morrow  avoid  these  sins, 
and  see  the  effect  on  the  day's  study.  Lord,  inspire 
me  with  diligence  in  business  and  fervency  of  spirit. 
Let  me  rise  and   be  at  my  Greek  grammar  by  the 


LIFE  AT  MARION  COLLEGE,  8i 

time  I  can  first  see  to  read  it.  Let  me  exercise  and 
relax  after  breakfast.  Let  me  keep  at  home.  Let 
me  commence  the  day  with  God.  Let  me  practice 
my  golden  rule  for  diet,  eat  as  much  as  will  support 
the  system  in  the  best  way,  and  best  prepare  it  for 
the  day's  work.  We  never  regret  having  eaten  too 
little,  was  Jefferson's  maxim. 

"  Wednesday,,  October  12. — To-morrow  want  to  com- 
mit adjectives  and  pronouns  in  Greek  grammar,  if 
possible.  Begin  long  before  day,  if  I  can  get  up. 
Have  regular  devotions.  I  have  always  felt  most  fit 
for  the  duties  of  this  life  when  I  have  felt  best  pre- 
pared to  leave  it.  Bene  orasse,  etc.  Eat  little.  Go 
into  no  one's  house  unless  absolutely  necessary. 

*'  Wednesday,,  October  26. — Commenced  reading  the 
fifth  book  of  Caesar  last  Friday.  I  am  further  ad- 
vanced in  Latin  than  this,  having  read  Coesar  and 
Virgil  before.  My  object  is  to  read  them  over  again 
simultaneously  with  my  Greek  studies.  I  want  to  be 
perfect  in  the  classics. 

'■'- Mofiday,,  November  ']. — This  evening  I  attended 
monthly  concert.  I  hope  the  Lord  was  there,  and,  in 
a  measure,  scattered  the  thick  clouds  of  doubt  and 
hesitation  which  have  hung  over  my  head  this  after- 
noon. I  felt  more  for  the  cause  of  missions  than  I 
ever  did  before,  I  think.  Felt  ready  to  make  any 
sacrifice  for  my  divine  Master.  I  hope  I  felt  so. 
Spent  good  part  of  the  afternoon  in  digesting  some 
maxims  and  regulations  for  my  conduct. 

^'  Wednesday^  November  9. — When  at  public  prayers 

this  morning,  Mr.  Marks  reiterated  the   importance 

of    improving   every    moment,    and    prayed   against 

slothfulness  and  procrastination,  I  felt  guilty.   Yester- 

4* 


82  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

day  I  did  not  do  a  full  day's  work.  My  excuse  was, 
that  I  was  weak  and  feeble  from  loss  of  sleep.  I 
suppose  it  will  take  me  six  months'  effort  to  acquire 
the  habit  of  doing  with  little  sleep.  I  eat  too  much 
to  sleep  little.  I  resolved,  for  the  next  six  months, 
to  live  on  vegetable  food  and  acquire  this  habit  also. 
But  let  me  think  before  I  adopt  this  habit.  My 
plans  are  adopted  too  hastily,  and  I  don't  enter 
them  from  established  principles,  and  thus  I  am 
liable  to  be  defeated.  At  any  rate,  T  will  do  without 
animal  food  until  I  shall  have  thought  more  about 
the  six  months'  time. 

"When  a  question  of  duty  arises,  I  must  say, 
'  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  dol '  and  in  a  sub- 
missive, childlike  spirit,  go  and  do  it.  If  I  am  not 
willing  to  do  what  is  my  duty,  I  am  no  Christian. 
'  If  a  man  hate  not  his  own  life,  he  cannot  be  My 
disciple.' 

"  This  evening  Mr.  Park  invited  me  to  attend  a 
private  meeting  next  Tuesday  night,  the  object  of 
which  is  to  promote  a  revival  of  vital  religion. 

''''Friday^  November  ii.  —  This  evening  feel  that 
Mr.  Park  was  right.  Nothing  so  simple  as  the  cross 
of  Christ.  *  Come,  let  us  all  serve  the  Lord,'  was 
my  feeling. 

"  Tuesday^  November  15. — To-day  read  first  lesson 
in  the  Greek  Reader,  and  second   lesson  in   Sallust. 

''^ -Friday^  Nov.  18. — ^Teachers'  meeting  at  night. 
To-day  have  been  vexing  myself  to  know  whether  I 
would  be  willing  to  do  this  or  that,  if  Christ  should 
wish  me  to  do  so.  This  is  vain.  I  hope  I  am  willing 
to  do  every  duty,  when  it  is  made  plain.  I  hope  I 
can,  calmly  and  through  choice,  do  every  duty,  one 


LIFE  AT  MARION   CO  LIEGE. I  83 

after  another  as  tliey  come  up.  This  alone  is  my 
business.  Sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof. 
God  will  bless  me  in  this. 

"  Sunday^  Nov,  20. — I  hope  I  enjoy  the  calm  retire- 
ment of  the  vSabbath.  I  feel  as  if  my  *  Sabbath  days 
can  never  be  too  long.'  During  tlie  past  week  I  have 
attended  the  meeting  for  the  promotion  of  a  revival 
here.  I  attended  the  teachers'  meeting  on  Thursday 
night,  the  debating  society  on  Friday  night." 

It  is  manifest  from  these  entries  that  he  taught  in 
the  preparatory  department  the  first  year  of  his  stay 
at  Marion  College. 

"  I  hope  I  have  entered  upon  the  plan  of  eating 
slowly,  and  only  enough  to  support  nature  in  the 
best  discharge  of  all  her  functions.  The  advantages 
I  find  are  unspeakable. 

"The  faults  of  the  week  :'  i.  Want  of  regularity 
in  hours  of  retiring,  which  makes  me  lose  a  good 
part  of  the  morning,  and  unfits  my  soul  for  spiritual 
enjoyment,  and  my  body  for  easy,  cheerful  discharge 
of  its  functions.  2.  Carelessly  wasting  moments  in 
the  company  of  students.  3.  Devotions  neglected  or 
partially  attended  to.  4,  Praying  without  the  un- 
derstanding; not  thinking  upon  the  holiness  and 
greatness  of  God  before  adoration,  for  instance.  5. 
Not  cultivating  benignity  of  spirit  and  cheerfulness 
of  countenance  and  expression. 

"  Thursday^  Nov.  24. — From  loss  of  sleep  I  did  not 
rise  this  morning  till  the  last  horn  for  prayers.  Had 
not  time  then  to  prepare  my  lessons  for  recitation, 
and  did  not  know  them  '  exactly,'  as  Dr.  Beecher 
says.  These  lessons  will  take  almost  as  long  to  re- 
view them  critically  as  to  learn  them  at  first. 


S4  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

"  If  I  neglect  one  duty  to  attend  to  another,  instead 
of  furthering  my  plans  for  usefulness,  I  fail  in  the 
very  duty  for  which  I  sacrificed  the  other.  '  Con- 
jurat  amice. '  There  must  be  harmony.  Order  is 
heaven's  first  law.  An  interesting  teachers  meet- 
ing to-night. 

"  Thursday^  Dec.  i. — Have  enjoyed  more  real  pleas- 
ure this  morning  in  reading  and  meditating  upon 
Lord  Chesterfield's  rules  for  the  improvement  of  time, 
etc.,  than  I  ever  could  have  done  in  sensual  enjoy- 
ment. Although  they  are  his,  they  are  good  in- 
deed. 

'■''Sunday^  Dec.  4. — I  agreed  to  open  the  remarks  at 
the  next  conference,  because  I  made  a  remark  in 
conference  this  evening ;  which  remark  made  me 
feel  more  on  the  Lord's  side  than  if  I  had  neglected 
it.  I  am  convinced  that,  having  professed  to  be  a 
Christian,  I  should  shrink  from  none  of  the  duties  of 
a  Christian,  but  perform  them  fully. 

"  Monday^  Dec.  19. — Commenced  boarding  ourselves 
last  Thursday.  Live  mostly  on  mush,  bread,  and 
molasses.  Like  it  much.  With  the  exception  of 
Thursday,  I  have  breakfasted  ever  since  on  bread 
and  water. 

'"''Monday^  Dec.  26. — I  believe  that  daily  self-ex- 
amination is  indispensable  to  correct  habits  and  my 
religious  walk.  I  sometimes  am  persuaded  by  lazi- 
ness that  it  is  not  my  imperious  duty.  Everything 
is  my  imperious  duly  which  helps  mc  in  making  the 
most  of  myself." 

'"''  Sundny^  Jan.  i,  1837. — Glorious  indications  of  a 
revival  of  religion.  Last  night  some  of  the  pious 
students  held  a  'watch-meeting,'   at   wliich   several 


LIFE  AT  MARION   COLLEGE.  85 

persons  came  out  and  expressed  an  anxiety  for  the 
prayers  of  God's  people. 

"  Tuesday,  Jan.  24. — Studying  Greek  Reader,  Sal- 
lust,  Worcester's  History,  restudying  Latin  Gram- 
mar, and  expect  soon  to  restudy  Greek    Grammar. 

'■''Feb.  I,  1837. — ^  feel  a  considerable  anxiety  this 
morning  lest  I  should  not  improve  this  month  to  the 
utmost.  I  never  have  improved  my  time  wisely. 
God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner. 

"  Man's  wisdom  is  to  seek 
His  strength  in  God  alone  ; 
And  e'en  an  angel  would  be  weak 
That  trusted  in  his  own  !" 

*•  Thursday,  Feb.  9.— Attended  a  prayer-meeting  to- 
night in  Park's  room.  I  was  requested  to  lead  it,  and 
did  so  ;  the  first  time  I  ever  led,  I  believe.  I  have 
always  been  deterred  from  activity  in  the  cause  of 
God,  from  motives  of  tinworthiness  in  myself.  To- 
night, however,  I  took  the  lead  cheerfully;  I  suppose 
because  of  some  meditations  at  my  devotions. 

''''Monday,  Feb.  20. — Last  Tuesday  I  engaged  my- 
self as  agent  for  the  American  Tract  Society,  from 
April  15  to  October  15,  six  months. 

*'  I  would  here  notice  a  remark  of  Mr.  Marks  last 
Friday,  with  respect  to  self-denial.  It  is  as  necessary 
to  mental  eminence  as  to  spiritual.  That  man  may 
do  anything  who  becomes  so  much  master  of  him- 
self as  to  eat  and  sleep  only  enough  to  support  na- 
ture. He  went  on  amplifying  the  thought  until  my 
aspirations  were  as  large  as  the  round  world.  Oh 
that  I  would  (for  I  can)  attain  such  a  mastery  over 
my  passions  as  to  make  them  complete  servants  of 
my  intellect  and  conscience. 


S6  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

"  Plan  for  the  day:  i.  Get  Pantheon  till  noon. 
2.  Devotions.  3.  Exercise  one  hour.  4.  Dine.  5. 
Greek  grammar,  one  and  a  half  hours.  6.  History, 
two  hours.  7.  Recreation,  and  devotions,  and  exer- 
cise. 8.  Getexcited,  and  conclude  speech.  9.  Com- 
mit dialogue. 

"  The  mastery  of  myself  is  my  object.  Gratia  sit 
inihi  addenda. 

*'  Saturday^  Feb.  25. — The  evidences  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  should  have  been  a  prominent  object  of 
my  investigation,  and  I  can  give  no  consistent,  log- 
ical reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  me.  As  a  conse- 
quence, I  have  lived  without  an  abiding  sense  of 
Christian  responsibility.  I  have  been  looking  to  others 
to  take  the  lead  in  religion,  w4ien  I  should  have  been 
an  example  to  them.  Instead  of  giving  my  influence 
fearlessly  to  the  cause  of  truth,  and  instead  of  form- 
ing a  model  for  others,  who  need  it  very  much,  I 
have  weakly  formed  my  habits  upon  their  model. 
It  must  be  my  object  to  have  a  consistent  chain  of 
argument  to  support  my  religious  belief.  If  it  can- 
not have  this,  it  must  be  discarded.  I  must  also  be 
more  intelligently  and  devotionally  acquainted  with 
the  contents  of  the  Bible,  as  well  as  the  evidence  of 
its  truth  as  a  whole.  That  man  is  silly  who  sutfers 
his  opinions  to  outrun  his  proofs,  and  his  character 
will  never  stand  out  boldly  useful  from  the  herd  of 
mankind. 

''  Sunday^  Feb.  26. — I  hope  I  enjoyed  to-night's 
sermon.  I  was  reminded  in  it  of  several  things,  of 
which  I  am  too  forgetful.  Mr.  Marks  said  :  '  There  is 
no  happiness  like  dying  daily.  The  man  of  the  world 
is  the  slave  of  the  world.*   I  also  called  to  mind  a  re- 


LIFE  A  T  MARION  COLLEGE.  87 

mark  of  his,  on  a  former  occasion,  concerning  Ed- 
wards, that  he  resolved  there  should  not  be  on  earth 
a  holier  man  than  himself.  I  hope  I  feel  that  all 
hope  of  being  better  in  the  future  will  fail,  unless  I 
tww  begin,  and  now  become  such  as  my  better  judg. 
ment  points  out.  If  I  do  not  begin  this  moment,  the 
probability  that  I  shall  do  it  to-morrow  is  less.  Every 
day  that  I  defer  being  what  I  ought  to  be,  I  increase 
the  difficulties  of  being  what  I  ought  to  be,  and,  of 
course,  lessen  its  probability. 

"  I  regard  the  maxim  of  living  day  by  day  as  es- 
pecially important.  An  anxious  thought  about  to- 
morrow will  lessen  present  attainments.  If  I  am 
this  moment  breaking  off  from  all  sin  and  '  learning 
to  do  well,'  it  is  all  that  the  best  man  can  do,  and  is, 
at  the  same  time,  the  best  assurance  that  I  shall  do 
well  to-morrow. 

''^Monday,  Feb.  27. — The  subject  for  spiritual  med- 
itation to-day  is,  entire,  universal  action  for  Christ, 
in  eating,  drinking,  wearing.  Singleness  of  eye.  I 
am  bought  with  a  price.  I  am  not  my  own.  The 
minutest  actions  of  my  life  must  not  be  done  in  the 
sight  of  my  own  eyes.  But  I  must  walk  this  day  by 
faith.  The  tempted  soul  who  resists  is  higher  in 
moral  greatness  than  the  soul  that  is  holy  without 
trial. 

"  Tuesday,  Feb.  28. — I  will  make  the  following 
maxims  :  i.  Always  feel  that  you  have  enough  to 
do  every  day  to  keep  you  busy.  Do  not  simply  feel 
that  you  have  a  great  deal  to  do,  and  then  stand  off 
and  dread  it,  but  have  it  on  hand.  2.  If  you  see  any- 
thing that  ought  to  be  done,  never  stop  to  inquire 
whether  your  motives  in  doing  it  would  be  correct. 


88  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

If  you  do,  you  will  probably  neglect  to  do  what  you 
confess  ought  to  be  done, , and  your  motives  by  this 
neglect  will  be  getting  no  better.  On  the  other  hand, 
outward  performance  of  duty  will  tend  to  spiritual- 
ize the  mind.  For  instance,  I  know  that  I  ought  to 
be  diligent  in  study,  and  accomplish  a  great  deal 
every  day.  But  I  must  not  be  idle,  or  cease  to  labor 
hard,  because  I  fear  I  am  not  doing  it  entirely  for 
God's  glory.  Do  your  duty  in  any  respect,  and  you 
will  be  favorably  inclined  to  all  duties.  3.  In  aim- 
ing to  be  strictly  religious,  let  it  not  create  an  un- 
natural sadness  of  countenance,  or  a  want  of  suavity 
and  gentleness,  or  an  unnatural  demeanor  in  the  per- 
formance of  any  duties.  If  you  do,  there  will  be  a 
reaction,  and  your  supposed  sanctity  will  create  dis- 
gust, and  you  will  perhaps  fall  lower  than  you  were 
before  you  tried  to  live  above  this  earth.  Wisdom's 
ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths  are 
peace. 

"  Monday^  April  3. —  Have  been  rising  late  for  some 
time  past.  Am  getting  too  fat.  This  has  contrib- 
uted to  it,  I  think.  Rose  quite  early  this  morning. 
Wish  to  acquire  that  industrious  habit  which  would 
hQ  punished  hy  lying  late. 

'''Sunday^  April  ^.~l  desire  to  record  it  here  that 
the  Lord  has  this  evening  put  it  into  my  heart  to 
dedicate  myself  to  him  anew.  I  do  hereby  reject  all 
dependence  on  myself,  and,  in  gratitude  for  any  dis- 
position I  may  now  have  to  serve  him,  I  would 
depend  on  that  same  influence  for  future  preserva- 
tion. My  object  is,  that  I  may  learn  and  do  the  will 
of  God.  Is  it  not  my  privilege  to  do  the  will  of  my 
Father  in  heaven,  and,  like  Enoch,  to  have  the  test}- 


LIFE  AT  MARION  COLLEGE,  89 

mony  that  I  please  God,  and,  like  Paul,  to  keep  al- 
ways a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God  and 
toward  men  ?     All  my  help  is  in  Thee." 

Shortly  after  this  last  date,  probably  about  April 
15,  1837,  he  entered  upon  his  engagement  as  colpor- 
teur of  the  American  Tract  Society.  He  continued 
in  this  arduous,  self-denying  missionary  labor  until 
the  closing  days  of  February,  1838.  It  seems  an 
humble  work  for  a  man  of  his  gifts  and  abilities  for 
higher  spheres  of  Christian  effort  and  usefulness. 
He  did  not  think  so,  but  manifestly  entered  upon  his 
mission  with  the  conviction  that  it  was,  at  that  time, 
the  thing  which  the  Lord  would  have  him  do.  That 
he  did  not  despise  it,  nor  shrink  from  its  self-denials, 
is  plainly  seen  in  the  fact  that  he  continued  in  the 
service  several  months  after  the  originally  stipulated 
period  for  its  termination,  and  after  the  fall  term  of 
the  college  had  commenced. 

There  are  a  few  facts,  gleaned  from  his  journal, 
which  occurred  during  the  period  of  this  agency. 
He  mentions  visiting  Mr.  Bowling,  Mr.  Griffin",  Mr. 
William  Henry,  Mr.  Dimmitt,  Rev.  F.  R.  Gray,  Mr. 
Tyre  Haden,  Mr.  Peter  Leonard,  Mr.  Bond,  Mr. 
Fike,  and  Mr.  Fisher.  He  seems  to  have  been  very 
unfavorably  impressed  by  New  London,  in  Ralls 
"County,  of  which  he  says  :  *'  I  suppose  it  is  a  Sodom. 
I  should  judge  there  are  not  ten  righteous  men  in 
it."' 

He  had  quite  an  exciting  experience  on  one  occa- 
sion at  a  religious  service.  He  was  allowed  to  pre- 
sent his  cause  by  the  minister,  who,  however,  proved 
after  all  to  be  an  ignorant,  conceited  bigot,  and  vio- 
lently opposed  him,  on  the  ground  that  the  Tract 


90  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

Society  was  sectarian  !  He  remarks  that  the  minis- 
ter's own  wife  sided  with  the  society,  and  that  the 
opposition  did  not  prevent  the  sale  of  books. 

One  of  the  gentlemen  with  whom  he  lodged,  a 
good  man,  but  manifestly  a  fanatic,  averred  and  be- 
lieved that,  when  he  was  converted,  *'  he  saw  Jesus, 
and  was  within  six  feet  of  him." 

When  he  visited  Mr.  Pike's  the  last  time,  he  found 
him  dying,  and  remarks  :   "  How  solemn  did  I  feel  ! 

1  felt  that  I  was  in  the  presence  of  death,  and  that 
*  the  chamber  where  the  good  man  meets  his  fate 
is  privileged  above  the  common  walks  of  virtuous 
life,  quite  on  the  verge  of  heaven.'  " 

Amid  the  bustle  and  worry  of  this  nomadic  life, 
he  found  time  to  write  in  his  journal :  "Two  of  my 
errors  have  been  called  to  mind.  First,  Asking  God 
to  give  me  repentance,  when  that  is  the  very  thing 
which  the  Spirit  is  asking  me  to  do,  and  I  am  not  do- 
ing it."  [Yet  repentance  is  the  gift  of  God,  and  is  to 
be  sought  for  in  answer  to  prayer,  Acts  5  :  31  ;  11  :  18 ; 

2  Timothy  2  :  25.]  ''Second,  Expecting  to  get  filled 
with  the  Spirit  during  the  business  and  cares  of  the 
day,  when  I  neglect  or  slightly  perform  my  morning 
devotions.  It  is  very  clear  that  unless  I  get  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  before  business  commences,  I 
will  not  be  afterward.  This  error  is  as  unphilo- 
sophical  as  it  is  discordant  with  Bible  injunction." 
"  John  Wesley  was  always  in  haste,  but  never  in  a 
hurry.  '  Hence'  says  he,  '  I  never  undertake  any- 
thing more  than  I  can  perform  with  perfect  calmness 
of  spiiit.'  Resolved  to  go  only  into  that  compan\ 
(except  to  do  them  good)  from  which  I  may  get  the 
most  possible  benefit  while  in  it.     A  companion*  of 


LU^'E  AT  MARION   COLLEGE. 


91 


fools  shall  be  destroyed.  He  that  walketh  with  wise 
men  shall  be  wise." 

When  he  resumed  his  duties  as  a  student,  on  the 
last  day  of  February,  1838,  it  seems  from  his  jour- 
nal that  he  was  located  at  the  Upper  College  ;  and 
yet  it  is  even  more  clear  that  he  was  still  pursu- 
ing the  branches  taught  in  the  preparatory  depart- 
ment, as  he  mentions  modern  geography,  Pantheon, 
Greek  and  Latin  grammar  as  the  studies  in  which  he 
is  engaged.  It  is  probable  that  it  was  found  far 
more  economical,  and  in  every  way  expedient  to 
bring  the  more  advanced  students  of  the  preparatory 
school  to  the  college,  in  order  that  they  might  be 
tauglit  by  the  professors.  We  know,  from  a  letter  in 
our  possession,  that  the  Lower  College  was  aban- 
doned altogether  at  the  ensuing  fall  session.  The 
Avonder  is  that  they  should  ever  have  attempted  to 
carry  them  on  fourteen  miles  apart. 

Having  witnessed  an  unprofitable  discussion  be- 
tween his  brother  and  chum,  he  is  led  to  say,  "  Re- 
solved never  to  dispute  unless  with  a  view  ot  doing 
my  antagonist  good,  by  reclaiming  him  from  error. 
When  it  is  plain  that  the  talk  is  verging  toward 
crimination  and  recrimination,  to  desist  immediate- 
ly. Also  to  cease  whenever  there  is  no  probability 
of  gaining  my  object — that  is,  refuting  a  material 
error." 

"■Sunday,  April  22,  1838,"  he  w^-ites :  "I  think 
every  day  how  circumspect  I  will  be  to-morrow.  Just 
as  if,  to  use  an  expression  of  President  Wayland's, 
a  man  should  be  always  neglecting  his  duties,-  and 
devising  how  he  would  do  if  he  lived  in  the  moon. 
I  am  very  much  one  of  these  lunatics.     Why,  if  I  ever 


92  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

do  my  duty,  it  will  not  be  done  to-morrow.  To- 
morrow is  not  mine." 

About  the  first  of  June  he  made  an  engagement  to 
deliver  the"  Comprehensive  Commmentary''  to  sub- 
scribers at  forty-five  cents  a  volume.  This  work  he 
attended  to  probably  during  the  holidays,  and  was 
the  means,  doubtless,  of  providing  him  with  this  valu- 
able thesaurus  of  criticism  upon  the  Scriptures.  It 
became,  we  know,  the  basis  of  all  his  subsequent 
study  of  the  sacred  volume. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1838,  he  was  made  the  super- 
intendent of  the  college  Sunday-school,  and  entered 
upon  its  duties  with  a  spirit  of  earnest  and  humble 
activity.  This  is  a  signal  proof  of  the  highest  esti- 
mate which  was  placed  upon  him  as  an  intelligent 
and  useful  Christian,  when  he  was  still  but  a  student 
in  the  preparatory  department. 

We  are  now  about  to  lose  the  light  of  his  journal 
for  a  period  of  more  than  ten  years.  We  deeply  re- 
gret this,  for  every  reader  doubtless  agrees  that  the 
extracts  from  it  form  by  far  the  most  interesting  and 
valuable  portions  of  this  volume.  We  shall  give  the 
last  entry,  made  July  4th,  1838  :  "  The  Bible  com- 
mands me  to  be  above  the  world  ;  not  to  fear  the 
world  ;  to  keep  my  conscience  void  of  offence  tow- 
ard God  and  toward  man,  though  in  so  doing  the 
whole  neigliborhood  should  despise  me  or  laugh  in 
a  chorus.  There  is  a  rock  that  is  higher  than  1, 
which  rock  is  all  truth.  Though  I  cannot  compre- 
hend all  truth,  though  I  see  in  part,  yet  there  is  no 
error  in  this  rock.  If  I  settle  upon  any  part  of  it,  I 
have  a  clue  to  the  rest.  Truth  is  harmonious,  with- 
out inconsistency,  witliout  disaster.      Doing  one  duty 


LIFE   AT  MARION   COLLEGE.  93 

will  aid  another.  Being  humble  will  help  me  to  be 
self-denying.  Though  I  am  in  a  thorny  maze,  and 
cannot  see  all  the  duties,  or  the  propriety  of  some 
things  which  I  confess  to  be  duties,  yet  I  will  do 
duty.  I  will  do  His  will,  assured  that  I  shall  know 
of  the  doctrine.  I  will  be  humble.  I  know  that  is 
duty.  I  know  moreover  that  I  cannot  err  in  being 
humble,  I  am  on  the  rock.  I'll  swing  to  it,  though 
'earth  were  from  her  centre  tossed!'  (collaterally,  I 
shall  thus  acquire  force  of  character).  Yes,  I'll  be 
humble,  even  if  humility  is  out  of  fashion.  It  is 
delightful  to  have  such  an  anchor,  some  lamp,  some 
unerring  oracle.  Such  an  oracle  is  the  word  of 
God." 

From  his  journal  and  some  letters  that  have  been 
preserved,  there  are  a  few  additional  facts  connected 
with  his  life  at  Marion  College,  which  may  be  noted. 
We~have  already  observed  that  board  was  only  fifty 
dollars  for  the  entire  school-year  of  forty  weeks. 
This  seems  to  us  very  cheap.  Our  wonder,  however, 
is  somewhat  lessened  when  we  read  of  the  diet  that 
was  in  vogue  at  that  time.  Twice  in  his  journal  he 
speaks  of  boarding  himself,  and  of  living  on  mush, 
bread,  and  molasses,  and  on  bread  and  water. 
Thomas  Curd  Hart  writes  to  William  H.  Kemper  : 
"  I  am  still  boarding  myself,  and  shall  continue  to 
do  so.  I  can  study  better,  and  then  it  is  very  essen- 
tial that  I  practice  the  most  rigid  economy.  I  tell 
you  what,  if  I  should  ever  be  so  fortunate  as  to  get  a 
wife,  I'll  make  up  for  lost  time  in  the  way  of  living. 
I  shall  call  to  mind  very  often  the  bread  and  water 
of  Marion  College.  You  would  always  have  your 
coffee   and    eggs,  and    kick  up   such  a  hurrah  with 


94  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

your  batters,  that  it  was  much  more  expensive  for 
you  to  board  yourself  than  at  the  boarding-house." 

We  may  here  say,  with  regard  to  Mr.  Kemper's 
younger  brother  William,  that  he  was  thought  to 
have  excelled  his  brother  Frederick  in  scholarship, 
and  gifts  of  composition  and  oratory.  He  became 
discouraged,  however,  at  the  failure  of  the  college 
to  help  them  pay  their  own  way,  and  went  to  Ray- 
mond, Hinds  County,  Mississippi,  to  teach  a  private 
school,  and  died  there  in  less  than  a  year. 

D.  J.  Garnett  writes  from  Lower  College  to  Mr. 
Ketnper  at  Upper  College  :  "  We  are  living  on  corn 
bread  and  water,  which  costs  us  something  less  than 
a  shilling  a  week  ;  cheap  living,  but  as  good  as  I  de- 
sire. For  while  it  affords  sufficient  nourishment,  it 
leaves  the  mind  clearer  and  in  a  better  condition  for 
hard  study  than  richer  food.  We  generally  retire  at 
lo  o'clock  and  rise  at  4  o'clock."  His  father,  in  one 
of  his  letters,  refers  to  the  very  meagre  diet  which  he 
allowed  himself,  and  is  apprehensive  of  its  effects 
upon  his  health.  There  are  not  many  students  from 
good  families  now  who  would  be  willing  to  live  on 
bread  and  water  in  orderto  secure  an  education.  It  is 
cei  tainly  a  blessing  that  very  few,  if  any,  are  compelled 
so  to  do.  It  is  more  than  doubtful  whether  such  a 
diet  is  conducive  to  either  mental  or  bodily  vigor.  It  is 
a  mistake  to  starve  the  body  in  order  to  feed  the  mind. 
R  was  a  cruel  and  most  miserable  economy  which, 
a  generation  ago,  prevailed  in  our  boarding-schools, 
in  giving  poor  and  insufficient  food  tc^  those  who 
were  expected  to  study  hard.  The  hungry  days  of 
one's  life  are  those  spent  in  the  school-room  ;  and  na- 
ture demands,  for  brain  as  well  as  brawn,  that  an 


LIFE   AT  MARION   COLLEGE. 


95 


abundance  of  wholesome  and  nutritious  food  should 
then  be  given  and  received.  It  is  very  probable  that 
Mr.  Kemper  laid  the  foundation  of  much  suffering, 
which  we  shall  observe  in  his  subsequent  life,  by  the 
partial  starvation  to  which  he  subjected  himself  dur- 
ing his  college  days.  An  abundance  of  food  and  of 
sleep  is  necessary  for  a  healthy  growing  brain. 

Another  very  interesting  point,  settled  during  his 
college  life,  was  his  choice  of  a  profession.  He  had 
beeti  put  to  service  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  when  he  was 
not  quite  thirteen  years  of  age.  In  this  work  he  had 
continued  at  least  five  years,  and  for  it  he  had  shown 
an  unusual  aptitude.  While  he  was  at  Marion  a 
tempting  offer  was  made  him  to  go  into  business  as  a 
merchant.  This,  however,  he  at  once  and  peremp- 
torily declined.  It  is  manifest,  from  many  proofs, 
that  it  was  his  expectation,  when  he  left,  home  for 
Marion  College,  and  perhaps  for  the  first  three^years 
of  his  stay  there,  to  prepare  himself  for  the  Christian 
ministry.  His  Virginia  pastor,  the  Rev.  A.  D.  Pol- 
lock, D.D.,  alludes  to  this  fact  in  several  of  his  letters 
to  him,  giving  him  such  counsel  as  would  be  appro- 
priate in  such  a  case.  Moreover,  in  the  letter  of  in- 
troduction which  Dr.  P.  gave  him  to  Professors  Hal- 
sey  and  Agnew,  he  speaks  of  his  seeking  admission 
to  the  college  as  a  passway  to  usefulness  in  the  min- 
istry. He  made  the  impression  that  this  was  his  pur- 
pose on  his  relatives  at  Walnut  Hills,  Ohio,  as  he 
passed  through  Cincinnati.  A  letter  from  his  father, 
written  not  long  after  his  entrance  into  college,  refers 
to  such  an  intention  on  his  part.  A  letter  from  his 
Virginia  friend,  Dr.  C.  W.  Ashby,  of  Jan.  22,  1839, 
says  to   hinj  :  "  I  hope  you   have   not  changed  your 


96  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

mind  in  regard  to  the  ministry."  His  special  friend 
and  fellow-student,  W.  T.  Davis,  in  two  letters  to  him, 
written  early  in  1840,  refers  in  decided  terms  to 
this  expectation,  as  entertained  by  both  of  them.  If 
further  proof  were  needed,  we  have  it  in  one  of  his 
own  manuscripts,  which  is  headed,  "  Notes  of  a  Ser- 
mon preached  at  the  Camp-ground  of  New  Provi- 
dence Church,  August,  1838."  These  notes  are  in- 
dorsed as  '^  No.  2,  Weak  Faith,"  showing  that  he  had 
prepared  a  sketch  of  a  sermon  once  before.  The 
text  was  Rom.  14:  i,  and  the  notes  are  such  as  any 
preacher  might  profitably  use.  Had  he  carried  out  this 
intention,  he  would  have  made  a.learned  and  eloquent 
preacher  and  a  devoted,  faithful,  pious  pastor. 

In  the  year  1840  he  had  changed  his  mind  and 
turned  his  thoughts  toward  the  law.  We  have  the 
evidence  of  one  letter,  written  in  1837,  that  so  early 
as  this  he  was  wavering,  hesitating  between  the  law 
and  the  ministry.  But  April  26,  1840,  in  a  letter  from 
his  father  to  his  brother  William,  it  is  said,  ''Fred- 
erick writes  that  he  intends  to  turn  his  attention  to 
tlie  law."  As  appears  from  the  context,  this  was  not 
in  accordance  with  his, father's  judgment,  and  was, 
perhaps  for  that  reason,  abandoned.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  he  would  have  suited  this  profession.  If  he 
had  entered  it,  he  would  have  been  better  adapted  to 
the  judicial  gravity  and  research  of  the  bench  than  to 
the  contentions  of  the  bar. 

Having  given  up  both  of  these,  he  finally  and  fully 
decided  upon  making  teaching  the  profession  of  his 
life. 

In  the  year  1839  Dr.  Potts  resigned  the  presiden- 
cy, and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Hiram   P.  Good- 


LIFE   A  T  MARION  COLLEGE. 


97 


rich,  D.D.  The  institution  was  doubtless  like  a  ship 
in  the  midst  of  breakers  during  the  whole  period 
of  its  history.  The  scheme  for  its  support,  though 
devised  by  practical  men,  was  manifestly  imprac- 
ticable. It  is  as  much  as  one  set  of  men  can  do  to 
carry  on  a  university  or  a  college.  They  must  be 
select  men  to  do  that.  To  expect  the  same  men  to 
manage  a  farm  of  five  thousand  acres  and  support 
the  college  from  the  proceeds  is  as  Utopian  an  idea 
as  the  uncrazed  brain  of  man  ever  conceived.  We 
are  not  surprised,  therefore,  to  see  that  Dr.  Goodrich 
was  compelled  to  canvass  for  the  college  to  secure 
funds  for  its  maintenance  ;  nor  that,  in  the  year  1840, 
the  very  recitation  benches  were  sold  for  debt,  the 
entire  lot  bringing  less  than  four  dollars  at  the  forced 
sale.  About  the  same  time  Professor  Thomson,  the 
able  professor  of  mathematics,  committed  suicide  in 
the  college  campus,  and  Dr.  Ely's  wife  returned  from 
Philadelphia  deranged  and  speechless. 

On  Jan.  13th,  1840,  Mr.  Kemper  was  invited,  by  a 
committee  of  the  Palmyra  Temperance  Society,  to 
deliver  an  address  before  them  on  the  evening  of 
the  first  Tuesday  of  February.  The  commfttee  were 
R.  J.  Wright,  W.  P.  Cochran,  and  J.  L.  Hyde.  He 
accepted,  and  made  the  speech.  He  received  the 
thanks  of  the  society  and  a  very  earnest  request  for 
the  publication  of  the  address.  We  have  no  informa- 
tion as  to  whether  he  agreed  to  its  publication  or  not. 

In  the  fall  of  1840  he  entered  the  senior  class, 
and  having  passed  through  the  entire  curriculum 
with  distinguished  honor  to  himself,  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  degree  of  A.B.    in  the  summer  of  1841. 

In  connection  with  his  life  at  Marion  College  he 
5 


98  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

formed  a  friendship  to  which  we  wish  to  call  special 
attention,  for  the  reason  that  it  may  serve  to  link  with 
his  name  the  memory  of  another  good  man  and  con- 
scientious, efficient  teacher.  We  refer  to  William  T. 
Davis.  He  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Mo., 
May  3,  1817,  and  was  educated  at  Marion  College, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1841.  He  was  a  profes- 
sional teacher,  devoting  his  entire  life  to  the  work.  He 
first  taught  in  the  country  schools  around  Fayette, 
in  Howard  County;  then  in  Columbia;  then  in  Fay- 
ette, in  connection  with  Mr.  W.  T.  Lucky;  then  in 
the  Masonic  College  at  Lexington,  of  which  he  was 
at  one  time  president ;  and  finally  at  Glasgow,  as  the 
principal  of  the  Male  High  School  there,  from  1859 
to  the  fall  of  1864,  when  he  died  a  triumphant  Chris- 
tian death,  October  14. 

He  was  a  man  of  good  mind,  unusual  intelligence, 
sound  judgment,  imperturbable  good  humor,  and 
sincere  Christianity.  No  kinder,  truer  husband, 
father,  friend,  or  neighbor  ever  lived.  As  a  teacher 
he  was  universally  beloved  and  respected  by  his 
pupils,  hundreds  of  whom  doubtless  still  live  to 
revere  hfs  memory.  The  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  by  Mr.  Kemper  is  plainly  shown  in  the  fact  that 
more  of  his  letters  were  preserved  than  of  any  three 
other  correspondents  outside  of  his  father's  family, 
and  in  the  further  fact  that  he  gave  a  most  cordial 
and  flattering  indorsement  to  the  effort  to  make  him 
professor  of  mathematics  and  natural  philosophy 
in  the  State  University,  in  the  spring  of  i860.  His 
letters  deserve  this  honor,  for  they  are  remarkably 
good  specimens  of  friendly  letter-writing.  We  shall 
give  a  few   extracts  from   them.      While  a  country 


LIFE  A  T  MARION   COLLEGE.  99 

teacher,  trying  to  make  money  to  complete  his  edu- 
cation, he  writes : 

"  My  leisure  time,  for  the  want  of  books,  has  not 
been  very  profitably  employed,  being  spent  in  read- 
ing truly  '  miscellaneous.'     But  lately  I  have  obtain- 
ed Glass's  *'  Washingtonii  Vita,"  which  I  am  perusing 
with  all  the  interest  the  novelty  of  such  a  work  and 
the  subject  itself  are  calculated  to  excite.     The  work 
is  accompanied  by  the  recommendations  of  some  of 
the  best  scholars  in  the  country.     J.  Q.  Adams  says 
it  is  written  in   'pure  Ciceronian  Latin.'     There  is 
something  very  ingenious,  and  to  me  sometimes  a 
little  diverting,  in  the  manner  in  which  Glass  has 
adapted  the  ancient  Latin  to  modern  arts,  improve- 
ments, and  names.       For  instance,  he  c.xWs  firearms 
*  arma  ignevoma  ;'  the  Quakers^ '  Tremebundi ;'  a  gov- 
ernor^ *  gubernator;'  cannon^   *  tormenta  majora,'  etc. 
I  have  no  news  to  tell  you,  and  my  main  object  in 
writing  is  alere  flammam  amicitice.     There  is  a  great 
deal  of  sickness  in  some  parts  of  this  county.     This 
exhorts    us  to  be   also   ready,  to    have   our    lamps 
trimmed  and  burning,  to  'walk  thoughtful  on   the 
silent,  solemn  shore  of  that  vast  ocean  we  must  sail 
so  soon.'     'Tis  a  solemn  though  a  glorious  sight  to 
see  a  Christian  die,  to  see  his  lamp  of  life  *  melt  away 
into  the  light  of  heaven.'    But  to  see  a  sinner  leaving 
the  world,  which  he  had  made  his  home,  his  all — 
oh,  who  can  endure  the  sight  ?     Kemper,  my  friend 
and  brother,    when   I   think   of  these  things,   I   feel 
that  there  should  be  more  to  tell  the  tale  of  Calvary, 
more  laborers  in  the  fields,  which  are  already  white 
to  the  harvest.     There  is  no\v  a  great  moral  battle  to 
be  fought,  upon  the  success  of  which  depend  our  in- 


loo  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

dividual  salvation  and  that  of  our  country,  the  pros- 
perity of  the  Church,  and  the  glory  of  its  matchless 
King.  This  warfare  is  for  life,  and  as  earnest  as  the 
interests  of  heaven,  earth,  and  hell  can  make  it." 
"  I  fear  that  in  our  most  religious  institutions  there 
is  not  enough  of  ^earf-cultuve  in  proportion  to  the 
head-culture.  The  moral  powers  are  of  more  impor- 
tance than  the  mental.  They  give  character  and 
dignity  to  man,  and  direct  all  his  other  powers, 
either  for  good  or  for  evil.  Therefore  we  should  be 
anxious  that  every  college  in  the  land  have  a  high 
tone  of  morals — not  the  cold  morals  of  the  deist,  but 
the  warm,  living  piety  of  the  Gospel.  For  nothing 
else,  I  verily  believe,  will  do.  He  that  would  serve 
his  country  well  must  act  from  the  law  that  compre- 
hends all  our  social  duties.  'Whatsoever  ye  would 
that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  unto 
them.'  "  Every  line  of  these  letters  is  worthy  of 
preservation,  but  space  here  forbids. 

Another  of  his  fellow-students  was  the  Kev.  John 
Leighton,  D.D.,  one  of  the  most  scholarly  and 
thoughtful  ministers  of  Missouri.  His  graceful  pen 
will  close  this  account  of  Mr.  Kemper's  college 
days : 

"Saint  Louis,  April  20,  1881. 

"  Dear  Sir  :  Learning  of  the  worthy  purpose  of  publishing  a 
memorial  of  the  late  Professor  F.  T.  Kemper,  I  am  prompted  to 
write  you.  For  though  I  have  nothing  special  to  communicate, 
my  recollection  of  that  excellent  man  covers  a  period  in  his  life 
further  back  than  is  reached  by  the  memory  of  most  of  his  surviv- 
ing friends  and  admirers. 

"It  was  in  the  autumn  of  1837"  [1836,  the  Kempers  en- 
tered] "  that  he  and  his  younger  brother  William,  together  with 
myself,  entered  Marion  College,  then  an  excellent  and  flourish- 


LIFE  AT  MARION  COLLEGE.  loi 

ing  institution  under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  William  S.  Potts. 
As  the  college  was  admirably  manned,  especially  in  the  chairs  of 
philosophy  and  classical  literature,  none  of  the  alumni  had  the 
least  apology  for  lack  of  drill  or  thorough  scholarship.  The 
eminent  and  life-long  career  of  Mr.  Kemper  as  an  educator  has 
been  no  more  than  a  practical  reflection  of  what  his  alma  mater 
was  in  those  her  best  days. 

•'After  a  lapse  of  more  than  forty  years  I  retain  a  distinct 
remembrance  of  Mr.  Kemper's  personal  appearance,  as  a  youth- 
ful student.  His  presence  was  unusually  commanding.  His 
bearing  was  remarkably  easy,  yet  always  dignified.  His  coun- 
tenance was  open.  His  large  genial  face  was  radiant  with  amia- 
bility and  intelligence,  and  seemed  always  ready  to  pass  into  a 
smile. 

"  If  Mr.  Kemper  was  not  always  facile  ptinceps  in  his  studies, 
he  was  certainly  never  second  to  any  in  his  class.  One  pecu- 
liarity of  his  method  I  well  remember.  In  preparing  for  recita- 
tion, he  was  not  content — as  most  even  good  scholars  are— to 
understand  well  all  that  bore  directly  on  the  subject.  If,  in 
his  investigations,  other  matters  not  understood  came  within 
view,  he  would  step  out  of  his  path  to  master  these  also.  The 
thought  then  occurred  to  me  that  this  industrious  research  would 
make  him  a  man  of  wide  intelligence.  Those  who  have  known 
him  in  later  life,  as  I  have  npt,  can  testify  how  far  this  expecta- 
tion was  verified. 

"  The  religious  and  orthodox  atmosphere  of  Marion  College,  and 
especially  the  pungent  and  eloquent  sermons  of  President  Potts, 
'worked  wrath,'  and  occasioned  the  outcropping  of  sporadic 
cases  of  infidelity  among  the  students.  But  our  friend  remained 
far  removed  from  the  young  sceptics,  whose  elevation  of  mind 
lifted  them  above  the  '  mists  of  superstition.'  While,  indeed, 
he  distanced  them  all  in  the  differential  calculus,  and  easily 
silenced  them  in  literary  debate,  in  religious  things  he  never  pre- 
tended to  a  penetration  of  mind  that  enabled  him  to  see  any  in- 
consistency between  reason  and  revelation.  He  remained  a 
humble  and  avowed  believer. 

"  It  was,  I  think,  in  the  summer  of  1843,"  [probably  the  spring 
of  1844]  "and  during  the  first  year  of  my  pastorate  in  Palmyra, 
that  Mr.  Kemper  made  me  a  visit,  having  in  view  the  establish- 


102  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

ing  of  a  school  of  high  grade  in  that  place.  Bearing  upon  the 
project,  he  gave  us  an  able  lecture  in  the  church.  But  our  peo- 
ple were  so  short-sighted  as  to  fail  to  see  the  inviting  door  he 
opened.  As  they  that  evening  gave  no  response  to  his  overture, 
he  soon  after  directed  his  steps  toward  the  Missouri  River.  In 
the  educational  wealth  thus  conferred  on  that  region  during 
nearly  half  a  century,  the  people  of  Palmyra  may  to-day  see 
their  own  loss.  Thus  often  upon  the  pivotal  incident  of  an  hour 
turns  the  whole  subsequent  career  of  a  good  man's  life.  A  local 
obstacle  in  the  channel  deflects  the  river's  course,  and  the  tide  of 
its  healthful  influence  is  shed  far  and  wide  over  regions  other- 
wise unvisited.  Fraternally  yours, 

"John  Leighton." 


CHAPTER   VI. 

IN    MARION    COUNTY,    AFTER    GRADUATION. 

"  Nursed  with  skill,  what  dazzling  fruits  appear  ! 
Even  now  sagacious  foresight  points  to  show 
A  little  bench  of  heedless  bishops  here  ; 
And  there  a  chancellor  in  embryo  ; 
Or  bard  sublime,  if  bard  may  e'er  be  so, 
As  Milton,  Shakspeare,  names  that  ne'er  shall  die  ! 
Though  now  he  crawl  along  the  ground  so  low. 
Nor  weeting  how  the  muse  should  soar  so  high, 
Wisheth,  poor  starveling  elf,  his  paper  kite  mayfly." 

SlIENSTONE. 

The  first  instruction  which  Mr.  Kemper  received 
was  at  the  home  school,  sustained  by  his  father  and 
one  of  his  neighbors,  for  the  benefit  of  their  own 
children  and.  those  immediately  around.  Here  he 
remained  until  he  was  thirteen  years  old.  He  then 
served  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  between  four  and  five 
years.  Whether  he  then  attended  school  again  in 
Virginia,  we  do  not  positively  know.  He  probably 
did  for  a  year  or  more ;  for  he  says  in  the  catalogue 
of  1876  that  he  "studied  Latin  for  a  year  or  two  at 
a  country  school  ;"  and  it  was  most  likely  done  at 
this  time.  After  this  he  tells  us  that  "  his  father  built 
a  small  school-room  in  his  yard,  where  he  installed 
him  as  teacher  of  his  younger  brothers  and  sisters  " 
How  long  he  was  the  instructor  of  the  family  school 


I04  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

we  are  not  told.  We  know  that  he  left  home  for 
Marion  College  in  the  summer  of  1836,  before  he 
was  twenty  years  of  age.  He  had  then  read  Caesar 
and  Virgil  and  begun  the  study  of  the  Greek.  He 
spent  the  succeeding  eight  years,  or,  more  accurately, 
seven  years  and  seven  months,  from  October  2,  1836, 
to  May,  18^4,  in  Marion  County.  Of  this  period,  six 
and  a  half  years  were  passed  in  connection  with 
Marion  College.  The  last  year  he  taught  a  private 
boarding-school  at  Philadelphia  in  the  same  county, 
less  than  a  mile  from  the  Upper  or  main  College. 

He  says  that  he  was  tutor  in  Marion  College  for 
two  and  a  half  years.  From  the  statements  made  in 
connection  with  this  in  the  catalogue,  it  would  seem 
a  natural  conclusion  that  this  service  as  tutor  was 
performed  after  he  was  graduated.  If  so,  it  does 
not,  of  course,  include  the  teaching  which  he  did  the 
first  year  that  he  spent  as  a  pupil  in  the  preparatory 
department  at  the  Lower  College  It  is  manifest 
from  his  journal,  as  already  quoted,  that  he  Avas  a 
teacher  at  that  time,  probably  until  he  left  to  act  for 
the  Tract  Society.  If  not,  why  should  he  have  at- 
tended the  teachers'  meetings,  as  he  did.'*  If  this 
conclusion  be  correct,  then  he  taught  some  three 
years  and  a  half  at  Marion  College  and  one  year  at 
Philadelphia,  or  more  than  half  the  time  he  spent  in 
the  county. 

The  last  six  years  of  this  period  are  the  most  ob- 
scure in  his  life.  We  are  entirely  without  the  im- 
portant aid  derived  from  his  journal.  Of  those  who 
knew  him  then,  and  were  in  daily  association  witli 
him,  but  few  survive.  Forty  years  have  rolled  their 
oblivious  waves  over  those  scenes,  so  that  where  no 


IN  MARION  COUNTY,  AFTER  GRADUATION,    105 

contemporary  memoranda  were  made  we  may  look 
in  vain  for  anything  more  than  the  most  general 
statements  from  the  personal  recollections  of  his 
friends.  Yet  it  must  have  been  an  interesting  por- 
tion of  his  life,  for  it  covers  the  entire  time  which 
he  spent  in  the  college  proper  and  the  first  years  of 
his  professional  career  as  a  teacher. 

We  would  call  this  the  period  of  his  apprenticeship 
in  the  school-room,  did  we  not  fear  that  his  lips, 
though  silent,  would  rebuke  the  statement.  We 
have  often  heard  him  say  that  it  required  a  minimum 
of  twenty-five  years  of  faithful,  laborious  service  as 
a  teacher  before  the  best  man  could  claim  that  his 
apprenticeship  was  passed,  and  he  could  be  con- 
sidered a  graduated  journeyman  or  master-workman 
in  the  profession.  He  often  said  to  us,  who  were 
among  his  earlier  pupils,  that  he  was  but  an  appren- 
tice, learning  how  to  teach,  and  that  he  should  con- 
sider himself  fortunate  should  he  acquire  the  art  at 
the  end  of  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The  most  then 
that  we  can  afiirm  with  his  approval  is,  that  this  was 
the  beginning  of  his  professional  apprenticeship. 

Before  we  take  our  final  leave  of  Marion  College, 
it  may  be  interesting  to  many  to  learn  what  became 
of  it.  We  know  the  circumstances  of  its  origin  and 
the  facts  of  its  earlier  years.  It  was  a  grand  con- 
ception :  too  grand  for  those  days  and  for  this  un- 
developed country.  As  Livy  says,  in  his  preface,  it 
was  one  of  those  great  things  that  perish  by  their 
own  ponderous  gravitation.  Nevertheless  it  was  a 
great  scheme,  and  was  engineered  by  great  men. 
No  more  worthy  names  occur  in  the  annals  of  Mis- 
souri than  those  of  David  Nelson,  William  S.  Potts, 

5* 


io6  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

James  Gallaher,  Ezra  S.   Ely,  and  Hiram  P.  Good- 
rich.    They  were  strong  men  then,  and  would  be 
accounted  giants  now.     Under  their  ministration  the 
college  accomplished  a  great  work  for  the  young 
men  who  were  privileged  to  enjoy  its  benefits.     It 
gave  them  the  advantages  of  a  classical  and  mathe- 
matical education  which  have  hardly  been  surpassed 
in   Missouri   since.     Some  of   its  pupils  have  been 
among  the  useful  and  distinguished  men  of  the  State. 
If  it  had  done  nothing  more  than  the  education  of 
Mr.  Kemper,  it  surely  would  not  have  lived  in  vain. 
But  a  college  is  like  a  man.     However  great  its 
soul,   it  cannot  live  without  a  body.     Marion   Col- 
lege was  a  grand  soul  in  the  mere   phantom   of   a 
body.     The  body  perished  from  sheer  inanition,  and 
the    soul    passed   to    immortality,    in  the  limbus  col- 
legiorum  perditormn^    where   it,    by   no  means,    finds 
itself  alone.     It  is  to  be  classed  with  the  visionary 
manual  labor  colleges.     Its  demise  occurred  prob- 
ably   in    the    year    1845,    when    it    passed   into   the 
Masonic  College.     As  such  it  was  removed  to  Lex- 
ington, Mo.,   1847.     There    it   was   conducted    with 
some  degree  of  success  by  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  took  a  part  in  the  training  of  quite  a  number  of 
young  men,  some  of  whom    have   since  been  well 
known  in  the  State.     It  was  donated  by  the  Masons 
to  the  State  of  Missouri  to  be  converted  into  a  mili- 
tary school,  which  was  known  as  the  Missouri  Mili- 
tary Institute.      During  the  war  the  buildings  and 
grounds  were  occupied  as  a  camp  by  the.garrison, 
and   around    it    occurred   the   siege   of   Lexington, 
which   resulted   in   the   surrender   of  its  defenders, 
under  Col.  Mulligan,  after  a  gallant  resistance,  Sep- 


IN  MARION  COUNTY,  AFTER  GRADUATION.    107 

tember  20,  1861,  to  Gen.  Sterling  Price,  commanding 
the  State  forces  in  connection  with  the  Confederacy. 

After  the  war  the  main  building  was  repaired  by 
the  State  and  a  military  school  opened.  Its  fame 
attracted  to  its  classic  halls  an  attendance  of  seven 
boys  and  eight  girls,  whereupon  the  State  returned 
it  to  the  Masons.  The  Grand  Lodge  generously  do- 
nated it  to  the  Southern  Methodist  Church  in  the  fall 
of  1 871  ;  and  so,  by  a  series  of  changes,  the  Marion 
College,  founded  for  boys  by  the  Calvinistic  Presby- 
terians, under  the  lead  of  Dr.  David  Nelson,  has 
become  the  Central  Female  College  of  the  Arminian 
Methodists. 

Among  the  letters  preserved  by  Mr.  Kemper  there 
is  one  from  John  Clark,  a  student  of  Masonic  Col- 
lege, in  which  there  are  some  interesting  state- 
ments. He  speaks  of  the  Masons  having  charge, 
and  of  the  president,  a  Mr.  Smith,  as  a  jolly  old 
bachelor  from  the  East.  They  proposed  to  extend 
the  course  of  study,  and  to  put  algebra,  Virgil,  Greek 
Testament,  and  part  of  the  Grceca  Majora  into  the 
preparatory  course.  Upon  this  he  very  wisely  re- 
marks :  "  It  should  ever  be  remembered  that  it  is  not 
the  number  of  studies  that  makes  the  scholar,  but  it 
is  the  studying  well  those  that  he  has  anything  to  do 
with."  This  idea  is  not  very  elegantly  expressed, 
but  it  shows  that  John  Clark,  whoever  he  was,  had 
caught  sight  of  a  truth  that  many  of  our  teachers  fail 
to  see.  Cramming,  cramming,  cramming,  as  though 
the  human  mind  were  a  mere  receptacle  for  the  stor- 
ing away  of  facts,  instead  of  a  living,  sensitive 
energy,  whose  vital  forces  are  to  be  conserved,  de- 
veloped, controlled,  and  directed.      In  this  respect 


lo8  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

there  is  a  striking  analogy  between  it  and  the  body 
which    it    inhabits.      Let   the    food   be  of  the  most 
wholesome  and  nutritious  character,   still  it  is  not 
wise  to  gorge  the   stomach  with  it.     Every  ounce 
taken  beyond  that  which  is  assimilated,  and  thus  used 
for  blood,  and  bone,  and  nerve,  and  muscle,  is  not 
only  a  waste  but  a  positive  injury  to  the  body  which 
is  burdened  with  it.      So  any  truth  or  fact,  no  matter 
how  pure  and  important  it  maybe,  that  is  taken  into 
the  mind,  and  lies  there  as  so  much  foreign  matter, 
unappropriated  and  undigested,  is  an  incubus   and 
not  a  blessing.     It  is  only  those  studies  that  improve 
the  mental  powers,  that  stimulate  and  nourish  them, 
which  are  of  real  service.     Take  any  mind,  young  or 
old,  and  ply  it  with  facts,  and  pile  truth  after  truth 
upon  it  until  it  is  all  a  crudis  indigesiaque  moles.,  and 
you  injure  that  mind.     There  are  a  great  many  such 
persons  to  be  seen.      The  ministerial  and  teaching 
professions  furnish  the  greatest  proportion  of  them. 
They  have  been  aptly  styled  "  learned  fools."     They 
are  w^alking  encyclopaedias.    They  know  more  about 
Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew  than  they  do  about  Eng- 
lish.    They  are  more  familiar  with    the    past   than 
with  the  present.     The  recondite  facts  of  astronomy 
and  geology  are  as  well  known  to  them  as  are  the 
names  of  their  children.    Yet  these  men   are  failures 
as  teachers,  preachers,  or  in  any  other  profession  in 
which  they  may  engage.     They   are    not    educated 
men.     They  are  simply  learned  men.     Their  minds 
have   been  treated  as  storehouses,  and  so  have  be- 
come mere  lumber-rooms.     If  they  had  memorized 
only  one  half  and  thought  twice  as  much,  they  would 
liave  been  vigorous,  useful,  practical  workers.     The 


IN  MARION  COUNTY,  AFTER  GRADUATION.    109 

success  or  excellence  of  a  school  is  not  to  be  esti- 
mated by  the  extent  of  its  course,  but  by  the  careful, 
painstaking  manner  in  which  it  does  its  work,  and 
especially  by  the  habits  of  life  and  thought  which  it 
induces  in  its  pupils. 

Mr.  Clark's  letter  furnishes  an  account  of  quite  a 
tragic  scene  in  the  life  of  the  founder  of  Marion  Col- 
ledge,  the  Rev.  David  Nelson,  M  D.  Dr.  Nelson 
was  undoubtedly  a  great  and  good  man.  In  his 
early  manhood  he  had  been  a  sceptic;  but  his  vigor- 
ous mind,  under  heavenly  guidance,  worked  its  way 
out  of  the  fog  of  infidelity  up  into  the  clear,  sunlit 
regions  of  eternal  truth.  Thenceforward  he  became 
a  David  in  the  army  of  Israel.  His  book,  "The 
Cause  and  Cure  of  Infidelity,"  is  one  of  the  best  on 
the  subject,  and  his  voice  from  the  pulpit  carried 
conviction  to  many  an  erring  and  doubting  soul. 
He,  however,  was  not  a  believer  in  African  slavery. 
He  shared  the  views,  which  prevailed  at  Danville, 
Kentucky,  and  which  were  not  uncommon  even 
among  those  who  themselves  were  the  owners  of 
slaves.  He  probably  expressed  his  views  freely  and 
independently.  This  arrayed  against  him  the  igno- 
ant  and  prejudiced  among  the  slaveholders  *of 
Marion  County.  Mr.  Clark  writes:  "Last  Sunday 
Dr.  David  Nelson  strayed  to  Little  Union,  and  was 
asked  to  take  a  seat  in  the  pulpit.  He  did  so.  In  a 
few  minutes  Old  Bosley  walked  in.  It  was  soon 
discovered  that  there  was  an  evil  spirit  in  his  breast 
larger  than  a  woodchuck.  At  the  close  of  the  ser- 
mon the  Baptist  preacher  called  on  Dr.  Nelson  to 
close.  Just  as  he  arose,  Old  Bosley  jumped  up  and 
said,  '  Stop  !  stop  !  sir ;  you  are  the  d — d  rascal  that 


no  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

has  been  running  off  all  tlie  negroes  for  the  last 
three  years  !  '  He  then  walked  up  into  the  stand  and 
took  Dr.  Nelson  by  the  scalp-lock  and  led  him  out 
of  the  house.  Nevertheless  the  meeting  broke  up 
in  tolerably  good  order.  The  Baptists  have  re- 
ported Bosley  to  the  grand  jury.  Dr.  Nelson  has 
two  suits  against  him — one  for  slander  and  one  for 
assault  and  battery.  He  says  that  he  is  going  to  run 
him  to  the  last  notch." 

But  to  us  the  most  interesting  portion  of  Mr. 
Clark's  letter,  is  that  which  has  personal  reference 
to  Mr.  Kemper.  He  writes :  "  It  has  been  said  that 
the  Masons  have  said  that  the  college  cannot  go  on 
to  any  advantage  without  they  get  you  here  as  a  pro- 
fessor. I  do  not  know  how  true  that  is,  but  I  heard 
Mr.  Montgomery  say  that  the  Masons  would  have 
you  here  if  there  was  a  chance."  This  lets  us  know 
what  reputation  he  had  made  for  himself  as  a 
teacher  while  in  the  college  and  at  Philadelphia.  Mr. 
Kemper  was  not  a  Mason,  so  that  there  was  no  rea- 
son of  society  affiliation  why  their  thoughts  should 
be  directed  to  him.  It  is  one  of  the  stones  in  the 
monument  of  his  professional  success  that  he  should 
have  been  thought,  by  those  who  knew  him  best,  to 
be  necessary  to  the  success  of  the  college,  whence  he 
had  been  so  recently  graduated. 

His  friend  William  T.  Davis,  teaching  near  Fay- 
ette, writes  during  this  period  several  letters,  from 
which  we  make  a  few  extracts:  '*  My  school  goes 
on  this  session  very  much  as  it  did  last.  '  Victorious 
Analysis  *  is  toiling  away  slowly  under  my  direc- 
tion, digging  out  Latin  roots,  clearing  away  the 
rubbish  from  angles  and  parallelograms,  and  hew- 


IN  MARION  CO  UNTY,  AFTER  GRAD  UA  TION.    1 1 1 

ing  out  equations.  Hem  !  line  figure  that  !  Some 
of  my  boys  are  lazy,  shirking  scamps,  and  if  they 
had  long  ears  I  could  give  them  a  still  more  appro- 
priate name.     Others  are  doing  tolerably  well. 

"  I  have  made  one  or  two  attempts  to  analyze  the 
rule  of  Position,  but  have  not  succeeded  to  my  satis- 
faction. Yet  I  think  surely  it  must  be  susceptible  of 
demonstration,  as  well  as  the  verification  of  the 
result.  If  you  have  succeeded,  send  me  your  work. 
I,  too,  think  that  every  teacher  ought  to  be  able  to 
show  the  reason  of  the  arithmetical  rules. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  how  it  would  do  to  devote 
one's  self  entirely  to  teaching  and  the  study  of  the 
sciences  and  literature.  I  should  like  it  extremely  ; 
and  though  I  know  so  little  of  those  that  I  have 
slightly  dipped  into,  I  scarcely  know  how  to  give 
them  up,  which  I  shall  be  compelled  to  do  if  I  go 
to  pettifogging.  To  borrow  Carlyle's  style  a  mo- 
ment, Parnassus  is  high  up  toward  heaven,  and 
one  can  stand  there  and  almost  converse  with  the 
blessed  gods  (juaucxpioL  ^eol)  ;  but  he  can' t  quite  reach 
the  goblet  of  nectar,  and  he  is  too  high  up  to  be 
well  supplied  with  bacon  and  bread;  also  it  is  very 
cold  there.  After  all,  it  seems  that  poverty,  with  his 
grim  visage  and  afflicting  scourge,  will  drive  me  into 
a  profession  in  spite  of  all  I  can  do." 

One  of  the  most  interesting  papers  we  have  seen, 
in  our  examination  and  search  for  materials  for  this 
volume,  is  the  following  document,  the  original  of 

which  lies  before  us  : — 

"Philada.,  May  ist,  1843. 
"  A/i  to  whom  it  may  concern  : 

"  We,  the  undersigned,  taking  into  consideration  the  interest 
of  our  district,  and  the  absolute  necessity  of  employing  a  good 


112  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

and  competent  teacher  for  the  present  term,  and  also  finding  the 
funds  appropriated  by  law  insufficient  to  employ  Mr.  F.  T. 
Kemper,  the  present  gentleman  wanted  by  the  district,  do  hereby 
bind  ourselves  to  pay  to  him,  the  said  Mr.  F.  T.  Kemper,  the 
following  amounts  respectively  subscribed,  payable  at  the  end  of 
the  session  in  such  articles  as  may  be  subscribed  : 

"  Stibscribers'  Names.  Articles  subscribed. 

Jesse  Ewing,  3  barrels  of  corn  next  year. 

D.  C.  Winget,  pd.  $6  in  furniture. 

F.  B.  Jeffries,  pd.  $6  in  smithing. 

John  B.  Singleton,  pd.  $2  in  tailoring. 

Wm.  R.  Walker,  $5  in  trade. 

James  Z    McCormick,  pd.  $1  in  trade. 

I.  M.  McCormick,  pd.  i  cow  at  Hickes'. 

Joseph  Clark,  pd.  i  sow  with  her  pigs. 

Will.  Muldrow,  pd.  rent  of  12  acres  of  land  in  the 

Ely  field." 

The  private  boarding-school  at  Phihidelphia  did 
not  continue  longer  than  a  year.  Its  history,  how- 
ever, embraces  a  part  of  two  years.  It  was  probably 
begun  some  time  early  in  1843,  ^^<^  was  continued 
until  April,  1844.  We  have  proof  of  this  in  two  let- 
ters from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Kemper  himself.  It  was  a 
boarding-school  for  boys,  and  received  both  sexes  to 
the  privileges  of  the  school-room.  The  boarding  de- 
partment was  presided  over  by  Mrs.  Mary  Allison, 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Henry  Allison,  the  maternal  uncle 
with  whom  Mr.  Kemper  had  served  as  salesman  at 
Madison  Court-House,  Virginia.  This  gentleman 
had  a  strong  attachment  and  great  respect  for  his 
nephew,  and  had  followed  him  to  Missouri  in  quest 
of  a  new  field,  where  he  might  repair  his  broken 
fortunes. 

The  school  was  not  a  failure,  and  yet  it  was  not 
without   its   troubles.      Tliey   greatly    mistake   who 


IN  MARION  COUNTY,  AFTER  GRADUATION.    113 

suppose  that  the  best  schools  always  sail  over  smooth 
and  prosperous  seas.  This  would  be  true,  were  not 
human  nature  a  weak  and,  too  often,  a  wicked  thing 
as  well.  The  very  excellence  of  instruction  and  dis- 
cipline is  sometimes  the  cause  of  provoking  the  hos- 
tility of  ignorance  and  depravity  in  pupils  and  pa- 
trons. We  have  known  institutions  which  rode  upon 
the  topmost  wave  of  popular  approval,  but  which 
were  merely  gilded  hulks,  wiiose  unseasoned  or  rot- 
ten timbers  could  not  have  passed  honest  inspection, 
nor  stood  the  wrenching  of  the  slightest  storm. 

The  mission  of  the  teacher  is  to  instruct,  to  culti- 
vate, to  control,  to  direct  the  ignorant,  crude,  way- 
ward, wandering  mind  and  heart.  The  untamed 
horse  does  not  relish  the  curb  of  the  bit  and  bridle. 
Nor  does  the  human  spirit  naturally  like  the  strong, 
firm  master's  hand,  that  demands  its  obedience  and 
submission  to  the  law  of  right.  There  is  an  aggra- 
vation of  the  difficulty  in  the  well-known  truth,  that 
the  greater  the  ignorance  and  wickedness,  the  less 
consciousness  of  the  need  and  the  greater  the  hostili- 
ty to  the  necessary  instruction  and  discipline.  The 
very  crudeness  and  inexperience  of  the  child  are,  in 
him,  somewhat  of  a  palliation  of  the  offence.  But  it 
is  one  of  the  severest  trials  in  the  life  of  the  honest, 
faithful,  intelligent  teacher,  that  after  he  has  taxed 
all  his  powers  in  the  vain  endeavor  to  make  some- 
thing out  of  a  poor,  ill-mannered,  uncultured,  disobe- 
dient, and  indolent  pupil,  instead  of  receiving  the 
thankful  and  cordial  co-operation  of  the  parent,  he 
is  visited  with  his  unmerited  and  ungrateful  maltreat- 
ment and  abuse.  To  the  credit  of  our  race  be  it  said, 
that  such  cases  are  not  common,  but  are  the  rare  ex- 


114  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

captions.  Nine  tenths  of  parents  do  really,  if  not 
fully,  appreciate  the  wise  and  patient  efforts  of  the 
true  educator,  and  give  him  a  solace  for  the  opposi- 
tion and  insults  of  the  remaining  pestiferous  tenth. 

Mr.  Kemper,  as  is  well  known,  was  no  mere  figure- 
head in  his  school,  nor  did  wilful  ignorance,  indo- 
lence, and  insolence  find  a  comfortable  lodging 
there.  We  are  not  surprised,  therefore,  to  know 
that  there  were  two  cases  of  somewhat  serious  trouble 
during  his  short  stay  at  Philadelphia.  They  were  the 
occasions  of  his  writing  a  letter  to  the  parents,  in  each 
instance,  copies  of  which  he  kept,  and  they  are  well 
worthy  of  permanent  preservation. 

''October  20,  1843. 
"Mr.  W M . 

"  Sir:  A  man  who  wants  a  school  for  his  children  at  all  wants 
a  good  one.  To  secure  this  object,  nothing  is  more  necessary 
than  that  parents  and  teacher  should  work  together  •  both  must 
pull  at  the  same  end  of  the  rope.  It  is  to  secure  this  important 
object  that  I  write.  But  I  should  not  undertake  to  present  the 
subject  to  your  consideration,  if  I  did  not  think  you  would  view 
it  reasonably  and  candidly,  and  in  the  spirit  of  a  gentleman.  I  am 
sure  you  will. 

"  In  the  first  place  it  is  manifest  that,  during  the  past  term, 
there  has  not  been  that  co-operation  of  parents  and  teacher  that 
is  so  necessary.  There  is  one  very  singular  circumstance  con- 
nected with  the  teaching  of  your  children,  of  which  I  presume 
you  are  not  aware.  For  I  believe,  if  you  had  known  it,  I  should 
have  received  the  most  ample  justice,  instead  of  the  treatment 
which  I  have  endured.  The  circumstance  is  this — that  while 
your  children  were  treated  as  well  or  better  than  any  other  schol- 
ars, they  are  the  only  ones,  out  of  upward  of  fifty,  that  I  could 
not  satisfy.  After  I  found  that  they  were,  one  after  another,  leav- 
ing the  school,  until  on  the  last  day  they  had  vacated,  books  and 
all,  I  put  the  question  to  my  remaining  scholars  (about  thirty), 
whether  I  had  ever  treated  your  children  worse  than  them.    They 


IN  MARION  COUNTY,  AFTER  GRADUATION.    115 

unanimously  answered,  No.  On  the  contrary,  they  agreed  that 
my  attentions  to  your  children  were  marked  with  kindness. 

"  Every  good  teacher  feels  under  the  most  sacred  obligations  to 
the  parents  of  his  pupils.  But  the  test,  whether  he  fulfils  those 
obligations,  should  be  a  fair  one.  This  is  a  very  different  thing 
from  condemning  him  with  one-sided  evidence,  or  judging  him 
without  opportunity  of  defence.     Now  is  it  not  ? 

"  In  regard  to  my  treatment  of  your  children,  I  have  no  expla- 
nation to  make.  The  time  for  such  explanation  is  past.  Though 
I  hold  myself  responsible  for  all  my  acts,  and  rejoice  to  meet  that 
responsibility,  still  I  must  have  a  fair  hearing  or  none  at  all.  It 
has  long  been  a  maxim  with  me  to  do  my  duty,  and  let  my  repu- 
tation take  care  of  itself.  It  will  always  do  it.  But  the  teacher 
who  has  to  go  around  the  neighborhood  and  patch  up  his  charac- 
ter every  time  a  scholar  is  offended,  is  unfit  for  his  business,  and 
deserves  to  be  drummed  out  of  town.  If  I  do  a  man  a  real,  or 
even  supposed,  injury,  I  am  always  glad  to  make  explanations 
and  acknowledgments.  But  it  is  surely  proper  that  we  come 
face  to  face,  that  we  may  mutually  understand  each  other.  This, 
I  apprehend,  is  the  right  way  to  settle  difficulties.  But  the  treat- 
ment I  have  received  is  not,  in  my  humble  judgment,  the  best 
way  to  promote  peace  in  communities,  the  prosperity  of  schools, 
or  that  sweetness  of  disposition  in  children,  which  is  a  far  more 
important  part  of  education  than  the  learning  of  a  little  algebra 
or  grammar. 

"  Parents  should  never  intrust  their  children  to  a  teacher  whom 
they  cannot  respect.  But  when  they  have  one  who  is  both  com- 
petent and  faithful,  they  should  sustain  him  through  thick  and  thin. 
It  is  destructive  to  the  best  interests  of  their  children,  whenever 
they  say  or  do  anything  that  diminishes  a  scholar's  profound  re- 
spect for  the  teacher.  This  respect  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  successful  teaching,  and  it  may  always  be  secured,  even  though 
a  teacher  is  not  perfect.  Perfection  does  not  grow  on  earth.  The 
great  point  to  settle  is  this  :  Is  the  teacher  capable,  and  is  he 
willing  to  do  his  duty  when  he  knows  it  ? 

"The  business  of  teaching  is  too  little  understood.  I  believe 
that  wherever  it  is  understood  it  is  conceded  that  there  is  no  pro- 
fession on  earth  that  demands  more  varied  talents  and  learning, 
or  is  really  more  useful.     I  can  truly  say  that  my  labors  as  a 


il6  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF,   KEMPER. 

teacher  have  taxed  all  the  best  powers  that  I  possess.  It  has 
been  my  unceasing  study,  day  and  night,  to  promote  the  highest 
interest  of  my  scholars,  and  especially  to  infuse  into  my  school 
mental  activity  and  love  of  books,  instead  of  that  languor  and 
dread  of  confinement  which  are  so  common  with  young  scholars. 
In  order  to  secure  these  objects,  I  have  been  actuated  by  prin- 
ciples based  on  truth  ;  I  have  pursued  a  systematic  plan  ;  I  have 
studied  all  my  teaching  beforehand,  from  the  simplest  copy  that 
I  have  set  up  to  the  most  obtuse  parts  of  arithmetic  that  have 
needed  explanation.  In  every  case  I  have  succeeded  where  I 
have  had  a  chance  to  bring  my  plans  fully  to  bear  on  the 
scholar's  mind.  I  believe  that  I  can  make  a  good  scholar,  with 
just  as  much  certainty  as  you  can  make  a  crop  of  corn,  if  I  am 
properly  sustained  by  parents.  But  it  is  a  hopeless  case  if  I  have 
to  work  against  the  bad  habits  children  have  acquired  at  other 
schools,  and,  at  the  same  time,  under  the  threats  and  fault-find- 
ings of  their  parents.  Such  teaching  as  I  have  aimed  at  (whether 
successfully  or  not  is  not  for  me  to  say)  not  only  demands  the 
approbation  of  parents,  but  their  warmest  gratitude.  Its  value 
can  never  be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents. 

"  I  will  give  you  one  incident  that  occurred  with  Miss  L 

and  myself,  which  will  illustrate  what  I  mean  by  having  a  chance 
to  apply  my  plans  successfully.     It  is  painful  for  me  to  tell  it. 

"  It  was  an  arrangement  of  my  school  that  in  study  hours  we 
would  have  no  more  talking  than  there  is  in  church,  allotting  a 
regular  time  for  all  talking,  and  playing,  and  moving  about. 
This  arrangement  was  succeeding  admirably,  and  would  have 
succeeded  entirely  but  for  some  embarrassments  thrown  in  the 
way  by  some  of  the  larger  scholars.  These  were  affection- 
ately reasoned  with,  and  persuaded,  and  admonished,  and  finally 

threatened.     Miss  L did  well  for  a  time,  and  promised  to  do 

well  ;  but  finally  cut  loose  restraint,  and  not  only  trampled  the 
authority  of  the  school  under  foot,  but  said,  in  the  presence  of 
other  scholars,  that  she  would  talk  as  much  as  she  pleased. 
This  remark  of  hers  she  seemed  to  put  into  execution,  and  finally 

I  took  occasion  to  say  :  ^Miss  L ,  you  must  quit  talking.     You 

have  been  laughing  and  talking  a  great  deal  this  morning,  and  it 
will  not  do.'    She  seemed  angry,  and  appeared  in  school  no  more. 

"  Whether  I  did  right  or  wrong  it  is  not  the  business  of  this 


IN  MARION  COUNTY,  AFTER  GRADUATION.    117 

letter  to  discuss.  My  object  is  not  to  find  fault,  or  I  should  have 
written  long  ago;  and  you  would  never  have  heard  from  me 
about  schools  if  I  had  not  learned  that  you  propose  to  send  to 
me  again.  It  is  with  the  hope  that  we  may  have  some  more 
pleasant  way  of  adjusting  difficulties  that  I  have  mentioned  the 
subject  at  all.  Yours  very  respectfully, 

"  Fredk.  T.  Kemper." 

The  second  letter  is  as  follows  : — 

*'  Philadelphia,  Mo.,  March  20,  1844. 
"  Madam  : 

"  As  you  probably  have  some  curiosity  to  know  what  I  have 
to  say  about  your  son's  leaving  my  school,  and  as  there  would 
seem  to  be  propriety  in  the  measure.  I  have  determined  to 
write  you  on  the  subject.  I  feel  the  less  delicacy  in  doing  this, 
as  I  have  nothing  to  say  but  what  is  well  known  here,  and  can 
easily  be  substantiated. 

"  Your  son  was  formerly  on  the  most  intimate  terms  in  this 
family,  and  seemed  as  perfectly  at  home  as  if  he  were  in  your 
house.  Nor  did  he  only  seem  so,  he  said  so.  This  state  of  feel- 
ing was  pleasing  to  us  all,  and  was  encouraged.  This  intimacy 
showed  itself  in  various  ways— in  the  interchange  of  some  little 
present  or  presents,  perhaps  some  letters,  and  in  the  thousand 
nameless  civilities  that  go  to  sweeten  the  intercourse  of  friends. 

"About  three  months  ago  his  whole  demeanor  was  changed. 
The  day  is  distinctly  recollected.  From  that  time  to  the  day  of 
his  departure  he  has  been  as  sullen  and  as  sour  to  my  aunt  as 
he  was  before  bland  and  polite.  He  has  sat  three  times  a  day 
within  about  one  foot  of  her  ;  I  sat  immediately  opposite  to  him 
at  table.  I  do  not  believe  he  has  ever  spoken^to  my  aunt,  when 
he  could  avoid  it,  during  the  time  above  mentioned. 

"This  strange  state  of  things  was  seen  by  her  with  mingled 
feelings  of  surprise  and  regret.  She  expressed  these  feelings 
frequently  to  myself  and  to  several  of  her  boarders.  I  for  a  long 
time  persuaded  her  not  to  regard  it.  I  attributed  Mr.  O.'s  con- 
duct to  a  nervous  irascibility  consequent  upon  hard  study.  Long 
after  he  got  in  '  his  way,'  as  we  called  it,  I  was  the  same  as  before, 
as  can  be  abundantly  testified.  My  aunt,  however,  was  un- 
happy about  it,  and  deputed  two  of  her  boarders,  at  two  different 


Il8  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

limes,  to  find  out  what  was  the  matter,  without  seeming  to 
be  sent  by  her.  They  reported  that  nothing  was  the  matter. 
Nothing  was  the  matter,  but  J.'s  conduct  got  no  better.  I  could 
now  assign  no  cause  but  malignity  for  his  demeanor,  and  I  de- 
termined that  at  table  I  would  have  as  little  to  say  to  him  as  he 
had  to  say  to  her.  I  found  this  state  of  things  to  be  so  unnatural, 
and  so  gloomy,  and  so  different  from  the  former  mirth  that  pre- 
vailed at  the  table,  that  I  determined  to  have  some  explanation 
from  J.,  or  to  send  him  away.     I -would  live  thus  no  longer. 

"  I  wrote  to  him  that  I  wanted  an  understanding,  and  nothing 
more.  If  I  had  injured  him,  or  if  any  of  the  family  had,  we  would 
make  reparation.  In  my  letter  was  the  following  sentence, 
which  was  the  offensive  one  :  '  Every  man  has  a  civil  right  to  be 
unsocial,  taciturn,  or  grum  if  he  chooses  ;  but  such  conduct,  after 
a  year  or  two  of  warm  friendship,  is  calculated  at  least  to  excite 
inquiry.' 

"  His  reply  was,  that  he  was  of  a  retiring  disposition  ;  that  at 
public  boarding  houses  people  were  not  obliged  to  be  social,  and 
that  the  friendship  between  us  would  never  have  been  broken  up 
if  I  had  not  enveloped  myself  in  '  icy  chilliness.' 

"As  to  his  retiring  disposition,  he  surely  had  a  right  to  com- 
mend it  if  he  chose.  But  it  seemed  odd  to  us  that  he  was  so 
peculiarly  retired  the  /rt'j/ three  months  of  his  intercourse  with  us — 
people  of  very  retiring  habits  commonly  showing  it  the  most  on 
first  acquaintance,  and  not  after  a  year  or  two  of  intimacy.  As 
to  his  being  under  no  obligation  to  be  social,  I  had  acknowledged 
that  in  my  letter.  But  still,  if  he  chose  to  change  his  demeanor 
from  that  of  a  member  of  a  private  family  on  terms  of  intimate 
friendship,  to  that  of  a  boarder  at  a  public  tavern,  while  he  had  a 
civil  right  so  to  dc^  we  still  thought  it  demanded  some  explana- 
tion. We  thought  it  strange  that  a  student  who  was  making  such 
progress  in  the  study  of  the  humanizing  arts  should  so  utterly 
forget  one  essential  attribute  of  true  greatness,  viz.,  to  be  kind 
and  condescending  to  the  meanest  servant  that  ministered  to  his 
wants.  , 

*'  I  was  truly  relieved  to  learn  that  he  had  nothing  to  allege 
against  my  aunt,  and  that  my  *  icy  chilliness  '  was  the  sole  cause 
of  breaking  up  existing  friendship.  Whether  I  am  chilly  to  my 
other  boarding  scholars  will  appear  from  the  inclosed  certificate. 


IN  MARION  COUNTY,  AFTER  GRADUATION.    119 

It  is  signed  by  every  pupil  who  boarded  with  us,  I  have  taught 
sixty  scholars  this  term,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  from  fifty-nine 
of  them  I  could  get  a  similar  certificate.  But  the  subject  is  too 
ludicrous  for  a  very  grave  reply,  and  the  charge  has  already 
excited  much  merriment  among  my  scholars  and  my  neighbors. 

•'I  believe  that  J.'s  charge  of  icy  chilliness  will  appear  to 
his  calmer  judgment  as  a  miserable  and  disingenuous  subterfuge, 
and  that  he  will  class  this  whole  afifair  among  the  graver  follies  of 
his  youth.  My  hope  is  that  this  rupture  with  him  will  make  him 
wiser,  and  conduce  to  his  future  discretion  and  happiness,  for 
which  no  one  is  more  sincerely  desirous  than,  Madam, 
"  Your  ob't  servant, 

"  Fredk.  T.  Kemper." 

The  certificate  referred  to  is  signed  by  Edw.  B. 
Dyer,  William  C.  McAfee,  Thomas  J  Montgomery, 
Isaac  H.  Jones,  and  Benjamin  Lafon. 

These  letters  reveal  the  heartaches  and  sore  cares 
which  harass  a  teacher's  life,  and  at  the  same  time 
show  the  tact  and  good  judgment  which  Mr.  Kemper 
displayed  in  dealing  with  them,  when  he  was  an 
inexperienced  young  man  of  twenty-seven — a  mere 
apprentice,  as  he  called  himself.  Tlie  last  letter  is 
valuable  as  showing  that  even  a  good  student  may 
have  very  crooked  ways,  give  his  teacher  serious 
trouble,  and  by  his  persistence  in  evil-doing  prove 
himself  unfit  to  be  allowed  to  remain  in  a  well- 
regulated  school. 

The  next  chapter  carries  us  to  the  scene  of  his 
greatest  usefulness  and  triumph,  at  Boonville. 


CHAPTER   VIT. 

THE    BOONVILLE    BOARDING-SCHOOL. 

"  Yet  is  the  school-house  rude, 
As  is  the  chrysalis  to  the  butterfly, — 
To  the  rich  flower,  the  seed.     The  dusky  walls 
Hold  the  fair  germ  of  knowledge,  and  the  tree 
Glorious  in  beauty,  golden  with  its  fruits. 
To  this  low  school-house  traces  back  its  life." 

Street. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  now  in  the  twenty-eighth  year  of 
his  life — the  maturity  of  his  young  manhood.  He  had 
seen  enough  of  the  practical  side  of  life  on  the  farm 
where  he  was  reared,  and  in  the  counting-room,  to 
lift  him  above  the  follies  of  the  luere  pedant.  He 
liad  pursued  a  liberal  course  of  science  and  litera- 
ture, and  had  been  graduated  with  signal  honor  from 
an  institution  in  charge  of  men  of  acknowledged 
ability,  and  which  commanded  the  patronage  of  the 
most  intelligent  States  of  the  East.  After  years  of 
hesitation  and  earnest,  prayerful  thought,  he  had 
finally  turned  away  from  the  ministry  and  the 
law,  and  dedicated  his  life  without  reserve  to  the 
arduous,  misunderstood,  and  greatly  undervalued 
profession  of  education.  He  had  begun  his  novitiate 
as  the  instructor  of  his  own  brothers  and  sisters  in 
Virginia.     He  had  served  his  alma  mater  as  tutor  for 


THE  BOONVILLE   BOARDI^rG-SCHOOL.         121 

three  years.     He  had  conducted  with  success,  on  liis 
own  responsibility,  a  private  boarding-school  under 
the  very  shadow  of  the  college  whose  diploma  he 
bore.     Now    he   began  to  ask   himself  as  to  a  per- 
manent arrangement  for  the  future.     While  we  do 
not  know  that  there  were  any  special  discourage- 
ments at  Philadelphia,  and  we  do  know  that  he  met 
with    decided    encouragement    there,    yet    we    may 
readily    see   that   the   disastrous  failure  of    Marion 
College  and  the  smallness  of  the  community  where 
he  had  begun  to  teach,  working  upon   his  desire  to 
make   his   life  as  largely  useful  as  possible,  would 
cause  him  to  consider  whether  he  might  not  find  a 
more  favorable  field  for  the  prosecution  of  his  life 
work. 

At  any  rate,  we  know  he  determined  to  leave 
Philadelphia,  and  that,  as  we  are  told  by  Dr.  Leigh- 
ton,  he  first  offered  himself  to  the  people  of  Palmyra. 
That  they  tailed  to  respond  to  his  proposal  should 
not  be  misconstrued  to  the  injury  of  Mr.  Kemper 
as  an  acceptable  teacher,  nor  to  the  discredit  of  the 
intelligent  enterprise  of  the  citizens  of  that  goodly 
town.  With  the  wreck  of  their  hopes  at  Marion 
College,  we  can  easily  see  that  the  people  of  that 
section  would  be  suspicious  of  any  new  educational 
enterprise. 

We  are  told  by  Mrs.  Kemper  that  his  thoughts 
were  directed  to  Boonville  through  the  influence  of 
a  New  School  Presbyterian  minister  at  that  time 
living  there.  This  was  doubtless  the  Rev.  Mr.  Slo- 
cum,  who  had  a  short  and  not  very  glorious  career 
in  Boonville.  This  is  quite  probable  from  the  fact 
that,  up  to  this  time,  Mr.  Kemper's  associations  had 
6 


T22  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

been  mainly  with  the  New  School  element  in  the 
church.  His  old  pastor  in  Virginia,  Rev.  Dr.  Pol- 
lock, was  of  that  party.  Dr.  David  Nelson  and  Rev. 
James  Gallaher,  both  of  whom  he  very  greatly  ad- 
mired, were  on  that  side  of  the  question.  We  are 
not  surprised,  therefore,  that  his  first  affiliations  were 
with  the  Slocum  party  in  Boonville,  nor,  on  the 
other  hand,  that  he  turned  to  the  Bell,  or  O.  S.  side, 
as  soon  as  he  saw  the  spirit  of  Mr.  Slocum.  As  far 
as  the  doctrinal  issue  in  the  case  was  concerned,  it 
is  doubtful  whether  Mr.  Kemper  took  the  trouble  to 
thoroughly  post  himself;  and  if  he  did,  his  sympa- 
thies may  have  been  with  the  exscinded  synods  on 
constitutional  rather  than  doctrinal  grounds. 

But  whatever  may  have  been  the  inducing  cause 
or  causes,  Mr.  Kemper  left  Marion  County  in  the 
spring  of  1844  and  came  to  Boonville,  then  the  most 
beautiful,  attractive,  and  flourishing  town  in  central 
Missouri.  It  was  the  lowest  point  on  the  river 
which  was  readily  accessible  from  the  south  by 
means  of  good  roads  running  over  an  unbroken 
country.  In  those  days,  before  railroads  had  revolu- 
tionized the  commerce  of  the  State,  it  enjoyed  a 
large  and  lucrative  wholesale  and  forwarding  trade 
with  the  southern  counties,  extending  to  the  ex- 
treme south-west.  When  the  writer  was  a  school- 
boy it  was  a  usual  sight  to  see  its  broad  and  level 
streets  filled  with  wagons  from  Springfield  and  the 
lead  regions  of  Newton  County. 

As  this  place  is  to  be  henceforth,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  five  years,  the  scene  of  Mr.  Kemper's  labors, 
we  shall  copy  from  the  Centennial  Catalogue  of  the 
school  what  is  there  said  concerning  it : 


THE   BOONVILLE   BOARDING-SCHOOL.         123 

"  Boonville  is  near  the  geographical  center  of 
Missouri,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Missouri,  one 
hundred  and  ninety  miles  from  its  mouth.  In  its 
aboriginal  state.  Central  Missouri  was,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river,  the  hunting-ground  of  the  Foxes, 
Sacs,  and  other  Indian  tribes;  and  on  the  south,  of 
the  Osages.  In  1805  Daniel  Boone,  who  then  lived 
near  St.  Charles,  discovered  the  Boone's  Lick  Salt 
Springs,  in  Howard  County,  thirteen  miles  from 
Boonville,  where  Nathan  and  David  Boone,  his 
sons,  settled  and  made  salt  from  1806  to  1810.  This 
seems  to  have  been  the  earliest  settlement  in  Central 
Missouri,  and  from  it  an  indefinite  region,  from  St. 
Charles  westward,  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  was 
called  the  'Boone's  Lick  Country.' 

''  Other  settlers  followed,  and  as  earl}^  as  18 10  a 
small  community  had'  built  and  occupied  Kincaid's 
Fort,  a  few  hundred  yards  up  the  river  from  the 
present  site  of  Old  Franklin  (directly  opposite  Boon- 
ville), while  another  was  established  in  Cooper's 
Fort,  a  few  miles  above  The  south  side  of  the 
river  was  settled  in  181 1.  Cole's  Fort  was  built  in 
that  year,  two  and  a  half  miles  below  the  present 
site  of  Boonville,  on  a  bluff  overhanging  the  river. 
About  the  same  time'  Widow  '  Cole's  Fort  was  built 
on  the  flat  ground  at  the  mouth  of  the  stream  flow- 
ing into  the  river  near  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
city.  This  was  the  first  settlement  inside  of  the  pres- 
ent city  limits. 

"  All  development  of  the  country  was  stopped  by 
the  war  of  1812-15  with  England.  The  Indians 
sided, actively  with  the  British;  the  forts  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river  were  besieged,  and  the  men  of 


124  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

those  on  the  south  were  shot  by  ambushed  foes.  It 
was  at  this  period  that  the  famous  exploit  of  Miss 
Cooper  was  performed.  Cooper's  Fort  was  besieged 
by  an  Indian  force  so  overwhelming  that  its  reduc- 
tion was  only  a  question  of  time.  Miss  Cooper  met 
the  emergency  by  mounting  a  horse  and  riding  at 
full  speed  over  and  through  the  enemy.  She  was 
greeted  with  a  shower  of  bullets,  but  escaped  un- 
harmed, and  soon  brought  a  reinforcement  from 
Kincaid's  Fort,  which  broke  up  the  siege. 

'*The  war  closed  in  1815,  and  during  that  year  the 
first  house  in  Boonville,  outside  the  fort,  was  built 
by  a  man  named  Roup,  on  or  near  the  site  of  the 
residence  of  Judge  Adams,  and  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  school  buildings.  The  stream  which 
runs  through  the  play-grounds  is  called  from  him, 
Roup's  Branch."  [This  was  Gilead  Rupe,  who  is  said 
to  have  been  the  first  white  man  to  settle  within  the 
present  limits  of  Lafayette  County.  It  is  asserted 
that  he  built  his  house  two  and  a  half  miles  south- 
east of  where  Lexington  now  stands,  about  the  year 
1815 — the  very  year  in  which  Roup  built  the  first 
house  in  Boonville.  We  have  documentary  evidence 
which  makes  it  somewhat  doubtful  whether  the 
date  assigned  to  Gilead  Rupe's  settlement  in  Lafay- 
ette County  is  correct.  It  is  the  original  patent 
issued  to  him  for  the  very  land,  S.  W.  Quarter,  Sec- 
tion 9,  T.  50,  R.  27,  on  which  he  is  said  to  have  built. 
It  was  granted  July  30,  1821,  is  signed  in  autograph 
by  President  James  Monroe,  and  gives  the  title  to 
"Gilead  Rupe,  of  Haivani  County,  Missouri." 
Cooper  and  Lafayette  counties  had  both  been  detach- 
ed from    Howard.     We  have  other  evidence  which 


THE  BOONVILLE   BOARDING-SCHOOL.         125 

makes  it  certain  that  he  did  not  come  to  Lafayette 
County  prior  to  the  fall  of  1818.  There  is  a  Rupe's 
Branch  running  from  this  tract  into  the  western 
borders  of  Lexington.  This  Gilead  Rupe  kept  the 
ferry  at  Boonville  during  these  early  days.] 

"The  second  building  was  erected  the  next  year 
by  Dr.  Asa  Morgan,  on  the  present  site  of  the  Cen- 
tral National  Bank.  The  first  court  in  Boonville 
was  held  in  the  house  of  '  Widow  '  Cole,  inside  the 
fort,  in  1816,  David  Barton  [who  penned  the  original 
constitution  of  Missouri],  afterward  United  States 
Senator,  presiding.  The  fear  of  Indian  troubles 
having  passed  away  with  the  war,  1816  and  the  suc- 
ceeding years  were  marked  by  a  large  influx  of  set- 
tlers. To  use  the  words  of  one  of  our  oldest  and 
best  citizens,  who  has  lived  in  Cooper  County  since 
1815,  *  they  came  by  hundreds.' 

"In  1817  Dr.  Asa  Morgan  and  Charles  Lucas, 
father  of  James  H.  Lucas,  of  St.  Louis,  drew  the  plan 
of  Boonville,  but  no  lots  were  sold  until  August, 
1819,  when,  the  county  of  Cooper  having  been  formed, 
the  embryo  town  was  made  its  capital.  By  this 
time,  however,  the  town  of  Franklin  was  rapidly- 
developing  on  the  low  ground  of  the  opposite  shore; 
and  it  was  not  until  1834,  when  it  became  evident 
that  the  treacherous  current  of  the  river  would 
finally  sweep  it  away,  that  Boonville  showed  any 
signs  of  prosperity.  From  that  time  its  develop- 
ment was  rapid  for  many  years;  but  the  loss  of  its 
wholesale  trade,  caused  by  the  extension  of  railroads, 
has  materially  checked  its  growth. 

"  The  city  now  contains  5000  or  6000  inhabitants. 
In  point  of  educational  advantages  it  has,  besides  the 


126  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

public  graded  schools,  seven  private  schools  of 
various  grades.  There  are  ten  churches  of  various 
denominations.  The  M.  K.  &  T.  Railroad,  which 
crosses  the  Missouri  River  here,  puts  the  town  in 
direct  and  easy  communication  with  Chicago  and 
the  East  on  the  one  hand,  and  with  Texas  on  the 
other.  An  elegant  iron  bridge,  one  third  of  a  mile 
long,  spans  the  river  for  its  use.  The  O.  V.  &  S. 
K.  Railroad  also  gives  us  Eastern  connection  through 
Tipton  and  St.  Louis. 

**  In  healthfulness  and  beauty  of  situation,  Boon- 
ville  stands  unrivaled  among  the  towns  of  Missouri. 
Built  on  hills  which  come  boldly  up  to  the  edge  of 
the  river,  it  enjoys  all  the  beautifying  effects  of 
water  and  undulating  landscape,  without  exposure  to 
the  exhalations  of  low  grounds.  Cholera  visited  the 
city  once  or  twice  in  its  early  history,  but  for  many 
years  it  has  escaped  both  cholera  and  small-pox, 
though  they  have  been  very  fatal  at  points  but  a 
few  miles  distant.  In  the  course  of  thirty-two  years 
the  Kemper  Family  School  has  lost  but  one  student 
by  death." 

Mr.  Kemper  came  to  Boonville  during  the  spring 
of  1844,  the  time  of  the  great  flood  in  the  Missouri 
River,  when  its  waters  attained  their  maximum 
height,  since  the  white  man  first  became  acquainted 
with  them.  It  not  only  overflowed  its  banks,  but 
stretched  from  bluff  to  bluff,  five  miles  from  shore  to 
shore.  Not  only  the  houses  of  the  unfortunate 
inhabitants  of  its  bottom-lands  were  daily  seen  float- 
ing down  the  stream,  but  the  steamboats  lost  them- 
selves in  the  wide  waste  of  waters.  Roup's  Branch 
and  the  dry  ravines  that  drain  into  it  became  unford- 


THE   BOONVILLE   BOARDING-SCHOOL.         127 

able  by  reason  of  the  water  backed  up  from  the  swol- 
len river.  The  writer  of  these  lines,  then  a  lad  of 
seven,  came  near  drowning  in  a  gully  that  now  runs 
through  the  play-grounds  of  the  school,  and  was 
rescued  by  the  kindly  help  of  his  friend  and  neigh- 
bor boy,  George  W.  Tracy. 

Mr.  Kemper  bore  with  him,  when  he  went  to 
Boonville,  the  following  letter  of  recommendation: 

"  SAmr  Louis,  March  30,  1844. 

"  I  have  known  Mr.  F.  T.  Kemper  as  a  student  in  Marion 
College  for  about  two  years,  while  holding  the  office  of  President 
of  that  Institution.  His  progress  in  study  was  rapid,  and  his 
scholarship  sound  and  thorough  as  far  as  he  had  then  progressed. 
I  regarded  him  as  a  very  promising  student,  of  commanding 
talents,  great  prudence,  and  amiability  of  disposition.  He  has 
sustained  the  character  of  a  consistent  Christian  for  several  years. 
The  vocation  of  teacher  has  been  assumed  by  him  since  I  left  the 
college,  and  of  his  success  I  have  no  personal  knowledge,  but 
have  every  reason  to  believe  him  peculiarly  well  fitted  for  that 
responsible  work.  William  S.  Potts, 

"  Pastor  Second  Presb.  Ch.,  St.  Louis." 

We  quote  again  from  the  Centennial  catalogue : 
''  The  Kemper  Family  School  was  opened  in 
Boonville  on  Monday,  June  3rd,  1844,  using  for  a 
school-room  a  one-story  frame  building  standing  on 
the  present  site  of  the  banking-house  of  Aehle  & 
Dunnica  [at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Spring  Streets]. 
The  principal  was  then  and  for  several  years  after 
unmarried,  and  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Mary  S.  Allison,  was 
matron  of  the  school  family.  The  first  family  resi- 
dence was  a  small  frame  house,  still  standing  nearly 
opposite  the  Methodist  Church  (on  Spring  Street). 
This  house  being  inadequate  to  lodge  the  few 
boarders  Mr.  Kemper  brought  with  him,  an  ofhce 
was  used,  which  stood  on  or  near  the  present  site  of 


128  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Weber's  Agricultural  Works  [on  the  south  side  of 
Spring  Street,  between  Main  and  Sixth]. 

"  The  boarding  department  was  soon  moved  to  a 
brick  building,  stili  standing  on  the  old  Fair  Grounds 
[just  east  of -the  city  limits,  near  the  river].  After  a 
few  weeks  the  school- room  was  moved  to  the  second 
story  of  the  [brick]  building  standing  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  court-house  square,  and  now  the 
residence  of  Rev.  W..  D.  Mahan.  It  had  been  pre- 
viously occupied  as  a  school-room  by  Mr.  Jaffray, 
who  sold  his  furniture  and  interest  to  Mr.  Kemper. 

"The  original  course  ofstudy  embraced  the  entire 
Cambridge  course  of  mathematics,  and  the  course  of 
classics  then  cuirent  in  Western  colleges." 

It  may  well  excite  our  wonder  how  it  was  possible 
for  one  man  to  teach  the  alphabet  and  the  advanced 
classics,  spelling  and  the  calculus,  and  all  the 
grades  between.  It  matters  not  what  may  be  the 
mental  and  physical  capacity  of  the  teacher  under- 
taking it,  such  a  thing  is  an  impossibility.  Such  a 
thing  has  never  been  done  successfully,  and  never 
can  be.  Herein  lies  one  of  the  errors  that  prevail 
in  our  country  district  schools.  Some  influential 
man  in  the  neighborhood  has  a  son  or  a  daughter 
who  has  passed  beyond  the  brandies  appropriate  to 
the  preparatory  district  school.  He  insists  that  the 
teacher  shall  instruct  this  child  in  the  studies  of  the 
high  school.  There  are  forty  other  pupils  in  the 
lower  grades.  These  must  be  drilled  in  all  the 
fundamental  branches.  He  is  fortunate  if  he  finds 
them  reducible  to  four  grades.  With  four  studies  to 
each  grade,  these  would  give  him  sixteen  recitations 
in  a  day.     During  the  six  hours  of  the   school-day 


THE  BOONVILLE  BOARDING-SCHOOL.         129 

there  would  be  an  average  of  less  than  twenty-three 
minutes  to  each  recitation,  making  no  allowance  for 
recesses.  When,  then,  is  he  to  teach  this  advanced 
pupil  Latin,  algebra,  and  the  sciences  ?  Allowing 
this  pupil  four  daily  recitations,  we  find  that  he  can 
give  to  each  of  the  twenty  recitations  but  eighteen 
minutes  each,  allowing  himself  no  time  for  recre- 
ation, morning  or  afternoon.  We  are  free  to  say 
that,  in  our  judgment,  no  man  can  accomplish  suc- 
cessfully such  a  task. 

Look  at  it  again.  Here  is  one  pupil  who  has 
already  received  ail  the  advantages  of  the  district 
school,  and  yet  claims  that  one  fifth  of  the  teacher's 
entire  time  shall  be  given  to  him  ;  while  forty 
others,  to  whom  the  district  school  properly  belongs, 
must  content  themselves  with  the  remaining  four 
fifths.  That  is,  he  who  has  no  rights  in  the  case 
claims  ten  times  as  much  of  the  teacher's  care  and 
labor  as  every  other  pupil,  for  whose  special  benefit 
the  district  school  is  conducted.  This  is  not  only 
an  injustice,  as  here  set  forth,  but  in  its  practical 
workings  results  either  in  the  breaking  down  of  the 
poorly  paid  and  overworked  teacher,  or  else  in  his 
neglecting  the  primary  classes  for  the  benefit  of  his 
advanced  pupil.  The  State  law  ought  to  forbid  the 
teaching  of  the  high-school  studies  in  the  preparatory 
district  schools. 

How  was  it  with  Mr,  Kemper  ?  How  came  he  to 
undertake  this  impracticable  task  .'*  It  was  necessary 
for  him  to  essay  this  work  in  those  early  days  of  the 
school.  The  attendance  and  the  tuition  fees  did  not, 
at  first,  justify  his  employment  of  help.  Yet  he  did 
not  attempt  this  work  alone.  He  relieved  himself  in 
6* 


I30  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

a  way  that  no  one  but  a  teacher  of  his  genius  would 
have  thought  feasible  or  proper.  He  employed  his 
pupils  as  assistants.  But  here  was  the  peculiarity  of 
his  practice :  he  used  them,  not  for  the  primary 
or  fundamental  branches,  but  for  the  more  ad- 
vanced. We  shall  speak  of  this  interesting  educa- 
tional question  at  greater  length  when  we  treat  of 
his  plans  as  a  teacher.  We  merely  allude  to  the 
matter  here,  and  state  that  his  wisdom  in  this  can  be 
fully  vindicated.  It  is  our  present  purpose  to  give 
a  history  of  the  school  in  its  external  aspects,  its 
incidents,  changes,  and  development. 

The  record  of  the  opening  day  shows  the  at- 
tendance of  only  five  pupils,  four  of  whom  Mr. 
Kemper  brought  with  him  from  his  school  at  Phila- 
delphia— his  two  cousins,  William  H.  and  Rober- 
deau  Allison,  sons  of  his  uncle  Henry  ;  Edward  B. 
Dyer,  of  Fulton,  Mo.,  and  Isaac  H.  Jones,  of  Pal- 
myra, Mo.  The  Allisons  remained  as  pupils  for 
several  years,  and  were  by  him  trained  as  teachers. 
As  such  they  have  been  a  cre'dit  to  him.  It  was  said 
of  the  older  brother,  when  he  taught  in  the  district 
schools  of  Lafayette  County,  by  the  intelligent  and 
discriminating  county  commissioner.  Prof.  George 
M.  Catron,  that  he  was  probably  the  best  teacher  in 
the  country  schools  of  that  enlightened  and  progres- 
sive county.  Mr.  Dyer  belonged  to  a  well-known 
and  highly  esteemed  family,  many  of  whose  mem- 
bers are  still  resident  in  Callaway  County,  and  one 
of  whom,  Mr.  Watkins,  a  nephew  of  Mr.  Dyer,  was 
for  several  years  the  successful  head  of  the  Ashley 
Seminary,  in  Pike  County.  Of  Mr.  Jones  we  know 
nothing. 


THE   BOONVILLE   BOARDING-SCHOOL.         131 

De  Witt  Clinton  Mack  has  tlie  honor  of  being  the 
first  Boonville  boy  to  enter  the  school,  and  the  only- 
one  for  several  weeks.  He  died  long  since,  and  his 
widow  is  the  excellent  woman  whose  discharge  of 
the  responsible  duties  of  matron  at  the  Fulton  Synod- 
ical  Female  College  has  contributed  greatly  to  the 
success  of  that  popular  institution.  One  of  his 
daughters  is  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  W.  E.  Burke,  tlie 
Presbyterian  minister  at  New  Bloomfield,  in  Cal- 
laway County. 

June  24,  1844. — John  H.  Hogan — "Jack"  as  we 
used  to  call  him — George  W.  and  John  T.  Tracy, 
William  M.  Quarles,  Alexander  B.,  William,  Joseph, 
and  Samuel  B.  Russell,  were  entered  as  pupils — all 
Boonville  boys  except  the  Russells,  who  were  from 
the  county  adjacent.  The  Tracys  were  sons  of 
Joshua  L.  Tracy,  for  many  years  the  head  of  one  of 
the  most  popular  schools  for  girls  ever  established 
in  Missouri.  George  is  still  living,  a  modest  but 
honored  citizen  of  Kirkwood.  John,  one  of  the 
writer's  dearest  boyhood  friends,  became  a  genial 
man  of  the  w^orld,  a  wandering  cosmopolitan,  fond 
of  adventure,  and  finally  died  among  strangers  in 
South  America.  Peace  to  his  ashes,  and  joy  to  his 
generous  spirit!  William  M.  Quarles  became  a 
physician,  graduating  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  regarded  by  his  friends  as  a  Chester- 
field in  manners.  He  met  his  death  as  a  soldier  in 
the  first  battle  of  the  war  in  Missouri,  dying  alone 
upon  the  field.  The  older  Russells  are  dead,  and 
Joseph  and  Samuel  are  living  in  Texas. 

July  16. — John  and  Mark  Ainslie,  John    R.   Lion- 
berger,     Horace   A.     Hutchison,   and     William    G. 


132  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Buckner  were  enrolled.  John  Ainslie,  the  son  of 
English  parents,  was  a  natural  gentleman.  He  died 
in  the  South.  Mark  was  a  rough,  warm-hearted 
boy  of  ultra-sanguine  temperament.  We  cannot 
forbear  recording  here  an  incident,  very  honorable 
to  Mark  and  his  mother,  although  it  brings  a  blush 
to  the  writer's  cheeks.  We  were  both  boys  in  our 
early  teens.  I  was  a  professor  of  religion  and  a 
member  of  the  church.  Mark  made  no  such  pre- 
tensions. We  were  spending  the  night  together  in 
the  country.  Although  I  had  been  taught  to  pray 
before  I  went  to  bed,  and  felt  it  a  Christian  duty  so 
to  do,  I  was  afraid  that  Mark  would  ridicule  me 
should  I  do  it  in  his  presence.  I  therefore  com- 
promised with  my  conscience  by  determining  that  I 
would  attend  to  my  devotions  after  I  was  in  bed. 
Being  ready  first,  I  jumped  in,  and  was  compos- 
ing myself,  when,  to  my  great  surprise  and  mor- 
tification, Mark  said,  "  Jimmie,  my  mother  has 
taught  me  never  to  neglect  my  prayers  before  I  go 
to  sleep.  So  you  will  please  excuse  me."  It  was 
an  arrow  to  my  heart,  and  I  immediately  arose,  and 
we  kneeled  together  to  commend  our  souls  to  God. 
I  acknowledged  my  cowardice  to  Mark,  and  thanked 
him,  as  I  do  still,  for  the  lesson  of  moral  courage 
which  he  taught  me. 

George  Ainslie,  a  third  brother,  now  represents 
Idaho  Territory  in  the  United  States  Congress.  John 
R.  Lionberger  has  become  one  of  the  w^ealthy  and 
influential  citizens  of  St.  Louis — a  leader  in  its  finan- 
cial enterprises.  Horace  Hutchison,  or  "Shad," 
as  we  were  wont  to  name  him,  is  the  popular  circuit 
clerk  of  Cooper  County,  a  cultivated  gentleman  and 


THE   BOONVILLE    BOARDING-SCHOOL.         133 

a   poet  of   genuine   genius.     "Gill''  Buckner  is   a 
respected  citizen  of  Brownsville. 

William  D.  and  Howard  Porteus  Muir  appear 
upon  the  register,  with  John  Young  Rankin,  July 
23.  William  Muir  became  a  lawyer  of  acknowl- 
edged talent,  and  was  one  of  the  most  elegant 
gentlemen  of  Boonville  up  to  the  time  of  his  early 
death.  ''  Ports"  never  returned  from  the  Southern 
struggle,  and  now  sleeps  in  a  soldier's  grave.  John 
Rankin  was  noted  for  his  big  foot  and  bigger  heart. 
He  went  to  Texas.  ^ 

September  2. — John  B.  Holman  and  Leonidas  Mo- 
reau  Lawson  became  pupils.  John  Holman  is  now 
a  successful  practitioner  of  medicine  in  Boonville. 
"Lon"  Lawson  entered  the  school  September,  1844, 
and  continued  to  enjoy  its  privileges  until  June,  1851. 
He  taught  the  advanced  classes  during  the  school 
year  of  1851-52.  He  was,  without  doubt,  Mr. 
Kemper's  favorite  pupil  during  the  long  period  of 
his  attendance,  and  well  did  he  deserve  the  honor- 
able distinction.  He  was  the  son  of  a  poor  but 
very  intelligent  and  worthy  gentleman,  whose  busi- 
ness was  that  of  a  cabinet  workman.  He  was  very 
carefully  raised  by  his  parents,  who  were  naturally 
and  properly  proud  of  him.  He  was  always  facile 
princeps  in  his  classes.  Indeed  there  was  no  one  to 
dispute  his  acknowledged  pre-eminence  in  all  the 
branches  of  the  full  college  course,  which  he  pur- 
sued under  Mr.  Kemper.  He  seemed  to  have  no 
special  talent,  or  rather  he  had  a  mind  which  readily 
grasped  and  mastered  every  subject  which  it  under- 
took. His  was  a  mind  among  a  million.  He  was 
equally  apt  in  all  the  athletic  sports  of   the  play- 


134  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

ground.  He  could  run  faster,  jump  higher,  strike  a 
ball  better,  swim  and  skate  more  gracefully  than 
any  of^us,  whom  he  distanced  in  the  school-room. 
He  was  a  manly,  courageous  boy.  The  writer  re- 
members well  one  occasion,  when,  in  this,  he  was 
sorely  tried.  We  were  in  the  woods  near  the  branch 
when  a  difficulty  arose  between  him  and  several  of 
the  boys.  He  was  alone,  and  more  than  one  of  his 
antagonists  were  older,  stronger,  larger  than  him- 
self. One  of  these,  backed  by  the  rest,  attacked 
him.  He  saw  that  resistance  was  useless.  With  a 
calm  courage  and  an  unblanched  cheek,  he  received 
the  blows,  refusing  to  strike  in  return,  and  as  steadily 
refusing  to  do  what  they  were  seeking  to  force  him 
to  do,  until  they  saw  that  he  was  more  than  a  match 
for  them  all,  and  they  left  him,  the  undaunted  victor 
upon  the  field.  We  have  never  witnessed  a  sub- 
limer  display  of  heroism.  As  a  speaker  he  was 
without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  school.  In 
matter  thoughtful,  and  in  manner  graceful  in 
gesture  and  eloquent  in  diction.  He  was  the  para- 
gon of  the  school,  the  pride  of  the  teacher,  and  the 
beau-ideal  of  his  fellow -puj^ils.^  He  went  to  the  State 
University,  entered  the  senior  class,  and  although 
crippled  by  a  spell  of  serious  sickness,  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  highest  honor  in  1853.  He  was  at 
once  called  to  a  professorship  in  William  Jewell 
College,  and  during  its  incumbency  he  studied 
law,  and  was  in  due  time  admitted  to  the  bar.  He 
rose  rapidly  in  his  profession,  and  was  soon  sent, 
though  quite  young,  to  the  Legislature  of  the  State 
from  Platte  County,  by  a  majority  very  much  greater 
than  that  of  his  colleague  on  the  same  ticket.     Very 


THE   BOONVILLE   BOARDING-SCHOOL.         135 

much  to  the  surprise  and  disappointment  of  many 
of  his  friends,  who  looked  forward  to  his  reaping 
the  highest  honors  in  the  political  preferments  of 
the  Republic,  he  turned  abruptly  from  the  blooming, 
beckoning  path  of  professional  and  intellectual  fame 
that  opened  before  him,  and  gave  his  splendid  powers 
to  a  life  of  financial  enterprise.  In  this  he  has  suc- 
ceeded, and  he  is  now  a  member  of  the  substantial 
firm  of  Donnell,  Lawson  &  Simpson,  bankers,  of 
Broadway,  New  York,  whose  business  connections 
extend  from  London,  England,  to  San  Antonio, 
Texas. 

October  17.— Henry  C.  Hayden  entered  the  school. 
He  was  the  son  of  Peyton  R.  Hayden,  one  of  the 
most  popular  lawyers  of  the  Boonville  bar,  the  com- 
peer of  Abiel  Leonard,  John  G.  Miller,  J.  B.  Garden- 
hire,  Washington  Adams — all  men  of  the  first  repute 
in  their  profession.  Henry  was  a  talented  boy,  and 
much  respected  by  his  school  associates.  The  most 
serious  difficulty  which  occurred  in  the  school,  the 
first  ten  years  of  its  establishment,  was  in  connection 
with  him.  Those  who  witnessed  it  have  never  been 
able  to  forget  it.  It  occurred  at  the  noon  recess,  and 
was  considered  by  Mr.  Kemper  of  so  serious  a  char- 
acter that  he  spent  the  afternoon  in  a  solemn  lecture 
to  us  on  the  subject.  Henry  never  attended  the  school 
again.  It  was  feared  that  it  might  prove  his  ruin, 
and  that  he  and  his  teacher  would  never  be  friends 
again.  But  it  proved  otherwise.  Though  for  some 
years  he  was  not  what  he  might  have  been,  he  was 
given  what  is  the  grown  man's  greatest  earthly  bless- 
ing, a  wise  and  faithful  wife.  He  became  an  earnest, 
consistent  Christian, and  in  Fulton  first  and  at  St,  Louis 


136  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

afterward  he  rose  to  competence  and  eminence  as  a 
lawyer,  and  at  his  death  was  regarded  one  of  the 
ablest  advocates  in  Missouri.  His  career  shows  that 
it  is  possible  to  retrieve  the  errors  of  one's  youth,  and 
thus  io  pluck  victory  from  disaster.  The  triumph  is 
all  the  grander  when  it  is  so  achieved,  and  reminds 
us  of  the  words  of  the  singer  of  the  "  Psalm  of  Life," 

•'  Nor  deem  the  irrevocable  past 
As  wholly  wasted,  wholly  vain, 
If,  rising  on  its  wreck  at  last, 
To  something  nobler  we  attain." 

During  his  manhood  Henry  was  one  of  Mr.  Kem- 
per's stancliest  friends. 

This  closes  the  record  of  the  first  term,  during 
which  thirty-three  pupils  in  all  were  enrolled.  It 
seems  a  strange  time  for  it  to  begin  and  end.  The 
arrangement  was  doubtless  due  to  Mr.  Kemper's  un- 
willingness to  spend  his  first  summer  at  Boonville  in 
idleness. 

The  second  session  began  November  25th,  1844. 
The  records  show  an  attendance  of  sixty-five  during 
the  term.  Among  these  were  Henry  L.  McPherson, 
for  many  years  a  pilot  on  the  Missouri  and  after- 
ward the  captain  of  several  steamers  on  the  same 
river,  now  an  enterprising  railroad  builder,  one  of  the 
most  chivalrous,  noble-liearted  men  that  Boonville 
has  ever  known  ;  Henry  C.  Gibson,  for  many  years, 
and  now,  a  successful  physician  at  Boonville;  Benj. 
F.  Gibson,  the  doctor's  brother,  a  farmer,  who  should 
not  be  allowed  to  sit  on  his  load  of  hay  while  it  is  on 
the  scales,  for  a  reason  that  every  acquaintance  will 
appreciate  ;  Robert  Ruxton,  a  boarding  pupil,  a  can- 
ny Scotchman,  an  intelligent,  substantial  gentleman,  a 


THE   BOONVILLE   BOARDING-SCHOOL.  137 

subsequent  teacher  in  Saline  County,  who  wrote  to  his 
former  preceptor: — "Mr.  Kemper,  what  a  fearful 
state  of  ignorance  I  have  been  living  in  for  the  last 
twenty  years  !  And  for  w^hat  reason  ?  Because  I  had 
not  Webster's  Dictionary.  I  tell  you,  sir,  if  I  was  de- 
prived of  this  invaluable  book,  I  would  ride  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  any  time  to  read  what  he 
says  about  the  letter  A.  And  surely  I  would  ride  a 
thousand  miles  for  the  privilege  of  reading  an  hour 
in  any  other  part  of  it  " — a  major  in  the  Confederate 
service,  an  ardent  admirer  of  his  old  teacher;  Joseph 
C.  Terrell,  for  a  long  time  now  a  prominent  lawyer  at 
Fort  Worth,  in  the  Lone  Star  State;  John  W.  Houx, 
a  boy  and  a  man  that  every  acquaintance  likes, 
one  of  the  original  settlers,  and  now  a  prominent 
merchant  of  Sedalia  ;  John  Y.  Leveridge,  the  execu- 
tive officer,  as  secretary  of  the  Fair  Association  of 
Kansas  City;  J.  A.  Quarles,  who  was  matriculated 
February  18,  1845,  and  continued  a  pupil  until  June, 
1854. 

"The  first  building  for  the  use  of  the  school  was 
erected  during  the  summer  of  1845.  The  ground  was 
purchased  of  Solomon  Houck,  May  20  of  that  year. 
It  had  a  frontage  on  Third  Street  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet.  The  building  then  erected,  which  con- 
stitutes the  right  front  of  the  present  main  building, 
was  put  up  by  a  joint  stock  company,  with  the  under- 
standing that  Mr.  Kemper  was  to  purchase  their 
stock  in  the  course  of  time.  This  was  promptly 
done."  Before  the  removal  to  these  premises,  the 
family  lived  for  some  time  in  the  frame  building  on 
the  south-east  corner  of  Main  and  Chestnut  streets, 
which  is  still  standing.     We  remember  this  fact  dis- 


13«  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER, 

tinctly,  although  Mr.  Kemper  does  not  alhide  to  it  in 
the  centennial  catalogue. 

This  first  building  on  the  grounds,  which  have 
since  become  historic  as  the  permanent  seat  of  the  in- 
stitution, was  a  two-story  brick,  having  two  rooms 
and  a  hall  or  entry  below,  and  three  rooms  above. 
The  first  floor  was  for  the  family.  The  room  in  the 
south-west  corner  above  was  Mr.  Kemper's  bedroom. 
By  the  side  of  this,  in  the  south-east  corner,  was 
a  small  recitation-room.  On  the  north  was  the  main 
school-room,  approached  by  an  outdoor  stairway  on 
the  west  side  of  the  building.  Every  survivor  can 
doubtless  recall  our  pleasurable  emotions  on  the 
day  when  we  were  transferred  from  the  corner  of  the 
court-house  square  to  these  new,  more  comfortable, 
and,  as  we  thought,  elegant  quarters.  The  exact  date 
we  cannot  recall,  and  as  it  is  not  recorded  we  do 
not  know.       It   was  probably  early  in    the   fall    of 

1845- 

The  third  session  began  June  2,  1845,  and  although 
held  during  the  heated  term,  witnessed  the  enrol- 
ment of  fifty-six  pupils.  Among  the  new  ones  were  : 
James  Preston  Beck,  who  was  sent  to  Mr.  Kemper 
an  orphan  boy  from  Lexington,  Mo.  He  gave 
his  teacher  more  than  usual  trouble,  though  he  was 
intelligent  and  capable.  He  afterward  was  sent  east, 
and  was  graduated  in  law  at  Harvard,  and  also  in 
medicine  at  some  Eastern  institution.  He  became  an 
elegant,  cul Lured  person,  and  was  the  hero  of  a  ro- 
mantic courtship  in  connection  with  his  second  mar- 
riage. Tyre  C.  Harris,  afterward,  in  1847,  a  teacher 
of  the  school.  He  became  a  Baptist  minister.  The 
records  of  that  large  and  influential  church  doubtless 


THE  BOONVILLE  BOARDING-SCHOOL.         139 

contain  the  name  of  no  contemporary  in  Missouri 
who  stood  so  high  with  his  own  brethren  and  the 
outside  community  as  Tyre  Harris.  He  was  cut  down 
in  the  flower  of  his  manhood,  but  honors  had  crowded 
thick  upon  him,  and  before  him  lay  the  promise  of  a 
life  of  distinguished  usefulness.  Charley  Cope,  Henry 
Marquis,  William  Henry  Rector,  and  W.  Woodfin  are 
known  as  matriculates  of  this  session. 

We  stop  here,  for  the  reason  that  the  school  entering 
its  own  building  chose  for  itself  a  new  name.  Up  to 
the  close  of  this  term  it  was  called  "  The  Boonville 
Boarding  School."  Henceforth  for  some  years  it 
was  known  as  "The  Male  Collegiate  Institute." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE    MALE    COLLEGIATE    INSTITUTE    OF    BOONVILLE. 

*'  That  heart,  methinks, 
Were  of  strange  mould,  which  kept  no  cherished  print 
Of  earlier,  happier  times,  when  life  was  fresh, 
And  love  and  innocence  made  holyday  : 
Or  that  owned 

No  transient  sadness  when  a  dream,  a  glimpse 
Of  fancy  touched  past  joys."  Hillhouse. 

The  fourth  semi-annual  session  of  the  school 
now  known  as  The  Male  Collegiate  Institute, 
began  November  24th,  1845,  and  its  register  shows 
an  attendance  of  sixty-six  pupils.  J.  Wellington 
Draffen  was  one  of  these.  Mr.  Draffen  is  still  a 
resident  of  Boonville,  and  is  a  proof  that  the 
Jewish  proverb,  "No  prophet  is  without  honor 
save  in  his  own  country,"  has  its  exceptions,  or  is 
misinterpreted  when  it  is  made  to  affirm  that  true 
merit  may  not  be  and  is  not  often  recognized  by 
those  most  familiar  with  its  possessor.  He  has  not 
shown  himself  a  genius  of  eagle  wing,  able  to  fly  to 
heavenly  heights  of  eminence  by  a  few  bold  strokes 
of  its  majestic  pinions.  But  while  his  upward  march 
has  been  the  slow  and  toilsome  progress  of  the 
climber  up  the  steep  and  rugged  mountain-side,  in 
this  he  has  displayed  traits  of  character  no  less  noble 


MALE   COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE.  141 

and  sublime,  and  his  proud  position  to-day,  as  one 
of  the  foremost  lawyers  of  Central  Missouri,  shows 
the  substantial  stuff  of  which  he  is  made.  John  R. 
Woodfin  is  another,  and  was  one  of  the  most  assid- 
uous and  successful  students  of  the  higher  branches 
in  these  early  days.  He  went  to  California  across 
the  plains  a  few  years  after  this,  and  it  was  remarked, 
in  allusion  to  very  unusual  natural  endowments 
which  suggested  the  conceit,  that  lie  used  one  of  his 
ears  as  a  mattress  and  the  other  as  sufficient  covering 
in  the  nightly  camping  on  the  way. 

The  fifth  term  began  May  11,  1846,  and  shows 
an  attendance  of  seventy-one  pupils.  Of  those  en- 
rolled for  the  first  time  we  observe  the  name  of 
James  B.  Harris.  He  was  an  older  brother  of  the 
Rev.  Tyre  C.  Harris,  and  along  with  him  was  an 
assistant  teacher  in  the  year  1847,  twelve  months 
from  this  date.  He  still  lives  in  Callaway  County, 
and  has  represented  his  senatorial  district  in  the  State 
Legislature  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 
He  was  the  presiding  student  at  the  reunion  in 
1874.  John  Dow,  the  popular  and  the  irrepressible, 
and  A.  H.  C.  Koontz  are  new  names  on  the  roll. 
Hiram  Koontz  was,  as  he  is  now,  a  positive  charac- 
ter. He  was  a  very  ardent  and  ultra  temperance 
man  during  the  days  of  the  Billy  Ross  excitement. 
He  thought  that  Mr.  Kemper  was  too  conservative 
on  the  great  issue  of  that  day.  Since  then  he  has 
doubtless  seen  that  our  teacher  was  wiser  than  he. 

The  sixth  semi-annual  session  began  September 
21,  1846.  Seventy-five  pupils  were  entered  during 
the  term.  William  Brown  was  one  of  these.  He 
was   one   of  the    marked   students    of   the    school. 


142  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

Obedience  to  its  regulations  and  earnest  in  his  en- 
deavors for  self-improvement,  he  always  stood  high 
in  the  estimation  of  his  teacher.  Having  removed  to 
Jacksonville,  Illinois,  he  studied  law,  and  has  there 
practised  his  profession  with  eminent  success  ever 
since.  He  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow-citizens 
with  several  important  positions  of  trust,  and  has 
been  favorably  mentioned  as  a  suitable  person  to  fill 
the  Governor's  chair  in  that  imperial  State  of  the  in- 
terior. He  is  now  assistant  solicitor-general  of  the 
Wabash  Railroad,  having  charge  of  all  its  legal  busi- 
ness east  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Leonidas  Boyle 
belongs  to  this  year.  He  was  the  son  of  one  of  the 
best  men  that  ever  loved  the  Saviour  and  served  his 
fellow-men  in  Missouri,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Boyle,  D.D. 
"  Lon"  was  a  wayward  boy,  but  of  open  heart  and 
generous  disposition.  His  life  was  a  checkered  one. 
He  became  a  Methodist  minister,  and  is  now  dead. 
John  L.  O'Bryan  entered  at  this  time.  His  father, 
Jordan  O'Bryan,  was  one  of  the  most  respected 
citizens  of  Cooper  County  in  those  days,  and  John 
is  now  one  of  its  leading  public  men.  David  Gib- 
son and  Boyle  Hayden  were  two  of  the  good  boys 
of  the  school.  Dave  was  a  little  mischievous  and 
rather  fond  of  sly  fun.  It  was  he  who  was  so  full 
of  life  that  on  one  occasion  he  whistled  aloud  in 
school.  Upon  being  called  to  account  for  it,  he  very 
naively  replied,  "Mr.  Kemper,  I  didn't  whistle;  it 
just  whistled  itself."  This  reminds  us  of  another 
ridiculous  incident  that  occurred  in  connection  with 
Sam  Russell,  one  of  the  pupils  of  the  first  term. 
While  the  teacher  was  calling  the  roll,  Sam  was  busy 
relating  to  a  neighbor  an  adventure  he  had  had  a 


MALE   COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE,  143 

short  time  before.  Being  very  intent  upon  his  story, 
he  had  not  observed  that  the  time  was  approaching 
for  him  to  answer.  Just  as  Mr.  Kemper  called  his 
name,  he  was  in  the  act  of  saying  "  screech-owl  '  in 
his  narrative,  and  so  there  rang  out  upon  the  solemn 
air  of  the  school-room,  from  the  teacher,  "Samuel 
Russell,"  and  the  response,  "Screech-owl!"  Sam 
was  like  Dave,  he  could  hardly  realize  that  he  had 
said  it.  Mr.  Kemper  could  scarcely  believe  his  ears. 
But  it  was  unmistakably  so,  and  all,  from  teacher 
down,  except  Sam,  laughed  in  hearty  chorus.  Eli- 
sha  S.  Rector  belongs  to  this  period. 

Up  to  this  time,  so  far  as  the  records  show  and  our 
information  goes,  there  were  no  regular  assistants 
who  gave  their  whole  time  to  the  work  of  teaching. 
Here  was  a  school  of  seventy-one  pupils  of  various 
grades  to  be  instructed  by  a  single  teacher.  We  nat- 
urally say  that  it  was  impossible,  and  so  indeed  it 
was.  While  we  cannot  recall  who  the  helpers  were, 
we  distinctly  remember  that  Mr.  Kemper  always 
freely  used  his  older  and  better  trained  pupils  as  as- 
sistants, giving  them  those  classes  which  needed  the 
least  drilling  and  control.  In  this  way,  we  were 
sure,  he  met  the  exigencies  of  the  school.  As  a 
straw  confirming  this  view,  it  is  a  matter  of  record 
that,  during  this  last  term,  John  O'Bryan,  Frank 
Chilton,  and  Well.  Draffen  were  the  regularly  deputed 
penmakers  of  the  school.  We  may  infer  from  this 
that  they  were  good  whittlers.  It  may  be  that  some 
of  our  children  may  not  understand  why  there  should 
have  been  penmakers.  It  is  possible  that  some  of 
them  have  never  seen  nor  heard  of  an  old  quill  pen. 
Be  it  known  unto  you,  then,  dear  children,  that  in 


144  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

those  good  old  times  of  which  you  have  heard  your 
grandfathers  speak,  but  which  we  hardly  think  that 
even  they  would  wish  to  see  come  again,  steel  pens 
and  gold  pens  were  unknown.  The  geese  must  be 
plucked,  not  only  to  furnish  feather-beds  on  which 
poor  humanity  sweltered  during  the  days  of  the  dog- 
star,  but  also  that  their  quills  might  be  used  for 
pens.  It  was  one  of  the  necessities  of  the  teacher's 
profession  that  he  should  know  how  to  cut  a  quill. 
He  might  be  ignorant  of  arithmetic  and  grammar, 
but  he  must  know  how  to  make  a  pen.  Moreover, 
when  a  quill  was  once  fashioned  into  a  pen,  it  had  a 
naughty  way  of  not  remaining  so.  It  was  in  con- 
stant need  of  repairing,  especially  when  used  by  the 
unskilled  fingers  of  those  learning  to  write.  Imagine 
now  one  man,  in  addition  to  teaching  mathematics, 
and  the  classics,  and  the  three  R's  to  seventy-one  pu- 
pils,  undertaking  to  make  and  mend  pens  for  them  ! 
We  can  easily  see  that  Mr.  Kemper  was  wise  in  call- 
ing his  pupils  to  the  rescue,  and  that  Draffen,  Chilton, 
and  O' Bryan  did  not  have  a  sinecure.  We  wonder 
whether  they  can  make,  or  as  the  Germans  say,  cut^  a 
pen  now. 

In  the  fall  term  of  1846,  beginning  Sept.  21,  Mr. 
Kemper  determined  to  have  regular  help.  Accord- 
ingly he  made  arrangements  to  that  effect  with  James 
B.  and  Tyre  C.  Harris,  two  of  his  former  pupils. 
Mr.  Kemper  occupied  the  main  school-room,  and 
supervised  and  directed  the  movements  of  the  entire 
body  of  pupils.  Tyre  Harris  met  his  classes  in  Mr. 
Kemper's  bedroom,  and  James  B.  Harris  his  in  the 
other  small  reritation-room. 

In  the  fall  term  of  this  arrangement,  seventy-five 


MALE   COLLEGIA  TE  INSTITUTE.  145 

pupils  were  enrolled;  and  in  the  spring  session,  be- 
ginning March  8th,  1847,  there  were  sixty-six.  Mrs. 
Kemper  found  among  the  papers  this  interesting 
statement :  "  Gross  income  of  Kemper,  Harris  and 
Harris  for  first  session  of  their  partnership,  ending 
March  3,  1847,  $655.35.  Second  session,  ending  6th 
of  Aug.,  1847,  $551.76."  This  is  a  total  of  $1207.11 
for  three  men,  for  teaching  an  average  of  seventy 
pupils  for  an  entire  school  year.  It  shows  us  that 
either  many  of  the  pupils  failed  to  pay,  or  that  the 
average  charge  did  not  exceed  twenty  dollars  for 
each  one. 

Among  the  names  of  this  spring  term  of  1847 
we  find  Edw.  H.  Harris.  He  was  not  of  the  same 
family  as  the  teachers.  He  is  now  the  head  of  an 
interesting  family,  most  of  the  children  grown,  and 
is  a  prosperous  merchant  and  farmer  at  Pilot  Grove, 
in  Cooper  County.  He  has  a  son  whom  he  is  proud 
to  call  Frederick  Kemper  Harris.  Hardage  L.  An- 
drews was  a  pupil  for  several  years,  and  is  now  a 
resident  of  California.  William  M.  Givens  was  one  of 
the  most  mature  pupils  that  ever  attended  the  school. 
He  was  successful  in  his  studies,  then  attended  the 
medical  lectures,  and  is  now  a  physician  at  Gallatin, 
Mo. 

The  eighth  session  opened  Sept.  13,  1847,  and  is 
credited  with  fifty-five  pupils.  At  this  time  we  first 
find  a  daily  record  kept  of  every  boy's  lessons,  ab- 
sence, etc.  The  partnership  with  the  I^arris  brothers 
did  not  continue  longer  than  a  year,  so  that  Mr. 
Kemper  was  now  again  doing  the  whole  work,  with 
the  help  of  his  pupils.  We  see  that  the  time  for  be- 
ginning the  school  year  has  been  gradually  changed, 
7 


146  THE   LIFE   OF  FKOF.    KEMPER. 

until  it  is  now  brought  to  correspond  wiih  the  cus- 
tom of  other  schools.  This  was  a  wise  movement, 
for  the  manifest  reason  that  it  gave  to  teacher  and 
pupil  their  period  of  rest  during  the  enervating  days 
of  summer. 

The  ninth  session,  beginning  Feburary  21,  1848, 
enrolled  fifty-four  pupils.  Jeif.  B.  McCutchen  died 
from  wounds  received  at  the  first  battle  of  Boonville. 
We  sigh  as  we  think  of  him  cut  down  in  the  early 
promise  of  his  manhood.  Oberon  A.  Kueckelhan 
was  the  son  of  Dr.  A.  Kueckelhan,  a  graduate  in 
medicine  from  one  of  the  universities  of  the  Father- 
land, and  one  of  the  most  skilled  physicians  of  Mis- 
souri. Obe  is  a  farmer  near  Boonville.  W.  C.  P. 
Townsley — "  Chan"  we  called  him — was  an  intelli- 
gent and  orderly  boy,  standing  well  in  the  regard  of 
his  teacher  and  fellow-pupils.  He  became  a  carriage- 
maker,  and  worked  at  this  business  until  the 'war. 
He  prosecuted  the  study  of  the  law  while  thus  en- 
gaged, and  surprised  many  of  his  friends  by  his  sud- 
den and  unexpected  appearance  at  the  bar.  He  was 
given  the  commission  as  judge  of  the  Lafayette 
Judicial  Circuit  of  Missouri,  and  despite  his  inexperi- 
ence and  the  general  dissatisfaction  at  the  manner  of 
his  entering  upon  the  bench,  he  made  a  respectable 
record  as  a  jurist.  He  is  now  in  Kansas.  His 
brother,  Leopold  M.  Townsley,  is  a  dentist. 

There  were  forty-two  enrolled  during  the  tenth 
session,  which  began  September  iith,  1848.  During 
this  terni  cnere  first  appears  upon  the  register  one  of 
the  worthiest  names  connected  with  the  history  of  the 
school.  It  is  that  of  Edward  Roberson  Taylor.  His 
father  was  from  Tennessee,  and  a  cabinet  workman 


MALE   COLLEGIATE   INSTITUTE.  147 

of  slender  means.  He  did  not  live  many  years  after 
he  settled  his  family  in  Boonville.  Edward  was  thus 
left,  an  only  son,  with  several  sisters  to  the  care  of 
his  widowed  mother.  He  continued  to  prosecute  his 
studies  with  very  honorable  success,  always  main- 
taining a  position  among  the  foremost  of  his  class. 
Although  quite  young,  he  had  studied  the  higher 
mathematics  and  read  a  fair  course  in  the  Latin  and 
Greek  classics  before  he  was  compelled  to  leave 
school  to  aid  in  the  support  of  the  family.  He  entered 
the  tobacco  factory  of  Mr.  David  Spahr,  and  began 
work  as  a  stemmer.  He  soon  held  other,  higher, 
and  more  responsible  positions  in  the  factory.  This 
life,  however,  did  not  suit  him,  and  he  entered  a 
printing-office,  and  began  to  learn  "  the  art  preserva- 
tive of  all  arts,"  in  the  composing-rooms  of  the 
Boonville  Observer.  A.  W.  Simpson  was  then  the  edi- 
tor, and  the  paper  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest 
organs  of  the  Whig  party  in  the  State.  Edward's  in- 
telligence, industry,  and  trustworthiness  brought  him 
rapid  promotion,  and  before  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age  he  was  the  foreman  of  one  of  the  best  conducted 
printing-offices  in  the  West.  During  this  time  he 
wrote  several  poems,  which  were  highly  commended 
by  judicious  critics.  The  family  then  removed  to 
California,  and  Edward  studied  medicine,  taking  the 
doctor's  degree.  In  this,  as  in  everything  else,  he  was 
a  very  diligent  and  successful  student.  He  was  the 
author  of  several  able  articles,  which  were  published 
in  the  medical  journals,  and  attracted  the  favorable 
notice  of  his  professional  brethren.  He  tired,  how- 
ever, of  medicine.  He  became  the  private  secretary 
of  Governor  Haight,  and  received  license  to  practise 


148  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

law.  He  is  now  of  the  firm  of  Taylor  &  Haight,  at- 
torneys-at-law,  San  Francisco.  He  still  at  irregular 
periods  cultivates  the  muse  of  poetry,  and  contributes 
to  this  volume  one  of  its  chief  attractions.  T.  C. 
Davis  belongs  here.  "  Kink  "  was  our  name  for  him, 
in  allusion  to  his  curly  head. 

There  were  only  thirty-five  pupils  in  attendance 
upon  the  spring  session,  which  opened  February 
26,  1849.  As  this  is  one  of  the  smallest  aggre- 
gates for  any  term,  we  make  it  the  occasion  for  say- 
ing that  it  does  not  indicate  a  waning  in  the  popu- 
larity of  the  school.  The  most  thoroughly  established 
institutions  in  the  land  have  their  ebb  and  flow,  pro- 
duced by  a  number  of  conspiring  causes.  But  in 
addition  to  this,  and  far  more  important  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Kemper  school,  is  the  fact  that  its  founder 
and  head  was  always  favorable  to  a  small  and  select 
school,  never  desiring  more  than  he  could  himself 
personally  teach  and  control.  From  his  journal 
we  know  that  he  limited  his  number  this  year  to 
thirty.  This  may  seem  strange  to  some,  but  his  wis- 
dom in  it  will  be  shown  when  we  discuss  his  princi- 
ples and  plans  as  a  teacher. 

Horace  Bingham,  the  eldest  son  of  the  distinguish- 
ed painter,  G.  C.  Bingham,  was  one  of  the  matricu- 
lates of  this  term.  Frank  Lionberger,  the  artist  of 
Boonville,  was  another.  James  Porter,  of  the  Boon- 
ville  ferry,  was  another.  Lewis  Miller,  the  son  of 
the  Hon.  John  G.  Miller,  one  of  the  ablest  and  purest 
public  men  that  Missouri  has  ever  sent  to  Washing- 
ton City,  was  another.  Lewis  became  a  lawyer,  re- 
moved to  Saline,  married  an  accomplished  lady,  and 
died  a  few  years  since.     James  P.  Dow,  who  lives  on 


MALE    COLLEGIATE   INSTITUTE.  149 

an  island  in  the  Missouri  River  above  Boonvilie, 
♦'monarch  of  all  he  surveys,"  belongs  to  this  period. 
James  Madison  Byler  is  still  another.  No  pupil  of 
this  period  of  the  school  can  ever  forget  Byler  and 
his  pony.  As  there  was  congenital  malformation  of 
both  hands  and  feet,  the  pony  was  indispensable,  and 
he  was  therefore  as  regular  an  attendant  as  was  his 
master.  Byler  was  very  proud  of  ''  Pony,"  and  took 
pleasure  in  descanting  upon  his  excellent  traits.  One 
day  he  told  us  that  there  was  one  sure  mark  of  afast- 
gaited  horse,  and  then  pointed  to  Pony  to  show  us  that 
he  had  it.  Pony,  if  urged,  could  gallop  probably  four 
miles  in  an  hour.  He  was  a  sorrel,  and  wore  his  hair 
short  behind.  Byler  was  a  good  student.  That  Mr. 
Kemper  regarded  him  with  favor  is  clearly  shown  in 
his  employment  of  him  as  an  assistant  in  1851.  He  is 
now  a  real-estate  agent  at  the  flourishing  young  city 
of  Sedalia. 

The  twelfth  session  witnessed  the  enrolment  of 
sixty-three  pupils.  It  began  September  10,  1849. 
Among  the  number  were  William  B.  and  Richard 
A.  Hening.  The  Heningboys  were  sons  of  the  Rev. 
John  A.  Hening,  an  able,  pious,  but  somewhat  eccen- 
tric Methodist  minister.  Dick  was  a  sprightly  boy, 
industrious,  intelligent,  inquisitive.  Many  of  the 
old  pupils  will  probably  remember  his  peculiar  ren- 
dering of  Longfellow's  "  Excelsior,"  a  favorite  piece 
for  declamation.  The  support  of  his  father's  family 
soon  devolved  upon  him.  He  accepted  the  trust  as 
a  brave,  true  man,  removing  to  Neosho,  in  Newton 
County,  that  he  might  more  successfully  meet  its  re- 
sponsibilities, and  there  he  has  since  died. 


150  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Mrs.  Kemper  sends  the  following  item  connected 
with  this  term  : 

"  Sliould  the  education  of  females  be  equal  to  that 
of  the  males  ? 

^*  Aff. — Givens,  Quarles,  Mack,  Taylor,  Dow,  M. 
Ainslie. 

'■'' Neg. — Torbert,  Lawson,  Mitchell,  J.  Ainslie, 
Tucker,  Morton." 

As  it  has  been  the  writer's  lot  to  preside  over  the 
education  of  girls  during  the  best  years  of  his  life, 
he  is  gratified  to  find  that  in  his  boyhood  (for  he 
was  only  twelve  years  of  age  then)  he  was  the  advo- 
cate of  woman's  right  to  a  full  participation  in  the 
privileges  of  a  thorough  education.  The  strength  of 
truth  was  on  the  side  of  the  affirmative,  but  the 
heavy  guns  of  debate  were  with  the  negative.  Tor- 
bert and  Lawson  were  the  orators  of  the  school.  J. 
W.  Torbert  is  another  of  the  most  distinguished 
pupils  that  the  school  has  known.  He  was  a 
faithful  student,  and  eagerly  ambitious  for  self-im- 
provement. He  was  far  more  mature  in  years  than 
the  rest  of  us.  At  this  time  he  was  probably  nearly 
or  quite  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  was  invited 
while  a  pupil  to  take  charge  of  the  city  public  school, 
and  accepted  the  trust.  He  was  specially  gifted  as  a 
speaker.  Of  commanding  appearance,  having  a  fine 
voice,  great  fertility  of  thought,  affluence  of  speech, 
and  grace  of  movement,  he  was  a  natural  orator, 
capable  of  commanding  the  attention  of  any  audi- 
ence he  might  address.  There  were  lively  times  in 
the  Boonville  Lyceum  wlien  he  and  John  H.  Hening, 
Esq.,  were  pitted  in  debate  against  each  other.  They 
were  both  vigorous  thinkers  and  effective  speakers. 


MALE    COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE.  151 

Torbert  threw  himself  into  politics,  was  very  popular 
upon  the  stump,  and  was  sent  by  Taylor  or  Fillmore 
as  consul  to  the  Island  of  St.  Thomas,  we  believe, 
and  there  died.  If  he  had  lived  to  middle  age  there 
is  hardly  a  doubt  that  he  would  have  left  behind  him 
a  name  historic  in  the  annals  of  his  country. 

The  thirteenth  semi-annual  term  began  February 
25,  1850,  and  during  its  continuance  fifty-seven 
names  were  registered.  F'or  the  next  school  year, 
embracing  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  sessions,  the 
records  have  been  lost,  and  we  have  no  means  now  of 
ascertaining  how  many  were  enrolled,  nor  the  names 
of  particular  pupils.  As  yet  the  custom  of  publish- 
ing an  annual  catalogue  had  not  begun. 

In  185 1  the  school  building  was  improved  by  an 
addition,  which  nearly  doubled  its  capacity.  It  was 
put  up  as  an  ell  to  the  front  building,  already  de- 
scribed, at  the  north-west  corner,  inclosing  in  a  hall 
the  steps  leading  to  the  second  story.  This  improve- 
ment was  necessary  for  the  accommodation  of  those 
who  wished  to  avail  themselves  of  the  benefits  of 
the  school.  We  are  satisfied,  however,  that  Mr. 
Kemper's  own  judgment  did  not  approve  this  en- 
largement. He  was  always  favorable  to  a  small 
school.  We  must  bear  in  mind  that  he  w^as  still,  and 
for  several  years  longer,  a  bachelor,  and  that  the 
enlargement  was  not  for  boarders,  but  for  an  increased 
attendance  of  day  pupils.  The  addition  had  a  hall 
and  one  large  room  on  each  of  its  two  floors.  Mr. 
Kemper  took  the  intermediate  pupils  into  the  lower 
room,  James  M.  Byler  was  given  the  primaries  in 
the  old  school-room,  and  L.  M.  Lawson  took  charge 


152  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

of  the  most  advanced  classes  in  the  upper  room  of 
the  new  building. 

From  statements  made  in  his  journal  we  learn 
that  this  improvement  cost  about  three  thousand 
dollars,  and  that  he  was  expected  to  pay  for  it  within 
three  years.  The  centennial  catalogue  tells  us  that 
it  was  put  up  by  a  joint-stock  company,  with  the 
understanding  that  Mr.  Kemper  was  to  purchase  the 
interest  of  the  other  stockholders.  This  he  doubt- 
less did  to  a  great  degree  by  educating  the  sons  of 
those  who  had  taken  stock.  We  know  from  his 
journal  that  before  he  had  occupied  the  building  a 
year  he  had  paid  more  than  seven  hundred  dollars 
upon  it. 

The  year  succeeding  this  improvement  of  the 
premises  is  noted  in  showing  the  largest  attendance 
in  the  history  of  the  school.  In  the  fall  term  there 
were  enrolled  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  pupils, 
and  in  the  spring  one  hundred  and  twenty-one. 
Tl  ese  were  large  numbers  for  three  teachers  to 
handle.  They  were  well  graded,  however,  and  in 
those  days  the  range  of  studies  was  not  as  extensive 
as  now.  The  largest  proportion  was  under  Mr. 
Kemper's  personal  care,  and  the  smallest  in  Law- 
son's  room. 

During  the  first  term  of  the  eighth  year,  beginning 
September  8,  185 1,  Elijah  Workman's  name  appears. 
He  was  the  son  of  English  parents,  who  lived  near 
the  upper  landing  for  steamboats.  They  did  not 
tarry  long  in  Boonville,  but  soon  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  they  have  since  resided.  Charley 
Reinliart  is  still  in  Boonville,  with  a  pleasant  smile 
and  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand  for  any  of  the  old 


MALE   COLLEGIATE  INSTITUTE.  153 

pupils  he  may  meet.  Leverett  Leonard,  the  son  of 
one  of  the  best  farmers  that  ever  tilled  the  soil  and 
improved  the  stock  of  Cooper  County,  carries  on  a 
magnificent  farm  in  Saline,  the  banner  county  of 
the  State  for  the  richness  of  its  soil.  Leverett 
was  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  and  studied  law, 
but  prefers  the  more  quiet  and  independent  life  of 
the  husbandman. 

During  the  spring  term,  beginning  February  9, 
1852,  William  Workman  became  a  pupil.  With  his 
name  there  comes  to  us  a  throng  of  pleasant  memories. 
He  was  one  of  the  best  of  boys.  Simple,  unaffected, 
generous,  true,  we  loved  him  as  though  he  had  been 
a  brother.  In  those  days  his  family  was  poor.  As 
already  stated,  they  went  to  California,  and  have  there 
become  wealthy,  owning  extensive  orange  and  lemon 
groves,  fig  orchards,  and  vineyards  in  Los  Angeles. 
We  sometimes  wonder  whether  money  has  contracted 
or  expanded  the  noble  sympathies  of  his  nature.  We 
should  love  to  meet  him  again  ;  but,  if  not  here,  then 
we  hope  to  do  so  in  the  amaranthine  bowers  of  the 
upper  Paradise,  more  beautiful,  more  fragrant,  more 
perennial  than  the  orange  groves  of  his  California 
home,  David  Lionberger  belongs  here  ;  he  was  the 
youngest  of  five  brothers,  all  of  whom  were  pupils — 
John  R.,  De  Witt  C,  Frank,  William,  and  himself. 
Their  father  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  prominent 
citizens  of  Cooper  County.  David  studied  medicine, 
and  went  to  Paris  to  perfect  himself  in  his  profession. 
But  his  delicate  constitution  soon  yielded  to  disease, 
and  he  filled  an  early  grave.  Ralph  Augustus  Quarles 
entered  during  this  session.  He  and  Dr.  William  M. 
and  J.  A.   Ouarles  were  all  sons  of  Colonel  James 

7* 


154  THE  LI  PR   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Qiiarles,  who  became  a  citizen  of  Cooper  County  in 
1836.  Himself  a  teacher  in  early  life,  he  prized  the 
advantages  of  education,  and  gave  to  all  three  of  his 
sons  both  a  collegiate  and  professional  course.  Au- 
gustus went  to  Westminster  College,  and  then  to 
the  medical  school.  Since  his  graduation  he  has 
practised  his  profession  in  the  city  .of  St.  Louis. 

The  ninth  year  opened  September  30th,  1852,  and 
during  its  first  term  one  hundred  and  ten  pupils  were 
registered.  Scott  Benedict,  one  of  the  best  boys  of 
the  school,  was  of  this  number.  He  went  to  Califor- 
nia. John  M.  Wsidemeyer  is  another.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  athletic  boys  that  ever  graced  the  cam- 
pus of  a  school.  He  excelled  in  all  kinds  of  sport, 
but  was  specially  proficient  at  foot-balJ,  where  activity, 
strength,  and  endurance  were  all  required.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  popular  students  of  the  school — popu- 
lar with  his  teacher  and  loved  by  his  associates.  He 
bore  a  captain's  commission  under  the  Confederacy, 
and,  we  are  sure,  was  a  gallant  soldier.  He  is  now 
an  enterprising  merchant  at  Clinton,  Mo.  William 
Wyan  Trigg,  instinctively  a  modest,  refined  gentle- 
man, and  Beverly  Bunce  are  pupils  of  this  period. 
Beverly  Bunce  has  reason  to  remember  the  writer  of 
this  volume.  We  were  playing  bandy.  The  writer 
had  a  stick,  on  the  curve  of  which  a  hollow  bone  had 
been  fastened,  to  give  it  weight.  He  had  gotten  pos- 
session of  the  ball  on  a  part  of  the  field  where  there 
was  no  one  to  interfere  with  him.  He  prepared, 
therefore,  to  give  the  ball  the  heaviest  possible  stroke. 
Beverly  was  standing  right  in  front  to  intercept  it. 
When  the  stroke  was  made,  the  bone  flew  from  the 
stick,  hit  Beverly  squarely  in  the  forehead,  and  he 


MALE   COLLEGIATE   INSTITUTE.  155 

fell  as  if  he  had  been  sliot.  The  striker  feared  that 
he  had  killed  him.  But  fortunately  the  skull  is 
thick  there,  and  no  serious  damage  was  sustained. 
During  the  war  we  saw  a  Southern  soldier,  at  the 
battle  of  Glasg(jw,  with  a  Minie  ball  imbedded  in 
his  forehead,  and  yet  he  was  walking  around  and 
joking  merrily  about  it. 

During  the  second  term  there  were  enrolled 
eighty-two  pupils.  William  B.  Napton,  Jr.,  the  son 
of  the  distinguished  jurist  of  the  same  name,  was 
one  of  these.  He  became  a  lawyer,  and  practised  for 
some  years  in  Kansas  City.  He  has  now  retired  to 
his  farm  in  Saline  County.  David  W.  Thompson. 
Joseph  S.  Roberson  and  James  C.Wood,  all  from  Pettis 
County,  belong  to  this  time.  Dave  was  a  steady, 
studious  boy.  Jo  and  Jim  were  rollicking  fellows. 
Jo  was  smart,  and  witty,  and  handsome,  and  generous, 
and  popular.  He  and  Jim  were  both  fonder  of  the 
girls  than  of  their  books.  Jim  lost  his  heart  at  Mr. 
Tracy's,  and  Jo  his  at  Mr.  Bell's.  It  was  love,  how- 
ever, that  did  not  ripen  in  either  case.  Jo  went 
West,  and  we  have  lost  him ;  but  no  friend  on  this 
broad  earth  has  a  greener  place  in  our  memory  than 
this  same  light-hearted,  frank,  impulsive,  noble  Jo. 

The  winter  of  1853  marks  an  era  in  the  history  of 
the  school,  from  the  fact  that  an  effort  was  then 
made  to  convert  it  into  a  college.  For  this  purpose 
the  following  charter  was  secured  from  the  Legis- 
lature of  Missouri: — 

"An  Act  to  incorporate  Boonville  College. 
"Whereas,   the  school  known  as  The  Boonville  Male  Colle- 
giate Institute,   located  in  Boonville,   Cooper  County,  has  sus 
tained  itself  for  many  years,  has  fitted  pupils  for  high  standing  in 


156  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

the  advanced  classes  of  the  best  colleges,  and  has  been  supplied 
by  its  founder,  F.  T.  Kemper,  with  suitable  buildings  and  fixt- 
ures ;  and  whereas,  it  is  desired  by  the  community  sustaining 
said  school  to  erect  it  into  a  college,  which  shall,  in  addition  to 
the  usual  routine  of  literary  and  professional  instruction,  have 
normal  and  agricultural  schools  for  the  special  education  of 
farmers  and  teachers  ;  the  whole  to  be  no  engine  of  any  sect,  and 
responsible  to  no  ecclesiastical  judicature,  and  yet  remaining  as 
heretofore,  under  Presbyterian  influence  ;  therefore, 
"  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  as 
follows  : 

"Section  i.  That  John  G.  Miller,  James  Quarles,  John  Col- 
houn,  William  H.  Trigg,  James  Waller,  E.  W.  Brown,  Jordan 
O' Bryan,  Smith  Walker,  Caleb  Jones,  James  M.  Nelson,  C.  L. 
Loomis,  Jeremiah  Rice,  Richard  T.  Jacobs,  F.  T.  Kemper, 
Chester  Brewster,  William  G.  Bell,  F.  W..G.  Thomas,  and  Elisha 
Stanley,  are  hereby  constituted  a  body  corporate,  under  the 
name  and  style  of  '  Boonville  College  ;'  shall  have  perpetual  suc- 
cession and  a  common  seal  ;  and,  in  their  corporate  capacity, 
may  sue  and  be  sued,  plead  and  be  impleaded,  defend  and  be 
defended  in  all  courts  and  places  whatsoever. 

"  Sec.  2.  Said  Board  of  Trustees  shall  have  power  to  receive, 
acquire,  recover,  and  hold  any  money,  or  real,  or  personal  estate 
that  may  be  granted,  donated,  or  devised  for  the  use  of  said  in- 
stitution ;  and  may  purchase  and  dispose  of  property,  in  such 
manner  as  will  best  promote  the  object  of  their  organization. 

"  Sec.  3.  Said  corporation  sh?ill  have  power  to  confer  all  the 
literary  honors  or  degrees,  conferred  by  similar  institutions,  and 
to  create  such  other  degrees  as  may  best  promote  the  education 
of  agriculturalists  and  professional  teachers  for  common  and  high 
schools. 

"  Sec.  4.  Said  Board  of  Trustees  is  hereby  empowered  to  ap- 
point a  faculty,  the  president  of  which  shall  be,  ex-officio, 
president  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  ;  and  to  appoint  other  officers 
and  tutors  as  the  interest  of  the  institution  may  require.  They 
may  also  displace  the  same,  and  make  such  by-laws  and  reg- 
ulations as  will  further  the  interests  of  the  college,  provided 
they  be  not  inconsistent  with  the  law  of  the  land. 

**  Skc.  s.  Said  corporation  shall  have  power  to  displace  mem- 


MALE   COLLEGIATE   LNSTITUTE.  157 

bers  of  their  own  body,  who  shall  become  disqualified  for  duty 
by  age,  infirmity,  or  otherwise,  or  who  shall  fail  to  perform 
their  duties  from  neglect  of  the  interests  of  the  institution. 

"  This  act  to  taJce  effect  from  its  passage. 

"Approved  February  12,  1853." 

As  is  manifest  from  the  charter,  the  design  was  to 
make  a  college  for  the  special  benefit  of  farmers  and 
teachers.  Mr.  Kemper  himself  was  both,  and  he 
took  the  liveliest  interest  in  the  agricultural  classes 
as  well  as  in  teachers.  His  favorite  idea,  however, 
was  the  normal  college.  We  must  remember  that  at 
that  time  there  was  none  such  in  Missouri,  and  but 
very  few  in  this  country.  It  was  his  great  ambition 
to  inaugurate  such  a  scheme  in  connection  with  his 
school  in  Boonville.  We  have  before  us  an  elaborate 
report  on  the  subject  prepared  by  him  and  submitted 
to  those  who  were  interested  in  Boonville  College. 
In  it  he  first  states  and  elaborates  the  proposition, 
that  "  education  should  be  a  p7-ofessional  business," 
"a  learned  profession,"  **that  teachers  should  be 
professionally  educated."  He  then  suggests  "a  plan 
for  a  school  of  pedagogics."  '*  We  think,"  he  says, 
"  a  three  years'  course  of  professional  training,  after 
leaving  college,  as  little  as  the  wants  of  the  true 
teacher  will  admit.  ...  In  three  departments  of 
study  and  practice.  The  first  scientific,  the  second 
educational,  the  third  practical  exercise  in  teaching. 
.  .  .In  the  scientific  department  we  would  have 
teachers  not  only  to  review,  but  greatly  extend  their 
inquiries.  .  .  .2.  The  educational  department. 
Here  let  the  embryo  teacher  learn  the  nature,  the 
history,  and  the  present  state  of  education.  Let  him 
study  how  to  govern  a  school,  and  control  his  tem- 


158  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

per  ;  how  to  exemplify,  before  his  pupils  and  the 
world,  the  wisdom,  and  knowledge,  and  moral  virtue 
which  he  is  to  inculcate.  Let  him  study  school  ar- 
chitecture, the  laws  of  health,  the  true  relation  of  the 
teacher  to  his  pupils,  to  the  other  professions,  and 
to  society  ;  and  last,  though  not  least,  the  economics 
of  his  profession,  or  the  way  to  make  it  pay.  .  .  . 
3.  We  would  attach  to  the  college  a  preparatory  de- 
partment, in  which  all  theories  on  education  should 
be  brought  to  the  test  of  experiment,  and  in  which 
the  results  of  the  wisest  investigations  might  be  em- 
ployed in  fitting  children  for  future  collegiate  and 
business  life  " 

As  an  additional  incentive  to  professional  excel- 
lence, he  proposes,  with  reference  to  the  normal 
graduate,  "  Having  started  him  out,  a  man  of  real 
learning  and  skill  in  his  business,  let  him,  after 
teaching  three  years,  if  he  demonstrates  his  success, 
be  counted  worthy  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Philos- 
ophy:' 

One  hundred  thousand  dollars,  in  addition  to  the 
endowment  of  the  college,  he  thinks  would  put  such 
a  school  on  a  solid  foundation  ;  and  he  suggests 
that  it  be  raised  *'  by  subscriptions  of  one  dollar  each 
from  the  patriotic  and  Christian  ladies  of  our  beloved 
country." 

There  has  been  preserved  one  of  these  original 
subscription  lists.  The  heading  was  written  by  Mr. 
Kemper.     It  is  : — 

"  We,  whose  names  are  affixed,  agree  to  pay  the 
sums  opposite  to  our  names  respectively  to  the  Treas- 
urer of  Boonville  College,  for  the  purpose  of  endow- 
ing the  *  School  of  Professional   Teachers  in  Boon- 


MALE   COLLEGIATE   INSTITUTE.  159 

ville  College. '  July  18,  '53.— A.  H.  Bailey,  $1.00  ;  A. 
S.  Jefferson,  $1.00  ;  E.  J.  Slack,  $1.00  ;  G.  S.  Johnson, 
$1.00  ;  M.  McFarland,  $1.00;  S.  B.  Hammond,  $1  00.", 

The  plan  for  endowing  the  college  proper  was  the 
one  which  at  that  time  was  quite  popular  in  Mis- 
souri, by  means  of  scholarships.  There  were  to  be 
six  hundred,  at  one  hundred  dollars  each.  They  were 
transferable.  A  single  scholarship  entitled  its  holder 
to  sixteen  years  of  tuition  in  the  regular  collegiate, 
or  collegiate  and  preparatory  course.  A  half  scholar- 
ship gave  four  years'  tuition.  A  scholarship  and  a 
half  entitled  its  owner  to  eight  years  in  the  prepara- 
tory department,  in  addition  to  the  sixteen  years  of 
the  single  scholarship.  Three  scholarships  gave  the 
right  to  perpetual  tuition. 

Boonville  College  w^as  never  put  into  operation. 
There  is  no  allusion  to  the  scheme  in  his  journal. 
We  seriously  question  whether,  outside  of  the  nor- 
mal features,  Mr.  Kemper  ever  had  any  very  great 
interest  in  the  project.  It  failed,  probably  because 
it  was  found  impracticable  to  raise  the  means  neces- 
sary for  its  endowment.  At  that  time  the  Masons, 
at  Lexington  ;  the  Methodists,  at  Fayette;  the  Bap- 
tists, at  Liberty  ;  and  the  Presbyterians,  at  Fulton  and 
Richmond,  having  founded  colleges,  were  endeavor- 
ing to  raise  the  funds  for  their  maintenance.  Another 
non-sectarian  college,  "yet  remaining  under  Presby- 
terian influence,"  was  impracticable.  While  we  do 
not  know  it  to  be  so,  it  is  our  opinion  that  Mr.  Bell, 
the  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  a  man  of 
intelligent  enterprise,  was  really  the  prime  mover  of 
the  scheme.  He  was  the  president  of  the  board  of 
trustees. 


i6o  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

We  all  should  rejoice  that  no  college  was  institut- 
ed. Missouri  has  of  them  all  that  will  be  needed 
probably  for  a  hundred  years  to  come.  But  it  has  no 
other  school  which  has  done  or  can  do  the  work  ac- 
complished by  the  Family  School  or  academy  of  Mr. 
Kemper.  We  need  twenty  more  of  the  same  kind  in 
Missouri  now. 

Before  dismissing  Boonville  College  we  shall  be 
pardoned  for  saying  a  word  about  C.  L.  Loomis,  who 
appears  in  the  charter  as  one  of  the  incorporators, 
and  who  was  the  secretary  of  the  board  of  trustees. 
He  came  to  Boonville  as  a  Yankee  school-teacher, 
some  years  before  this.  He  at  first  taught  a  boys' 
school  on  Main  Street,  opposite  the  present  residence 
of  Mr.  James  M.  Nelson,  It  was,  in  some  sense,  a 
rival  of  Mr.  Kemper's.  There  was  never,  however, 
the  slightest  unfriendly  feeling  between  them.  They 
were  both  bachelors,  and  both  Presbyterians.  Mr. 
I.oomis  had  rather  the  harder  cases  of  the  town.  He 
did  his  work  well — so  well  that  he  was  invited  by  Mr. 
J.  L.  Tracy  to  take  the  principalship  of  the  flourish- 
ing school  for  girls  over  which  he  presided.  There 
he  was  invaluable.  Indeed,  he  was  quite  a  remark- 
able man.  Very  homely  in  his  personal  appearance 
and  ungraceful  in  his  gait,  he  was  one  of  those  rare 
men  that  seem  to  know  everything  and  to  be  able  to 
do  anything.  To  our  youthful  eyes  he  was  a  won- 
der, and  as  we  look  back  to  him,  after  a  lapse  of 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  we  can  truthfully 
say  that,  modest  as  he  was,  he  was  one  of  the  marked 
men  we  have  met  in  this  world.  He  married  finally 
Miss  Ruggles,  one  of  his  associate  teachers,  and  went 


MALE  COLLEGIATE   INSTITUTE.  l6r 

as  n  missionary  to  Africa.     Where  he  is  now  we  do 
not  know. 

The  tenth  year  of  the  school  opened  September  19, 
1853.  During  the  first  term  there  were  entered  eighty- 
five  pupils,  among  them  Frederick  Kemper  Free- 
man, a  namesake  and  nephew  of  our  teacher.  Fred 
was  a  sprightly,  good-hearted  boy,  universally  pop- 
ular. He  went  west  into  the  Territories  for  a  while, 
then  gave  his  services  to  the  Confederacy  during 
the  war,  and  is  now  living  in  Georgia.  George 
H.  Houck  is  a  name  which  prompts  a  sigh.  Poor 
boy !  he  has  gone  to  his  reckoning,  and  to  his  own 
Master  he  stands  or  falls.  With  many  good  traits  of 
character,  he  was  utterly  unfit  for  such  a  school.  It 
would  have  been  better  had  his  father  kept  him  with 
himself  on  his  trips  back  and  forth  to  Santa  Fe.  We 
know  not  which  to  pity  most,  poor  George  or  his 
poor  teacher.  John  T.  and  James  H.  Chandler,  twin 
brothers,  were  so  much  alike  that  their  own  father 
could  not  distinguish  them,  and  was  compelled,  there- 
fore, to  whip  them  both,  to  be  sure  that  he  had  the 
right  one.  Boys  of  robust  minds  in  robust  bodies, 
substantial  characters,  but  full  of  mischief  and  fun. 
They  were  good  students  and  fine  speakers.  They 
taught  in  the  school  the  next  year,  and  afterward  for 
several  years  in  various  parts  of  the  State.  John  was 
a  tutor  in  William  Jewell  College.  They  were  both 
Southern  soldiers,  John  gaining  a  major's  commis- 
sion. James  is  now  loaning  money  on  Kansas  City 
property,  and  is  a  resident  of  that  thriving  place. 
John  became  a  lawyer,  was  sent  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture from   Clay  County,  has  been  presented  by  his 


i62  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPEK. 

county  as  its  candidate  for  Congress  before  the  nom- 
inating convention,  and  is  now  a  substantial  citizen 
of  Liberty,  Mo.,  and  the  treasurer  of  William  Jewell 
College.  William  Gentry  was  the  son  of  Richard 
Gentry,  of  Pettis  County,  in  his  day  the  leading  farm- 
er of  Missouri,  and  one  of  its  most  remarkable  men. 
William  is  now  one  of  the  heavy  men  of  his  native 
county,  an  extensive  and  prosperous  bachelor  farm- 
er. Philip  E.  Chappell,  from  Callaway,  opposite 
Jefferson  City,  and  William  G.  McCarty,  from  the 
capital,  belong  here.  Both  good  boys  and  good  men. 
Phil  was  a  favorite.  We  all  remember  his  bright 
face  and  sparkling  eyes.  He  has  given  himself  to  a 
financial  life  as  a  banker,  and  is  now  the  honored 
Treasurer  of  the  State  of  Missouri.  That  his  love 
never  waned  for  his  old  teacher,  and  that  his  pen  has 
not  lost  its  cunning,  are  shown  in  the  very  excellent 
tribute  which  he  pays  in  this  volume  to  the  character 
of  Mr.  Kemper.  William  Ballantine,  then  from  Bruns- 
wick, now  of  Nebraska  City,  had  all  the  generous 
impulses  of  his  Irish  ancestry  Dan  Woolridge  is 
the  popular  druggist  of  Boonville. 

There  were  eighty-one  pupils  during  the  second 
term,  beginning  Feb.  13,  i854;*among  them  Lewis 
Nelson,  son  of  James  M.  Nelson,  probably  the 
wealthiest  man  and  certainly  one  of  the  worthiest 
citizens  of  Cooper  County. 

This  closes  the  record  of  the  writer's  personal  at- 
tendance upon  the  school.  For  nine  years  and  a  half 
he  had  been  a  registered  pupil.  It  was  an  inestimable 
privilege  to  sit  at  his  feet  for  so  long  a  time.  He  is 
almost  ashamed  to  confess  it  here,  as  such  advantages 


MALE  COLLEGIATE  INSTLTUTE. 


M 


should  have  shown  themselves  in  a  more  fruitful  life. 
It  was  not  the  teacher's  fault  that  they  have  not. 
The  influence  of  his  mighty  spirit  has  been  the  at- 
tending mentor  of  his  life,  and,  though  twenty-eight 
years  have  since  sped  their  course,  he  still  lives  under 
the  grateful  shadow  of  his  teacher's  presence. 

Another,  far   more  important,  fact   makes   this   a 
proper  pause  for  the  close  of  this  chapter. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HIS  MARRIAGE. 

*'  Woman  is  not  undeveloped  man, 

But  diverse.     Could  we  make  her  as  the  man, 

Sweet  love  were  slain,  whose  dearest  bond  is  this 

Not  like  to  like,  but  like  in  difference. 

Yet  in  the  long  years  liker  must  they  grow  ; 

The  man  be  more  of  woman,  she  of  man. 

He  gain  in  sweetness  and  in  moral  height, 

Nor  lose  the  wrestling  thews  that  throw  the  world  ; 

She,  mental  breadth,  nor  fail  in  childward  care. 

More  as  the  double-natured  poet  each, 

Till  at  the  last  she  set  herself  to  man  ^ 

Like  perfect  music  unto  noble  words. 

And  so  these  twain,  upon  the  skirts  of  Time, 

Sit  side  by  side,  full-summed  in  all  their  powers. 

Dispensing  harvest,  sowing  the  To  be. 

Self-reverent  each,  and  reverencing  each, 

Distinct  in  individualities. 

But  like  each  other,  even  as  those  who  love. 

Then  comes  the  statelier  Eden  back  to  man. 

Then  reign  the  world's  great  bridals,  chaste  and  calm. 

Then  springs  the  crowning  race  of  human  kind," 

Tennyson. 

We  know  from  his  journal  that  Mr.  Kemper  did 
not  contemplate  a  bachelor's  life  as  a  permanent 
arrangement.  From  our  knowledge  of  his  character, 
it  seems  rather  strange  that  he  should  have  postponed 
his   marriage   to   so   late   a   period.      As   from   our 


HIS  MARRIAGE.  165 

observation  and  reflection  on  the  subject  we  judge 
early  marriages  the  wiser  arrangement  in  all  ordinary 
cases,  we  have  queried  why  Mr.  Kemper  did  not 
think  so.  Several  reasons  may  suggest  themselves. 
Among  these  there  is  one,  which  we  know  exerted 
a  considerable  and  perhaps  a  determining  influence 
with  him  :  it  was  his  unwillingness  to  ask  any  one 
to  share  with  him  the  inconveniences  of  comparative 
poverty.  He  alludes  to  this  several  times  in  his 
journal.  We  do  not^believe  in  this  principle.  A 
poor  man  needs  a  wife  as  much  as  a  rich  one,  and  a 
true  woman  will  not  hesitate  to  share  the  fortunes  of 
the  man  she  loves.  Another  reason  may  have  influ- 
enced him,  and  doubtless  did.  It  was  the  fact  that 
he  never  met  the  woman  of  his  choice  until  he  saw 
his  wife. 

There  was  at  Boonville,  almost  as  far  back  as  we 
can  remember,  a  flourishing  school  for  girls,  known  as 
the  "  Pleasant  Retreat  Female  Seminary."  It  was  the 
property  and  under  the  control  of  the  Rev.  William 
G.  Bell,  the  first  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Boonville.  It  was  an  excellent  institution,  perhaps 
the  best  in  the  State  at  that  time.  Mrs.  Bell  was 
unusually  well  qualified  for  the  responsibilities  of  her 
position,  as  she  was  a  superior  housekeeper,  a  refined 
lady,  and  an  excellent  manager  of  girls.  The  school 
was  quite  popular,  attracting  pupils  from  all  parts  of 
the  State.  Its  students  are  now  among  the  cultivated 
women  of  Missouri. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  winter  of  1849  there  was  a 
vacancy  in  the  school,  and  Miss  Ruggles,  who  was 
then  a  teacher  in  the  Tracy  school  of  Boonville,  sent 
for  one  of  her  former  pupils,  Miss  Susan  H.  Taylor, 


1 66  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

of  Hoosick  Falls,  New  York,  to  fill  the  vacancy.  As 
Miss  Taylor  had  finished  the  regular  course  of  study 
in  the  academy  of  this  place,  and  was  only  giving 
attention  to  music  and  drawing,  she  was  able  to  leave 
at  once,  and  reached  Boonville  in  the  latter  part  of 
November.  She  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Kemper  the 
first  day  of  her  arrival,  at  the  church  prayer-meeting. 
Six  months  perhaps  elapsed  before  they  were  thrown 
together  again.  After  this  they  were  frequently  in 
each  other's  company,  and  b«came  well  acquainted 
by  means  of  the  singing-schools,  lyceums,  and  school 
exhibitions  which  they  attended.  Both  were  members 
also  of  the  church  choir.  In  this  way  two  years 
passed,  and  they  recognized  each  other  as  friends, 
bound  together  by  the  tie  of  mutual  respect.  A  Bible 
class  was  then  formed,  composed  chiefly  of  the  teach- 
ers of  the  Sunday-school.  Hon.  John  G.  Miller  was 
one  of  its  members.  He  was  an  elder,  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sabbath-school,  and  a  devout  Christian. 
Captain  James  Walter,  Thomas  Slack,  Colonel  James 
Quarles,  and  Dr.  William  M.  Quarles  were  also  re- 
membered as  connected  with  the  class.  These  are 
all  dead  but  Mr.  Slack,  who  now  lives  in  Jefferson, 
Texas.  He  is  a  brother  of  General  Slack  of  Con- 
federate fame,  and  is  remembered  as  an  honest,  good 
man,  very  fond  of  singing;  which  he  did,  not  only 
with  the  spirit  and  the  understanding,  but  also  with 
his  whole  body. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  the  teacher  of  this  Bible  class,  and 
the  prophecy  of  Daniel  was  the  first  study.  It  was 
here  that  the  attachment  between  Mr.  Kemper  and 
Miss  Taylor  began;  in  the  mutual  study  of  God's 
word  their  friendship  ripened  into  love.     Mr.  Kem- 


HIS  MARRIAGE. 


167 


per  was  a  man  of  strong  feeling  and  ardent  attach- 
ments. The  schoolboy  who  showed  a  spirit  of 
obedience  and  a  disposition  and  ability  to  learn  al- 
ways stood  very  high  in  his  estimation.  So  this 
young  woman,  who  studied  her  Bible  lesson  so  as  to 
be  able  to  answer  the  hard  questions  of  this  propheti- 
cal and  mystical  book,  at  once  won  his  heart.  There 
are  some  of  his  schoolboys  probably  still  living  who 
may  remember  acting  as  postmen  for  their  teacher. 
They  would  take  their  stand  at  the  door  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  before  the  Sabbath-school  began, 
and  hand  Miss  Taylor  his  letter  as  she  entered  to 
take  charge  of  her  class.  The  answer  was  taken  to 
the  Bible  class  in  the  afternoon,  and  placed  inside  a 
book  of  reference,  which  was  passed  over  to  him  at 
the  close  of  the  recitation.  But  few  letters  were 
thus  exchanged  before  the  important  question  was 
asked  and  answered,  and  the  engagement  sealed  by 
the  presentation  of  a  handsomely  bound  copy  of  the 
Greek  Testament.  A  fitting  courtship  for  so  high 
and  hallowed  a  union. 

He  was  anxious  that  the  marriage  should  take 
place  at  the  close  of  the  session  in  the  summer  of 
1852.  But  chivalry  and  prudence  seemed  to  forbid, 
for  he  said  that  he  was  in  debt  and  could  not  ask  any 
woman  to  share  a  life  of  poverty.  Miss  Taylor 
therefore  returned  to  her  home  in  the  East. 

In  the  year  1 853  his  father  died  in  Virginia.  From 
the  patrimony  which  now  came  to  him  he  was  able 
to  free  himself  from  the  load  of  debt  and  buy  a 
small  farm,  lying  some  five  miles  south  of  Boonville. 
This  farm,  as  we  shall  see,  became  one  of  the  pets  of 
his  subsequent  life. 


1 68  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

There  was  now  no  obstacle  to  the  consummation  of 
his  marriage.  He  always  preserved  a  dignified  reti- 
cence as  to  his  private  affairs.  The  writer,  closing 
his  connection  with  the  school  in  1854,  was  to  be 
sent  to  the  University  of  Virginia.  Hearing  that 
Mr.  Kemper  was  also  contemplating  a  trip  to  Vir- 
ginia, he  very  naturally  asked  to  be  allowed  to  ac- 
company him.  The  request  was  refused,  witho«t 
explanation,  but  for  a  reason  which  in  due  time  be- 
came apparent.  Miss  Taylor  was  now  living  in 
Muscatine,  Iowa,  and  there,  July  17,  1854,  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  David  Kerr,  she  and  Mr.  Kemper  were 
married  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Baird.  They  made  a 
bridal  trip  to  New  England  and  to  Virginia,  visiting 
the  relatives  of  each. 

'*  Jolin  Taylor  came  from  England  in  1639,  "^"^^  set- 
tled in  Connecticut.  He  had  two  sons — John,  born 
in  1641,  and  Thomas,  in  1643.  In  1645,  having  busi- 
ness that  called  him  back  to  England,  he  set  sail  in  a 
ship  of  which  nothing  was  ever  heard  again,  except 
as  a  vision  which  is  known  in  history  as  the  '  Phan- 
tom Ship' ;  one  of  the 

*  Ships  that  sailed  for  sunny  isles, 
But  never  came  to  shore.' 

**  When  the  boys  were  grown,  John,  the  elder  son, 
moved  to  Northampton,  Mass.,  while  the  younger 
remained  with  his  mother.  The  descendants  of  this 
younger  son  enjoyed  great  prosperity  and  long  lives. 
Many  men  and  women  of  influence  and  learning 
and  piety  went  forth  to  bless  other  communities  and 
portions  of  our  great  country.  But  the  elder  son, 
settling  in  a  portion   of  the  country   renowned  for 


r 


HIS  MARRIAGE.  169 

Indian  warfare  and  disturbances,  many  of  his  fam- 
ily were  killed  or  taken  prisoners.  Their  widows 
were  thus  left  to  struggle  with  poverty  and  hardships 
in  raising  their  children.  As  a  necessary  result, 
there  was  less  of  wealth  and  learning  iiLtiiis  branch 
of  the  family,  but  quite  as  much  of  sterling  worth, 
and  integrity  and  simple  trust  in  God. 

"John  himself  was  killed  by  the  Indians  in  1704, 
leaving  a  family  of  thirteen  children.  Thomas,  the 
tenth  child,  was  in  several  battles  with  the  French 
and  Indians,  but  after  escaping  the  perils  of  war 
was  drowned  in  the  Connecticut  River.  He  left  but 
two  children.  The  youngest,  Thomas,  was  engaged 
in  Indian  warfare,  and  while  marching  with  a  com- 
pany of  seventeen  men  was  waylaid  near  Brattleboro, 
Vt.,  by  a  party  of  one  hundred  French  and  Indians. 
After  a  desperate  encounter,  in  which  most  of  his 
men  were  killed,  Captain  Taylor  was  made  a  prisoner 
and  taken  to  Canada.  He  was  kept  in  close  confine- 
ment for  several  months,  but  was  finally  released  for 
a  ransom.  The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts 
rewarded  him  for  his  bravery  by  the  payment  of  fifty 
pounds,  eighteen  pounds  for  the  loss  of  his  gun,  and 
ten  pounds  for  the  loss  of  his  leather  breeches. 

"  Lewis  Taylor,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Kemper,  and 
grandson  of  Captain  Taylor,  erected  a  handsome  mar- 
ble monument,  in  1874,  on  the  spot  where  so  many 
brave  men  were  killed  and  his  grandfather  was  capt- 
ured. 

'*  At  an  early  date  this  branch  of  the  Taylor 
family,  meeting  with  so  many  losses  and  discourage- 
ments, were  inclined  to  emigrate  and  seek  homea 
in   more   fertile    lands   and    beneath    sunnier    skies. 


lyo  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Calvin  Taylor,  a  surgeon  in  the  U.  S.  service,  located 
in  Mississippi  as  early  as  1790.  But  as  he  died  be- 
fore the  expiration  of  a  year,  his  brothers  were  de- 
terred from  following  his  example.  But  the  next 
generation  tferee  of  the  brothers  left  their  New  Eng- 
land home,  going  first  to  New  Jersey.  But  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Kemper  was  recalled  to  take  charge  of 
his  father's  farm.  The  other  two  brothers  went  on 
South.  One  of  them  established  a  celebrated  school 
for  girls  at  Sparta,  Georgia.  The  other,  Calvin 
Taylor,  still  lives,  a  hospitable,  noble,  good  man  on 
the  Gulf  coast  of  Mississippi. 

**  This  spirit  of  emigration  prevailed  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  at  the  present  day  this  family  has  a  greater 
number  of  representatives  in  Wisconsin,  Iowa, 
Mississippi,  Louisiana,  arfd  California  than  in  the 
New  England  States. 

"  All  of  the  numerous  branches  of  this  family  have 
been  a  blessing  in  communities  where  they  have 
made  their  hom.es. 

''  That  they  retain  the  integrity  and  virtues  of 
their  ancestors  is  perhaps  best  shown  in  the  corre- 
spondence of  Mr.  Lewis  Taylor,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Kemper,  with  Mrs.  Porter  (the  wife  of  President 
Porter,  of  Yale  College),  who  belonged  to  the  Con- 
necticut family  of  Taylors.  Their  object  was  to  im- 
part and  obtain  information  about  both  branches  of 
the  family.  Their  combined  research  could  find  no 
member  upon  whom  any  stain  or  dishonor  rested, 
and  there  was  no  record  of  a  divorce  or  separation 
of  husband  and  wife. 

"  Mrs.  Kemper's  mother  was  a  Webster  of  North- 
field,  Mass.,  and  in   this  family  were  many  gifted 


HIS  MARRIAGE. 


71 


minds  and  noble  characters.  An  uncle  of  hers, 
Ezekiel  Webster,  who  was  graduated  at  Harvard 
College,  was  pronounced  by  his  classmates  the  peer 
of  Daniel  Webster,  both  in  intellect  and  powers  of 
oratory.  But  just  after  his  graduation  he  met  with 
an  accident  tiiat  deprived  him  of  his  eyesight  and 
compelled  him  to  lead  a  secluded  life. 

"  Mrs.  Kemper's  grandmother  Taylor  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Christian  Field,  and  was  a  woman 
of  renowned  piety  and  an  active  worker  in  every 
good  cause.  From  this  Field  family  have  gone 
forth  men  of  enterprise,  and  worth  and  goodness  to 
all  parts  of  the  country. 

"Susan  Holton  Taylor  was  born  in  Barre,  Vt., 
November  26,  1831,  and  was  the  fifth  child  in  a  fam- 
ily of  nine  children.  When  only  two  years  of  age 
her  father  removed  to  Hinsdale,  N.  H.,  to  take 
charge  of  his  father's  farm,  situated  at  the  junction 
of  the  Ashuelot  River  with  the  Connecticut.  This 
was  a  manufacturing  village,  and  the  children  had  to 
be  sent  away  from  home  for  an  education.  Susan 
and  her  sister  Emily  went  to  Hoosick  Falls,  N.  Y., 
to  prepare  for  Mount  Holyoke  Seminary.  Emily's 
health  failed,  and  she  was  obliged  to  stop  her  studies. 
Susan  then  entered  Miss  Lyon's  seminary  for  a  three 
years'  course,  but  after  one  year  there  she  per- 
suaded her  father  to  let  her  return  to  Hoosick  Falls. 
She  remained  there  until  the  time  of  her  coming  to 
Boonville." 

Mrs.  Kemper  is  undoubtedly  a  representative  of 
the  best  elements  of  New  England  society.  She 
was  a  congenial  companion  for  her  husband.  She 
not  only  appreciated  his  many  great  excellences,  but 


172  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

was  also  in  thorough  sympathy  with  all  his  tastes 
and  pursuits.  Like  him  she  was  a  scholar  and  a 
student.  Like  him,  she  was  a  teacher  and  an  ed- 
ucator. Like  him,  she  was  a  Christian  and  a 
worker  for  Christ.  Their  communion  of  spirit 
must  have  been  perfect,  and  of  the  most  elevated 
character.  With  all  her  intelligence  and  learning, 
she  was  a  true  woman ;  not  harsh  and  crabbed,  as 
some  literary  women  are.  There  never  was  a  pupil 
of  her  husband,  during  the  twenty-six  years  and  m.ore 
of  their  wedded  life,  that  did  not  love  and  respect 
Mrs.  Kemper.  She  won  the  hearts  of  all,  not  by 
the  low  arts  of  the  demagogue,  but  by  her  gentle- 
ness, and  patience,  and  constant  readiness  to  sym- 
pathize with  suffering  and  to  relieve  distress.  She 
was  the  friend  even  of  the  bad  boys,  and,  like  Gold- 
smith's preacher,  she 

"Chid  their  wanderings,  but  relieved  their  pain."  ■ 

Happy  was  our  dear  teacher  in  securing  such  a  wife  ; 
and  happy  she  in  being  honored  with  such  a  hus- 
band ;  for 

"  Happy  they,  the  happiest  of  their  kind, 
Whom  gentler  stars  unite,  and  in  one  fate 
Their  hearts,  their  fortunes,  and  their  beings  blend." 

The  intimacy  of  husband  and  wife  is  certainly  the 
closest,  and  should  be  the  most  hallowed  of  the  re- 
lations of  life.  No  true  and  pure  sensibility  but 
shrinks  instinctively  and  relentlessly  from  all  ex- 
posure of  these  domestic  treasures  to  the  cold  and 
curious  gaze  of  the  public.  These  feelings  we  shall 
certainly   respect.     The    few   extracts   from    letters 


HIS  MARRIAGE. 


173 


which  are  here  presented  will  not,  we  think,  be  a 
violation  cf  this  principle,  as  they  simply  show  the 
common  loyalty  of  man  and  wife. 

"  Fulton,  Mo.,  Christmas,  1856. 
"  There  is  only  one  thing  more  sacred  than  the  marriage  rela- 
tion, and  that  is  our  relation  to  God.  In  thinking  of  you,  I  feel 
that  it  is  cruel  to  have  such  ties  sundered  by  death  ;  but  I  repress 
the  rising  thought,  for  all  our  relations  here  are  polluted  by  sin, 
and  the  world  where  they  neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage 
is  our  true  home.  I  have  brighter  hopes  of  heaven  by  reason 
of  my  relation  to  you.  If  the  unbelieving  husband  is  sanctified 
by  the  believing  wife,  the  latter  has  much  responsibility,  as  well 
as  a  glorious  mission." 

From  Mrs.  Kemper  to  her  husband  in  St.  Joseph : 

"  BooNViLLE,  Mo.,  Jan.  15,  1875. 

"We  all  miss  you  very  much.  Grace  says  she  is  in  *  distress  ' 
because  her  father  is  away.  Stella  and  Freddy  say  :  '  We  are 
so  lonesome,  and  wish  our  father  would  come  home  ;  but  we 
work  some  every  day  and  try  to  be  good  children.' 

*'  May  the  Lord  guide  and  keep  you,  and  bring  you  back  in 
safety  to  those  who  have  no  joy  while  you  are  absent." 

From  Mrs.  Kemper,  after  starting  on  a  journey : 

"  St.  Louis,  July  8,  1878. 

"  I  feel  very  unhappy  about  leaving,  and  would  gladly  turn 
back  if  a  sense  of  stern  duty  were  not  resting  upon  me.  Even 
now  I  think  I  would  return  if  Grace  did  not  take  a  cry  every 
time  I  speak  of  it,  I  hope  you  will  not  undertake  any  hard  work  ; 
for  your  continued  life  and  health  are  of  more  value  to  yoiir  fam- 
ily than  all  other  earthly  good.  Indeed  I  should  be  a  thousand- 
fold happier  in  that  old  log  cabin  at  the  farm  with  you,  than  with 
a  gay  company  in  a  palace-car,  seeing  all  new  places  and  objects, 
and  traveling  the  world  over." 

•*  Fulton,  June  12,  1857. 

"  I  hope  it  is  well  with  you  and  with  the  child.  You  are  all 
the  world  to  me,  and  more.     I  hope  our  pilgrimage  will  be  marked 


174  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

by  growing  affection,  wisdom,  and  usefulness,  and  that  we,  with 
no  more  long  separations  on  the  way,  may  be  united  in  the  world 
where  the  most  congenial  spirits  here  will  there  have  the  most 
intimate  companionship.  Whom  could  I  greet  with  so  much  joy 
on  the  plains  of  heaven  as  I  could  her  who  gave  me  her  heart's 
devotion  here  ?  Surely,  after  my  Saviour,  none  could  claim  such 
a  glad  greeting." 

"  Fulton,  Mo.,  March  17,  1861. 
"  Last  night,  in  writing  to  my  aunt  Mary  Kellogg,  when  I  al- 
luded to  our  dear  departed  boy  I  found  the  fountain  of  my  tears 
as  copious  as  ever.  I  felt  surprised  once  when  I  saw  my  father's 
face  quiver  with  deep  emotion  at  the  mention  of  my  brother,  who 
died  thirteen  years  before.  I  understand  it  now.  I  have  a 
mournful  pleasure  in  thinking  of  our  dear  boy.  It  is  certainly  a 
rich  pleasure  to  think  of  those  we  love  best  as  being  in  heaven. 
Besides,  you  and  I  are  more  closely  one  by  the  common  grief,  as 
well  as  joy,  of  our  lot.  I  look  toward  the  cemetery  as  I  go  to 
college,  and  enjoy  communion  with  Eugene  and  with  his  mother." 

"  Westminster  College,  March  14,  1857. 
"  We  have  been  enjoying  a  course  of  lectures  from  Dr.  Baird. 
I  told  him  that  my  wife  was  reading  Greek,  and  when  she  felt 
qualified  to  take  my  classes  I  thought  of  visiting  Greece,  But  up- 
on reflection  I  think  that  I  can  no  more  part  with  you,  if  there  is 
no  better  reason  for  it  than  learning — stern  duty  alone  must  part 
us.  I  shall  bring  on  my  Greek  Tesament,  however,  so  that  we 
can  read  it  together  in  the  vacation,  and  I  think  we  can  accom- 
plish more  than  when  I  was  courting.  Good-by.  Without  you 
I  am  *  a  bird  with  one  imperfect  wing  to  soar  upon.'  " 

As  the  fruits  of  this  marriage  there  were  born 
eleven  children,  six  daughters  and  five  sons.  The 
oldest  three  were  born  while  the  parents  were  living 
in  Fulton,  all  the  others  after  their  return  to  Boon- 
ville. 

Lewis  Taylor  was  born  May  16,  1857  ;  Eugene 
Allison,   January  25,   1859;    Ida   Webster,   July   19, 


HIS  MARRIAGE. 


175 


i860;  Julia  Strong,  September  t6,  1861  ;  Walter  Ed- 
win, August  15,  1863;  Grace,  March  22,  1865  ;  Theo- 
dore, May  20,  1866  ;  Stella  Ruth,  September  6,  1868; 
Frederick  William,  September  29,  1869;  Susie  Alice, 
August  19,  1872;  May  Gertrude,  March  17,  1874. 

But  the  angel  reapers  have  been  in  this  precious 
harvest  field,  and  have  gathered  more  than  half  to 
the  garnered  treasures  above.  Eugene  led  the  way, 
and  was  first  shown  the  path  to  heaven,  January  15, 
1 86 1.  Then  Julia  followed,  before  she  had  known  a 
single  year  of  earth's  sorrows,  June  30,  1862.  One 
day  after,  Ida  joined  her  and  their  angel  brother, 
July  I,  1862.  Lewis,  the  first-born,  who  had  lived 
long  enough  to  become  the  hope,  the  pride,  the  joy 
of  his  parents'  hearts,  fell  with  the  leaves  of  autumn, 
and  his  young  spirit  entered  upon  the  eternal  spring- 
time of  the  soul,  November  22,  1863.  Then  Walter, 
another  little  bud  that  dared  not  open  its  petals  to 
the  harsh  blasts  of  this  world,  unfolded  its  loveliness 
to  the  sunnier  skies  above,  May  25,  1864.  Theodore, 
recognized  as  God's  gift  to  stricken  hearts,  spent  but 
a  single  summer  here,  and  found  of  all  the  shortest 
path  to  heaven.  Last  of  the  sacred  seven  was  Fred- 
die, the  father's  namesake,  the  mother's  •  love  and 
hope,  whose  mind  had  expanded  enough  to  show 
somewhat  of  the  undeveloped  riches  it  contained, 
amid  the  glories  of  the  centennial  year,  saw  the  beck- 
oning nod  of  the  six  who  had  preceded  him,  and 
went  to  join  their  happy  company.  Thus  they  went, 
five  sons — all,  every  boy  that  God  had  given  them- — 
and  two  daughters,  sweet  companions  in  heaver  for 
their  brothers. 


176  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    K EM  PER. 

"  Voice  after  voice  hath  died  away. 

Once  in  my  dwelling  heard. 
Sweet  household  name  by  name  hath  changed 

To  grief's  forbidden  word  ! 
From  dreams  of  night  on  each  I  call, 

Each  of  the  far  removed  ; 
And  waken  to  my  own  wild  cry. 

Where  are  ye,  my  beloved  ?" 

"  Early,  bright,  transient,  chaste  as  morning  dew, 
They  sparkled,  were  exhaled,  and  went  to  heaven." 

*'  Let  them  die, 
Let  them  die  now,  thy  children  !     So  thy  heart 
Shall  wear  their  beautiful  image  all  undimmed 
Within  it  to  the  last." 

With  such  mutual  joy  as  ever  waits  upon  the  birth 
of  children  ;  with  such  sweet  discipline  of  sorrow, 
as  they  saw  them,  one  by  one,  taken  to  their  home 
above  :  how  must  these  parents'  hearts  have  been 
welded  into  one,  and  how  must  they  have  been  chast- 
ened in  this  seven-times- heated  fiery  furnace  of  be- 
reavement !  As  we  read  such  a  record,  that  is  not 
without  its  parallel  in  many  another  pious  Christian 
household,  do  we  wonder  that  probably  the  very  first 
problem  discussed  by  the  pen  of  inspiration  was  the 
afflictions  of  God's  people.^  Whether  Job  be  a  myth 
or  a  real  person,  he  is  the  type  of  millions  who  have 
succeeded  him,  and  who  have  needed,  in  the  dark 
valley  of  sorrow,  not  only  to  read  the  lesson  of  his 
faith  and  patience,  but  also  the  truth,  taught  by  his 
history,  and  which  God  has  thrown  as  a  rainbow  of 
peace  and  comfort  across  the  dark  cloud  of  our 
earthly  trials,  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth,  He  chast- 
eneth." 


HIS  MARRIAGE. 


177 


The  common  belief  of  man  has  been  the  contrary. 
Unusual  sorrows  he  interprets  as  the  proof  of  un- 
usual displeasure  on  the  part  of  the  Sovereign  Dis- 
penser of  events.  To  many  a  crushed  spirit,  this  has 
been  the  most  oppressive  thought,  God  surely  is 
angry  with  me,  else  why  does  He  pursue  me  thus? 
That  this  is  not  so,  is  sufficiently  proven  by  two  in- 
disputable facts,  that  notoriously  and  confessedly 
wicked  men  often  greatly  prosper,  while  the  good 
and  pure  are  correspondingly  depressed. 

"  In  this  wild  world  the  fondest  and  the  best 
Are  the  most  tried,  most  troubled,  and  distressed." 

Why,  how  is  this,  if  God  rules  and  concerns  Him- 
self with  human  interests  ?  He  could  prevent  all 
this,  did  He  think  it  wisest  so  to  do.  He  does  not 
prevent  it.  He  allows  it.  He  brings  it  about.  We 
may  not  fully  understand  the  special  purpose  in  any 
case.  But  we  do  know  that  He  never  errs,  and  that 
He  is  always  good.  He  tells  us  that  the  sorrows  of 
His  people  are  not  the  punishments  of  a  Judge,  but 
the  chastisements  of  a  Father;  not  the  evidences  of 
His  anger,  but  the  sure  pledge  of  His  love ;  that 
"this  present  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  mo- 
ment, worketh  a  far  more  exceeding  and  an  eternal 
weight  of  glory."  The  poet  Moore  caught  the 
inspiration  of  this  truth  when  he  sang  : — 


Oh,  Thou,  who  dry'st  the  mourner's  tear, 
How  dark  this  world  would  be, 

If,  when  deceived  and  wounded  here, 
We  could  not  fly  to  Thee  ! 

The  friends,  who  in  our  sunshine  live, 
When  winter  comes,  are  flown  ; 


178  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

And  he  who  has  but  tears  to  give, 

Must  weep  those  tears  alone. 
But  Thou  wilt  heal  that  broken  heart, 

Which,  like  the  plants  that  throw 
Their  fragrance  from  the  wounded  part, 

Breathes  sweetness  out  of  woe. 

When  joy  no  longer  soothes  or  cheers, 

And  e'en  the  hope  that  threw 
A  moment's  sparkle  o'er  our  tears 

Is  dimmed  and  vanished  too, 
Oh,  who  would  bear  life's  stormy  doom, 

Did  not  Thy  wing  of  love 
Come  brightly  wafting  through  the  gloom 

Our  peace-branch  from  above  ? 
Then  sorrow,  touched  by  Thee,  grows  bright 

With  more  than  rapture's  ray  ; 
As  darkness  shows  us  worlds  of  light 

We  never  saw  by  day  !" 

So  this  marriage,  begun  July  17,  1854,  and  ended 
March  9,  1881,  a  union  of  two  noble  Christian  people, 
and  sealed  by  the  birth  of  eleven  children,  was  never- 
theless shadowed  by  the  wings  of  death,  if  death  can 
shadow  a  Christian  household.  Now  the  mother  and 
four  daughters  remain,  to  tarry  here  a  little  longer 
before  they  too  shall  go  to  complete  the  family  union 
around  our  Father's  glory-circled  throne.     To  them 

'*  Adversity's  cold  frosts  will  soon  be  o'er  ; 
It  heralds  brighter  days  : — the  joyous  spring 
Is  cradled  on  the  winter's  icy  breast. 
And  yet  comes  flushed  in  beauty." 


CHAPTER  X. 

KEMPER    FAMILY    SCHOOL. 

"  I  want  to  help  you  grow  as  beautiful  as  God  meant  you  to  be 
when  He  thought  of  you  first."— George  Macdonald. 

Mr.  Kemper  had  now  taught  in  Boonville  ten 
years.  He  was  nearly  thirty-eight  years  of  age. 
Although  up  to  this  time  a  bachelor,  he  had  always 
had  a  boarding  department  attached  to  his  school. 
This  had  been  under  the  care  of  his  aunt,  Mrs. 
Allison.  Up  to  this  period  no  special  effort  was 
made  to  bring  the  boarding-house  into  prominence. 
The  school,  while  never  without  boarding-pupils, 
was  conducted  mainly  in  the  interest  of  those  living 
immediately  around  it.  Now,  however,  Mr.  Kemper 
was  married,  and  his  wife  was  a  teacher  in  full  sympa- 
thy with  the  profession  of  her  husband.  This  led  to 
a  change  in  the  character  of  the  school.  From  this 
time  forth  the  boarding  department  comes  into 
greater  and  still  greater  prominence,  until  finally  it 
culminates  in  the  exclusion  of  day  pupils  altogether. 

For  the  first  year  and  a  half  it  was  called  The  Booti- 
ville  Boarding  School.  It  then  received  the  name  of 
Male  Collegiate  Institute.  The  change  in  its  character 
for  the  coming  year  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  it  is 
opened,  in  the  fall  of  1854,  ^^  The  Kemper  Family 
School.     This  eleventh  year  began  September  18,  and 


i8o  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

there  were  enrolled  during  its  continuance  sixty-one 
pupils,  of  whom  nineteen  were  boarders.  He  received 
the  assistance  of  John  T.  and  James  H.  Chandler,  who 
were  intelligent,  energetic,  and  efficient  teachers. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that,  while  Mr.  Kemper  was 
a  decided  Presbyterian,  and  the  school  was  regarded, 
as  Slated  in  the  charter,  as  being  under  similar  in- 
fluence, his  assistant  teachers,  so  far,  were  taken  al- 
together from  other  Christian  connections.  The 
Harrises  and  Chandlers  were  Baptists ;  Lawson  was 
from  a  Methodist  family,  but  has  since  become  a 
Baptist  ;  and  Byler  was  a  Univeralist.  This,  as  well 
as  every  other  act  of  his  life,  shows  the  liberality  of 
his  spirit.  There  never  was  the  faintest  tinge  of 
bigotry  about  him. 

The  session  of  1855-56  opened  Sept.  17,  1855,  and 
during  the  entire  term  there  were  entered  but  thirty 
pupils.  There  was  no  assistant  teacher  for  this 
year,  as  none  was  needed.  He  determined  to  limit 
the  number  to  those  whom  he  could  personally  teach. 

This  brings  us  to  a  gap  in  the  history  of  the  school 
at  Boonville.  In  the  summer  of  1856  Mr.  Kemper 
was  elected  to  a  professorship  in  Westminster  Col- 
lege. He  accepted  the  position,  and  held  it  for  five 
years.  During  this  time  the  school  passed  through 
several  hands.  It  was  continued  as  a  school  for  boys 
for  one  year  by  the  writer  of  this  sketch,  who  had 
come  home  from  the  University  of  Virginia  to  spend 
a  year  in  the  recruiting  of  his  health.  The  property 
was  then  sold  and  occupied  as  a  school  for  girls, 
under  the  control,  first  of  a  Mr.  Fielding,  and  after- 
ward of  Mr.  Lawson  G.  Drury. 

This  break   in  the  continuity  of  the   school,  or  its 


KEMPER  FAMILY  SCHOOL  i8i 

transfer,  in  a  sense,  to  Fulton,  furnishes  a  convenient 
place  to  pause  and  turn  to  his  journal,  that  we  may 
glean  from  it  matters  of  interest  and  instruction. 

We  shall  give,  first,  some  incidents  that  occurred 
in  his  management  of  the  school,  and  which  he 
thought  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  recorded. 

^^  Friday  Mornifig,  Oct.  13,  1848. — I  have  just  heard, 
by  the  merest  accident,  that  I  have  offended  one  of 
my  scholars — excited  bad  feelings  and  a  boasting  that 
he  was  not  a/raid  of  me,  etc.  This  boy  entered  the 
school  Monday  last,  I  believe.  As  I  think  this  case 
develops  certain  laws  of  very  common  application,  I 
will  detail  the  affair  very  circumstantially. 

'■*■  Itnp^i?nis,  I  had  devised  a  new  plan  for  teaching 
punctuation.  (See  blank  book  of  copies.)  I  was 
flushed  with  interest  and  pleasure  in  prospect  of  hav- 
ing my  scholars  learn  punctuation  so  readily  as  I  ex- 
pected ;  pleased  at  the  prospect  of  learning  it  myself ; 
pleased  at  having  penmanship  learned  simultaneously 
with  punctuation  ;  pleased  that  all  the  writing-class, 
both  grammar  scholars  and  smaller  ones,  could  learn 
at  once  ;  and  that  in  one  half  hour  I  could  comfort- 
ably teach  so  much  ;  get  and  give  so  much  improve- 
ment. 

"This  was  the  second  day  that  I  had  been  at  the 
first  lesson  in  punctuation.  I  approached  L.,  found 
him  busy,  but  employing  his  time  in  utter  ignorance 
of  the  very  principle  to  be  learned,  a  principle  which 
I  had  reiterated  again  and  again.  I  did  not  rebuke 
him  exactly,  as  I  remember,  but  in  the  flush  of  my 
anxiety  that  all  should  do  well,  and  disappointment  at 
wliat  I  regarded  the  stupidity  of  so  large  a  scholar,  I 
told  him  what  he  ought  to  do,  referred  to  my  reitera- 


1 82  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

tions  for  two  days,  wrote  his  exercise  correctly,  and 
left  him." 

The  next  incident  shows  that  he  was  an  honest  and 
severe  critic  of  himself. 

"  Wednesday.,  /an.  24,  1849. — I  have  been  uncom- 
fortably, though  not  disgracefully,  vexed  to-day  in 
in  the  rehearsal  of  a  drama  preparatory  to  exhibition. 
Causes : — 

**  I  St.  I  had  not  severely  studied  the  drama;  conse- 
quently I  knew  not  the  subject-matter,  nor  had  I  con- 
ceived of  the  proper  character  of  each  individual 
person.  Indeed,  some  of  the  persons  did  not  know 
what  parts  had  been  assigned  them. 

"  2d.  Of  course,  boys  were  unprepared  for  interest- 
ing performance,  and  misbehaved. 

''  Lesson :  I  must  be  prepared  in  all  respects,  and 
know  how  to  prepare  my  boys.  Then  I  shall  have 
perfect  self  control  during  the  performance,  and  can 
control  others  successfully  and  pleasantly  to  them 
and  me." 

The  next  illustrates  one  of  the  great  practical  evils 
in  all  our  schools,  public  and  private — absenteeism. 
No  pupil  ever  loses  one  hour  from  the  regular  exer- 
cises of  school  except  to  his  own  injury  and  to  the 
discomfort  of  his  teachers.  There  are  cases  in  almost 
every  school  where  the  year  is  practically  wasted,  the 
pupil  kept  constantly  behind  his  class,  and  the  teacher 
perpetually  harassed  by  this  evil.  The  strangest  thing 
about  the  matter  is  that  some  parents  expect  the 
teacher  to  deduct  from  the  tuition  of  the  child  on  ac- 
count of  these  absences.  Such  is  the  case  here  re- 
corded. We  have  had  such  in  our  experience ;  we  re- 
member one  distinctly  who  sent  his  son  in  the  year 


KEMPER  FAMILY  SCHOOL.  183 

1856-57.  He  insisted  that  we  should  discount  for 
every  day  and  half  day  on  which  his  boy  should  be 
away.  Such  pupils  give  their  teachers  more  trouble 
than  any  two  obedient  and  industrious  ones  that  never 
lose  an  hour ;  and  yet  the  teacher  is  expected  to  lose 
by  the  very  thing  which  gives  him  this  double  trouble. 
Mr.  Kemper,  as  we  shall  see,  yielded  to  this  unrea- 
sonable demand,  as  did  we.  But  he  learned  afterward 
to  assert  his  rights,  and  did  so  in  a  very  decided  way. 
We  know  of  a  case  which  shows  this. 

After  he  had  changed  the  school  to  one  exclusively 
for  boarders,  he  limited  his  number  to  fifty  pupils,  for 
whom  he  provided  rooms,  and  servants,  and  teachers. 
He  then  published  that  he  would  receive  no  pupil  for 
less  than  the  school  year,  and  that  he  would  hold 
each  parent  responsible  for  the  bill  of  the  whole 
year.  A  gentleman  entered  his  son  and  removed  him 
within  two  months  of  the  beginning  of  the  term,  or 
the  time  of  entering.  He  was  required  to  pay  the 
bill  for  the  entire  year.  He  objected  at  first,  and  con- 
sulted a  lawyer  on  the  subject.  His  counselor  assured 
him  that  he  was  legally  bound  for  the  whole  time. 
This  is  undoubtedly  true  ;  and  while  we  would  not, 
except  in  extreme  cases,  enforce  it  to  the  full  extent 
of  the  bill,  yet  there  are  good  reasons  which  justify 
the  doing  so. 

In  the  first  place,  there  is  the  clear  contract  be- 
tween the  parties.  If  any  parent  does  not  wish  to 
enter  his  son  upon  such  terms,  he  is  free  to  keep  him 
at  home  or  to  send  him  somewhere  else.  Having 
promised  to  pay  the  bill  of  the  year,  he  is  under 
moral  and  legal  obligation  to  do  so. 

Again,  the  teacher  incurs  certain  obligations  on  the 


1 84  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.  KEMPER. 

faith  of  these  promises  of  parents.  He  provides  a 
large  and  expensive  building;  he  furnishes  the  rooms 
engaged;  he  provides  food  for  such  a  number  ;  he 
employs  teachers  for  the  entire  year.  Now,  if  it  is 
the  privilege  of  one  pupil  to  withdraw,  it  is  the  priv- 
ilege of  all.  Let  all  do  so,  and  we  see  at  once  that 
the  teacher  is  ruined. 

The  same  principle  applies  to  many  other  kinds  of 
business.  Let  a  man  engage  an  architect  to  build 
him  a  house.  The  workmen  are  hired,  the  materials 
are  all  bought,  and  the  house  is  half  finished.  The 
owner  now  suddenly  concludes  that  he  will  not  com- 
plete the  building.  Will  the  architect  be  satisfied 
with  payment  for  the  work  already  done  and  the  ma- 
terials already  used  .'*  A  landlord  rents  one  hundred 
acres  of  tillable  land  to  a  tenant  for  a  year,  begin- 
ning with  March.  September  ist  the  tenant  gives  up 
the  land  ;  does  he  owe  only  for  the  six  months  he  has 
occupied  it  ? 

These  cases  show  that  common  sense  and  com- 
mon justice  vindicate  the  teacher  in  demanding  that 
those  who  rent  his  rooms  for  a  year  and  then  fail  to 
use  them,  should  nevertheless  be  expected  to  pay  for 
them.  One  of  the  two  parties  must  lose,  and,  mani- 
festly, the  loss  should  fall  on  that  one  who  fails  to 
avail  himself  of  the  privileges  of  his  engagement. 

This  discussion  has  been  entered  into  because  there 
are  many  good  and  intelligent  men  who  think  that 
the  teacher  is  almost  dishonest  when  he  refuses  to 
lose  the  time  during  which  they  keep  their  children 
away  from  school.  If  these  excellent  people  were 
teachers,  or  would  stop  a  moment  to  think  of  teach- 
ing as  a  business,  they  would  see  this  matter  in  quite 


KEMPER   FAMILY   SCHOOL.  185 

a  different  light.  In  this  connection,  is  it  not  a  sig- 
nificant fact  that  the  teacher,  who  more  than  supports 
his  family  by  his  profession,  is  a  rare  man  in  the 
ranks  ?  There  are  not  twenty-five,  among  the  thou- 
sands of  teachers  in  Missouri,  who  more  than  make  a 
decent  support  by  their  labors  in  the  work'of  educa- 
tion. 

The  following  incident  has  suggested  these 
thoughts : — 

'*  October  25,  1849. — One  parent  has  to-day  with- 
drawn a  boy  at  my  request.  More  than  a  year  ago, 
.having  experienced  much  loss  of  labor  from  absent 
boys,  I  restricted  my  number  to  thirty  scholars,  and 
made  very  specific  arrangements  as  to  their  punctual 
attendance.  Among  other  cases  was  that  of  T. 
Although  his  boys  had  come  badly,  and  I  was  badly 
paid  in  bad  lumber  badly  sawed,  I  agreed,  upon  a 
promise  of  punctuality,  to  receive  them,  and  turned 
off  other  scholars,  cash  ones.  The  promise  of  punct- 
uality was  not  fulfilled  and  /  lost  the  time.  The  boys 
failed  in  their  studies.  One  gave  up  grammar.  The 
other,  after  extra  help  out  of  school  in  geography, 
lost  so  much  relish  as  to  be  forced  to  get  what  would 
have  been  pleasurable,  and  declared  that  he  would 
hold  his  head  as  if  he  were  getting  his  lesson,  but 
would  not  do  it.  That  is,  I  might  lead  him  to  the 
waters  of  knowledge,  but  he  would  drink  or  not  as 
he  pleased. 

"  These  circumstances,  after  the  lapse  of  six  months, 
were  detailed  to  the  parents,  and  the  arrangement 
was  made  that  but  one  boy  should  come  at  a  time, 
and  he  should  be  punctual.  He  has  lost  the  last  two 
weeks  or  more.     His  father  was  advised  to  remove 


1 86  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

him,  if  there  should  be  any  necessity  for  a  recurrence 
of  absences.  He  has  removed  him  because,  as  he  in- 
forms me  in  a  note,  he  anticipates  future  absences. 
Query:  how  do  the  past  absence  of  two  weeks,  and 
the  expectation  of  future  absences,  comport  in  sin- 
cerity with  past  promises  of  punctuality  and  past  ar- 
rangement for  the  same  ?'' 

*''•  November  5,  1850. — To-day  it  rained  all  playtime, 
but  several  boys  played  town-ball  all  the  recess,  who 
were  tardy  in  the  morning  on  account  of  rain.  One 
boy,  who  says  he  was  kept  at  home  by  his  father  for 
an  hour  or  so,  after  school  let  it  out  that  he  too 
would  have  been  here  if  he  had  supposed  the  boys 
would  play." 

^^  April  10,  1851.-— J.  W.  good-natured,  but  don't 
know  how  to  study.  After  various  troubles  and  for- 
bearances, found  that  he  did  not  know  how  to  find 
answers  to  questions  in  arithmetic.  We  cannot  ex- 
actly take  it  for  granted  that  a  new  scholar  knows 
nothing,  for  then  we  could  teach  him  nothing.  But 
we  must  take  it  for  granted  that  he  knows  next  to 
nothing ;  that  he  knows  not  how  to  study ;  that  he 
has  been  accustomed  to  disobey  rather  than  do  an 
unpleasant  duty." 

''^January  24,  1853. — M.  comes  into  my  room  this 
morning,  showing  considerable  passion  in  his  face, 
and  says,  *  My  pa  says  if  the  boys  can't  let  me  alone 
I  must  quit  school.'     'Very  well,'  I  replied. 

"  Now,  first,  he  is  in  a  bad  moral  tone  himself. 
Second,  his  father  is  the  main  cause  of  it.  Since  his 
father's  return  he  has  been  steadily  deteriorating. 
Third,  last  week  I  whipped  a  boy  for  trespassing 
upon  his  rights,  and  would  defend  them  successfully. 


KEMPER  FAMILY  SCHOOL.  187 

But  no  one  else  has  been  complained  of  till  this  ir- 
regular and  impolite  way  of  departing.  He  don't 
want  his  rights,  but  is  glad  of  an  excuse." 

We  think  that  we  remember  this  case,  where  a  boy 
was  whipped  on  his  account.  If  we  are  not  mis- 
taken, it  was  F.  Octave  Bush,  a  French  boy  from 
Louisiana.  It  was  the  only  time  during  the  nine 
years  of  our  observation  of  him  when  we  thought 
that  Mr.  Kemper  gave  an  unjust  punishment.  In 
this  case  he  gave  to  Bush  what  properly  belonged  to 
M.  Bush  was  a  good  boy,  and  M,,  at  that  time,  as 
Mr.  Kemper  found  out  the  next  week,  was  making 
himself  quite  disagreeable. 

We  shall  now  present  some  extracts  from  his 
journal  referring  more  exclusively  to  himself. 

^^  Monday y  Sept.  23,  1850. — Resolved  to  emulate  the 
piety  of  Nelson  and  Payson,  to  make  this  the  great 
controlling  principle  of  my  life.  Here  I  will  look  for 
symmetry  of  character.  Here  I  will  look  for  decision 
of  character.  Here  I  will  look  for  happiness.  Alms, 
prayer,  and  fasting  shall  be  in  secret,  looking  con- 
fidently thai  the  open  reward  will  follow  without  any 
direct  etfort  for  the  same. 

"  Tuesday,  Sept.  24,  1850. — Yesterday  used  modera- 
tion in  eating,  and  had  a  hearty  play  at  cat  before 
9  o'clock  this  morning.  Now  at  noon  my  skin  is 
clear.  Feelings  comfortable.  May  cheerful  hope 
and  joy,  such  as  Christianity  inspires,  be  companions 
of  my  way  through  life.  God  grant  it — my  covenant 
God!" 

Mr.  Kemper  had  probably  inherited  a  constitution 
which  was  disordered  as  to  its  biliary  secretions. 
This  native  weakness  was  seriously  increased  by  his 


1 88  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

inattention  to  the  laws  of  health  while  he  was  a 
college  student,  and  for  many  years  afterward.  In- 
sufficient and  improper  food,  irregularity  of  diet,  and 
want  of  proper  rest  in  sleep  all  conspired  to  impair 
his  digestive  powers,  and  to  bring  upon  him,  in  a 
chronic  form,  the  unutterable  horrors  of  dyspepsia. 
He  was  the  suffering  and  at  times  the  agonized 
victim  of  this  disease  for  many  years.  As  late  as  1856 
we  have  a  statement  that  he  went  to  bed  at  half  past 
nine  o'clock  p.m.  and  rose  at  four  o'clock  a.m.,  giving 
himself  six  and  one  half  hours  sleep.  With  the  strain 
upon  the  nervous  system  necessarily  involved  in 
teaching  and  in  the  management  of  boys  in  a  board- 
ing school,  we  are  quite  sure  that  this  was  not  enough 
time  for  sleep.  While  it  is,  in  a  sense,  true  that 
work  seldom  injures  and  very  rarely  kills  any  one, 
yet  work,  and  especially  care,  without  proper  repose 
and  recreation,  will  undermine  and  ruin  any  ordinary 
constitution.  In  his  great  zeal  for  professional  ex- 
cellence and  his  earnest,  conscientious  desire  to  do 
the  utmost  possible  for  his  pupils,  he  violated  the 
laws  of  his  physical  nature  and  brought  upon  him- 
self years  of  suffering. 

In  addition  to  want  of  sufficient  sleep,  he  injured 
himself  by  his  habits  of  abstinence.  A  man  that 
works  must  eat.  His  food  should  be  nutritious, 
abundant,  and  in  regular  quantities.  Mr.  Kemper 
imposed  frequent  fasts  upon  himself,  and  at  other 
times  abstained  from  certain  forms  of  food  for  which 
he  had  an  evident  relish.  These  were  mistakes,  in 
our  judgment,  for  the  reason  that,  being  a  dyspeptic, 
he  needed  to  practise  the  utmost  regularity  in  his 
diet.     He  was  a  man  of  ardent   nature.     The  drains 


KEMPER   FAMILY  SCHOOL.  189 

upon  his  physical  energies  whetted  his  appetite.  He 
was  therefore  prone  to  follow  a  season  of  abstinence 
by  one  of  too  free  indulgence.  This  was  hurtful. 
Thus  he  alternated  between  extremes,  both  of  which 
were  unnatural  and  improper.  With  the  daily  de- 
mands upon  him,  requiring  hard  work  and  constant 
care,  he  should  have  taken  daily  a  regular  supply  of 
nourishing  and  digestible  food. 

In  matters  of  diet  he  took  the  Venetian  nobleman, 
Luigi  Cornaro,  as  a  guide.  Cornaro  gradually  reduced 
the  quantity  of  food  which  he  ate  until  finally  for 
many  years  we  are  told  that  he  lived  upon  a  single 
^^^  a  day,  taking  no  other  solid  food.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  ninety-eight.  Such-  cases  are  not  to  be 
used  as  examples.  Whatever  is  so  extraordinary 
must  be  abnormal.  Moreover,  such  a  case  furnishes 
no  encouragement  to  irregular  habits  of  eating,  fast- 
ing to-day  and  feasting  to-morrow.  Cornaro  found 
that  he  could  not  suddenly  increase  the  quantity  of 
food  he  took  without  serious  trouble.  This  was  Mr. 
Kemper's  mistake,  and  is  the  mistake  of  many  a 
dyspeptic.  Regularity  is  a  necessity  for  an  impaired 
digestion. 

He  says  that  he  played  at  cat  between  breakfast 
and  the  opening  of  school.  For  him  we  question 
the  wisdom  of  such  hearty  exercise,  so  soon  after 
he  had  eaten.  But  some  of  our  children  may  ask. 
What  did  he  mean  by  playing  at  cat  ?  This  game  has 
now,  along  with  town  and  hot  ball  and  bandy,  gone 
out  of  vogue  with  boys,  and  they  have  base-ball  as 
the  substitute.  This  is  probably  an  improvement 
upon  town-ball,  which  it  resembles;  but  surely  the 
broken  bones   and  bruised   faces   and   blinded  eyes 


ipo  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

for  which  it  is  responsible  are  a  serious  damper  to 
our  enthusiastic  admiration  of  it.  But  what  is  cat  ? 
It  is  a  game  of  ball  capable  of  several  modifications, 
according  to  the  number  engaged  in  it.  Three  can 
play  it,  and  it  can  make  room  for  eight.  It  requires 
but  a  small  space,  and  may  occupy  a  few  minutes  or 
as  many  hours,  at  the  choice  of  the  players.  Town 
and  base  ball  require  larger  numbers,  and  space,  and 
longer  time.  The  ordinary  game  is  played  by  four. 
There  are  two  bases,  facing  one  another  some  twenty 
steps  apart.  There  are  two  batters,  who  occupy  the 
bases.  Each  has  one  in  his  rear,  who  acts  as  a  pitcher 
to  the  other  batter  and  a  catcher  for  himself.  When 
either  batter  strikes  the  ball,  they  exchange  bases. 
The  catchers  seek  to  win  the  place  of  the  batters, 
which  they  may  do  by  catching,  or  by  throwing  the 
ball  between  a  batter  and  the  base  he  is  seeking  to 
make  when  they  exchange.  This  last  is  called 
"crossing  out." 

Mr.  Kemper  not  only  played  at  cat,  but  at  town- 
ball  also.  He  was  fond  of  both  games.  Indeed 
town-ball  was  in  a  sense  the  game  of  the  school  in 
the  olden  times.  At  noon,  before  we  were  dismissed, 
Mr.  Kemper  would  superintend  the  division  of  the 
players  into  two  parties,  or  ''sides"  as  we  called 
them.  Unless  business  prevented,  he  always  took 
part,  and  was  an  energetic,  interested,  and  successful 
player.  On  the  playground,  while  preserving  his 
dignity,  he  was  always  pleasant  and  condescending. 
He  never  used  his  authority  in  the  conduct  of  the 
games  ;  for  he  would  say  that  in  taking  part  in  these 
sports  he  made  himself  one  of  us,  and  had  no  more 
authority  in  the  game  than  the  rest  of  us.     Perfect 


KEMPER   FAMILY  SCHOOL.  191 

honesty  and  fair  dealing  characterized  all  his  acts  on 
tiie  playground.  He  was  always  ready  to  yield  a 
doubtful  or  disputed  point.  Several  of  the  boys  were 
more  successful  players  than  he,  so  that  he  was  never 
chosen  the  very  first  on  either  side.  Vachel  Hobbs 
was  the  best  batter  we  ever  had,  and  Nat  Smith  the 
most  accurate  thrower  of  the  ball  to  cross  a  runner 
out.  This  participation  with  us  in  our  sports  never 
abated  our  respect  for  Mr.  Kemper,  while  it  brought 
him  very  near  to  our  sympathies  and  furnished  him 
much  needed  relaxation. 

While  suffering  from  the  depression  of  dyspepsia, 
he  wrote,  July  26,  185 1  : — 

"I  will  record  my  desponding  views  of  my  enter- 
prise in  B(oonville),  and  hereafter  my  cheerful  ones, 
that  by  contrasting  them  truth  may  be  elicited.  Sup- 
pose the  house  contemplated  is  put  up,  and  I  have 
one  hundred  scholars  and  two  assistants.  This  is 
one  teacher  to  thirty-ihree  and  one  third  pupils.  If 
they  average  twenty  dollars,  it  will  be  two  thousand 
dollars.  One  thousand  will  be  needed  each  year  for 
three  years  to  pay  for  property.  Then  one  thousand 
divided  between  three  persons  would  leave  for  me 
three  hundred  and  thirty-three  dollars.  Would  this 
pay  fire-wood,  food,  clothes,  taxes,  servants,  expenses 
for  self  and  wife  ?' ' 

Place  by  the  side  of  this  the  following,  of  July  14, 
1852,  a  year  afterward  : — 

"  Here  I  will  record  some  things  in  my  property 
affairs  for  which  to  be  grateful.  My  pecuniary  af- 
fairs are  in  a  much  better  condition  than  when  I 
came  to  B.  Then  I  rented  dwelling  and  school-room. 
Now  I  pay  my  board  by  rent  of  my  dwelling,  and 


192  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

get  rent  for  one  school-room,  having  my  own  free, 
and  am  yearly  paying  for  a  good  house  and  lot.  The 
past  year  I  have  paid  upward  of  seven  hundred 
dollars  on  it,  and  some  for  school  furniture.  I  pay 
no  security  debts  now  :  that  is  about  all  paid.  My 
library  is  greatly  enlarged,  clocks,  outhouses,  kitchen, 
smoke-house,  wardrobe,  bookcase,  tables,  bed,  bed- 
stead, etc.     Well." 

This  he  seems  to  regard  as  very  en'^ouraging  pe- 
cuniary success.  So  it  was,  in  comparison  with 
hundreds  of  other  teachers.  But  surely  it  is  a  bur- 
lesque on  the  appreciation  of  teachers  by  our  people, 
when  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  them,  a  bache- 
lor, can  congratulate  himself  that,  by  eight  years  of 
very  hard  work  and  patient  self  denial,  he  had  suc- 
ceeded in  saving  two  or  three  thousand  dollars'  worth 
of  property. 

'-'' August  \^^  1851. — Have  just  finished  reading  Dr. 
Ray,  in  School  Friend^  on  the  Dominical  Letter,  a 
subject  on  which  I  have  been  thinking  at  intervals 
for  nearly  twenty  years  without  the  full  understand- 
ing which  I  now  possess.  I  have  yet  to  read  it  re- 
peatedly to  make  it  perfectly  familiar,  though  I  now 
comprehend  it. 

^^  August  20^  185  I. — Have  been  to  prayer-meeting, 
and  have  felt  greatly  happier  than  the  wealth  of  this 
world  could  make  me.  Before  supper  I  retired  to 
my  closet  with  a  view  to  prepare  for  prayer-meeting. 
Twenty-four  hours  before  1  felt  gloomy,  and  was  led 
to  think  sadly  upon  the  fact  that  while  an  acquaint- 
ance [doubtless  the  Hon.  John  G.  Miller,  elected  to 
Congress  in  1850]  was  about  to  visit  his  Virginia 
friends   in   high  honor,  I  am  a  poor  teacher,  without 


KEMPER   FAMILY  SCHOOL.  193 

health,  weaUh,  or  honor.  I  was  unhappy  at  the 
contrast.  But  I  feel  happy  to  night :  happier  than 
earthly  honors,  or  wealth,  or  pleasure  could  all  three 
make  me.  This  friend  has  all  that  piety  can  do  for  a 
man,  and  worldly  good  superadded.  His  piety  is 
not  a  dernier  resort  in  the  way  of  a  substitute  for 
worldly  pleasure.  Now  I  feel  that  the  greater  in- 
cludes the  less,  and  is  so  infinitely  above  it  that  the 
less  is  not  missed — not  missed — so  far  is  the  want  of 
it  from  making  me  unhappy.  I  learn  this  important 
lesson  :  that  men  in  high  life  have  a  kind  of  pleasure 
(a  poor  kind)  in  attaining  laboriously  their  ends,  in 
serving  their  ambitious  passions.  I,  through  grace, 
am  happy  in  making  my  passions  serve  me.  How 
infinitely  superior  !" 

The  summer  of  1851  was  a  crisis  in  the  history  of 
the  school.  It  seems  that  he  seriously  contemplated 
a  removal.  He  alludes  to  this  in  the  entry  of  July 
26,  which  has  been  already  given.  Again,  on  Sept.  6 
he  says  :  "  Until  lately  I  have  been  in  such  a  state  of 
suspense  as  to  whether  I  should  remain  in  B(oonville) 
or  not,  that  I  was  unfavorably  disposed  for  health." 
For  what  reason  he  felt  himself  unsettled  we  do  not 
know.  It  was  certainly  not  on  account  of  any  dis- 
satisfaction on  the  part  of  the  community  with  him. 
This  is  proven  beyond  a  question  by  the  fact  that  this 
very  summer,  as  we  have  seen,  his  buildings  were  al- 
most doubled  by  his  friends  and  supporters,  and  by  the 
further  fact  that  the  school  year  1851-2  showsa  larger 
attendance  than  any  other  in  the  history  of  the  en- 
terprise. 

"  Sept.  6,  1 85 1. — For  several  days  past,  when  gloom 
and  despondency  have  come  over  me,  I   have  tried 
9 


194  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

intercourse  with  my  fellow-men,  and  found  it  charm 
away  my  gloom." 

"  April  26,  1852. — I  am  now  happy.  This  is  a  heri- 
tage better  than  houses  and  lands.  This  is  a  bird  in 
the  hand  worth  two  in  your  bushes,  ye  philosophers. 
Goethe  never  enjoyed,  he  says,  twenty-four  hours  of 
true  happiness.  He  never  then  properly  governed 
himself  for  that  time,  fasted,  repented,  or  communed 
with  God." 

^''Sunday.,  May  23,  1852. — Here  I  am  in  my  private 
room,  to  think  and  to  meditate,  to  get  wisdom,  and 
strength  and  rest.  Oh,  how  many  things  have  I  to 
reflect  upon  !  How  many  sins  to  be  sorry  for !  How 
many  errors  to  forsake  !  How  many  improvements 
to  make ! 

"There  is  so  much  to  be  redeemed^  so  much  to  be 
done.,  and  so  much  to  be  improved.,  that  the  most 
strenuous  efforts  are  required ;  and  yet  strenuous 
efforts  often  prostrate  me  with  disease,  and  bring  on  a 
season  of  doing  nothing.  I  shall  try  to  have  a  quiet 
mind.,  serenity,  and  cheerfulness  to  keep  the  body,  by 
exercise  and  moderation  in  food  and  study,  in  a  com- 
fortable condition,  to  have  every  school  exercise 
pleasant.,  and  performed  in  the  most  perfect  manner 
possible,  down  to  the  singing  of  a  hymn,  and  a  word 
of  comfort  and  encouragement  to  every  feeble  little 
scholar.     God  help  me  here." 

'''■June  20,  1852. — I  may  approach  toward  God  in 
infinite  progression,  and  I'll  do  it." 

'■''  June  22^. — This  morning  have  had  a  season  of 
weeping  in  my  morning  devotions,  and  of  prayer  to  do 
God's  will.     Oh  for  help!     The  manna  I  must  not 


KEMPER  FAMILY  SCHOOL. 


^95 


want  to  store  up.     A  contented  and  faithful  improve- 
ment of  the  present,  I  must  secure. 

"  My  plans  for  knowledge,  my  rules  of  diet  and 
conduct,  are  perhaps  too  much  my  masters  instead  of 
my  servants,  A  plan  seems  to  conflict  with  spirit ; 
routine  to  be  inconsistent  with  new,  fresh  excitement  ; 
plodding,  with  spirit." 

^^  June  26,  1852. — Have  spent  three  and  a  half 
hours  this  morning  in  going  over  the  tenth  division 
of  history  in  Lyman's  Chart.  It  is,  I  think,  as  diffi- 
cult as  all  the  rest  of  the  chart.  L.  L.  says  he  went 
over  the  same  in  one  and  a  half  hours. 

'"''  Ju7ie  28. — Have  this  morning  gone  over  the  tenth 
division  in  two  hours. 

''''  June  2(). — This  morning  went  over  the  same  in 
one  and  three  fourths  hours." 

"Mr.  Temple,  the  missionary,  *  evidently  endeavored 
to  be  as  upright,  as  sincere,  candid,  gentle,  kind, 
benevolent,  economical,  true  and  good  as  he  expect- 
ed everybody  to  be  in  the  millennium.  This  is  noth- 
ing more  than  simply  carrying  out  the  surrender 
which  one  makes  of  himself  to  Christ  when  he  trusts 
in  Him  for  salvation.'  " 

This  chapter  will  conclude  by  giving  his  opinion 
of  the  benefits  of  fasting,  as  recorded  in  the  spring 
of  1853. 

"I  find  my  fast  days  almost  the  only  ones  on 
which  I  do  any  one  of  the  following  things  : — 

"  Improve  my  plans,  fixtures  and  ways  of  teaching. 
Keep  cool  under  multitudinous  petty  cares,  duties, 
interruptions,  and  causes  of  vexation.  Learning 
lessons  so  as  to  know  how  to  answer  any  questions 


196  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

which  pupils  may  or  could  legitimately  put  to  me, 
and  so  as  not  to  require  more  of  them  than  I  do  my- 
self know.  Do  every  little  thing,  and  see  that  no 
law,  however  small,  is  a  dead  letter.  Put  things  to 
rights  that  have  become  confused. 

"  Reform  scholars.  Each  man's  special  faults 
specified  and  watched.  Have  comfort  in  school 
duties.  Write  text-book  memoranda  or  pray.  Only 
days  in  which  happiness  is  in  myself,  and  not  de- 
pendent on  outward  circumstances ;  in  which,  after 
school  and  walk,  can  return  to  the  school-room  and 
feel  that  it  is  my  attractive  home,  in  which  I  have  a 
proper  perception  of  the  proprieties  of  things  in  my 
profession  ;  in  which  I  drive  my  business,  and  do  not 
let  it  drive  me ;  in  which  I  cause  my  pupils  to  im- 
prove rapidly  and  get  their  affections,  and  kill  de- 
spondency. 

"  If  this  extraordinary  abstinence  is  the  only  thing 
that  brings  me  to  the  performance  of  my  task,  then 
my  task  is  too  great.  For  such  abstinence,  if  continued, 
is  incompatible  with  perfect  health.  It  is  hard  to 
plumb  the  true  track  of  abstinence,  but  not  harder  than 
to  be  a  glowing  Christian.  There  is  a  warfare  or  a 
slavery — choose  which  it  shall  be.  Any  compromis- 
ing warfare  only  insures  defeat.  It  is  either  defeat 
and  slavery,  or  glorious  victory." 


CHAPTER  XI. 


WESTMINSTER    COLLEGE. 


"  Who  that  surveys  this  span  of  earth  we  press, 
This  speck  of  life  in  time's  great  wilderness, 
This  narrow  isthmus  'twixt  two  boundless  seas, 
The  past,  the  future,  two  eternities  ! 
Would  sully  the  bright  spot,  or  leave  it  bare, 
When  he  might  build  him  a  proud  temple  there — 
A  name,  that  long  shall  hallow  all  its  space, 
And  be  each  purer  soul's  high  resting-place  !" 

Moore. 

The  Presbyterians  of  Missouri  are  a  feeble  folk. 
They  number,  counting  both  synods,  less  than  twenty 
thousand  communicants.  They  are,  however,  an 
active,  intelligent,  enterprising  people.  This  is  seen 
in  the  fact  that  they  have  nearly  doubled  their  nu- 
merical strength  within  the  past  fifteen  years ;  that 
they  hold  a  prominent  position  in  all  the  centres  of 
commerce  and  intelligence  in  the  State  ;  and  that,  in 
proportion  to  their  numbers,  they  are  the  leaders  in 
the  educational  enterprises  of  Missouri.  Of  the 
private  schools  in  the  State,  founded,  owned,  or 
controlled  by  them,  there  are  three  male  academies 
in  Missouri,  four  or  five  mixed  schools,  one  manual- 
labor  college  for  orphans  and  other  destitute  persons, 
eight  female  seminaries,  and  one  male  college.  In 
addition,  this   faith    has  the  honor  of  furnishing,  at 


198  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF,   KEMPER, 

the  present  time,  to  the  State  University  its  president 
and  at  least  two  of  its  most  distinguished  professors. 

The  Presbyterians  of  Missouri  have,  however,  had 
their  trials  in  the  prosecution  of  their  educational 
labors — trials  which  have  been  neither  few  nor  triv- 
ial. These  troubles  have  been  the  result  of  lack  of 
good  judgment  somewhere  in  every  case.  They  have 
made  four  attempts  to  establish  a  college  in  Mis- 
souri, and  have  failed  in  three  of  them.  Marion  Col- 
lege, Richmond  College,  and  the  City  University 
of  St.  Louis  are  all  monuments  of  their  folly.  If 
all  the  money  which  was  thrown  away  on  these 
rash  ventures  could  have  been  saved  and  concen- 
trated on  the  remaining  college  conducted  by  them, 
it  would  now  be  well  equipped  for  the  great  work 
which  it  is  accomplishing. 

This  institution  is  Westminster  College,  a  brief 
sketch  of  which  will  be  interesting  to  many.  At  a 
meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  Missouri,  Sept.  27, 
1849,  it  was  resolved,  *'that  the  moderator  appoint  a 
committee  of  three  to  inquire  into  the  utility  and 
necessity  of  memorializing  the  Synod  of  Missouri,  at 
its  next  meeting,  upon  the  necessity  of  establishing 
within  its  limits  an  institution  of  learning,  to  be 
under  the  care  of  the  same  ;  or  the  expediency  of  es- 
tablishing a  Presbyterial  Academy  within  the  limits 
of  our  own  Presbytery  ;  and  that  said  committee  be 
requested  to  report  at  the  next  meeting  of  Presbytery. 
Messrs.  Robertson,  Bell,  and  Reed  were  appointed  a 
committee  for  said  purpose."  We  are  told  that  Mr. 
Bell  did  not  favor  but  rather  opposed  this  move- 
ment. The  chairman  of  the  committee  prepared  the 
memorial,  presented  it  to  the  Synod,  and  strenuously 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE. 


199 


urged  its  adoption.  The  Synod,  however,  voted 
that  it  was  not  ready  for  such  a  move. 

April  4,  1850,  the  committee  reported  its  action  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Missouri,  and  was  continued.  At 
the  meeting  of  the  Synod  the  same  year  the  matter 
was  again  discussed,  and  some  advance  was  made. 

As  there  was  uncertainty  about  the  final  action  of 
the  Synod,  a  charter  was  obtained,  Feb.  18,  185  i,  for 
an  academy,  to  be  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery 
of  Missouri.  The  grounds  on  which  Westminster 
College  now  stands  were  bought.  There  were  two 
houses  on  the  premises,  one  of  which  made  a  home 
for  the  teacher,  and  the  other  was  used  for  the  school. 
The  academy  was  opened  on  the  first  Monday  in  Oc- 
tober, i85r,andwas  continued  until  it  was  merged 
into  Westminster  College. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Synod,  held  at  Potosi  in  the 
fall  of  1851,  on  motion  of  the  Rev,  J.  L.  Yantis,  D.D., 
it  was  'unanimously  resolved,  "  That  we  rise  up  and 
build."  Messrs.  Hamilton  R.  Gamble,  William  Pro- 
vines,  James  Young,  M.  P.  Cayce,  James  Sterritt,  S. 
S.  Watson,  P.  B.  Reed,  John  G.  Miller,  and  Edward 
M.  Samuel  were  appointed  commissioners  to  obtain 
bids  for  the  location  of  the  college.  This  was  done, 
and  at  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  in  1852,  Richmond, 
Boonville,  St.  Charles,  and  Fulton  contended  for  the 
location.  Fulton  and  Richmond  were  the  chief  com- 
petitors, as  the  other  places  offered  but  small  induce- 
ments in  the  way  of  subscriptions.  The  offer  of 
Fulton  was,  the  eighteen  acres  of  land  on  which  the 
college  now  stands,  and  fifteen  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  ninety-one  dollars  ($15,391),  guaranteed  by 
the  citizens  of  the  town  and  county  ;  twenty  thou- 


200  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

sand  dollars  to  be  raised  in  scholarships ;  with  a 
good  strong  Presbyterian  influence  in  the  communi- 
ty. Richmond's  bid  was  less  than  this.  The  vote 
stood,'  Fulton,  thirty -two;  Richmond,  eighteen; 
Boonville,  three  ;  St.  Charles,  three. 

The  charter  for  the  college  was  approved  February 
23>  1853.  Under  the  charter  the  board  met  March 
19,  1853,  and  elected  Wm.  Van  Doren  professor,  and 
Nathan  C.  Kouns  assistant  professor.  It  was  re- 
solved that  the  first  session  commence  on  the  first 
Monday  in  May,  1853,  and  that  the  tuition  fees  be 
the  salaries  of  the  teachers.  These  steps,  however, 
were  only  preliminary  to  the  real  opening  of  the 
college. 

The  building  was  erected  by  Solomon  Jenkins,  the 
corner-stone  being  laid  July  4,  1853,  on  which  occa- 
sion Dr.  Ryley  spoke,  and  the  Rev.  N.  L.  Rice, 
D.D.,  delivered  his  famous  address  on  "The  Three 
Great  Interests  of  Man."  The  name  "  Westminster 
College"  was  chosen  by  the  Synod,  on  the  motion  of 
the  Rev.  H.  P.  Goodrich,  D.D.,  former  president  of 
Marion  College.  For  most  of  the  facts  concerning 
the  founding  and  early  history  of  this  college,  we 
are  indebted  to  the  Rev.  W.  W.  Robertson,  D.D. 

In  the  fall  of  1853,  at  the  meeting  of  the  board  held 
during  the  sessions  of  Synod  at  Liberty,  Dr.  Rice 
was  elected,  president,  but  declined.  The  following 
March  the  Rev.  William  L.  Breckinridge,  D.D.,  was 
chosen  president,  and  William  Van  Doren,  the  Rev. 
S.  S.  Laws,  and  Thomas  D.  Baird  were  elected  pro- 
fessors. Mr.  Laws  was  at  the  time  preaching  at 
Lexington,  Mo.,  and  declined  a  call  to  that  church 
to  accept  the  professorship  at  a  much  smaller  salary. 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE. 


201 


The  call  for  Dr.  Breckinridge's  services  was  prosecuted 
before  the  Presbytery  of  Louisville  by  Dr.  E.  T. 
Baird  and  Professor  Laws,  They  were  unsuccessful, 
but  Dr.  Bullock  facetiously  remarked  that  they  had 
the  argument,  but  the  white  handkerchiefs  (alluding 
to  the  ladies  present  and  weeping  in  the  church)  beat 
them. 

The  college  was  founded  by  the  Old  School  Synod, 
is  owned  and  managed  now  by  the  Southern  Synod  of 
Missouri,  and  is  located  at  Fulton.  No  more  judi- 
cious site  could  have  been  chosen,  as  it  is  the 
centre  of  the  principal  Presbyterian  element  of  the 
State,  is  a  healthy  locality,  and  is  a  community  noted 
for  its  intelligence,  morality,  enterprise,  and  hospital- 
ity. 

Rev.  W.  W.  Robertson,  D.D.,  Hon.  Preston  B. 
Reed,  and  Dr.  Alfred  A.  Ryley  were  probably  the 
principal  agents  in  originating  this  college  Its  first 
and  largest  endowment  was  due  to  the  energy  and 
financial  skill  of  President  Laws.  The  original 
board  of  trustees  consisted  of  these  gentlemen  and 
Joseph  Charless,  Revs.  John  G.  Fackler,  R.  L.  Sym- 
inoton,  John  F.  Cowan,  S.  J.  P.  Anderson,  D.D., 
William  P.  Cochran,  D.D.,  A.  V.  C.  Schenck, 
D.D.,  and  D.  Coulter,  D.D.,  Hons.  H.  R.  Gamble, 
S.  S.  Watson,  E.  M.  Samuel,  John  G.  Miller,  Drs. 
William  Provines  and  H.  R.  Smith,  and  Mr.  James 
Whiteside.  Six  of  these  are  still  living,  but  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Robertson  is  the  only  one  now  connected  with 
the  board.  He  has  been  a  member  continuously  from 
the  first,  and  has  never  been  absent  from  any  of  its 
regular  meetings. 

The  faculty,  as  announced  in  the  first  annual  cata- 
9* 


202  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

logue,  consisted  of  William  H.  Van  Doren,  A.M., 
Rev.  Samuel  S.  Laws,  A.M.,  and  Thomas  D.  Baird, 
A.M.,  professors,  with  James  G.  Smith  tutor.  Profes- 
sor William  H.  Van  Doren  was  a  professional  teacher 
who  had  taught  in  Lexington,  Mo.,  and  who  had  been 
in  charge  of  the  Male  Academy  in  Fulton,  which 
was  the  forerunner  of  the  college. 

The  same  catalogue  shows  an  attendance  of  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  pupils  during  the  year  1854-55. 
This  was  a  remarkable  beginning.  The  students  are  not 
classified,  so  that  we  could  not  tell  how  many  were  in 
the  regular  college  classes,  except  for  the  distinct 
statement  in  the  catalogue  that  '*  about  half  the 
number"  were  pursuing  the  higher  ^studies  of  the 
college  proper.  This  is  a  good  proportion  ;  for  in 
the  year  1879-80,  of  the  ninety-five  students  enrolled, 
only  forty-six  belonged  to  the  regular  college  classes. 
The  pupils  came  from  a  wider  area  than  we  should 
have  supposed.  There  were  four  from  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  State,  thirty-one  more  from  outside  of 
Callaway  County,  and  thirty-three  from  Callaway 
outside  of  Fulton.  Three  fifths,  therefore,  of  these 
first  students  were  not  from  the  town  where  the  col- 
lege was  located.  In  the  year  1879-80,  over  two  thirds 
were  from  outside  of  Fulton. 

It  is  a  matter  of  interest  to  compare  the  curriculum 
of  studies,  as  laid  down  in  this  first  catalogue,  with 
that  now  prescribed  in  the  college.  The  general 
statement  may  be  made  that  there  is  no  marked 
difference.  In  mathematics,  physics,  and  metaphysics 
they  are  substantially  the  same.  In  Greek,  the  cata- 
logue of  1853-4  is  peculiar  in  prescribing  the  Cyro- 
paedia,   the   Gospels    and    the    Acts,   Plato's    Contra 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE. 


203 


Atheos,  Longinus'  De  Sublimitate^  Aristotle's  Art  of 
Poetry,  and  Demosthenes'  De  Corona.  The  curriculum 
of  1880-81  has  peculiar  to  it  in  Greek,  the  Anabasis, 
Herodotus,  the  Odyssey,  Plato's  Crito  and  Phaedo, 
and  Comparative  Philology.  In  Latin,  the  first  cata- 
logue's course  contains  Ovid,  Horace's  Epodes,  and 
Terence,  which  are  not  laid  down  in  the  curriculum 
1880-8  r.  On  the  other  hand,  this  latter  has  Nepos, 
Quintus  Curtius,  Christian  Authors,  Seneca,  and 
Pliny's  Letters,  not  found  in  the  original  course.  It 
is  a  striking  fact  that  the  catalogue  of  1853-54  lays 
down  among  the  preparatory  studies,  prior  to  the 
freshman  year,  Caesar,  Ovid,  Sallust,  Virgil,  and 
Cicero's  Select  Orations.  There  are  but  few  colleges 
which  would  require  so  much  Latin  as  the  condition 
of  entering  the  lowest  class. 

Among  the  students  of  the  first  year  were  T.  P. 
Boteler,  J.  P.  McAfee,  James  Rickenbaugh,  Revs.  H. 
M.  Corbett,  Alexander  Machett,  and  John  A.  McAfee, 
Hons.  John  A.  Hockaday,  L.  VV.  McKinney,  and 
Robert  McPheeters,  John  H.  Jameson,  Esq.,  Prof. 
Joseph  Watkins,  and  Drs.  E.  M.  Kerr  and  B.  A.  Wat- 
son. 

The  Philologic  Society  was  organized  the  first  year 
of  the  college. 

The  original  endowment,  as  usual  in  those  days  of 
comparative  poverty,  was  upon  the  specious,  but 
we  think  necessarily  fatal,  scholarship  plan,  proposed 
by  the  Rev.  S.  J.  P.  Anderson,  D.D.,  who  stated  that 
Alexander  Campbell  had  in  this  w^ay  sucessfuly  en- 
dowed Bethany  College.  One  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars gave  the  privilege  of  a  full  college  course  to  the 
purchaser  of  the  scholarship,  and  to  all  his  sons  after 


204  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

him,  one  at  a  time,  for  twenty  years.  If  the  purchaser 
had  no  children,  then  he  might  send  any  pupil,  oneai 
a  time,  for  twenty  years.  The  idea  was  to  sell  twelve 
hundred  of  these  scholarships,  and  in  this  way  to 
raise  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  dollars.  Such 
a  scheme  is,  in  our  judgment,  a  delusion,  and  must 
work  disastrously  whenever  attempted.  Some  wiser 
men,  and  more  successful  financiers  than  we,  think 
that  the  failure  was  not  the  fault  of  the  plan,  but  of 
the  working  of  the  plan.  In  connection  with  the 
finances,  it  is  an  interesting  fact  to  record,  that,  in 
the  report  of  the  board  of  trustees  made  to  the  synod 
in  1859,  the  college  is  shown  to  be  possessed  of  $102,. 
898.78  of  permanent  endowment  property,  not  in- 
cluding Dr.  Wayland's  conveyance  of  land,  out  of 
which  w^as  subsequently  realized  in  money  $3000  ; 
and  that  the  current  annual  income  is  said  to  be 
$10,298.12. 

Despite  the  loss  of  its  original  endowment,  West- 
minster College  has  had  a  long,  prosperous,  and  useful 
career.  It  has  diffused  the  light  of  accurate,  sub- 
stantial Christian  knowledge  for  nearly  thirty  years. 
Its  faculty  of  instruction  has  embraced  some  remark- 
able men,  and  the  average  ability  has  been  very  high. 
Its  alumni  number  less  than  one  hundred  and  twenty, 
an  average  of  about  four  a  year.  This  is  an  honor- 
able record,  far  more  so  than  if  there  were  twice  as 
many.  Of  these  graduates,  two  are  merchants,  two 
editors,  eight  farmers,  seventeen  doctors,  eighteen 
teachers,  twenty-six  lawyers,  and  thirty-one  ministers 
of  the  gospel.  At  least  four  have  been  members  of 
the  State  Legislature,  five  have  been  made  Doctors  of 
Divinity,  two  have  been  Attorney-Generals  of  the  State, 


WESTMINSTER    COLLEGE. 


205 


sixteen  have  been  professors  or  presidents  of  reputa- 
ble schools  or  colleges. 

It  is  in  a  prosperous  condition  now.  Though  by  no 
means  adequately  endowed,  it  is  out  of  debt  and  has 
a  fair  financial  foundation.  The  multiplication  of 
Normal  Schools  and  the  great  prosperity  of  the  State 
University  have  together  contributed  to  deplete  the 
attendance  at  the  several  denominational  colleges  of 
the  State.  Westminster,  however,  has,  in  proportion 
to  the  strength  of  the  Synod  that  sustains  it,  the  most 
encouraging  attendance  of  them  all.  Three  of  its 
five  professors  are  its  own  graduates,  and  are  men 
who  would  honor  their  specialties  in  the  best  insti- 
tutions of  the  East  The  grade  of  scholarship  which 
it  demands  and  secures  in  its  pupils  is  very  credit- 
able. The  moral  influences  surrounding  it  are  tiie 
very  best.  The  local  community  is  noted  for  its  in- 
telligence, piety,  and  enthusiastic  interest  in  the 
young  men  gathered  there  for  instruction.  Less 
than  a  half  dozen  of  its  pupils  have  died  during 
their  connection  with  the  college,  since  its  founda- 
tion. 

We  have  written  thus  in  detail  about  Westminster 
College  because  Mr.  Kemper's  life  from  1856  to  1861 
was  in  connection  with  it.  He  had  previously 
taught  in  Boonville  twelve  years.  Not  one  term  of 
all  that  time  had  been  a  failure.  Indeed  the  whole 
of  it  was  a  grand,  triumphant  success.  If  he  wished 
a  large  school,  he  had  it,  up  to  one  hundred  and 
thirty-one  pupils.  If  he  preferred  a  small,  select 
school,  he  had  it,  down  to  thirty,  the  number  beyond 
which  he  would  not  go.  He  had  acqidred  valuable 
property  in  Boonville,  consisting  of  good  lots  well 


2o6  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

located,  and  suitably  improved  to  meet  the  wants  of 
his  school. 

In  view  of  these  things,  we  naturally  ask  why  he 
consented  to  make  so  radical  a  change  in  his  educa- 
tional plans.  Mrs.  Kemper  says  that  she  advised 
him  to  do  so,  for  two  reasons  chiefly.  For  his  health 
she  thought  the  change  advisable.  The  personal 
labor  incident  to  a  boarding-school  is  necessarily 
very  great.  When  the  principal  undertakes  to  do 
most  if  not  all  of  the  teaching,  and  to  bear  all 
the  burden  incident  to  discipline,  to  the  boarding- 
house,  and  to  the  finances,  it  is  enough  to  task  the 
strength  of  a  combined  mental  and  physical  giant. 
As  she  believed  that  Mr.  Kemper  was  exhausting 
himself  prematurely  by  this  excessive  labor  and  care, 
she  thought  it  wise  that  he  should  relieve  himself 
of  it. 

Again,  it  is  manifest  that  he  could  find  little  leisure 
for  favorite  studies  while  oppressed  with  all  the 
cares  of  a  boarding-school.  We  know  from  his 
journal  that  he  had  serious  thoughts  of  authorship 
upon  several  subjects  which  he  thought  specially  in- 
teresting and  important.  It  was  impossible,  how- 
ever, to  carry  out  these  wushes  if  he  continued  to  do 
the  drudgery  incident  to  the  headship  of  a  family 
school.  This  was  also  an  inducement  to  him  to  ac- 
cept the  literary  luxury  of  a  professorship. 

Another  special  inducement  which  doubtless  ex- 
erted some  influence  upon  him  was  the  fact  that  the 
president  of  Westminster  found  it  necessary  to  go 
into  the  field  and  actively  aid  in  the  effort  to  endow 
the  institution.  His  place  must  be  supplied.  It  was 
difficult  to  find  one  suitable  for  such  an  emergency. 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE.  207 

When  appeal  was  made  to  Mr.  Kemper  by  President 
Laws  himself,  it  doubtless  seemed  to  him  a  direction 
of  Providence, 

He  was  not  favorable  to  making  moves  or  changes 
of  any  kind,  and  Mrs.  Kemper  says  that  he  never 
made  one  without  the  remark,  "  This  is  the  last  move 
I  wish  to  make  until  I  am  taken  to  my  grave." 
While  God's  providences  are  over  all  His  people, 
and  He  doubtless  directs  their  paths,  yet  it  is  a  ques- 
tion with  us  whether  this  was  a  wise  change  for  Mr. 
Kemper.  The  reason  for  this  opinion  we  shall 
briefly  give.  The  duties  of  a  college  professor  and 
of  the  principal  of  a  family  school  are  very  different. 
Some  men  are  suited  to  one,  and  some  are  adapted 
to  the  other.  Mr.  Kemper  could  have  filled  any  one 
of  a  half  dozen  chairs  in  a  college  with  profit  to  his 
pupils  and  honor  to  himself.  Yet  he  might  not  have 
been  eminently  useful  in  the  one  he  undertook  to 
fill ;  his  was  not  the  mind  of  the  specialist,  but  the 
comprehensive  and  accurate  intelligence  of  the  broad" 
er  and  more  general  scholar.  Moreover,  the  school 
principal  is  an  educator,  while  the  college  professor 
is  simply  a  teacher.  We  shall  discuss  this  point 
more  fully  hereafter.  Suffice  it  to  say  here  that  the 
work  of  the  educator  is  inestimably  more  important 
than  that  of  the  teacher.  There  are  many  teachers* 
but  very  few  educators.  Mr.  Kemper  was  one  of  the 
most  successful  of  the  few.  In  our  judgment,  there- 
fore, his  was  the  humbler,  more  laborious  sphere  of 
the  school  principal,  rather  than  the  higher,  more 
luxurious,  but  less  useful  chair  of  the  professor.  It 
is  our  conviction  that  such  was  his  own  opinion. 

In  the  summer  of  1856  he  made  all  of  his  arrange- 


2o8  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

ments  to  reopen  the  Family  School  as  usual,  in  the 
fall.  He  had  engaged  all  the  boarders  whom  he 
could  accommodate.  When  his  plans  were  thus  com- 
plete, the  overture  came  in  August  from  Westminster 
College,  urgently  asking  him  to  accept  a  life  position 
in  the  faculty,  and  to  assume  the  duties  of  the  general 
administration  during  the  temporary  absence  of  Pres- 
ident Laws.  He  determined  to  accept  the  position  as 
a  call  from  Providence  to  devote  the  remainder  of 
his  life  to  the  service  of  the  college. 

An  incident  occurred,  in  connection  with  his  re- 
moval from  Boonville,  which  deserves  to  be  recorded. 
Mr.  Kemper  was  always  courteous  in  his  business 
transactions,  and,  being  perfectly  honest  himself,  was 
very  slow  to  suspect  knavery  in  those  with  whom  he 
dealt.  He  never  went  to  law,  but  settled  all  diffi- 
culties by  arbitration.  But  he  was  not  pusillanimous, 
and  would  not  suffer  himself  to  be  cheated.  The 
incident  to  which  we  refer  occurred  when  he  sold  his 
personal  effects,  preparatory  to  his  removal  to  Fulton. 
A  shopman  in  the  town  had  bought  some  of  the 
household  furniture.  Mr.  Kemper  took  the  bill,  with 
the  receipt  of  payment  on  it,  as  a  delicate  way  of 
collecting  the  amount,  and  handed  it  to  him.  The 
man  examined  it  a  moment,  and  then  said,  "Yes,  it's 
all  right — *  Received  payment.'  "  He  placed  it  at 
once  in  a  drawer,  and  was  about  locking  it,  when  Mr. 
Kemper,  comprehending  the  case,  threw  off  his  coat 
and  said,  "  You  dare,  sir,  to  do  that  trick !  I  will 
beat  you  until  you  will  be  glad  to  give  back  the 
bill."  The  sharper  was  so  overawed  by  this  un- 
expected turn  of  affairs  that  he  readily  paid  the 
amount. 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE.  209 

For  the  first  year,  during  the  absence  of  the  presi- 
dent, Mr.  Kemper  could  not  have  found  that  he  had 
materially  relieved  himself,  so  far  as  care  and  work 
were  concerned.  Mrs.  Kemper  was  absent,  visiting 
her  relatives  in  the  East.  He  took  with  him  twelve 
of  the  boarders,  whom  he  had  engaged  for  his  Boon- 
ville  school.  These  were  under  his  direct  personal 
charge,  boarding  with  him,  and  were  therefore,  as 
much  of  a  care  to  him  as  they  would  have  been  in 
his  Family  School.  The  general  duties  of  the  exec- 
utive head  of  the  college  devolved  upon  him.  These 
were  as  complicated,  as  delicate,  as  onerous  as  those 
he  had  left  behind.  He  was  compelled  to  do  miscel- 
laneous work  as  a  teacher.  As  the  president  was 
absent,  he  was  expected  to  take  a  part  of  his  classes. 
His  special  charge  was  Greek.  But  in  addition  to 
Greek  and  metaphysics  he  must  take  a  share  of  the 
natural  sciences,  as  that  chair  was,  for  two  years  of 
the  time,  vacant.  Mrs.  Kemper  has  furnished  the 
following,  as  a  list  of  the  branches  taught  by  him 
while  at  Westminster  College  : — Butler's  Analogy, 
Constitution  of  the  U.  S.,  Composition,  English 
Grammar,  Rhetoric,  Arithmetic,  Mineralogy,  Zo- 
ology, Natural  Philosophy,  Botany,  First  Lessons  in 
Greek  and  Reader,  Greek  Grammar,  Literature, 
Prose  Composition,  Memorabilia,  Anabasis,  Iliad, 
Longinus,  Plato,  Aristotle's  Ethics,  Sallust,  Livy,  and 
Horace.  Of  course  he  could  not  have  taught  all 
these  at  the  same  time  ;  but  first  and  last  during  the 
five  years  he  spent  in  Fulton,  he  had  classes  in  all  of 
these  branches.  With  the  care  of  his  boarders,  the 
executive  duties,  and  the  wide  range  of  classes  taught, 
we  can  see  that  his  position  was  very  far  from  being 


2IO  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

a  sinecure,  and  that  the  objects   for  which  he  had 
made  the  change  were  not  likely  to  be  realized. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  President  Laws  insisted 
that  Mr.  Kemper  should  deliver  the  diplomas  to  the 
graduates  of  1857,  and  he  actually  did  so.  This  w^as 
honorable  to  both  the  real  and  the  acting  president. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  the  professor  of  Greek.  That  was 
the  chair  to  which  he  was  elected,  and  whose  duties 
he  discharged  afterward,  as  we  shall  see.  That  this 
had  been  his  favorite  study  and  was  his  choice  of  all 
the  branches  of  the  college  course,  we  do  not  know. 
It  is  probable  that  he  was  assigned  to  it  chiefly  be- 
cause it  was  the  chair  which  had  not  been  otherwise 
filled.  He  could  have  taught  Latin,  mathematics,  or 
English  equally  as  well,  inasmuch  as  he  had  em- 
braced a  full  course  in  all  of  these,  among  the 
branches  pursued  in  his  Boonville  school.  He  could 
also  have  filled  the  chair  of  physics,  for  Olmsted's 
University  Philosophy  and  Astronomy  were  text- 
books that  he  had  used. 

As  to  metaphysics,  embracing  mental,  moral,  and 
political  science,  he  had  given  it  but  limited  attention 
at  Boonville.  This  is  a  strange,  and  would  be  an  un- 
accountable fact,  were  it  not  true  that  a  similar 
neglect  of  this  branch  of  science  is  very  general. 
One  of  the  best  endowed  of  the  private  colleges  of 
Missouri  has  never  paid  any  attention  to  it — that  is, 
has  never  had  a  special  teacher  for  it.  Westminster 
College,  since  Dr.  Rice's  departure  in  1874,  has  suffer- 
ed its  Potts  professorship  of  metaphysics,  founded  in 
1858,  to  go  unfilled,  distributing  its  duties  among  the 
other  chairs.  In  our  public  schools  and  academies 
the  same  neglect  is  quite  common.     No  better  proof 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE.  211 

could  be  given  of  the  materialistic  tendencies  of  our 
age  and  country  than  this.  Pope  has  said,  *'  The 
proper  study  of  mankind  is  man."  Sir  William 
Hamilton  put  over  the  entrance  to  his  lecture-room 
these  words  of  Phavorinus: —  "On  earth  there  is 
nothing  great  but  man.  In  man  there  is  nothing 
great  but  mind."  If  these  are  true  sentiments, 
and  we  believe  them  to  be,  it  is  surely  a  gross 
mistake  that  we  should  allow  other  things,  far 
less  dignified  and  important,  to  crowd  out  the  study 
of  the  human  mind  and  its  higher,  spiritual  interests. 
Mathematics,  languages,  physics,  are  all  of  them  im- 
portant. We  say  no  word  in  derogation  of  any  one 
of  them.  But  surely  the  mysteries  of  the  human 
spirit,  which  claims  kinship  and  likeness  to  the  in- 
finite, are  not  to  be  despised  and  thrust  into  a  corner, 
and  made  to  wait  till  these  others  are  served.  "  Know 
thyself,"  the  Grecian  sage  proclaimed  twenty  odd 
hundred  years  ago.  Shall  we  of  the  nineteenth 
Christian  century  answer.  No,  we  will  give  ourselves 
to  the  material ;  we  will  content  ourselves  with  '*  The 
Dirt  Philosophy"?    "M;;  yivoirol'* 

From  his  election  to  the  chair  of  Greek  in  West- 
minster College,  Mr.  Kemper  is  legitimately  entitled 
to  be  called  Professor  Kemper.  If  we  shall  fail  to  do 
so,  we  plead  two  excuses  as  palliations  of  the  of- 
fence. For  over  nine  years  in  daily  association  with 
him  ;  looking  up  to  him  as  more  than  father  or 
mother,  the  embodiment  and  representation  to  us  of 
human  law,  we  learned  to  reverence  and  obey  him  as 
Mr.  Kemper.  So  he  was  to  us,  to  the  day  of  his 
death.  It  sounds  sweeter  and  better,  because  it 
brings  us  nearer  to  him,  and  recalls  more  vividly  the 


212  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

golden  memories  of  long  ago.  Moreover,  it  was  his 
own  favorite  designation.  His  wife  so  addressed 
him,  and  so  speaks  of  him.  He  taught  even  his  latest 
and  youngest  pupils  so  to  call  him.  He  had  a  decided 
disrelish  for  the  title  Professor.     Can  we  blame  him  ? 

How  many  professors  do  you  suppose  there  are  in 
Missouri  to-day  ?  We  are  all  sovereigns,  and  there- 
fore we  must  all  have  a  title.  How  many  men  are 
there,  outside  of  the  penitentiary,  that  have  none? 
How  many  inside  that  have?  The  whole  matter  of 
titles  has  become  a  sublime  farce.  Captains,  majors, 
colonels,  generals,  judges,  squires,  doctors,  honor- 
ables,  and  professors  are  as  thick  as  "autumn  leaves 
in  Vallombrosa."  The  commune  comes  to  the  help 
of  the  meagre,  untitled  remnant  left,  and  salutes 
each  of  the  canaille  as  citizen.  So  if  it  be  not  General, 
or  Judge,  or  Doctor,  or  Professor  Stubbins,  it  shall 
be  at  least  Citizen  Stubbins. 

In  the  flourishing  town  of  Slater,  in  Saline  County, 
Missouri,  we  had  occasion  lately  to  need  the  ser- 
vices of  a  tailor.  There  were  two  in  the  town,  and 
we  were  politely  shown  to  the  shop  of  the  nearest. 
Feelings  of  awe  almost  overcame  us  as  we  read  the 
golden  legend  upon  the  sign,  "Professor  Dietrich 
O' Blatherskite."  We  doubted  whether  we  should 
obtrude  ourself  upon  a  gentleman  of  such  dignity, 
as  it  was  only  a  trivial  rent  in  the  pocket  of  a  duster 
that  needed  his  professional  attention.  We  boldly 
made  the  venture,  however,  and  to  our  great  relief 
found  the  professor  bland  and  accommodating.  He 
condescended  to  mend  the  rent,  and  our  admiration 
was  complete  when  we  found  that  he  charged  only 
one  dollar  for  fifteen  minutes'  work.     It  was  nearly. 


7^   ^^ 


/^l^C^f^ 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE. 


213 


fifteen  minutes  of  his  precious  time  that  it  took.  Let 
us  tliink  of  it ;  Professor  Dietrich  O'Blatherskite  of 
Slater,  will  not  only  mend  your  duster,  but  he  will 
do  so  for  the  modest  sum  of  one  dollar  for  fifteen 
ininutes,  four  dollars  an  hour,  thirty-two  dollars  a 
day,  ten  thousand  dollars  a  year.  Is  it  not  strange 
that  Mr.  Kemper  refused  to  be  called  professor? 

Is  a  reform  of  this  evil  impossible  ?  It  probably  is ; 
but  it  would  be  a  wise  move  if  effectual  steps  could 
be  taken  to  reduce  the  awarding  of  titles  to  something 
like  a  reasonable  law.  For  example,  let  no  man  be 
saluted  with  a  military  title  unless  he  is  either  in 
actual  service  or  has  won  his  name  upon  the  tented 
field  of  a  real  campaign.  Let  Honorable  be  prefixed 
to  the  name  of  those  only,  who  are  at  the  time  hold- 
ing prominent  official  position.  Let  no  man  be 
called  Professor  unless  he  is  the  actual  incumbent 
of  a  chair,  in  a  regularly  chartered  college. 

There  were  associated  with  Mr.  Kemper,  as  his 
colleagues  in  Westminster  College,  three  remarkable 
men.  At  their  head  stood  the  president  of  the  col- 
lege, the  Rev.  Samuel  Spahr  Laws,  LL.D.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  Dr.  Laws  is  one  of  the  first 
men  who  have  ever  claimed  citizenship  in  Missouri. 
If  he  had  turned  his  thoughts  to  war  he  would  have 
been  as  persistent  as  Grant,  as  invincible  as  Stonewall 
Jackson,  as  wise  a  stategist  as  Lee,  If  he  had  be- 
come a  lawyer  he  would  have  mastered  its  profound- 
est  principles,  and  have  passed  into  history  as  an 
eminent  jurist.  If  he  had  courted  politics  he  would 
have  become  a  Senator,  and  taken  high  rank  as  a 
practical  legislator,  as  well  as  an  expounder  of  the 
Constitution.     Medicine   would    never   have    suited 


214  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

him.  In  early  life  he  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel 
and  the  successful  pastor  of  a  church.  If  he  had 
continued  in  the  pulpit,  he  would  have  discussed  its 
grand  themes  with  consummate  ability,  and  rendered 
plain  to  the  common  mind  the  subtleties  of  theology. 
He  is  a  graduate  in  the  sciences,  a  graduate  in 
theology,  a  graduate  in  law,  a  graduate  in  medicine. 
There  are  but  few  men  in  this  or  any  other  country 
who  have  won  these  four  diplomas.  Moreover,  he 
is  a  skilled  financier  and  a  practical  inventor.  He 
patented  an  instrument  which  is  used  in  every  city 
of  this  country,  and  which  has  brought  him  an  ample 
competency.  But  he  is  not  a  preacher,  nor  a  lawyer, 
nor  a  doctor,  nor  a  financier,  nor  an  inventor. 
These  are  his  recreations  and  accomplishments.  He 
is  a  teacher  and  an  executive,  a  professor  and  a  pres- 
ident. As  an  instructor,  we  have  never  known  his 
superior.  Comparing  him  as  such,  with  the  great 
men  whom  we  knew  at  the  University  of  Virginia 
and  the  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  we  pro- 
nounce him  the  peer  of  the  best  of  them.  The  ab- 
struse points  of  metaphysics  never  became  lucid  to 
us  until  we  heard  him  set  them  forth.  As  an  execu- 
tive, his  ability  is  proven  by  the  prosperity  of  West- 
minster College  during  his  administration,  and  by 
the  grand  success  he  is  achieving  at  our  State  Uni- 
versity. President  Laws  is,  without  doubt,  one  of 
the  really  great  men  whom  our  country  has  pro- 
duced. His  is  one  of  those  mighty  minds  that  impress 
you  as  having  an  unlimited  reserve  of  force  which 
it  never  needs  to  call  into  action. 

Rev.   M.   M.   Fisher,   D.D.,    LL.D.,  was   the   pro- 
fessor of  Latin.     He  is  now  with  President  Laws  at 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE. 


2.15 


the  State  University,  in  charge  of  the  same  specialty. 
That  he  is  one  of  the  most  accomplished  and  success- 
ful teachers  of  Latin  in  this  country  is  conceded  by 
all  who  know  him.  That  he  has  the  affection  and 
respect  of  every  pupil  whom  he  has  ever  taught  is 
the  universal  testimony.  His  work  on  "  Latin  Pro- 
nunciation" has  made  him  known  by  scholars  all 
over  this  country,  and  even  in  England.  He  is  re- 
garded as  the  champion  of  the  so-called  English 
pronunciation  of  Latin.  We  think  that  he  has  made 
a  mistake  in  adopting  and  advocating  this  system. 
It  is  a  grief  and  disappointment  to  find  him  an  ob- 
structionist, defending  a  scheme  which  is  so  unrea- 
sonable in  itself,  and  which  is  condemned  by  the 
progressive  scholarship  of  English  Latimsts.  The 
idea  of  imposing  a  foreign  pronunciation  upon  a  lan- 
guage is  apparently  so  absurd  that  it  should  require 
necessity  to  justify  it.  That  any  one  should  think 
of  making  English  the  standard  of  pronunciation  for 
any  tongue  would  certainly  seem  to  any  intelligent 
foreigner  the  acme  of  folly.  English  has  no  pro- 
nunciation of  its  own.  Its  anomalous  oddities  are 
the  sport  of  every  philologist.  Rather  let  English 
beg  an  orthoepy  from  the  law-regulated  Latin,  and 
not  seek  to  impose  its  northern  harshness  upon  the 
rich  old  father-tongue,  which  grew  to  mellow  sweet- 
ness beneath  the  sunny  skies  of  pellucid  Italy.  But 
for  all  this  Professor  Fisher  is  a  great  teacher  and  a 
distinguished  Latinist.  Mr.  Kemper  more  than  once 
said,  "  Professor  Fisher  is  the  best  teacher  of  Latin 
I  have  ever  known." 

Professor  Alfred  Marshall  Mayer,  a  native  of  Bal- 
timore, held  the  Charless  professorship  of   physics. 


2l6  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF,    KEMPER. 

The  American  edition  of  Cliambers's  Encyclopaedia 
says  of  Professor  Mayer,  "  He  was  for  a  time  one  of 
the  editors  of  the  American  /ourml  of  Science  and 
Arts,  and  has  published  a  number  of  contributions 
to  science,  of  which  may  be  noted  :  '  Estimation  of 
the  Weights  of  Very  Small  Portions  of  Matter,' 
1858;  'Researches  in  Electro-Magnetism,'  1873; 
and  '  Researches  in  Acoustics,'  1874.  Since  his  con- 
nection with  the  Stevens  Institute  of  Technology,  at 
Hoboken,  N.  J.,  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  acoustics, 
in  which  he  has  made  many  interesting  experiments 
and  some  valuable  discoveries.  He  has  established 
the  connection  between  the  pitch  and  duration  of 
sound,  has  invented  a  method  of  determining  the 
comparative  intensity  of  sounds  with  the  same  pitch, 
and  has  located  the  organs  of  hearing  in  the  mos- 
quito. He  has  also  developed  new  processes  for 
analyzing  sound,  and  has  made  researches  into  the 
nature  of  electricity." 

No  Western  college  has  ever  been  blessed  with 
four  stronger  men,  at  one  time,  than  Westminster, 
when  Laws,  Kemper,  Fisher,  and  Mayer  taught  to- 
gether in  her  classic  halls. 

When  Mr.  Kemper  went  to  Fulton,  it  was  feared 
by  many  of  his  friends  that  he  would  find  it  un- 
pleasant to  assume  the  relation  of  a  subordinate, 
and  that  there  would  likely  be  unpleasant  friction  be- 
tween him  and  President  Laws.  A  teacher  is  neces- 
sarily an  autocrat.  Mr.  Kemper  had  for  so  long  a 
time  ruled  without  any  to  share  the  responsibility  with 
him — he  was  a  man  of  such  positive  trails,  and  had 
such  decided  convictions  as  to  all  matters  of  instruc- 
tion and  discipline,  that  it  was  apprehended  he  would 


WESTMINSTER   COLLEGE.  217 

not  submit  to  the  authority  of  a  president  with 
characteristics  equally  as  pronounced  as  his  own. 
These  fears  proved  groundless.  No  two  men  ever 
cooperated  more  harmoniously  than  did  they.  This 
was  chiefly  due  to  the  fact  that  each  apprehended 
the  true  relations  existing  between  them,  and  each 
respected  the  other  in  his  sphere.  Dr.  Laws  organ- 
ized the  college  on  the  university  plan  into  indepen- 
dent schools.  Each  professor  was  thus  made  re- 
sponsible for  the  instruction  and  discipline  of  his 
own  classes,  independent  of  his  colleagues,  and  was 
responsible  to  the  board  of  trustees  alone.  The  plan 
worked  well  in  the  relations  of  the  professors  to 
each  other  and  to  the  president.  Here  is  Mr.  Kem- 
per's own  statement,  as  made  to  the  board  in  i860, 
and  published  in  the  catalogue  for  that  year  :  "  For 
the  success  which  has  attended  the  discipline  in  the 
school  of  Greek,  a  due  acknowledgment  should  be 
made  to  the  sagacity  and  efficiency  of  the  honored 
president  of  the  college.  The  division  of  the  work  of 
instruction  into  distinct  schools  has  been  made 
under  his  auspices,  and  has  been  found  most  satis- 
factory in  practice.  The  respect  which  he  commands 
in  presiding  over  the  general  interests  of  the  college 
is  felt  in  every  department,  while  the  independence 
and  supremacy  of  each  man  in  his  own  sphere  secure 
executive  efficiency,  and  leave  no  reasonable  occasion 
for  collision  with  president  or  professors." 

The  college  was  very  prosperous  during  the  period 
of  Mr.  Kemper's  connection  with  it.  One  third  of 
its  alumni  were  graduated  in  the  five  years  which 
cover  the  time  of  his  professorate.  The  average  at- 
tendance was  largely  in  excess  of  the  general  aver- 
10 


2l8  THE    LIFE     OF    PROF.    KEMPER. 

age  of  its  history.  We  have  the  catalogue  of  i860. 
It  contains  the  names  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-six 
pupils.  Of  these,  one  hundred  and  four  were  non- 
resident, representing  ten  States  and  thirty-one  coun- 
ties in  Missouri.  Seventy-four  were  in  the  college 
proper,  and  nineteen  were  sub-freshmen.  Some  of 
the  most  distingu"shed  alumni  were  his  pupils. 
These  embrace  Revs.  H.  M.  Anderson,  Charles 
Fueller,  J.  P.  Forman,  R.  A.  Davison,  T.  C.  Barrett, 
G.  Sluter,  C.  B.  Boyd,  A.  Machette,  J.  G.  Bailey, 
John  A.  McAfee,  E.  R.  Nugent,  H.  M.  Corbett,  E.  P. 
Cowan,  D.D.,  J.  F.  Cowan,  D.D.,  T.  Gallaher,  D.D., 
and  C.  C.  Hersman,  D.D.;  and  Hons.  John  A.  Flood, 
D.  H.  Mclntire,  John  A.  Hockaday,  and  Charles  R. 
Scott.  Of  these,  we  shall  be  pardoned  for  particular- 
izing Drs.  John  F.  Cowan  and  C.  C.  Hersman,  and 
Hons.  D.  H.  Mclntire,  and  John  A.  Hockaday. 
Dr.  Cowan  is  a  "country  parson,"  and  yet  is  one 
of  the  most  scholarly  and  cultivated  gentlemen  in 
Missouri.  Dr.  Hersman  is  now  the  honored  pres- 
ident of  the  college,  and  is,  with  varied  attainments, 
especially  distinguished  as  one  of  the  leading  Greek 
scholars  of  this  country.  Gen.  D.  H.  Mclntire,  the 
present  Attorney-General  of  the  State,  and  Gen.  John 
A.  Hockaday,  one  of  his  predecessors  in  the  same 
office,  are  two  of  the  ablest  and  most  prominent  of 
the  public  men  of  Missouri  to-day. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE    KEMPER    FAMILY    SCHOOL,   1861-1881. 

"  Alas,  poor  country  ! 
Almost  afraid  to  know  thyself  !     It  cannot 
Be  called  our  mother,  but  our  grave  ;  where  nothing 
But  who  knows  nothing,  is  once  seen  to  smile. 
Where  sighs  and  groans,  and  shrieks  that  rend  the  air, 
Are  made,  not  marked  ;  where  violent  sorrow  seems 
A  modern  ecstasy  ;  and  the  dead  man's  knell 
Is  there  scarce  asked  for  whom  ;  and  good  men's  lives 
Expire  before  the  flowers  in  their  caps."         Shaksi'EARE, 

April  12,  1861,  the  Confederates  of  the  South 
opened  fire  on  Ft.  Sumter,  and  it  was  evacuated  on 
the  14th.  The  next  day  President  Lincoln  issued  his^ 
call  for  75,000  men  to  coerce  the  seceding  States 
back  into  the  Union.  April  20,  the  U.  S.  Arsenal  at 
Liberty,  Missouri,  was  seized  by  the  State  guards. 
April  25,  Captain  N.  Lyon  moved  the  war  stores 
from  the  U.  S.  Arsenal  at  St.  Louis  to  Alton.  May 
10,  Captain  Lyon  and  Colonel  F.  P.  Blair  captured 
Camp  Jackson,  near  St.  Louis,  now  elegantly  built 
over  by  the  city.  May  21,  General  W.  S.  Harney 
for  the  U.  S.  and  General  Sterling  Price  for  Mis^ 
souri  made  a  compromise  of  peace.  June  i,  this 
compromise  was  repudiated  by  President  Lincoln, 
Harney  was  removed,  and  General  Lyon  appointed 
to  the  command  in  Missouri.  June  13,  Governor 
C.  F.  Jackson  issued  a  call  for  50,000  State  militia. 


2  20  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

June  17,  the  first  battle  was  fought  at  Boonvillc, 
General  N.  Lyon  commanding  the  U.  S.  troops, 
and  Colonel  John  S.  Marmaduke  the  State  forces. 
Thus  was  civil  war  inaugurated  in  Missouri.  It  was 
destined  to  continue  for  four  long,  weary,  cruel, 
bloody  years,  growing  worse  and  worse  as  the 
months  wore  on.  The  Northern  States  knew  com- 
paratively little  of  the  horrors  of  this  conflict. 
While  here  and  there  a  son,  or  brother,  or  father 
went  forth  to  the  battle  and  came  not  back  again, 
yet  they  knew  nothing  of  sanguinary  battle-fields, 
of  slaughtered  heaps,  of  burning  or  desolated  homes. 
The  North  grew  rich  while  all  this  was  going  on. 
Nor  did  the  extreme  South  realize  what  a  fratricidal 
contest  it  was,  of  neighbor  against  neighbor,  of  son 
against  father,  of  brother  against  brother.  Kentucky, 
and  Missouri,  and  Virginia  drank  these  bitterest 
dregs  in  the  cup  of  civil  war.  There  is  not  a  neigh- 
borhood in  Missouri  where  deeds  of  violence  were  not 
perpetrated  on  one  or  the  other,  or  on  both  sides. 
Non-combatants  were  imprisoned,  property  of  all 
kinds  was  stolen  or  destroyed,  houses  were  burned, 
women  were  insulted,  old  men  were  assassinated  or 
shot  down  like  dogs  in  the  streets  or  on  the  high- 
ways, or  even  while  at  w^ork  in  their  fields.  Byron 
describes  it : — 

"  All  that  the  mind  would  shrink  from  of  excesses  ; 

All  that  the  body  perpetrates  of  bad, 
All  that  we  read,  hear,  dream  of  man's  distresses  ; 

All  that  the  devil  would  do,  if  run  stark  mad  ; 
All  that  defies  the  worst  which  pen  expresses  ; 

All  by  which  hell  is  peopled,  or  as  sad 
As  hell— mere  mortals  who  their  power  abuse, — 

Was  here." 


THE   KEMPER  FAMILY  SCHOOL.  221 

Mr.  Kemper  was  at  Westminster  College  when 
this  horrible  struggle  began.  He  remained  there  at 
his  post  until  the  close  of  the  term  in  June,  1861. 
There  were  then  several  reasons  which  led  to  his 
resignation  and  return  to  Boonville.  Chief  among 
these,  in  the  judgment  of  the  writer,  was  his  con- 
viction that  he  had  made  a  mistake  when  he  ex- 
changed the  labors  of  an  educator  in  general  for 
those  of  a  special  department;  that  his  was  not  the 
work  of  a  mere  contributor,  but  the  higher  mission 
of  the  control  and  guidance,  of  the  development  and 
moulding  of  character.  Anotlier  weighty  reason 
doubtless  was,  tliat  in  some  cases  of  discipline,  in- 
volving the  sons  of  prominent  persons,  the  faculty- 
were  not  sustained  by  the  other  authorities  of  the 
college.  It  greatly  galled  him  to  be  censured  for 
doing  his  duty  by  those  who  ought  to  have  sustained 
him. 

The  ostensible  causes  for  the  change  were  :  that 
the  war  probably  would  cause  the  suspension  of 
the  college ;  that  it  was  a  time  for  every  man 
to  seek  the  natural  harbor  of  his  home;  and 
that  his  school  property  in  Boonville  had  been 
deserted,  unpaid  for  by  the  purchaser.  We  are  told 
by  Mrs.  Kemper  that  it  was  his  purpose  to  dispose 
of  the  property  in  Boonville  and  retire  to  his  farm, 
about  five  miles  south  of  the  cily.  There  he  would 
open  a  small  select  school  for  twelve  boarders, 
whose  education,  in  all  of  its  details,  he  could  him- 
self personally  supervise.  This  fact  shows  conclu- 
sively the  bent  of  his  mind,  and  his  realization  of 
his  appropriate  work.  As  he  was  unable  to  make 
any  suitable  disposition  of  the  building  in  town,  he 


222  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

was  compelled  to  abandon  the  project  of  the  country 
school,  and  to  occupy  the  old  premises  again.  In 
this  his  friends  are  able  to  see  God's  wise  and  gra- 
cious superintending  providence.  Had  he  gone  to 
the  country,  it  is  quite  possible,  if  not  probable,  that 
.he  would  have  fallen  a  victim  to  the  spirit  of  lawless- 
ness which  prevailed  and  which  held  no  human 
life  as  too  costly  a  sacrifice. 

A  word  may  be  said  here  as  to  Mr.  Kemper's 
position  on  the  issues  involved  in  the  war.  He  was 
Soutliern  born  and  Southern  reared.  He  had  never 
lived  in  the  North.  His  associations  had  been  almost 
exclusively  with  Southern  people  of  the  Border 
States.  His  father's  family  in  Virginia  were  actively 
enlisted  for  the  Confederacy.  His  brother  was  a 
general,  in  the  army  of  Lee.  On  the  other  hand,  his 
journal  shows  that  he  was  favorably  impressed  by 
the  Northern  society  and  customs  with  which  he 
came  in  contact  at  Cincinnati,  on  his  first  journey 
West.  He  had  been  under  the  influence  of  Dr. 
Nelson,  and  regarded  him  with  admiring  veneration. 
He  had  chosen  as  his  wife  a  lady  from  New  England. 
We  know,  from  his  journal,  that  he  considered  the 
Southern  movement  injudicious,  in  its  management 
at  least.  Putting  it  all  together,  we  are  satisfied 
that  his  sympathies  were  with  the  South  and  his 
judgment  with  the  North,  as  was  the  case  with 
many  intelligent  people  on  both  sides  of  the  line. 
But  we  are  not  left  altogether  to  conjecture;  for 
,we  are  told  that  one  of  his  pupils  asked  him  during 
the  war,  ''  Mr.  Kemper,  what  are  you .?"  (meaning, 
of  course,  Unionist  or  Secessionist).  He  at  once 
replied,  "  I  am  your  teacher,  sir." 


THE  KEMPER   FAMILY  SCHOOL.  223 

The  school  was  reopened  in  Boonville  Sept.  16, 
1 86 1.  There  were  but  two  boarders  at  the  outset,  but 
the  number  increased  to  about  a  dozen  during  the 
year.  There  were  also  enrolled  seventy-one  day 
scholars. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  school,  girls 
were  admitted  as  pupils.  This  was  doubtless  due  to 
an  extreme  pressure  brought  to  bear  on  Mr.  Kemper, 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  there  was  no  suitable  school 
for  girls  in  Boonville  during  those  troublous  war 
times.  We  are  satisfied  that  this  was  the  case,  from 
the  fact  that  the  privileges  of  admission  were  granted 
young  women  during  the  four  years  of  the  war  only. 
Though  one  or  two  were  afterward  received,  it  was 
as  a  special  personal  favor.  It  was  a  surprise  to  us 
when  we  first  learned  that  he  had  adopted  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  co-education  of  the  sexes.  We  did  not 
then  know  that  it  was  a  temporary  and,  as  it  were, 
forced  arrangement.  There  are  good,  and  wise,  and 
experienced  teachers  who  accept  and  practice  the 
doctrine  of  co-education.  There  are  others,  more 
wise,  who  reject  it.  "  Woman  is  not  undeveloped 
man,  but  diverse."  She  is  different  physically,  men- 
tally, morally,  from  her  more  robust  brother.  The 
views  of  Clarke,  as  given  in  "  Sex  in  Education,"  are 
sound,  as  every  physiologist  and  psychologist,  as 
every  observant  parent  and  teacher  knows  or  ought 
to  know. 

The  peculiarities  of  each  sex  do  not  manifest  them- 
selves in  their  fulness  at  the  first.  For  this  reason  it 
is  practicable  in  our  public  district  schools,  and  in  the 
preparatory  classes  of  our  colleges,  to  unite  them. 
But  as  soon  as  boys  show  themselves  masculine,  and 


224  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

girls  develop  the  physical  and  moral  peculiarities  of 
womanhood,  it  is  best  for  both  that  they  should  sepa- 
rate. For  reasons  of  flesh  and  blood,  this  is  expedient. 
For  mental  considerations,  it  is  wisest.  The  mascu- 
line mind  is  stronger,  and  is  capable  of  a  longer  and 
more  exhausting  effort.  The  feminine  is  quicker, 
earlier  developed,  and  sooner  exhausted.  Here  and 
there  a  girl  can  go,  pari passu^  with  a  boy  through  the 
regular  college  course.  Such  cases,  however,  are 
rare  and  exceptional.  When  done  the  boy  comes  out 
fresh,  and  stronger  than  when  he  began.  The  girl 
runs  the  risk  of  finding  herself  at  the  close  a  nervous 
wreck.  The  time  usually  allotted  to  a  school-girl's 
college  course  embraces  one  of  the  critical  periods  of 
her  life.  She  cannot  bear  an  undue  strain  upon  her 
energies  as  she  is  entering  upon  her  maturity.  The 
majority  of  girls  are  not  physically  nor  mentally  able 
to  pursue  a  full  collegiate  course. 

For  moral  reasons  it  is  wisest  to  keep  them  sepa- 
rate. "  Familiarity  breeds  contempt."  Girls  lose 
the  soft  blush  of  feminine  delicacy  by  daily  contact, 
as  competing  companions,  with  rough  boys.  The 
boys  loce  the  high  and  gallant  regard  which  they 
would  otherwise  have  for  the  softer  sex,  by  being 
brought  into  constant  intercourse  and  direct  rivalry 
with  them.  The  tendencies,  at  least,  in  both  cases 
are  in  the  direction  indicated. 

Vassar,  Wellesley,  and  Smith  Colleges  for  women 
are  grand  institutions,  and  are  wholly  devoted  to 
separate  female  education.  All  honor  to  the  noble 
men  and  women  who  founded  them.  They  are,  how- 
ever, above  the  intellectual  reach  of  the  mass  of 
student  girls  in  this  country.     There  are  compara- 


THE  KEMPER  FAMILY   SCHOOL.  225 

tively  few  who  can  pursue  the  course  prescribed  in 
any  one  of  the  three,  without  serious  risk  to  her  con- 
stitution. But  Cornell  and  other  colleges  and  uni- 
versities which  invite  young  women  to  enter  the 
regular  classes  with  men,  and  strive  not  only  for  the 
diploma  but  also  for  the  class  honors,  are,  we  think, 
doing  an  injury  to  the  physical,  intellectual,  social, 
and  moral  future  of  our  country.  These  are  the 
harbingers  of  female  suffrage,  female  lawyers,  female 
lecturers,  female  politicians,  female  lobbyists,  female 
drunkards,  female  ruin.  Where  are  we  to  find  our 
future  sweethearts,  wives,  and  mothers  ? 

'*  To  rear  the  graces  into  second  life  ; 
To  give  society  its  highest  taste  ; 
Well-ordered  home  man's  best  delight  to  make, 
And  by  submissive  wisdom,  modest  skill, 
With  every  gentle,  care-eluding  art. 
To  raise  the  virtues,  animate  the  bliss. 
And  sweeten  ail  the  toils  of  human  life  : 
This  bathe  female  dignity  and  praise." 

Mr.  Kemper  associated  with  himself  in  the  joint 
management  of  the  school  Mr.  Edwin  H.  Taylor, 
A.M.,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College  and  a 
brother  of  Mrs.  Kemper.  This  arrangement  lasted 
four  years,  and  during  its  continuance  the  school 
bore  the  name  of  "  Kemper  &  Taylor's  Institute." 
With  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Kemper,  this  is  the  first  in- 
stance of  his  securing  help  from  any  other  source  than 
his  own  pupils.  There  was  a  time  when  he  and  Mr. 
William  T.  Davis  contemplated  conducting  the  school 
together,  but  the  arrangement  was  not  consummated. 
It  may  seem  strange  to  some  that  he  always  preferred 
his  own  pupils  as  assistant  teachers.     Nothing,  how- 


2  26  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

ever,  is  more  natural  and  proper.  Where  a  principal 
has  original  and  peculiar  ideas  about  the  management 
of  his  school  (as  every  really  successful  one  has),  he 
needs  some  one  to  aid  him  whose  ideas  and  habits 
are  in  sympathy  w^ith  his  own.  Where  can  he  as 
certainly  secure  these  as  in  those  selected  pupils  who 
have  imbibed  his  principles  and  are  oi  rapport  with 
him  in  carrying  them  out?  It  is  the  highest  expres- 
sion which  a  principal  can  give  of  his  confidence  in 
his  own  work,  when  he  voluntarily  uses  as  his  helpers 
in  preference  to  others,  those  whom  he  himself  has 
trained. 

The  year  1862-63  began  Sept.  15,  1862.  During  its 
continuance  there  were  enrolled  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  pupils  in  all  the  departments.  Of  these, 
twenty  were  girls. 

This  year  is  noted  for  the  corps  of  teachers  engaged. 
At  their  head  stood  the  principals,  Mr.  Kemper  and 
Mr.  Taylor.  Then  there  were  Mrs.  Kemper,  Miss 
Georgia  Bliss,  William  H.  Allison,  Hamilton  Galla- 
gher, and  W.  H.  H.  Hill.  Miss  Bliss  was  from 
Brattleboro,  Vermont.  She  taught  in  the  school  this 
year,  returned  to  it  in  1868,  and  taught  five  more  years, 
when  she  was  married  to  the  Hon.  John  Cosgrove. 
That  she  should  have  had  a  relish  for  such  a  school, 
and  that  she  should  have  been  kept  by  Mr.  Kemper 
as  a  helper  for  six  years,  shows  that  she  was  a  woman 
and  a  teacher  of  genuine  merit,  and  that  Mr.  Kemper 
acted  wisely  in  occasionally  going  outside  of  his  own 
pupils  to  secure  his  assistants.  It  also  clearly  proves 
that,  in  the  judgment  of  Mr.  Kemper,  there  are  wom- 
en who  are  adequate  to  the  most  thorough  drill  as 
teachers. 


rilE   KEMPER   FAMILY  SCHOOL.  227 

From  the  time  of  lier  marriage  Mrs.  Kemper  has 
been  not  a  constant  but  an  efficient  helper  in  the 
class-room.  She  has  taught  Latin,  Greek,  mental 
and  moral  philosophy,  botany,  vocal  music,  and 
drawing.  The  last  three  were  her  special  depart- 
ment. Miss  Bliss  had  charge  of  the  higher  mathe- 
matics and  Latin.  Messrs.  Hill  and  Gallagher 
were  pupils,  and  at  the  same  time  tutors.  Mr. 
Allison,  an  old  pupil  and  the  cousin  of  Mr.  Kemper, 
had  charge  of  the  primary  department. 

For  the  school  session  of  1863-64  there  were  entered 
eighty-nine  pupils,  of  whom  twenty  were  girls.  The 
teachers  were  the  same  as  the  preceding  year,  with 
the  exception  of  Miss  Bliss. 

In  1864-65  the  primary  department  was  dispensed 
with,  and  the  school  was  reduced  to  its  lowest  limits, 
only  thirty  pupils  being  admitted. 

Mr.  E.  H.  Taylor  having  lost  his  wife,  determined 
to  return  to  the  East.  He  accordingly  dissolved  his 
connection  with  the  school  in  June,  1865.  This  made 
it  necessary  to  change  the  name,  and  so  from  1865 
to  1874  it  was  called  "  Kemper's  Family  School." 
It  was  the  purpose  to  strictly  limit  the  number  of 
pupils.  As  the  buildings  were  then,  it  was  thought 
that  about  a  dozen  boarders  and  thirty  day-scholars 
would  be  the  proper  numbers.  We  accordingly  find 
that  for  the  year  1865-66  there  were  forty-six  enrolled. 
Mrs.  Kemper  refers  to  this  as  a  specially  happy 
year.  "It  was"  she  says,  "truly  2i  family  sfhool ;  for 
all  sat  around  the  same  table  to  study  the  night 
lessons.  Those  who  could  spare  the  time  from  their 
studies  gathered  around  the  open  fire  to  talk,  and 
laugh,  and   read  the  papers  before    bed-time.     The 


28  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

doctor  was  not  needed  for  a  single  person  during 
the  year,  and  there  was  not  a  case  of  discipline  in  the 
school."  Among  the  pupils  were  Uncas  McCluer 
and  Hon.  James  Gibson,  now  Mayor  of  Kansas  City. 
Of  the  former  gentleman,  now  the  Rev.  Uncas 
McCluer,  of  Virginia,  Mrs.  Kemper  writes  :  "  I  re- 
member, as  though  it  were  yesterday,  when  Uncas 
McCluer,  of  St.  Charles,  applied  for  admission. 
Mr.  Kemper  was  not  at  home.  1  told  him  that  I  was 
sure  we  could  not  take  him,  for  we  had  already 
taken  two  or  three  over  our  limJts.  He  very  com- 
placently said,  if  we  had  taken  any  over  our  limited 
number,  we  could  easily  take  one  more.  He  did 
remain,  making  our  number  JL^st  sixteen.  A  great 
comfort  and  help  this  same  Uncas  McCluer  was  to  us, 
for  he  had  such  a  good  influence  over  all  the  others." 
There  were  ten  counties  in  Missouri  represented  in 
the  pupils  of  this  year. 

In  the  summer  of  1866  the  school-room,  now  used 
as  a  study-hall  and  detached  from  the  main  building, 
was  put  up.  This  added  to  the  lodging  capacity  of 
the  boarding-house. 

The  session,  which  opened  September,  1866, 
witnessed  the  enrollment  of  fifty  five  pupils,  of 
whom  there  were  about  twenty  boarders.  The 
States  of  Virginia,  Mississippi,  and  Louisiana  were 
represented,  besides  a  number  of  counties  in 
Missouri. 

The  se»ssion  of  1867-68  enrolled  sixty-four  pupils. 
As  the  number  had  increased,  it  was  found  nec- 
essary to  secure  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Roberdeau 
Allison,  a  cousin  of  Mr.  Kemper  and  one  of  the 
original    pupils   of   the   school.     For   several   years 


THE   KEMPER  FAMILY  SCHOOL.  229 

there  had  been  no  girls  in  attendance,  but  this 
session  there  were  eight  admitted. 

Since  the  year  1854,  when  the  writer  dissolved  his 
connection  with  the  school,  he  lias  not  thought  it 
best  to  call  particular  attention  to  any  individual 
pupil.  He  must  be  allowed,  however,  to  deviate 
from  this  rule  in  the  case  of  Mr.  T.  A.  Johnston. 
This  gentleman  became  connected  with  the  school 
first  in  1867,  as  a  student.  He  was  graduated  in 
1869.  He  remained  two  years  longer  as  a  post-grad- 
uate and  tutor.  He  entered  the  senior  class  of  the 
University  at  Columbia  in  1871,  and  was  graduated 
in  1872,  receiving  A.M.  in  1875.  He  was  invited  to 
accept  a  position  in  the  University,  but  preferred  the 
work  at  Boonville,  where  he  was,  from  the  fall  of 
1872,  associated  with  Mr.  Kemper  in  the  joint  man- 
agement of  the  school  as  Junior  Principal,  until 
Mr.  Kemper's  death.  He  was  selected  by  our 
revered  teacher  as,  of  all  his  pupils,  the  one  best 
fitted  to  be  trained  as  his  successor.  He  now  wears 
the  mantle  of  the  master  worthily,  successfully.  No 
higher  honor  could  we  give  him.  He  is  a  gentle- 
man, a  Christian,  a  scholar,  a  teacher,  an  educator. 

Only  twenty-nine  pupils  were  entered  during  the 
session  of  1868-69.  ^^^-  I^-  Allison  ceased  to  teach, 
and  Miss  Georgia  Bliss,  now  Mrs.  Cosgrove,  re- 
turned to  the  school,  and  continued  with  it  for  the 
next  five  years.  Green  Majors  was  a  pupil  of  this 
year,  and  his  name  suggests  the  following  very  in- 
teresting incident,  related  by  Mrs.  Kemper  as  one 
of  her  pleasant  memories  : — 

"The  last  day  of  the  year  1869  a  pleasant  com- 
pany were  assembled  at  the  dinner-table,  and  among 


230  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

them  Mr.  Alexander  Majors,  the  father  of  one  of 
our  students.  Mr.  Majors  was  a  man  of  rare  interest, 
a  successful  business  man,  and  an  earnest  Christian. 
Without  any  advantages  to  acquire  an  education,  he 
yet  possessed  fascinating  powers  of  conversation, 
and  wielded  an  influence  for  good  over  all  about 
him. 

"  He  made  a  large  fortune  before  the  war,  owning 
horses  and  wagons  that  traversed  the  vast  Western 
plains.  He  would  employ  no  driver  who  drank 
liquor  or  used  profane  language,  and  as  far  as 
possible  he  had  Christian  men  in  his  service.  His 
men  were  bound  to  him  by  strong  ties,  for  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  calling  them  together  before  every 
trip  and  conversing  with  them  separately  about 
their  private  affairs  ;  and  then,  while  they  all  knelt 
down,  he  commended  them  to  the  care  and  keeping 
of  the  God  of  the  universe,  their  kind  Heavenly 
Father.  His  power  was  so  great  over  these  rough 
teamsters  that  it  was  rare  for  his  rules  to  be  broken. 

'*  During  the  war  he  met  with  heavy  losses,  and 
called  himself  a  poor  man,  although  managing  quite 
an  extensive  business,  and  possessing  means  that 
made  him  very  independent  and  useful. 

''  In  the  parlor  he  had  entertained  us  with  inci- 
dents and  startling  events  of  his  busy  life,  and  at 
the  dinner-table  we  had  discussed  topics  of  interest. 
Just  before  we  were  ready  to  leave  the  table,  Mr. 
Majors  remarked,  '  This  is  the  last  day  of  the  year, 
and  on  the  morrow  we  shall  separate,  never  all  to 
meet  again;  and  it  is  more  than  probable,  before 
the  last  day  of  another  year,  some  of  our  number 
will  have  passed  away  from  earth.     Now,  that  this 


THE  KEMPER   FAMILY  SCHOOL,  231 

day  may  be  remembered  by  us  all,  as  a  golden  link  in 
memory's  chain,  let  us,  before  leaving  the  table,  go 
around  and  ask  each  one  what  words  that  our  Sav- 
iour spoke  while  upon  earth  have  impressed  us 
most  deeply,  or  afforded  us  most  comfort  in  all  our 
trials  and  disappointments.  Now,  Mr.  Kemper,  let 
us  hear  from  you  first. 

v  Mr.  Kemper  answered,  'Come  unto  me,  all 
ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden ;  and  I  will  give 
you  rest '  (Matt.  1 1  :  28). 

"  Rev.  Mr.  Jeffries  sat  next,  and  he  quoted  John 
14  :  27  :  *  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give 
unto  you  :  not  as  the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you. 
Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be 
afraid.' 

"  Professor  E.  P.  Lamkin  was  called  upon,  and 
he  replied,  '  Whosoever  therefore  shall  confess  me  be- 
fore men,  him  will  I  confess  also  before  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven'  (Matt.  10  :  32).. 

"  Mrs.  Lamkin  quoted  John  6:37:  '  And  him  that 
Cometh  unto  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.* 

"  Miss  Georgia  Bliss  said,  '  I  cannot  recall  any 
particular  verse,  but  the  whole  of  Jolin  14  comforts 
me  most.' 

'•  Miss  Gertrude  Bliss,  who  had  been  deeply  inter- 
ested in  Mr.  Majors'  conversation,  had  left  the  table 
just  before  this  subject  was  introduced,  and  was  so 
much  distressed  about  it  that  she  requested  me  to 
write  down  the  conversation  and  quotations,  so  that 
she  might  add  it  to  her  book  containing  the  Life  of 
Mr.  Alexander  Majors^  which  she  promised  to  write 
as  soon  as  she  could  collect  the  materials.  Miss 
Gertrude  was  a  young  lady  of  cultured  intellect  and 


232  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

refined  feelings,  and  shrank  with  horror  from  anything 
coarse  and  rude.  She  was  charmed  beyond  measure 
with  the  polish  and  piety  of  a  man  who  could 
scarcely  read  or  write,  and  who  had  passed  nearly  all 
of  his  life  in  the  frontiers  of  barbarism.  So  she 
had  asked  him  to  let  her  take  notes  while  he  talked, 
and  she  felt  that  she  had  lost  an  interesting  inter- 
view. 

"  Mrs.  Kemper  was  next  in  order,  and  she  said, '  I 
have  never  thought  of  any  of  Christ's  sayings,  as  re- 
gards choosing  the  best  or  most  comforting,  and 
will  only  give  one  that  is  very  cheering,  and  seems 
proper  to  an  occasion  of  feasting.  This  is  Christ's 
words  to  the  woman  at  the  well  of  Samaria :  '  Who- 
soever drinketh  of  this  water  shall  thirst  again ;  but 
whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him,  shall  never  thirst  '  (John  4  :  13,  14). 

''  Green  Majors  said  that  he  chose  the  same  as 
Mrs.  Lamkin  ;  Matthew  Singleton  selected  the  same 
as  Mr.  Jeffries ;  Landon  Rains  the  same  as  Mr. 
Kemper. 

"  Mrs.  McCulchen  sat  on  the  right  of  Mr.  Majors, 
and  as  she  quoted,  *  It  is  finished,'  Luke  19  :  30,  he 
turned,  and  placing  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder, 
said,  *  My  friend,  you  have  come  very  near  my 
choice.  To  me  there  is  nothing  so  comforting  to 
poor,  dying,  sin-condemned  mortals,  who  have  toil- 
ed, and  struggled,  and  prayed,  and  then  have  such 
dim  hopes  of  eternal  life,  as  the  Saviour's  words  to 
the  thief  on  the  cross  :  '  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with 
me  in  paradise  *  (Luke  23  :  43). 

'*  We  left  the  table,  and  an  hour  afterward  the 
company  dispersed,  true  enough,  never  to  look  upon 


THE  KEMPER  FAMILY  SCHOOL.  233 

each  other's  faces  this  side  of  eternity.  Only  about 
six  weeks  elapsed  before  Miss  Gertrude  Bliss  went 
to  her  rest  and  reward;  and  in  October  of  the  same 
year  Landon  Rains  died,  far  away  from  his  home. 
As  far  as  I  know,  the  remaining  persons  of  that 
company  are  living,  except  the  honored  host  ;  but  we 
have  never  looked  upon  the  guest  again,  whose 
words  of  instruction  and  wisdom  made  that  dinner 
party  an  occasion  of  rare  interest,  and  to  be  remem- 
bered as  long  as  our  days  shall  last  upon  the 
earth." 

The  hero  of  this  incident  belonged  to  the  freight- 
ing firm  of  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell,  which  did 
such  an  immense  business  across  the  plains  before 
the  Pacific  Railroad  was  built.  Another  interesting 
fact,  illustrating  his  sterling  Christian  character,  we 
have  learned.  He  would  never  permit  his  teams  to 
be  driven  on  Sunday.  It  was  sacredly  observed,  by 
man  and  beast,  as  a  day  of  rest.  As  a  consequence, 
his  train  would  be  passed,  while  resting  on  Sunday, 
by  those  who  thought  that  they  could  not  afford  to 
lie  by  for  a  whole  day,  even  if  it  was  the  Sabbath.  So 
it  would  be  during  the  first  half  of  the  trip.  On  the 
last  half  it  would  be  reversed.  While  he  still  refused 
to  travel  on  Sunday,  his  train  would  almost  daily 
overtake  those  who  had  hurried  on,  giving  them- 
selves and  animals  no  rest.  Often  they  would  be 
broken  down,  and  he  would  help  them  ;  and  in  every 
case  his  train  would  reach  the  end  of  the  journey  in 
better  condition  and  in  shorter  time  than  those  who 
had  started  with  him  and  had  regularly  violated  the 
Lord's  Day.  "If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the 
sabbath,  from  doing  thy  pleasure  on  my  holy  day ; 


234  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

and  call  the  sabbath  a  delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord, 
honorable;  and  shalt  honor  Him,  not  doing  thine 
own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure,  nor  speak- 
ing thine  own  words:  then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself 
in  the  Lord  ;  and  I  will  cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the 
high  places  of  the  earth,  and  feed  thee  with  the  heri- 
tage of  Jacob  thy  father;  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it  "  (Isa.  58  :  13,  14). 

James  Gibson,  Hugh  Elliott,  and  T.  A.  Johnston 
were  graduated  this  year,  forming  the  first  regular 
graduating  class  of  the  school. 

There  were  thirty-six  pupils  during  the  year  1869- 
70,  thirty-five  the  next  year,  and  thirty  in  .1871-72. 

In  the  year  1872  the  most  ornamental  portion  of 
the  building,  as  it  is  now,  was  put  up.  It  is  the  main 
building  in  front,  as  seen  in  the  cut  of  the  premises. 
It  cost  several  thousand  dollars,  and  added  materially 
not  only  to  the  beauty  but  also  to  the  comfort  and 
capacity  of  the  house. 

In  the  year  1872-73  Mr.  T.  A.  Johnston  became 
identified  with  the  school  as  the  junior  principal. 
There  were  enrolled  forty-one  pupils. 

Miss  Georgia  Bliss  closed  her  connection  with  the 
school  in  1873.  Miss  Maria  McCutchen  succeeded 
her,  and  taught  four  years.  Miss  McCutchen  was 
trained  for  her  work  by  Mr.  Kemper.  She  entered 
into  his  plans  and  appropriated  his  ideas  with  intelli- 
gent zeal.  Since  1877  she  has  been  the  principal  of 
a  school,  first  at  Brownsville,  and  more  recently  at 
Iligginsville.  At  both  places  she  has  proven  herself 
an  efficient  educator. 

During  the  session  of  1873-74  there  were  forty-two 
enrollments.     During   this  term  William    M.   Hoge 


^ 


THE   KEMPER   FAMILY  SCHOOL.  235 

and  George  W.  Johnston  entered.  They  were  su- 
perior students,  completed  the  course  with  honor, 
and  were  graduated  from  the  State  University  in 
1880.  They  at  once  returned  to  the  school  as  assist- 
ants of  Mr.  Kemper,  and  are  now  the  assistant 
principals  of  Mr.  T.  A.  Johnston. 

Since  the  beginning  of  the  year  1871-72  day  scholars 
have  been  excluded,  and  it  has  been  strictly  a  family 
school.  That  this  is  the  plan  for  securing  the  best  re- 
sults is,  in  our  judgment,  true.  It  is,  of  course,  practi- 
cally impossible  to  adopt  such  a  plan  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  masses.  It  must  necessarily  be  expensive, 
but  for  those  who  can  afford  it,  it  is  worth  all  that  it 
costs.  Day  and  boarding  pupils  together  are  incon- 
gruous elements  intimately  associated.  Regulations 
which  are  appropriate  to  the  one  class  are  not  adapt- 
ed to  the  other.  That  the  true  work  of  education 
may  be  successfully  accomplished  and  Safely  guaran- 
teed, the  family  school  system,  rigidly  excluding  all 
who  are  not  under  the  domestic  regulations,  is  not 
only  expedient,  but  we  may  say  indispensable.  After 
the  additions  made  to  the  buildings  in  1872  there  was 
room  to  accommodate  about  fifty  pupils.  This  is 
enough  for  one  family  and  one  supervision,  and 
furnishes  a  pleasant  society  in  itself. 

In  the  year  1874-75  the  name  Kemper  Family 
School  was  resumed  and  fifty-eight  pupils  were 
entered,  sixt3^-two  in  1875-76,  and  forty-seven  in 
1876-77. 

As  this  was  the  last  change  made  in  designating 
the  school,  we  will  here  present  in  one  view  the 
several  names  which  it  has  borne :  Boonville 
Boarding  School,  June,    1844,   to  November,    1845  ; 


236  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

Boonville  Male  Collegiate  Institute,  1845-54  ;  the 
Kemper  Family  School,  1854-56  ;  Westminster  Col- 
lege, 1856-61  ;  Kemper  and  Taylor  s  Institute,  1861- 
65;  Kemper's  Family  School,  1865-74;  the  Kemper 
Family  School,  1874 — . 

Mr.  E.  L.  Yager  was  another  excellent  student. 
He  acted  as  tutor  from  the  fall  of  1878  to  the  summer 
of  1880,  and  then  went  to  Princeton  College,  New 
Jersey,  to  complete  his  studies  there.  W.  M.  Hoge, 
G.  W.  Johnston,  and  W.  E.  Scobey  were  tutors  dur- 
ing this  term,  as  they  were  the  previous  year. 

In  1877-78  there  were  fifty-three  entries,  and  W.  M. 
Hoge  and  George  W.  Johnston  were  tutors. 

1878-79  enrolled  forty-five  pupils.  This  year  Miss 
Mary  Jasper  Bocock,  a  niece  of  Mr.  Kemper,  entered 
the  school  as  teacher  of  French,  German,  Latin,  and 
piano  music.  She  has  proved  herself  worthy  of  her 
lineage  on  both  her  father's  and  mother's  side. 
Mr.,  now  the  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Gauss  was  a  tutor  this 
year  and  the  next.  He  is  said  by  Mrs.  Bocock  to 
have  been  one  of  Mr.  Kemper's  pupils,  who  seemed 
fully  to  appreciate  him.  Mr.  E.  L.  Yager  also  was  a 
tutor  this  year. 

Fifty-six  pupils  entered  in  1879-80.  Messrs.  Gauss 
and  Yager  were  tutors  this  year. 

The  thirty-seventh  annual  session  of  the  school  be- 
gan Thursday,  September  9,  1880,  and  closed  June  15, 
1881.  During  its  continuance  sixty-two  were  en- 
rolled in  the  various  classes.  Mr.  T.  A.  Johnston  was 
the  junior  principal,  Mrs.  S.  H.  Kemper  and  Miss 
M.  J.  Bocock,  and  Messrs.  W.  M.  Hoge  and  George 
W.  Johnston  were  the  teachers.  Willis  Henry  Bo- 
cock   and   Miss   Grace   Kemper   (the   oldest   living 


THE  KEMPER  FAMILY  SCHOOL.  237 

child  of  Mr.  Kemper,  and  of  whom  he  said  that  she 
was  everything  he  desired  her  to  be)  were  graduated 
in  the  classical  course,  John  Joseph  Campbell  in  the 
Latin  course,  and  Albert  Beauregard  Fink  and 
Samuel  Murrell  Sevier  in  the  commercial  course. 
The  pupils  represented  nineteen  counties  of  Missouri ; 
the  States  of  Kansas,  Virginia,  Illinois,  Texas,  Indi- 
ana and  Colorado;  the  Territories  of  New  Mexico 
and  Indian  ;  and  Venezuela  in  South  America.  This 
was  the  last  year  of  Mr.  Kemper's  connection  with 
the  school,  as  his  death  occurred  before  its  close. 

The  session  was  successfully  continued  and  com- 
pleted after  Mr.  Kemper's  death,  and  the  school 
opened  in  September,  1881,  as  usual.  Mr.  T.  A. 
Johnston  is  now  the  principal  ;  W.  M.  Hoge,  and  G. 
W.  Johnston  are  the  assistant  teachers.  The  year 
1881-82  was  one  of  the  most  prosperous  in  the  history 
of  the  school.  The  attendance,  the  health,  the  studi- 
ousness,  the  morale^  have  all  been  excellent;  and 
every  one  of  us  fellow-pupils  may  rejoice  that  our 
beloved  master  laid  the  foundations  deep  and  strong, 
and  that  the  blessing  of  the  Father  above  rests  upon 
this  school,  which  has  won  its  way  to  public  favor 
by  discarding  all  trickery,  and  offering  to  its  patrons 
the  solid  advantages  of  a  genuine  education. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  REUNION. 

"Oh,  these  are  the  words  that  eternally  utter 

The  spell  that  is  seldom  cast  o'er  us  in  vain  ; 
With  the  wings  and  the  wand  of  a  fairy  they  flutter. 

And  draw  a  charmed  circle  about  us  again. 
We  return  to  the  spot  where  our  infancy  gamboled  ; 

We  linger  once  more  in  the  haunts  of  our  youth  ; 
We  retread  where  young  passion  first  stealthily  rambled, 

And  whispers  are  heard  full  of  nature  and  truth." 

On  the  3rd  day  of  June,  1844,  Mr.  Kemper  first 
opened  the  school  in  Boonville,  with  an  attendance 
of  five  pupils,  four  of  whom  he  had  brought  with 
him.  On  the  3d  day  of  June,  1874,  he  was  still  in 
Boonville,  and  at  the  head  of  the  school  which  he 
had  founded  thirty  years  before.  Almost  from  the 
first  he  had  as  many  pupils  as  he  desired.  Indeed, 
during  much  of  the  time  he  had  felt  compelled  to 
admit  more  than  he  wished  to  have.  He  had  en- 
rolled at  Boonville  and  at  Westminster  College  over 
two  thousand  names,  embracing  probably  twelve 
hundred  different  pupils.  Counting  the  years  spent 
in  teaching  before  he  came  to  Boonville,  he  had 
served  his  self-allotted  apprenticeship  of  twenty-five 
years,  and  could  claim  to  have  been  a  master-work- 
man for  a  half-score  of  years  more. 

It  was  thought  by  his  pupils  and  friends  that  this 


THE   REUNION.  239 

was  a  suitable  time  to  do  honor  to  the  successful 
veteran  of  the  school-room.  It  was  determined  thaj 
it  should  be  done  by  a  rally  of  *his  pupils  in  a  re- 
union at  Boonville.  It  was  a  noble  thought,  because 
it  was  a  genuine  expression  of  respectful  and  en- 
thusiastic gratitude  to  a  man  who  had  won  it  by 
faithful,  intelligent,  and  successful  service  to  more 
than  a  thousand  of  his  fellow-men.  These  bene- 
ficiaries of  his  skill  were  scattered  far  and  wide. 
Lawson  was  in  London,  representing  the  interest  of 
his  bank  in  that  metropolis  of  tiie  world.  Taylor 
was  in  San  Francisco,  having  followed  the  sun  to 
his  golden  setting  on  the  Pacific.  Others  were 
almost  as  far  remote  in  the  south  or  toward  the 
north.  They  were  not  only  in  all  climates  and  lati- 
tudes and  countries,  but  they  were  engaged  in  all 
kinds  of  pursuits.  They  were  farmers  with  hard 
hands,  but  soft  and  generous  hearts.  They  were 
physicians,  ministering,  like  angels  of  mercy,  to  the 
suffering.  They  were  merchants,  whose  stores,  like 
a  museum,  contained  the  fabrics  and  products  of 
almost  every  clime.  They  were  lawyers,  pleading 
for  the  vindication  of  the  right  and  the  punishment 
of  the  wrong.  They  were  ministers,  ambassadors 
of  grace  to  their  guilty  fellow-men.  They  were 
teachers,  like  the  master  himself,  striving  to  make 
men  of  the  minds  committed  to  their  trust.  All 
these,  a  full  regiment  of  soldiers  on  the  battle-field 
of  life,  heard  the  bugle  rally  that  called  them  to  the 
quarters  of  their  beloved  chief. 

They  came  from  the  plough  and  the  workshop, 
from  the  counting-room  and  the  sick-chamber,  from 
the  sanctum  and  the  forum,  from  the  pulpit  and  the 


240  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

school-room.     The  thought  and  feeling  of  each  heart 
found  expression  in  these  words  : 

"  I  find  a  pious  gratitude  disperse 
Within  my  soul  ;  and  every  thought  of  him 
Engendeis  a  warm  sigh  within  me,  which, 
Like  curls  of  holy  incense,  overtake 
Each  other  in  my  bosom,  and  enlarge 
With  their  embrace  his  sweet  remembrance." 

The  23d  and  24th  of  June  were  fixed  upon  as  the 
time,  and  they  dawned  and  departed  as  propitiously 
as  heart  could  wish— model  days  of  balmy  summer 
softness. 

We  are  happy  in  being  able  to  lay  before  the 
reader  a  contemporary  account,  which  appeared  in 
the  columns  of  the  Boonville  Advertiser.  It  was 
manifestly  prepared  by  one  in  hearty  sympathy  with 
the  occasion  : 

"The  students  of  Kemper's  Family  School  have 
long  contemplated  a  grand  reunion,  when  all  could 
once  again  meet  in  friendly  commune,  recall  the 
past,  fraught  with  long  and  varied  experiences,  and 
talk  of  the  present,  where  all  again  would  meet 
their  venerable  preceptor.  The  culmination  of  their 
intentions,  after  preliminary  workings,  took  place 
on  the  23d  and  24th,  and  the  arrivals  on  last  Satur- 
day and  Monday  were  many. 

"  The  reunion  commenced  on  Tuesday  evening 
with  a  grand  reception  given  by  Professor  Kemper 
at  his  residence,  and  it  was  indeed  a  most  enjoyable 
and  enjoyed  affair.  The  attendance  was  large,  there 
being  between  three  and  four  hundred  present ;  some 
who  had  not  met  their  time-honored  professor  for 


THE  REUNION.  241 

many  long  and  weary  years,  bearing  the  impress  of 
trouble  and  age,  were  rendered  happy  and  spiritual- 
ly youthful  by  once  more  meeting  their  old  friend 
and  teacher,  their  old  schoolmates  ;  noting  the  many 
changes,  and  recalling  old  and  happy  associations. 

"  Prof.  Kemper  was  surprised  and  pleased,  in  the 
course  of  the  evening,  by  the  presentation  of  a  mag- 
nificent and  valuable  gold  watch  and  chain,  as  a 
token  of  respect  and  love  from  his  old  students.  It 
bore  the  inscription  :  '  Presented  by  Students  of 
Thirty  Years.'  Mr.  Gallagher,  of  Illinois,  with  a  few 
significant  remarks,  made  the  presentation.  Mr. 
Kemper  in  heartfelt  terms  responded.  It  was  not 
the  intrinsic  value  of  the  memorial,  but  that  extrinsic 
value  made  by  association  and  circumstances,  which 
would  render  it  of  inestimable  worth  to  himself.  It 
was  a  touching  scene,  easy  to  imagine  but  hard  to 
express :  to  see  crowded  around  the  venerable  pro- 
fessor the  old  and  young,  whose  foundation  of  the 
great  edifice  of  education  he  had  firmly  laid,  made 
happy  by  the  pleasure  which  beamed  from  his  coun- 
tenance on  the  reception  of  this  token  of  their  love. 

"Many  ladies,  fair  and  beautiful,  enhanced  the 
pleasure  of  the  evening  with  their  sweet  smiles, 
sparkling  wit  and  humor.  The  supper  was  unsur- 
passable, the  tables  being  laden  with  substantials  of 
every  kind  and  luxuries  of  every  variety.  Indeed, 
when  Mr.  Kemper  and  his  fair  lady  undertake  any- 
thing it  is  invariably  a  success.  The  festivities  were, 
to  the  pleasure  of  all,  protracted  far  into  the  night. 

"The  next  on  the  programme  was  a  public  meet- 
ing at  the  Thespian  Hall,  on  Wednesday  morning, 
when  several  very  fine  orations  by  men  of  talent  and 


242  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

eminence — former  students — were  made,  and  a  poem 
was  read.     Below  we  give  the  order  of  exercises  : 

"  President,  Hon.  J.  B.  Harris,  of  Callaway. 
I.  Address  of  Welcome,  Professor  Kemper;  2.  Ora- 
tion, the  Rev.  J.  A.  Quarles,  of  St.  Louis;  3.  Poem, 
G.  W.  Ferrel,  of  Boonville;  4.  Speech,  Prof.  C.  C. 
Hersman,  of  Callaway;  5.  Speech,  James  Gibson,  of 
Kansas  City. 

"  Hon.  J.  B.  Harris  opened  the  meeting  with  a  few 
appropriate  remarks.  He  was  followed  by  the  ad- 
dress of  welcome,  by  Mr.  Kemper.  He  spoke  in 
that  characteristically  strong  and  precise  style,  so 
well  remembered  by  the  many  students  present,  bid- 
ding all  a  hearty  welcome  in  his  natural  and  kind 
way,  and  thanking  them  for  the  interest  and  kind- 
ness manifest  in  the  very  inception  of  this  reunion. 

"  The  able  oration  by  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Quarles,  of  St. 
Louis,  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  attentive  audi- 
ence. He  reviewed  the  field  of  the  educator,  showing 
that  his  vocation  is  the  most  honorable  and  important 
one  that  man  can  pursue,  developing  the  youthful 
mind  into  the  strong  and  vigorous  character  of  man- 
hood, laying  the  foundation  upon  which  to  build  the 
great  temple  of  life.  He  recalled  many  features  of 
interest  from  the  bygone  past,  reminiscences  of  his 
school-boy  days,  under  the  tutorship  of  Professor 
Kemper,  to  whom  many  tributes  were  paid,  and 
kindly  and  pathetically  remembered  his  many  school- 
mates who  have  passed  away. 

"  Mr.  G.  W.  Ferrel  then  read  the  following  very 
fine  original  poem,  possessing  the  great  qualification 
of  more  sense  than  rhyme : 


THE   REUNION.  243 

A  POEM  OF  WELCOME. 


'  O  would  that  the  dead,  sweet-spirited  Sappho 

Might  rise  from  the  sea- waves  of  crystal  ^gean, 

And  strike  the  Greek  harp  with  tremulous  finger, 

Where-beautiful  fancies  evermore  linger, 
But  long  to  leap  out  in  a  glorious  pean  ! 

O  would  that  to  us  the  winds  of  the  centuries, 

Fleeted  forever  and  faded  in  heaven, 
Might  bear  the  sweet  Lesbian's  song  v/ith  the  murmur 
And  beautiful  grace  of  the  long  Grecian  summer, 

As  though  by  the  breath  of  the  seraphim  given  ! 

O  would  that  each  heart  on  this  morning  of  welcome. 

Might  tremble  with  music's  melodious  measure, 
And  catch  the  soft  lip  of  the  fountain  immortal 
That  gleams  through  the  archway  of  heaven's  wide  portal, 
A  beauty  forever,  and  forever  a  treasure. 

"  For  blest  is  the  morn 
With  the  perfect  and  holy, 
Sereneness  of  God  resting  sacredly,  lowly, 
In  hearts  through  whose  veins 
Run  the  currents  of  love. 
All  bright  with  the  tide 
Of  that  brotherly  pride. 
Binding  heart  unto  heart 
And  our  heaven  above  ! 


Thrice  welcome,  O  friends  from  the  South  and  the  North, 
From  the  East  and  the  West,  who  send  their  sons  forth  ! 
Thrice  welcome,  O  bosoms,  so  brave  with  the  steel 
And  the  armor  of  manhood,  all  ready  to  reel 
Into  ranks,  into  armies,  and  rush  to  the  fray. 
With  the  lances  of  Right,  when  the  Wrong's  in  the  way  ! 
Thrice  welcome  !  We  meet  as  we  never  have  met 
In  the  days  that  are  many  and  younger,  but  yet 


244  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

There's  a  sympathy  sweet  in  our  bosoms  that  beat 
With  a  stroke  that  is  string,  as  each  other  we  greet. 

I     III. 

*'  We  gather  together  from  near  and  from  far, 

With  the  glory  of  friendship  abeam  in  each  breast, 
And  as  bright  as  the  light  of  some  radiant  star     * 

That  burns  down  the  beautiful  slope  of  the  West ! 
We  clasp  the  dear  hand  and  we  wreathe  the  bright  smile, 
We  pluck  the  sweet  blossoms  of  love,  and  beguile 
These  moments  of  bliss  that  we  love  still  the  more. 
While  we  hope  in  the  future  and  dream  of  the  Yore  ! 

IV. 

"  O  the  Past,  O  the  Past  ! 
Let  us  wander  awhile 
In  the  sweetness  of  memory 
Down  the  green  aisle, 
Where  the  air  of  the  evermore  mystical  time 
Breathes  into  the  heart  from  a  heavenly  clime. 
The  friend  with  the  silver 

Of  age  in  his  hair 
Goes  backward,  far  backward, 

And  sits  him  down  there, 
Till  the  ghost  of  his  boyhood 
Steals  downward  and  lingers 
Beside  the  old  man,  and  it  touches  his  brow 
With  pressure  the  fondest  from  mystical  fingers. 
That  touch  is  both  mystical,  magical,  all, 
And  the  shadows  roll  back  like  a  funeral  pall, 
As  a  glimpse  of  the  better  day  flashes  afar 
On  the  eye  of  the  fancy,  methinks,  like  a  star. 

V. 

"Oh,  we  love  to  go  back,  and  we  love  to  search  out 
The  faintest  of  footprints  that  even  yet  stand 
In  the  path  of  the  years,  where  we  wandered  through  tears, 
And   the  sunnier  journeys  of  boyhood's  bright  land  ! 


THE   REUNION.  245 

Oh,  we  long  to  go  back,  and  we  long  to  live  o'er 
Our  school  days  afar  in  years  of  the  yore  ; 
"When  the  glories  of  youth  and  the  youngest  of  loves 
Beat  in  at  the  heart  like  the  coming  of  doves  ! 

•  We  love  to  retrace  what  the  suns  had  to  sever — 
All  the  old  lessons  and  all  the  old  faces  ; 
All  of  the  beautiful,  old-time  graces, 
Wove  with  a  weft  of  the  winsome  forever. 

'  But  the  years  have  gone  by,  and  the  fairies  have  shifted 

The  green  of  the  grass  and  the  red  of  the  roses, 
Full  many  a  time,  and  the  summer  tide 

Anew  on  the  hills  where  the  sunshine  reposes. 

'  Dear  hearts  have  ceased  beating,  dear  hands  have  been  folded  ; 

Dear  faces  have  faded  away  'mid  the  beautiful 
Flight  of  the  angels,  and  in  the  grand  temple 

Have  seen  the  reward  of  the  sweet  and  the  dutiful. 

'  Hearts  that  to-day  we  would  love  to  link  fondly 

To  lives  that  live  only  in  memory's  keeping. 
Lie  under  the  sod  'neath  the  face  of  the  violet, 
Wet  with  the  tears  of  its  own  tender  weeping. 

'  And  distance  has  parted  us— distance  which  darkens 
The  flight  of  the  years  that  sweep  onward  forever, 
And  leave  but  a  token  of  love  to  remind  us 
How  widely  we  part,  and  how  often  we  sever  ! 

'  By  the  murmurous  sea,  on  the  slope  of  the  golden 

And  beautiful  country  that  runs  to  the  West, 
Are  the  homes  of  companions  that  conned  the  old  lessons 
Together  with  us  in  the  years  we  loved  best. 

By  the  mighty  Atlantic  and  the  lakes  of  blue  water. 

By  the  seas  of  the  South  where  the  summer-tides  shine. 

Still  lie  the  dear  homes  of  the  friends  whom  we  welcome 
To-day  with  a  welcome  complete  and  divine. 


246  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER, 

VI. 

"  Ye  come,  O  friends,  from  the  fields  of  the  husbandman, 
Lying  in  beauty  and  waving  with  gold  ! 
Ye  come  with  the  step  of  the  merchant  and  tradesman. 
As  happy,  as  generous,  ay,  and  as  bold  ! 

"  Ye  come  from  the  desk  of  the  student  who  labors 
From  the  flush  of  the  morning  far  into  the  night ! 
Ye  come  with  the  pen  of  the  journalist,  happy 
In  battling  the  wrong  and  upholding  the  right ! 

"  Ye  come,  O  friends,  from  the  courts  of  the  lawyer, 
All  covered  with  honor  for  deeds  that  are  great ! 
Ye  come  from  the  place  where  the  people  have  sent  you, 
To  stand  like  heroes  at  the  helm  of  the  state  ! 

"  Ye  come  from  the  pulpit,  with  heaven's  own  beauty 
Abeam  in  the  face  and  aglow  in  the  heart ! 
Ye  come  from  the  ranks  of  the  mighty  physicians. 
Ye  come  from  the  people— of  heaven  a  part ! 

VII, 

"Thus  do  we  welcome  you,  thus  do  we  gather 
Again  to  remember  the  blessed  Old  Times, 
And  the  tenderer  loves  that  leap  through  the  bosom 
And  beat  with  the  tinkle  of  wonderful  chimes  ! 

"  Down  the  green  byways  of  holy  affection, 
Down  the  deep  vistas  of  sweet  recollection. 
Into  a  land  like  an  amethyst, 
Together  we'll  wander  again,  and  we'll  list 
To  the  lute  of  the  angel  of  memory  there. 
As  sweet  as  a  song,  and  as  hallowed  as  prayer  ! 

*'  The  years  may  glide  by  like  the  brooks  through  the  lea, 
Like  the  currents  of  rivers  that  run  to  the  sea, 
And  carry  the  shadow,  and  carry  the  sun, 
From  morning  till  eve  on  their  course  as  they  run  ; 
But  sun,  nor  shadow,  nor  current  shall  lake 
From  memory's  tablet,  for  memory's  sake, 


THE  REUNION.  247 

A  single  beauty,  or  grace,  or  love, 

That  may  have  fallen  from  heaven  above 

With  a  newer  life  and  a  stronger  sway 

Into  the  bosom  this  beautiful  day. 

It  may  be  that  we  nevermore 

Shall  meet  each  other  on  time's  dark  shore, 

Banded  together  and  bound  by  ties 

That  link  us  to  the  eternal  skies. 

It  must  be  for  some  hearts  to  cease 

Beating  in  sorrow  to  beat  in  peace 

Beyond  the  wave  and  the  turbulent  tide, 

Over  upon  the  other  side 

Of  Jordan,  where  there  yet  shall  be 

Reunion  in  Eternity." 

We  arrest  the  reading  of  the  report  of  the  re- 
union here  for  a  moment,  to  give  our  candid  judg- 
ment, that  the  commendations  above  given  to  the 
oration  and  poem  were  colored  by  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  occasion.  We  do  not  think  that  either  of  them 
met  the  demands  of  the  day.  So  far  as  the  oration 
is  concerned,  we  were  at  the  time  painfully  conscious 
that  this  was  true.  The  poem  is  here  to  speak  for 
itself.  We  do  not  propose  to  criticise  it.  This 
would  not  be  proper,  and  we  should  not  have  felt  it 
our  duty  to  say  anything  about  it,  except  for  one 
very  glaring  defect  it  has.  There  is  in  it,  from 
beginning  to  end,  no  mention  of  Mr.  Kemper,  nor 
the  most  distant  allusion  to  him.  This  is  certainly 
the  play  of  Ha7nlet  with  Hamlet  left  out.  We  now 
resume  the  report : 

''  Professor  C.  C.  Hersman,  of  Westminster  Col- 
lege, Fulton,  delivered  a  very  profound  speech, 
laying  great  stress  on  the  fact  that  the  acquisition  of 
truth  is  the  foundation  of  education,  the  fountain- 
head  of  knowledge. 


248  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

^'  Mr.  James  Gibson,  of  Kansas  City,  closed  the  ex- 
ercises with  a  short  but  expressive  speech,  receiv- 
ing the  repeated  applause  of  the  audience  ;  express- 
ing the  sentiments,  when  referring  to  Kemper's 
Family  School,  of  every  old  student  present/' 

We  heartily  concur  with  these  commendations,  for 
they  were  pre-eminently  deserved.  We  never  heard 
a  more  excellent  fifteen-minute  speech  than  that 
made  by  Professor  Hersman  on  this  occasion.  It  was 
excellent  in  thought,  excellent  in  expression,  and 
excellent  in  delivery.  Mr.  Gibson  was  quite  brief, 
but  his  words  were  golden.  Every  heart  was  thrilled 
as  he  repeated  these  familiar  lines,  and  applied  them 
to  Mr.  Kemper: — 

**  Abou  Ben  Adhem  (may  his  tribe  increase  !) 
Awoke  one  night  from  a  deep  dream  of  peace. 
And  saw,  within  the  moonlight  in  his  room, 
Making  it  rich  and  like  a  lily  in  bloom, 
An  angel  writing  in  a  book  of  gold. 
Exceeding  peace  had  made  Ben  Adhem  bold, 
And  to  the  presence  in  his  room  he  said, 
•  What  writest  thou  ?  '     The  vision  raised  its  head, 
And,  with  a  look  made  of  all  sweet  accord, 
Answered,  '  The  names  of  those  who  love  the  Lord.' 
'  And  is  mine  one?  '  said  Abou.    'Nay,  not  so,' 
Replied  the  angel.     Abou  spoke  more  low, 
But  cheerly  still,  and  said,  *  I  pray  thee,  then. 
Write  me  as  one  that  loves  his  lellow-men  ! 
The  angel  wrote,  and  vanished.     The  next  night 
It  came  again,  with  a  great  wakening  light. 
And  showed  the  names  of  those  whom  love  of  God  had  blest, 
And  lo,  Ben  Adhem's  name  led  all  the  rest  !" 

We  resume  the  Advertiser s  report: 

"  Banquet. — The  grand  finale  of  the  reunion  exer- 


THE  REUNION.  249 

cises  took  place  on  Wednesday  evening,  24th  inst.,  at 
the  Thespian  Hall.  Many  happy  faces  assembled  to 
participate  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  occasion  where 
happiness  reigned  supreme.  It  was  a  golden  summer 
evening,  a  refreshing  shower  having  settled  the  dust, 
making  the  atmosphere  cool  and  bracing.  All  vied  in 
rendering  the  occasion  one  long  to  be  remembered. 

"  Grand  preparations  had  been  made.  It  was  a 
feast  for  both  body  and  mind.  A  sumptuous  repast 
was  spread,  pampering  the  appetite  of  the  most  con- 
firmed and  fastidious  epicure.  Six  toasts  (non-Bac- 
chanalian) were  responded  to  in  most  earnest  and 
eloquent  terms.  The  old  students  of  thirty  years  for 
the  last  time  mingled  in  happy  intercourse  ;  for  the 
last  time,  perhaps,  on  like  occasion,  paid  tribute  to 
their  abna  mater ^  and  bade  a  long  and  regretful  fare- 
well to  their  youthful  associations  ;  for  the  last  time 
talked  over  and  again  enjoyed  the  school-day  prank. 
Men  of  eminence,  grown  gray  in  successfully  fight- 
ing the  great  battle  of  life ;  alumni  of  Kemper's 
Family  School,  having  thrown  into  activity  those 
principles  of  truth  inculcated  by  their  honored  in- 
structor; in  fact,  men  from  every  walk  in  life  mingled 
with  the  happy  throng,  and  partook  of  the  festivities 
of  the  banquet. 

*' Immediately  after  the  supper  the  chairman,  J.  W. 
Draffen,  Esq.,  of  Boonville,  commanded  order,  and 
consecutively  called  each  toast,  as  follows : 

"  First  Toast :  Our  Honored  Teacher.  Response 
by  M.  M.  Singleton,  of  Boonville. 

"  Second  Toast  :  Education,  the  safeguard  of  the 
country  in  the  past,  and  its  hope  in  the  future.  Re- 
sponse by  Professor  F.  T,  Kemper. 


250  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

"  Third  Toast :  The  School,  and  Class  of  '  74.  Re- 
sponse by  W,  A.  Jacobs,  of  Greenfield. 

"  Fourth  Toast :  Our  School  Days.  Response  by 
Judge  W.  H.  H.  Hill,  of  Sedalia.  [Judge  Hill  was 
unavoidably  absent.] 

"  Fifth  Toast :  The  Ladies. 

"  O  woman,  lovely  woman  !     Nature  made  thee 
To  temper  man.     We  had  been  brutes  without  you.' 

Response  by  Hon.  J.  B.  Harris,  of  Callaway. 

**  Sixth  Toast :  To  the  Dead  of  our  School. 

"The  first  toast,  by  Mr.  Singleton,  paying  a  high 
tribute  of  love  and  respect  to  *  Our  honored  teacher,* 
was  appropriate  and  brief.  It  received  twofold  value 
by  being  delivered  in  that  earnest  and  natural  style 
(the  gift  of  the  orator)  that  carries  conviction  and 
commands  the  attention  of  the  audience.  '  Those  are 
my  sentiments,'  were  the  whispered  accents  of  many 
of  his  auditors. 

"  Mr.  William  H.  Allison,  in  tlje  most  choice  and 
forcible  language,  made  tribute  to  '  Our  honored 
teacher.'  In  a  review  of  his  history,  he  followed 
him  through  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  his  colle- 
giate course — the  honest  and  industrious  student,  a 
member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Westminster  College — 
down  to  the  permanent  establishment  of  the  great 
institution,  known  throughout  tlie  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land  as  Kemper's  Family  School.  It  was  a 
masterly  effort,  and  many  and  long  were  the  plaudits. 
Grand  and  elevated  ideas,  evoked  by  the  magic  of 
friendship  and  that  love  of  the  pupil  for  the  teacher 
to  whom  he  owes  so  much,  were  clothed  in  language 
whicli  the  gifted  alone  can  command. 


THE   REUNION.  251 

*"  Education,  the  safeguard  of  the  country  in  the 
past,  and  its  hope  for  the  future,'  was  responded  to  by- 
Mr.  Kemper  in  that  unassuming  and  natural  style, 
that  exhaustive  yet  brief  manner,  in  which  Mr. 
Kemper  treats  all  educational  questions.  No  edu- 
cator in  the  West  is  more  thoroughly  versed,  more 
deeply  founded  in  the  profession  than  Mr.  Kemper; 
and  he  talks  to  instruct  and  amuse,  when  the  occa- 
sion admits,  as  it  did  on  that  evening.  The  vocation 
of  the  teacher  is  not  merely  to  impart  a  little  knowl- 
edge, to  instruct  the  youth  in  a  few  of  the  learned 
sciences,  but  to  mould  the  character,  to  develop  true 
and  noble  manhood  ;  and  this  kind  of  education  alone 
can  prove  'the  safeguard  of  the  country.' 

"The third  toast,  'The  school,  and  class  of  '74,'  by 
W.  A.  Jacobs,  was  enjoyed  by  all,  and  especially  by 
his  schoolmates.  Mr.  Jacobs  is  a  most  estimable 
young  man,  and  in  graceful  terms  toasted  the  class 
of  '74.,  The  audience  was  highly  entertained  by  his 
school- day  reminiscences. 

*' '  The  Ladies'  were  toasted  by  the  Hon.  J.  B. 
Harris,  Senator  from  Callaway.  This  is  a  toast  that 
always  proves  of  interest,  especially  when  responded 
to  in  the  happy  strain  and  natural  style  of  Mr. 
Harris. 

"  During  the  interval  between  each  toast,  sweet 
music  was  dispensed  by  the  Home  Orchestra. 

"In  conclusion,  we  extend  a  friendly  adieu  to  the 
reunionists,  and  sincerely  hope  that  they  may  long 
live  to  honor  their  alma  mater. " 

There  are  but  few  men  in  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi ;  indeed  few  in  this  broad  land  of  ours,  there  is 
not  another  in  the  imperial  State  of  Missouri,   who 


252  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

could  properly  be  the  recipient  of  such  an  honor  as 
was  this  reunion  of  pupils  of  thirty  years.  In  the 
length  of  time  that  he  taught  ;  in  the  number  of 
pupils  who  came  under  his  influence ;  in  the  extent 
of  country  from  which  they  came  ;  in  the  universal 
and  enthusiastic  gratitude  which  they  feel  for  him  ; 
and,  above  all,  in  the  character  of  the  work  as  shown 
by  its  practical  results,  Mr.  Kemper  stands  almost 
without  a  parallel  among  the  teachers  of  our  land. 
The  reunion  revealed  this  fact  with  conspicuous 
demonstration. 

In  this  connection  we  call  attention  to  the  fact  of 
the  indorsement  of  Mr.  Kemper  as  an  educator  by 
the  most  prominent  and  practical  men  in  Missouri. 
As  illustrations  of  this  truth,  we  shall  refer  only  to 
two.  Col.  Joseph  L.  Stephens,  of  Boonville,  was 
undoubtedly  one  of  the  remarkable  men  of  Missouri. 
Though  not,  perhaps,  what  might  be  called  a  brilliant 
man  or  a  child  of  genius,  he  was  what  is  far  better 
and  higher,  a  man  of  massive  mind  and  comprehen- 
sive intellect.  Reared  on  a  farm,  he  commenced 
life  for  himself  in  Boonville  as  a  lawyer,  over- 
shadowed by  the  commanding  talent  of  the  bar  of 
Central  Missouri.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before 
he  was,  though  still  young,  one  of  its  most  successful 
and  trusted  practitioners.  We  remember  well,  thirty 
years  ago,  when  he  and  Senator  Vest  (the  most 
gifted  man  in  the  State,  then  partners)  were  retained 
upon  one  or  the  other  side  of  every  important  case 
in  the  Cooper  Circuit  Court.  Turning  from  the  law 
to  finance,  he  was  equally  successful,  amassing  a 
fortune  and  being  recognized,  at  his  death,  as  one  of 
the    leading    financiers    of    the    interior.      Colonel 


THE   REUNION.  253 

Stephens  put  all  of  his  sons  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Kemper,  boarding  them  with  him,  though  his  own 
family  residence  was  only  two  squares  away.  Though 
possessed  of  wealth  which  would  have  allowed  him 
to  send  them  to  Rugby  or  Eton,  he  preferred  his  old 
neighbor,  whom  he  knew  to  be  a  "  maker  of  men." 

The  other  case  is  that  of  the  Hon.  James  S.  Rol- 
lins, of  Columbia.  For  forty  years  Major  Rollins 
has  been  one  of  our  leading  men.  Though  gifted  as 
an  orator  and  prominent  in  the  political  history  of 
our  commonwealth,  his  great  distinction  is  in  con- 
nection with  education.  Among  all  our  public 
men,  there  is  no  one  with  such  a  record  as  his,  in 
the  interests  of  our  public  schools.  Our  State  Uni- 
versity is  his  special  pet  and  pride,  to  which  he  has 
given  the  best  labors  of  the  best  years  of  his  life. 
Indeed  he  may  justly  be  called  the  father  of  the 
University  of  Missouri.  Major  Rollins  has  intrusted 
the  education  of  his  younger  sons  to  Mr.  Kemper. 

We  have  a  couple  of  letters  written  by  him  to  Mr. 
Kemper,  while  one  of  his  sons  was  a  student  in  the 
Family  School.  We  shall  extract  largely  from  them, 
not  only  on  account  of  the  distinguished  reputation 
of  the  writer,  but  also  because  of  their  intrinsic  ex- 
cellence. 

"Columbia,  Oct.  20,  1873. 

"  Professor  F.  T.  Kemper— Dear  Sir:  I  have  the  pleasure 
to  acknowledge  the  reception  of  your  favor  of  the  15th  inst.  I 
approve  all  the  suggestions  which  you  make  in  regard  to  my 
son.   .   .   .• 

"  I  am  gratified  that  he  is  interested  in  laying  his  foundation 
well.  As  a  general  rule,  so  far  as  my  observation  extends,  our 
graduates  can  neither  read,  write,  nor  spell.  It  is  seldom  in  my 
life    that  I  have  met  with  a  good  reader,  even   among   educated 


254  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

men.  I  regard  this  as  one  of  the  highest  accomplishments  of  a 
scholar  and  gentleman.  I  had  almost  said  that  a  man  could  be 
neither  without  possessing  it.     • 

"  At  his  age,  I  desire,  above  all  things,  that  he  should  be  ac- 
cui-ate  in  whatever  he  attempts  to  learn  or  read.  I  lay  as  much 
and  more  stress  upon  accuracy  in  scholarship  than  Demosthenes 
did  upon  *  action  '  in  oratory.  The  great  fault  with  men  is,  that 
they  know  nothing.  With  rare  exceptions,  all  their  information 
is  confused,  loose,  slip-shod.  This  is  true  both  in  regard  to  facts 
and  principles  ;  and  all  resulting  from  inaccurate  and  imperfect 
training  of  the  mind  when  young  and  pliable.  Our  whole  system 
of  education  is  wrong  in  this,  that  our  ablest  and  best/^zV  teachers 
ought  to  have  charge  of  the  mind  of  the  country  in  its  early  dawn. 
*  Just  as  the  twig  is  bent,  the  tree  is  inclined.'  The  apprentice 
needs  no  longer  his  master,  when  he  can  handle  well  the  tools 
himself.  But  to  learn  this  art,  his  master  should  be  perfect,  not  a 
botch  ! 

"John  Randolph,  in  his  first  trip  across  the  ocean,  asked  the 
captain  of  the  vessel,  who  was  an  educated  Irishman,  why  it  was 
that  in  all  the  atlases  a  certain  town  in  Ireland  was  always  placed 
on  the  wrong  side  of  the  river.  The  captain  had  never  discov- 
ered it !  Meeting  with  John  Quincy  Adams  when  I  was  a  very 
young  man  from  Missouri,  he  asked  me  the  population  of  St. 
Louis.  I  gave  it  to  him,  when  he  contradicted m^,  and  stated  it.to 
me  accurately.  He  kfiexu  what  it  was  ;  I  did  not.  This  incident 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  me,  but  I  have  not  profited  by  it  ;  I 
am  still  a  know-nothing  ;  but  I  wpuld  have  it  different  with  my  son. 

"  Senator  Benton  once  said  to  me,  in  his  graphic  style,  '  Sir,  if 
I  had  not  been  Senator  Benton,  I  would  have  been  a  Quintilian. 
I  missed  my  profession,  sir  ;  I  ought  to  have  been  a  schoolmaster. 
The  boys  would  have  understood  yN)i\'eX  I  attempted  to  teach  them.' 
What  a  grand  schoolmaster  the  illustrious  Senator  would  have 
been  ! 

**  I  know  that  all  this  depends  greatly  upon  the  memory.  But 
how  best  shall  this  important  faculty  of  the  mmd  be  fortified, 
strengthened,  improved,  in  order  that  it  may  retain  what  it 
gathers  ? 

"  I  have  received  several  letters  from  my  son.  He  expresses 
himself  well  pleased  with  the  school,   and  also  that  he   has  a 


THE  REUNION.  255 

determination  to  excel.  .  .  .  For  boys  of  his  age,  he  thinks  the 
school  a  decided  improvement  upon  the  University.  He  seems  to 
be  forming  very  decided  opinidVis  for  himself.  An  occasional 
word  from  you  will  have  great  weight  with  him.  .  .  .  He  has 
requested  me  to  send  him  a  dictionary  and  a  few  good  books  to  read. 
I  will  do  this  from  time  to  time,  but  with  the  distinct  injunction 
that  his  outside  reading  is  not  in  any  way  to  interfere  with  his 
regular  lessons.  I  impress  upon  him  never  to  miss  a  recitation,  and 
always  to  know  his  lesson  well. 

"  I  prefer  that  he  should  read  but  one  book  until  it  is  completed, 
and  then  take  up  another.  For  this  desultory  and  irregular  read- 
ing, on  the  part  of  boys  or  men,  I  regard  as  the  very  bane  of  all 
solid  improvement. 

"I  have  sent  to  him  '  Lord  Chesterfield's  Letters  to  his  Son,'  and 
requested  him  to  read  them  carefully,  with  his  English  and  Clas- 
sical Dictionary  near  by,  so  as  to  make  himself  familiar  with  any 
quotation  or  classical  and  historical  reference.  While  there 
are  many  things  in  Chesterfield  which  I  do  not  approve,  he  is 
nevertheless  an  easy  and  graceful  writer,  and  his  '  Letters  '  abound 
with  profitable  instruction  for  observant  and  smart  boys.  To 
correct  any  mischievous  tendencies  which  he  may  meet  with  in 
Chesterfield,  I  will  send  him  after  a  while  Bunyan's  '  Pilgrim's 
Progress,'  Plutarch's  'Lives,'  Goldsmith,  'Chambers's  Mis. 
cellany,'  etc.  .  .  . 

"  In  my  correspondence  with  him,  I  shall  give  him  every  en- 
couragement, awaken  in  him  as  far  as  I  can  a  thirst  for  knowl- 
edge, and  impress  upon  him  always  implicit  obedience  to  your 
orders  and  rules  of  government,  and  to  which  I  trust  you  will 
hold  him  with  a  steady  and  firm  hand. 

'.'Commending  him  to  the  friendly  care  of  yourself  and  Mr. 
Johnston,  to  whom  I  ask  to  be  kindly  remembered,  I  am,  most 
truly  and  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  James  S.  Rollins." 

There  are  sentences  in  this  letter  which  ought  to 
be  put  on  Major  Rollins's  monument,  especially  his 
reference  to  primary  education  and  to  accuracy  of 
scholarship. 


256  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

The  second  letter  was  written  on  the  occasion  of 
the  reunion,  and  is  as  follows: — 

Columbia,  June  5,  1874. 

"  Mr.  F.  T.  Kemper — My  dear  Sir  :  On  account  of  the  con- 
tinued delicacy  of  my  health,  and  the  literary  exercises  to  occur 
here,  in  the  University,  and  at  the  very  time  of  the  close 
of  your  own  school,  it  will  be  out  of  my  power  to  be  with  you 
on  the  occasion  of  the  reunion  of  your  old  pupils  of  thirty 
years  past  and  gone.  Nothing  would  have  given  more  pleasure  ; 
and  it  was  my  purpose  to  induce  my  friend,  the  Hon.  Daniel 
W.  Voorhees,  of  Indiana,  who  will  address  the  two  literary 
societies  here  on  the  evening  of  the  22nd  inst.,  to  go  with  me. 
I  know  he  would  have  enjoyed  the  visit,  and  you  and  Mrs. 
Kemper  would  have  been  charmed  with  him.  He  is  a  su- 
perb man,  and  a  most  brilliant  and  accomplished  orator. 

"  But  the  Board  of  Curators  meet  just  at  that  time.  I  am  the 
President  of  the  Board.  A  large  crowd  of  strangers  will  be 
present,  and  I  have  on  such  occasions  to  make  myself  as  useful  as 
I  can.  My  absence  would  not  look  well,  indeed  it  would  be  inex- 
cusable. These  facts  will  contain  my  excuse  for  not  accepting 
your  kind  invitation  to  be  present  at  the  reunion  of  your  old 
pupils  ;  than  which,  I  repeat,  nothing  would  have  given  me  greater 
delight. 

"  I  am  satisfied  that  my  son  has  done  well  since  he  has  been 
with  you.  I  think  he  has  turned  a  new  leaf  entirely.  His  ambi- 
tion has  been  awakened,  and  he  has  now  a  high  purpose  to  ac- 
complish in  life.  He  has  learned  how  to  control  and  direct  his 
faculties,  and  understands  the  art  of  studying  to  advantage. 
These  I  regard  as  nearly  half  the  victory,  where  a  youth  has 
good  native  endowment?.  .  .  . 

"  I  would  prefer  to  make  of  him  a  lawyer,  provided  he  has  a 
tough  physical  constitution,  a  sound  legal  mind,  capable  of  com- 
prehending great  principles,  discussing  subjects  logically  and 
metaphysically  and  with  strong  common  sense  !  I  know  this  pro- 
fession is  crowded.  There  is  a  long  line  ot  sympathetic  mourn- 
ers, who  are  grieving  for  their  want  of  success,  and  mainly  be- 
cause they  are  unadapted  to  the  profession  I  They  might  have 
made  good   shoemakers,  good   carpenters,   good   farmers,  good 


THE   REUNION. 


257 


barbers,  or  bootblacks  :  and  I  would  prefer  to  see  my  son  excelling 
in  any  of  these,  if  he  has  not  the  ability  to  reach  the  upper  story 
in  the  legal  profession,  where,  Mr.  Webster  says,  there  is  '  always 
an  abundance  of  room.'  .  .  . 

"  I  may  drop  you  another  line  before  the  close  of  the  session. 
In  the  mean  time  present  my  kind  regards  to  Mrs.  Kemper  and 
Mr.  Johnston,  and  believe  me  most  truly, 

"  Your  friend, 

"James  S.  Rollins." 

Other  distinguished  men,  such  as  Hon.  John  G. 
Miller,  Richard  Gentry,  Hon.  William  B.  Napton, 
Hon.  George  G.  Vest,  and  Revs.  R.  P.  Farris,  D.D., 
and  B.  T.  Lacy,  D.D.,  gave  their  sons  to  him,  and 
were  his  ardent  admirers  and  enthusiastic  sup- 
porters. 


12' 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

WELL  DONE  ! 

"  Then  fell  upon  the  house  a  sudden  gloom, 
A  shadow  on  those  features  pale  and  thin  ; 
And  softly,  from  that  hushed  and  darkened  room. 
Two  angels  issued,  where  but  one  went  in.^' 

Longfellow. 

Mr.  Kemper  entered  upon  the  labors  of  the  school, 
in  the  fall  of  1880,  with  a  lighter  heart  than  usual. 
The  general  plan  of  the  institution  had  been  perfect- 
ed. It  was  a  private  school,  free  from  the  control  of 
sect  or  trustee.  He  was  the  owner  of  the  property, 
and  he  had  superintended  the  erection  of  every 
building.  It  was  as  he  wanted  it,  with  school-rooms 
and  bedrooms  for  the  family,  teachers,  and  fifty 
boys.  There  were  ample  grounds  for  exercise,  for 
garden, -and  for  pasture.  Moreover,  he  had  a  farm  a 
few  miles  away,  which  not  only  furnished  him  most 
pleasant  diversion,  but  also  contributed  to  the  com- 
fort of  the  family  school.  The  school  was  exclusively 
for  boarders — not  a  day  scholar  was  admitted — and  he 
had  secured  the  requisite  number  to  fill  the  rooms, 
without  any  drumming,  or  personal  solicitation,  or 
any  of  the  ordinary  means  by  which  teachers  worry 
themselves,  provoke  their  rival  teachers,  and  degrade 
the  profession.     The  school  was  of  such  established 


IVELL   DONE!  259 

and  widespread  reputation  that  it  did  not  need  to 
solicit  pupils  ;  pupils  eagerly  sought  it,  and  were 
willing  to  pay  a  reasonable  sum  to  gain  its  ad- 
vantages. 

The  revenues  of  the  school  were  large,  enabling 
its  proprietor  to  furnish  the  very  best  facilities,  and 
at  the  same  time  retain  a  handsome  income  for 
himself.  The  same  man  who  had  taught  the  same 
school  at  the  same  place  twenty-four  years  before, 
having  seventy-five  pupils  to  instruct,  and  dividing 
the  income  with  two  others,  and  all  three  receiving 
for  their  year's  work  but  a  pittance  over  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars — he  now  was  limiung  his  pupils  to  fifty, 
and  receiving  an  aggregate  gross  return  of  over  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  a  year. 

He  had  still  further  and  greater  cause  for  gratifica- 
tion in  the  fact'  that  he  had  now  surrounded  himself 
with  chosen  pupils  as  teachers,  to  whom  he  could 
safely  commit  the  details  of  the  grand  work  of  edu- 
cation in  which  he  was  engaged.  They  were  men 
of  choice  natural  endowments,  whom  he  had  taken 
in  their  early  youth,  and  who,  in  thorough  sympathy 
with  his  spirit,  had  been  trained  to  perfect  familiarity 
with  his  plans.  He  had  the  most  complete  confi- 
dence in  these  men.  He  had  tested  them,  and  found 
them  faitiiful  ;  and  he  knew,  therefore,  that  he  could 
safely  intrust  the  administration  and  its  details  to 
their  intelligent  and  conscientious  management. 

Still  another  ground  he  had  for  satisfaction  of 
spirit,  as  he  not  only  realized  that  he  enjoyed  the  re- 
spect of  all  good  men  who  knew  him,  but  also,  and 
especially,  as  he  could  see,  on  the  farm  and  in  the 
workshop,  at  the  bar  and  on^the  bench,  at  the  bedside 


2  6o  77//;    /.///•;    OF  PROF.    KEMPER 

and  in  the  pulpit,  the  fruits  of  his  work,  the  men 
w/iorn  he  had  ?nade^  standing  in  the  forefront  of  the 
fight  for  the  right  and  the  true. 

Though  a  veteran  of  over  forty  years'  experience 
in  the  school-room,  he  had  not  yet  reached  his  three- 
score years  and  ten.  Though  he  had  always  been 
more  or  less  delicate,  yet  he  was  now  as  hale  as  he 
ever  had  been.  Under  all  these  auspicious  circum- 
stances, he  withdrew  himself  from  a  personal  par- 
ticipation in  the  discipline  and  instruction  of  the 
school  far  more  than  he  had  ever  done.  He  now  felt 
that  he  could  safely  and  properly  do  so.  He  had 
not  only  earned  a  rest,  but  he  saw  that  it  was  better 
for  the  future  of  the  school  that  it  should  be  intrust- 
ed more  and  more  to  the  young  men  whom  he  had 
chosen  to  be  his  successors.  Everything,  therefore, 
was  propitious;  and  while  a  doke  far  iiiente  life 
would  never  have  suited  him,  it  was  possible  that 
he  could  make  his  labors  less  irksome,  and  turn  them 
partially  to  other  channels. 

Besides  his  wife,  he  had  four  daughters,  w^hose 
society  he  could  enjoy  and  whose  education  he  could 
direct.  He  had  his  farm.  How  he  loved  that  farm  ! 
Partly,  perhaps,  because  it  reminded  him  of  his 
youthful  days.  Partly  because,  to  a  philosophic 
mind,  the  country  furnishes  retirement  for  medita- 
tion. Partly  because  he  loved  the  truthfulness  and 
freedom  of  natural  life.  Partly  because  it  was  a 
change  and  a  recreation  from  the  heavy  burdens  of 
the  school. 

'*  'Tis  very  sweet  to  look  into  the  fair 
And  open  face  of  heaven — to  breathe  a  prayer 
Full  in  the  smile  of  the  blue  firmament." 


WELL   DONE! 


261 


Partly  because  it  had  cost  him  a  great  deal  of 
money,  and  was  his  favorite  place  for  lavishing  it. 
This  farm  was  undoubtedly  Mr.  Kemper's  weakness. 
He  enjoyed  it,  and  every  friend  loves  to  thinli  of  the 
pure  and  almost  boyish  pleasure  that  it  gave  him. 
It  was  his  toy. 

But,  besides  family  and  farm,  he  had  other  plans, 
with  which  he  could  pleasantly  and  profitably  occupy 
the  leisure  gained  from  the  labors  of  the  school-room. 
He  had  for  years  cherished  purposes  of  authorship. 
Several  hints  of  this  are  found  in  his  writings. 
In  one  place,  for  example,  he  indicates  a  design  of 
preparing  a  work  on  "  Biblical  Orthoepy,"  and 
another  on  *'  Professional  Teaching."  In  the  same 
connection  he  speaks  of  editing  or  making  a  series 
of  text-books.  In  another  place  he  gives  quite  a  full 
synopsis  of  a  projected  volume,  which  was  to  be  a 
"School  and  Family  Bible,  with  Notes."  He  had 
prepared  material  for  school  text-books,  and  for  a 
manual,  at  least, -on  the  art  of  teaching;  and  his 
mind  was  richly  freighted  with  treasures  of  knowl- 
edge and  thought,  ready  to  be  expended  on  the  other 
subjects  mentioned  above.  For  the  last  three  years 
of  his  life  there  is  no  entry  to  be  found  in  his 
journal.  We  have,  therefore,  nothing  in  his  writings 
to  the  effect  that  his  main  object  in  relieving  him- 
self partially  of  his  school  cares  was  to  give  leisure 
for  authorship.  Yet  such  is  our  opinion.  Just  here 
we  shall  state  a  fact  which  will  probably  surprise 
many.  It  is  that  Mr.  Kemper  personally  supervised 
the  evening  studies  of  his  pupils  until  this  session  of 
1880-81.  He  surrendered  this  duty  to  Mr.  Hoge  in 
the  fall  of  1880,   the   very  last   year  that  he  lived. 


262  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Wlicre  shall  we  find  a  parallel  to  this  fidelity  to  the 
details  and  drudgery  of  the  profession  ? 

With  a  part  of  the  leisure  thus  gained  he  pre- 
pared a  series  of  short  articles  on  Ingersollism,  which 
were  published  in  the  'Qoovs.ViWt.  Advertiser.  We  shall 
transcribe  the  final  article,  as  it  contains  a  summary 
of  the  whole,  and  was  probably  the  last  thing  that  he 
ever  published. 

**  A  Synopsis  of  the  Seven  Conundrums  on  Ingersoll. 

''i.  When  Ingersoll  says  it  is  the  Christian  sys- 
tem that  men  are  taken  to  heaven  for  abandoninor 
their  families  and  sent  to  hell  for  cherishing  them, 
does  he  not  know  that  he  lies  ?  Certainly  every  well- 
taught  Sunday-school  child,  ten  years  old,  knows 
that  that  is  not  the  Christian  system. 

"2.  When  he  argues  against  the  corporal  punish- 
ment of  children,  by  taking,  possibly,  a  veritable  case 
of  some  man  inhumanly  beating  a  child,  *  with 
cheeks  flushed  with  anger  and  brows  knit  with 
wrath,'  does  he  not  commit  the  logical  fallacy  of '  a 
false  universal'  ?  Admitting  that  his  instance  is  not 
overdrawn,  does  he  not  tell  the  truth  as  if  it  were  un- 
true ? 

.  ''3.  What  are  his  merits  as  a  reformer?  He  ex- 
pects civilization  and  science  to  regulate  mankind. 
It  was  shown  that  crime  is  less  prevalent  in  Ireland 
than  in  Massachusetts,  and  that  property  is  safer  in 
Italy  than  in  the  old  '  Bay  State.' 

"1.  Is  lie  right  in  his  estimate  of  Thomas  Paine  ? 
We  adduced  a  few,  out  ol"  many,  witnesses  to  show 
Lliat  Paine  died  a  beastly  drunkard,  and  there  is 
abundant  evidence  that  he  lived  a  beastly  life.     His 


WELL   DONE!  263 

physician,  the  historian  Lossing,  Dr.  Francis,  Thor- 
burn,  and  others  prove  our  position.  Thorburn's 
testimony  was  never  disputed  during  his  life-time. 
Since  liis  death  the  infidel  journals  have  made  a 
liar,  a  plagiarist,  and  a  thief  of  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting characters  that  have  adorned  the  history 
of  this  country.  When  we  have  done  with  Inger- 
soll  we  will  discuss  Grant  Thorburn  as  a  matter  of 
justice. 

"5.  What  species  of  the  feathered  tribe  most 
fairly  represents  Ingersoll,  in  his  caricature  of  relig- 
ion and  its  ministers  ?  As  in  other  articles,  we  raise 
a  question  and  state  some  facts,  leaving  readers  to 
make  their  own  inferences. 

''  A  passage  in  the  life  of  the  Rev.  James  Gallaher, 
published  in  the  Western  Sketch  Book^  will  illustrate 
our  question.  About  half  a  century  ago  Mr.  G., 
with  other  ministers,  was  on  board  a  crowded  steam- 
boat on  the  Red  River.  A  certain  passenger  under- 
took, very  successfully,  to  amuse  the  crowd  by  telling 
anecdotes  at  the  expense  of  the  clergy.  Mr.  Gallag- 
her said  that  he  was  incomparably  the  best  story- 
teller he  had  ever  heard.  Every  story  was  better  than 
the  preceding  one.  They  went  up,  he  said,  like  stair- 
steps. They  were  every  one  pointed  at  the  preachers, 
and  the  vast  crowd  were  spell-bound. 

*'  Having  exhausted  his  artillery,  and  no  one  being 
disposed  to  answer,  he  turned  to  Mr.  Gallaher,  and 
asked  his  opinion  of  his  final  joke.  Mr.  G.  declined 
to  discuss  that  question,  saying  he  was  too  ignorant 
of  the  facts  ;  but  with  his  melodious  and  powerful 
voice  he  called  aloud  to  Major  Jenkins,  his  traveling 
companion,  who  was  some  distance  off.     His  splen- 


264  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

did  physique  and  inimitable  manner  at  once  arrested 
the  attention  of  the  excited  and  expectant  crowd. 

'*  *  Major  Jenkins,'  said  he,  *  do  you  remember  the 
Sabbath-school  address  which  I  delivered  the  other 
day  at  Shreveport  ?  '  'I  do,'  said  the  Major.  Per- 
fect silence  now  reigning  in  the  crowd,  he  resumed : 

"  '  I  told  the  children  how  I  should  like  to  have 
lived  neighbor  to  the  Patriarch  Abraham.  The  spe- 
cial feature  of  his  character  on  which  I  dwelt  was 
his  disposition  to  construe  charitably  the  characters 
of  his  fellow-men.  When  Sodom  was  about  to  be 
destroyed,  Abraham  was  confident  there  must  be 
fifty  good  men  in  the  place ;  and  if  that  could  not 
be,  there  must  be  forty  ;  and  so  on  down  to  ten  !  ' 
Breathless  attention  now  concentred  on  the  speaker. 
'  I  told  them  it  was  evident  that  Abraham  was  not  a 
man  to  be  smelling  around  for  dirty  things  ! '  Rapt 
attention,  and  expectation  on  tiptoe.  '  I  went  on 
to  illustrate  from  the  feathered  tribe.  I  told  those 
children  if,  on  some  fine  shining  morning,  a  dove 
should  fly  out  from  its  resting-place  and  sail  over 
the  waving  grain-fields,  bathing  its  wings  in  heaven's 
sunlight  and  resting  in  the  cool  shade,  how  peace- 
ful its  heart  would  be;  and  at  night,  if  that  bird 
could  talk,  it  would  have  nothing  to  tell  about  but 
what  was  beautiful  in  earth  and  sky  !  '  Great  crowd 
now  well  nigh  entranced.  '  But  if  a  buzzard  fly  over 
the  same  grain-fields,  bathe  his  broad  black  wings  in 
the  same  sunlight,  and  rest  at  noon  in  the  same  cool 
shade,  wlien  he  gets  home  at  night  he  will  have 
nothing  to  talk  about  but  rotten  *  possum  or  dead  calf  I ' 

"  At  this  point  the  crowd  became  uncontrollable. 
They    shouted,    they    clapped,    they    stamped,  they 


WELL   DONE!  265 

waved  their  hats  in  admiration  and  delight,  A 
United  States  military  officer  was  so  excited  that 
he  ran  up  and  down  the  deck,  shouting,  *  Oh,  that  buz- 
zard, that  buzzard  ! '  The  scoffing  story-teller  got  off 
at  the  first  landing,  and  Mr.  G.  heard  of  him  no  more. 

'*  6.  Does  the  temper  which  pervades  his  writings 
mark  the  candid  inquirer  after  truth  ?  We  showed 
that  he  puts  his  questions  like  an  advocate,  and  not 
like  a  judge  or  a  cool  philosopher  ;  that  where  he  de- 
manded a  categorical  yes  or  no,  the  true  answer  was 
yes  and  no,  according  to  facts. 

"7.  On  the  moral  influence  of  Ingersollism,  we 
cited  the  reformation  of  the  Five  Points  and  Water 
Street  in  New  York  by  Christian  effort,  as  opposed  to 
the  whole  tenor  of  his  philosophy. 

"  I  have  been  led,  Mr.  Editor,  to  present  these 
vulnerable  points  of  Ingersollism  in  a  county  paper, 
because  his  books  are  hawked  about  the  country,  on 
the  railroad  cars,  and  sent  to  the  pupils  in  our 
schools,  who  are  easily  led  astray  because  they  are 
ignorant.  One  of  our  pupils,  however,  who  was  a 
well-read  historian,  wrote  a  masterly  review  and  refu- 
tation of  Ingersoll's  book  entitled  '  The  Gods  and 
other  Lectures.'  Ingersoll's  glory,  like  that  of  Celsus 
and  Porphyry,  and  Voltaire  and  Paine,  will  fade  as 
the  years  go  by.  F.  T.  Kemper." 

Another  chief  use  which  he  desired  to  make  of  his 
partial  leisure  was  to  devote  it  to  various  works  of 
kindly  benefaction.  He  wished  to  visit  the  poor,  the 
sick,  the  distressed.  He  wished  to  take  a  more  active 
part  in  the  gatherings  of  farmers,  in  the  conventions 
of  teachers,  and  in  the  meetings  of  the  Church.     He 


2  66  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMFER. 

made  preparation  to  address  the  Missouri  Legisla- 
ture on  the  interests  of  education  in  the  State.  He 
attended  the  Synod  of  Missouri,  which  met  at  Fulton 
in  the  fall  of  1880. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  his  strong  attachment 
for  his  farm,  and  the  large  sums  which  he  expended 
in  improving  it.  He  spent  a  great  portion  of  his 
leisure  there  during  the  last  four  years  of  his  life, 
and  he  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  that  the  fine  ponds 
which  he  had  made  were  of  great  practical  service 
during  the  seasons  of  drouth.  Since  his  death  many 
of  his  neighbors  have  doubtless  blessed  his  memory, 
as  they  found  a  bountiful  supply  of  water  on  that 
farm  during  the  protracted  drouth  of  1881. 

We  cannot  forbear  giving  an  instance  of  the  simple 
generosity  of  his  nature,  which  sometimes  led  him 
to  be  imposed  upon.  Every  agent  for  the  sale  of 
farming  implements  came  to  know  this  amiable 
weakness  ;  and  on  one  occasion,  while  sitting,  with 
one  of  his  tutors,  on  the  front  porch  of  the  school 
building,  he  looked  up  the  street  and  saw  a 
man  approaching  who  was  manifestly  a  peripatetic 
vender  of  pumps.  Addressing  his  companion,  Mr. 
Kemper  said,  "  Do  you  see  that  fellow  coming  down 
the  street?  You  see  that  he  is  a  pump-peddler. 
Now  he  is  coming  here,  I  venture,  to  try  to  sell  his 
pumps  to  me ;  but  I  do  not  intend  to  buy — I  have  been 
imposed  upon  too  often."  Sure  enough,  the  man 
came,  and  Mr.  Kemper  at  first  began  to  bluif  him, 
but  before  an  hour  passed  he  had  bought  three  of 
the  fellow's  worthless  pumps. 

The  neighborhood  of  the  farm  was  quite  destitute 
of  churches   or  of  church-going  people.     He  there- 


WELL   DONE!  267 

tore  at  an  early  day  established  a  Sunday-school  in 
the  school-house.  This  he  kept  up  for  twenty-five 
years,  providing  teachers  from  his  pupils.  It  effected 
quite  a  reformation  in  the  vicinity,  as  all  the  citizens, 
except  the  Roman  Catholic  element,  seemed  to  be 
interested.  For  several  years  prior  to  his  death  he 
went  regularly  himself  to  this  Sabbath-school.  Mrs. 
Kemper  had  a  juvenile  class.  The  remainder  were 
divided  into  classes,  who  recited  a  lesson  to  their 
several  teachers,  after  which  he  lectured  the  whole 
school,  explaining  and  illustrating  the  subject  by 
earnest  and  pathetic  appeals. 

Sunday  was  his  busiest  day.  After  teaching  an 
hour  before  church,  he  attended  the  regular  morning 
service.  After  dinner  he  rode  out  five  miles  to  his 
farm  school,  and  returned  just  in  time  for  supper. 
When  supper  was  over,  he  met  his  boys  to  conduct 
a  reading  exercise,  and  then  went  with  them  to  the 
evening  service  in  the  church.  Mrs.  Kemper  tried 
to  persuade  him  that  it  was  best  to  remain  at  home 
in  the  evening,  after  his  fatiguing  labors  and  cold 
rides.  But  he  feared  that  the  people  might  not  un- 
derstand why  he  was  absent,  and  thought  it  his  duty 
to  set  an  example  of  faithful  attendance  upon  all  the 
regular  services. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  last  school  session  he 
said  to  his  wife,  '*  You  must  try  to  be  relieved  from 
home  cares,  so  that  you  can  go  with  me  to  places 
where  recreation  or  business  may  call  me.''  She 
thought  to  herself  :  "  The  time  cannot  be  very  long 
that  we  shall  be  spared  to  each  other.  Though  I  am 
confident,  with  his  vigorous  constitution,  that  he  will 
exceed  his  threescore  years  and  ten,  yet  the  time  is 


268  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

short,  and  we  must  not  be  separated  an  hour  longer 
than  is  necessary."  So  she  accompanied  him  to 
several  meetings  for  teachers  in  the  county,  to  the 
State  convention  of  teachers  at  Columbia,  and  to  the 
meeting  of  the  Synod  in  Fulton.  They  had  arranged 
to  spend  the  Christmas  holidays  at  Kirksville,  but  the 
excessive  cold  prevented.  Through  all  the  storms 
and  cold  of  the  winter  of  1880-81  they  went  together 
to  their  little  Sunday-school,  five  miles  in  the  countcy. 
Two  or  three  Sabbaths  the  snow  was  so  deep  that  he 
thought  none  of  his  class  could  meet,  and  he  did  not 
go  to  the  school.  But  he  did  not  rest  at  home ;  for 
he  said  that,  as  he  had  so  few  opportunities  to  visit 
the  sick  and  afflicted,  he  must  improve  that  time. 

There  is  one  portion  of  Mr.  Kemper's  work,  of 
interest  and  importance,  to  which  we  can  barely  al- 
lude. We  refer  to  his  short  impromptu  speeches, 
delivered  in  teachers'  conventions,  in  the  church, 
and  especially  to  his  boys  at  the  dining-table.  His 
table-talks  are  said  to  have  been  frequently  quite 
interesting  as  well  as  instructive.  We  have  unfortu- 
nately no  record  of  tliem.  In  these  improvised 
speeches,  his  native  talent,  his  wealth  of  knowledge, 
and  especially  his  warm,  tender,  pious  heart  showed 
themselves.  During  the  week  of  prayer  in  January, 
1881,  at  one  of  the  meetings  he  made  some  remarks 
which  produced  a  universal  and  profound  impression 
on  the  assembled  congregation.  He  spoke  as  if  his 
lips  had  been  touched  by  a  live  coal  from  the  altar  of 
heaven.  Many  that  heard  him  seemed  to  realize 
that  he  spoke  under  the  promptings  of  the  Infinite 
Spirit  of  Grace,  and  seemed  to  them  a  messenger 
from  above.     This  was  his  last  public  talk. 


WELL   DONE! 


269 


As  Sunday  was  his  busiest  day,  he  had  no  leisure 
until  he  returned  from  the  service  in  the  church  at 
night.  This  he  appropriated  to  singing  his  favorite 
hymns.  On  the  last  Sabbath  night  before  he  was 
taken  sick  he  practised  with  Mrs.  Kemper  a  hymn 
in  which  occurs  this  stanza : 

"  The  while  my  pulses  faintly  beat, 
My  faith  doth  so  abound, 
I  feel  grow  firm  beneath  my  feet 
The  green  immortal  ground." 

And  another: 

•'  It  is  not  death  to  die, 

To  leave  this  weary  road, 
"  And,  'midst  the  brotherhood  on  high, 
To  be  at  home  with  God." 

Two  days  before  his  sickness  he  read  aloud  to  his 
wife  the  following  poem,  which  he  had  cut  from  an 
old  newspaper  and  pasted  in  his  little  pocket  Testa- 
ment : 

♦'GUIDE    US  TO-DAY. 

"  Guide  us  to-day,  O  loving  care, 

Shielding  our  dangerous  way. 
The  white  mist  binds  the  sky  o'erhead, 
The  gulf  beside  is  deep  and  dread, 
Our  course  a  maze,  our  path  a  thread  ; 
Guide  us,  Love's  dearest  care, 
Guide  us  this  day. 

**  Guide  us  to-day,  sweet  soul  of  peace, 
Making  men's  hearts  obey. 
Our  naked  breasts  bleed  at  a  wound, 
Oppression  bows  us  to  the  ground. 
Our  hearts  faint  at  a  cruel  sound  ; 
Kind,  calm,  consoling  Peace, 
Guide  us  this  day. 


270  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

"  Guide  us  to-day,  O  tender  Grace, 
From  zenith  shadows  stray  ; 
A  sad,  deep  murmur  haunts  the  sea  ; 
The  summer  withers  ;  and  the  free, 
Fresh  wind  has  sighs  of  mystery. 
Guide  us,  O  tender  Grace, 
Guide  us  to-day. 

"  Guide  us,  O  Love,  and  Peace,  and  Grace  ! 
Guide  us,  divinest  Light  ! 
Through  all  our  work,  and  care,  and  woe, 
Through  all  the  dizzy  joys  we  know, 
Through  that  '  dark  valley  '  where  we  go, 
Guide  us.  Love's  dearest  Light, 
To-day,  to-night." 

We  now  record  the  last' scenes  in  the  words  of  the 
wife,  who  had  been  his  loving  companion  and  faith- 
ful friend  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century: 

'^  Thursday  Morning,  March  3,  1881. 

*'  Mr.  Kemper  took  charge  of  Mr.  Hoge's  classes, 
who  was  absent  attending  the  wedding  of  Dr.  McCoy 
and  Miss  Hettie  Rush.  In  the  midst  of  this  extra 
work,  he  had,  to  use  his  own  expression,  the  hardest 
chill  he  had  experienced  for  twenty  years.  He  came 
to  the  dinner-table  and  drank  a  cup  of  coifee,  but 
excused  his  class  from  going  to  his  room  to  study, 
and  immediately  went  to  bed.  He  asked  that  I 
should  bring  him  some  hot  drink  to  take  a  sweat. 
But  as  soon  as  he  was  composed  in  bed,  he  said  that, 
as  he  felt  so  comfortable,  he  thought  he  only  needed 
rest  and  would  take  a  vapor  bath  at  bed-time.  At 
nine  o'clock  he  took  his  bath  and  slept  soundly  all 
night. 

*'In  tlic  morning  lie  said  that  he  would  have  his 


I 


WELL   DONE!  271 

breakfast  in  bed,  then  dress,  and  go  into  the  school- 
room. But  he  had  no  appetite  for  breakfast,  and 
concluded  to  remain  in  bed  all  the  morning.  About 
ten  o'clock  he  thought  that  he  ought  to  see  the  doc- 
tor, wh-o  was  sent  for.  On  his  arrival,  he  said  that 
there  seemed  to  be  danger  of  another  chill,  and 
ordered  hot  and  stimulating  drinks  immediately. 
After  an  examination,  the  doctor  thought  there  was 
a  threatened  attack  of  pneumonia,  which  he  hoped 
could  be  averted.  In  the  evening,  having  learned 
that  his  little  pet,  Gertrude  Cosgrove,  was  in  the 
house,  he  sent  for  her  to  come  to  his  room.  Soon 
after  Mrs.  Cosgrove  came  in  with  her  two  boys,  and 
Mrs.  Johnston  and  Bertha  made  a  call.  These,  with 
our  own  children,  made  quite  a  crowd  in  his  room. 
But  he  kissed  the  children,  and  talked  with  them  and 
their  mothers.  He  also  got  his  Greek  books  and 
called  Grace  to  read  over  her  lesson.  He  did  not 
manifest  any  weariness,  and  at  night  I  read  to  him 
from  the  newspapers,  and  he  talked  with  interest 
about  the  items. 

"  Through  the  night,  however,  he  was  quite  rest- 
less ;  but  when  I  asked  him  if  there  was  any  pain, 
he  answered,  *  None  at  all  ;  I  am  very  comfortable.' 
I  was  giving  medicine  every  two  hours,  and  keeping 
the  room  at  a  regular  temperature;  so  I  slept  but 
very  little.  Saturday  morning  he  seemed  better, 
and  I  left  Grace  with  him,  while  I  attended  to  some 
household  duties. 

'*  Before  dinner.  Dr.  Jones,  of  Clinton,  came, 
bringing  his  son.  After  dinner  he  went  into  Mr. 
Kemper's  room  and  had  quite  a  long  talk.  When 
he  left,  my  husband  said,  '  I  am  afraid  that  I  talked 


272  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

too  long.  I  get  so  interested  about  the  entrance  of 
a  new  boy,  as  so  many  failures  are  made  by  not 
starting  with  an  earnest  purpose  to  do  their  best.  I 
wanted  to  present  the  case  fairly  to  the  father.  Be- 
sides, he  was  a  very  pleasant  talker,  and  gave  me  his 
remedy  for  catarrh,  which  I  think  I  shall  try.' 

*'  That  night  I  read  the  newspapers  again,  but  he 
seemed  to  be  sleeping  most  of  the  time.  He  had, 
however,  another  restless  night.  Sunday  morning 
the  doctor  ordered  his  bed  moved  into  the  parlor,  so 
that  he  would  not  be  disturbed  by  the  noises.  He 
was  not  quite  pleased  to  make  a  change,  as  he  said 
that  he  was  not  troubled  by  the  noise.  He  concluded, 
however,  that  it  was  best,  on  account  of  the  morning 
sunshine.  From  the  beginning  of  his  sickness  until 
his  closing  hours  there  was  no  complaint  :  his  bed 
was  comfortable,  his  food  and  medicine  pleasant  to 
take  ;  there  was  not  a  pain  in  any  part  of  his  body. 
Although  he  groaned  and  tossed,  he  said  that  it  was 
only  a  habit,  and  that  I  must  stop  him  if  it  would  do 
any  harm. 

'*  As  I  had  not  slept  for  two  nights,  I  was  lying 
on  the  side  of  his  bed  and  sleeping  some;  I  did  not, 
therefore,  read  aloud  to  him.  As  the  doctor  thought 
that  he  was  doing  well  and  would  sleep  that  night, 
I  concluded  to  stay  alone  with  him  again.  But 
toward  midnight  there  were  some  new  symptoms 
which  made  me  very  uneasy.  I  wandered  about  the 
house  to  find  some  one  whom  I  might  send  for  the 
doctor.  But  the  doors  were  all  locked,  and  I  could 
not  waken  any  one  without  making  considerable  dis- 
turbance. So  I  went  back  to  work  alone  until  day- 
light; but  I  never  closed  my  eyes  for  a  moment,  nor 


WELL   DONE!  273 

rested  al  all.     At  five  o'clock  1  sent  for  the  doctor, 
and  he  quieted  all  my  fears. 

**  From  this  time,  however,  he  aroused  from  his 
dreamy,  quiet  condition,  and  was  constantly  instruct- 
ing the  imaginary  classes  before  him.  He  called  the 
names  of  pupils,  many  of  whom  had  gone  before  him 
to  the  spirit  world.  Those  were  very  pleasant  days 
of  teaching.  There  were  no  bad  lessons.  There 
was  no  word  of  reproof,  but  every  scholar  gave  pleas- 
ure. Often  he  would  turn  to  me  and  tell  me  how 
well  his  boys  were  doing.  When  I  would  say  that 
it  was  not  best  to  tax  his  mind  with  his  classes  while 
he  was  sick,  he  would  reply  that  there  was  no  labor, 
for  every  boy  was  doing  well.  This  apparent  wan- 
dering of  his  mind,  in  thinking  his  classes  were  be- 
fore him,  did  not  extend  to  other  things.  No  one 
could  enter  the  room,  ever  so- lightly,  without  his 
recognizing  them  and  speaking.  We  could  not 
speak  to  him  on  any  subject,  that  he  did  not  fully 
understand  our  meaning. 

"  On  Tuesday,  about  noon,  he  commenced  cough- 
ing, but  said  that  it  did  not  hurt  him  to  do  so.  I 
felt  alarmed  at  this  new  symptom,  but  the  doctor 
considered  it  favorable.  All  Tuesday  night  he 
tossed  and  groaned,  and  I  noticed  that  he  held  my 
hand  in  a  closer  grasp,  and  often  drew  my  head  down 
upon  his  pillow,  although  he  talked  but  little. 
Through  his  entire  sickness  there  had  never  passed 
an  hour  perhaps,  without  a  prayer  such  as,  '  O  Lord, 
help  me!  O  Father,  let  Thy  will  be  done.'  But  he 
never  spoke  of  dying,  and  I  do  not  think  that  he  sup- 
posed his  sickness  was  serious  /never  dreamed  of 
the  danger,  until  there  was  no  mistaking  the  terrible 
13 


2  74  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

reality.  The  latter  part  of  the  night  I  had  given 
him  medicine  to  produce  sleep.  If  that  had  not  been 
done,  his  mind  might  have  been  clear  to  understand 
his  true  condition.  The  effect  of  this  medicine  was 
to  produce  a  heavy  slumber,  from  which  he  never 
fully  aroused. 

"  When  he  saw  us  gathering  anxiously  around  his 
bed,  he  said,  *  Sing.'  Asking  what  we  should  sing, 
his  reply  was, 

'  Jesus  paid  it  all,  all  the  debt  I  owe.* 

Our  niece.  Miss  Jasper  Bocock,  and  her  brother 
Willis  then  sang  the  chorus.  Dr.  Gauss,  our  pas- 
tor, came  in  soon  after,  and  asked  him  how  he  felt  in 
the  prospect  of  eternal  scenes.  His  answer  was,  '  I 
know  whom  I  have  believed,  and  am  persuaded  that 
He  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto 
Him  against  that  day.'  I  said  to  him,  '  Do  you  think 
that  you  are  going  to  leave  us.'*'  and  his  answer  was, 
'  I  do  not  feel  that  I  am  ! '  I  added,  *  Is  it  bright  now  }  ' 
and  he  said,  '  Yes,  all  is  calm — no  pain,  no  anxiety  ! ' 
He  returned  our  kisses  to  the  very  last  breath ;  and 
he  clasped  my  hand  tightly  after  his  pulse  had 
stopped  its  beating.  I  believe  that  he  at  last  real- 
ized the  leave-taking,  but  had  not  strength  to  express 
his  feelings. 

'*  The  doctor  says  that  there  was  some  trouble  of  the 
heart  the  last  morning,  which  balanced  the  scales 
against  him ;  for,  until  that  time,  there  was  every 
prospect  of  a  recovery.  This  may  have  been  true,  as 
years  ago  he  had  complained  of  some  unusual  action 
of  the  heart,  and  several  of  his  family  had  died  very 
suddenly,  as  though  the  life-current  had  been  stopped 


WELL   DONE! 


'75 


without  any  warning.  As  I  look  back  over  his  whole 
sickness,  it  is  my  firm  belief  that  no  medical  skill 
could  have  saved  his  life.  But  oh,  if  I  had  realized 
that  there  was  even  danger  in  his  case,  what  delight- 
ful talks  we  might  have  had  about  the  heavenly 
home,  and  what  words  of  comfort  and  cheer  he  could 
have  left  us!  That  we  were  denied  this  pleasure 
teaches  me  that  our  Heavenly  Father  knew  that  it 
was  not  best  for  us.  We  should  learn  the  lesson, 
that  God  does  not  permit  all  of  His  redeemed  ones 
to  glorify  Him  in  a  dying  hour;  but  they  must  do 
this  in  health,  and  in  possession  of  all  their  mental 
powers. 

**I  neglected  to  mention  that,  toward  the  last,  he 
repeated  over  softly  these  lines  : 

'  Do  noble  things,  not  dream  them  all  day  long  ; 
Thus  making  life,  death,  and  that  vast  forever. 
One  grand ,  sweet  song  !  ' 

"  God  grant  that  this  affliction  may  be  rightly  im- 
proved. If  the  youth  who  have  been  taught  in  this 
school  should  be  led  by  it  to  give  more  earnest  heed 
to  the  lessons  of  the  past,  and  consecrate  their  lives 
to  nobler  work,  then  the  death  of  their  teacher  may 
accomplish  greater  good  than  all  his  life  labors." 


Thus  passed  away,  like  a  little  child,  this  great  and 
good  man,  to  join  the  good  and  great  of  earth  who 
had  preceded  him.  Thus  passed  away  this  faithful 
and  successful  teacher,  to  join  his  pupils  and  to  sit  at 
the  feet  of  the  Great  Teacher.  Thus  passed  away  this 
wise  and  loving  father,  to  join  his  seven  little  ones 
who  were  already  at    home  in  heaven.     Thus  passed 


276  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

away  tliis  humble,  trusting,  useful  Christian,  to  join 
"the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first-born," 
and  to  sing  again  with  his  mother  "  The  Star  of  Beth- 
lehem," in  that  city  where  they  *'  have  no  need  of  the 
light  of  the  sun  nor  of  the  moon." 

"  How  fair  and  how  lovely  it  is  to  behold 

The  sun  in  his  splendor  approaching  the  west  ! 
Its  race  is  near  run,  and,  refulgent  as  gold. 

It  glides  through  the  ether  as  hastening  to  rest. 
It  sinks,  but  in  sinking  'tis  only  to  rise, 

Its  grandeur  and  glory  afresh  to  display  ; 
It  sets,  but,  in  other  and  far  distant  skies, 

It  rises  and  reigns  in  the  brightness  of  day. 

"  Yet  far  more  resplendent  than  this  is  the  scene 

Of  the  good  man  approaching  the  confines  of  time  ! 
All  loving,  all  peaceful,  all  calm  and  serene, 

He  passes  away  with  a  brightness  sublime. 
He  dies,  but  no  pencil  can  ever  portray 

The  splendor  and  glory  that  burst  on  his  sight, 
As,  guided  by  angels,  he  speeds  on  his  way. 

Through  the  portals  of  praise  to  the  temple  of  light." 

He  died  Wednesday,  March  9,  1881.  The  funeral 
services  were  held  Thursday,  March  10,  in  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Boonvilie,  before  a  large  and  deeply 
moved  congregation.  All  were  mourners  ;  for  all — 
the  poor,  the  church,  the  community — felt  that  they,  as 
well  as  the  fiimily,  were  deprived  of  a  valuable  and 
cherished  friend  and  helper.  In  token  of  respect, 
the  mayor  of  Boonvilie,  J.  F.  Gmelich,  issued  a 
proclamation  requesting  that  all  places  of  business 
be  closed  during  the  funeral.  There  was  a  cheerful 
compliance  witii  this  request.  He  was  borne  into  the 
church  and  out  of  it  by  his  fellow-officers  and  members 


WELL   DONE! 


277 


of  the  church,  followed  by  his  immediate  family,  as 
well  as  by  his  large  family  of  boys,  who  were  most 
deeply  impressed  by  the  removal  from  them  of  the 
venerable  founder  and  esteemed  head  of  their  school. 
The  exercises  were  conducted  by  the  pastor,  the 
Rev.  O.  W.  Gauss,  M.D.,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  B.  T. 
Lacy,  D.D.  They  consisted  of  the  singing  of  fa- 
miliar gospel  hymns,  Scripture  reading,  and  a  funeral 
address.  There  was  no  formal  text  or  sermon,  but 
the  remarks  of  the  pastor  were  so  felicitous  that  Dr. 
Lacy  remarked  afterward,  '*  I  did  not  say  anything, 
because  to  touch  a  thing  that  is  complete  is  to  spoil 
it."  The  last  hymn  was  one  of  Mr.  Kemper's  favor- 
ites, and  was  sung  to  the  tune  which  he  preferred.  It 
was  peculiarly  appropriate  to  the  occasion  : — 

"  Palms  of  glory,  raiment  bright." 

Before  the  congregation  was  dismissed,  a  telegram, 
just  received  by  Colonel  J.  L.  Stephens  from  Hon.  L. 
M.  Lawson,  of  New  York,  paying  a  touching  tribute 
of  respect  and  love  to  the  memory  of  his  endeared 
friend  and  honored  teacher,  was  passed  up  to  the 
pulpit  and  read.  This  will  be  found  in  a  subsequent 
chapter. 

The  procession  to  the  cemetery  was  long,  and  made 
up  of  a  much  larger  number  of  genuine  mourners 
than  is  usual  in  such  cases.  With  loving  hands  and 
weeping  eyes,  friends  laid  him  in  Walnut  Grove 
Cemetery,  by  the  side  of  the  sleeping  dust  of  his 
children,  to  await  the  blessed  resurrection  of  the  just. 

This  chapter  cannot  be  more  fittingly  closed  than 
with  the  following  extracts  from  a  letter,  written  soon 
after  his  death  by  his  sister,  Mrs.  S.  M.  Bocock  : 


278  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

**  When  the  astounding  intelligence  of  the  death 
reached  me,  almost  my  first  thought  was  of  Spur- 
geon's  illustration  of  the  ''Abundant  Entrance!  The 
good  ship  on  her  homeward  voyage,  coming  into 
port  on  a  fair  day,  with  colors  flying  and  music 
playing,  amid  the  greetings  of  an  expectant  throng 
assembled  for  the  welcome  !  Then  my  heart  cried 
out,  Must  all  that  gentleness  and  goodness,  that 
loyal  love  of  Right  and  Truth,  pass  away  from 
earth  ?  Can  we  not  keep  his  example  living,  though 
he  is  gone?  I  felt  that  some  one  must  try  to  photo- 
graph the  spirit  in  a  meniorial  volume. 

''  His  busy,  loving,  brave  spirit,  as  seen  in  his  every- 
day life,  is  a  picture  on  which  my  mind  will  ever  love 
to  dwell.  His  '  table-tall^s  '  were  a  perpetual  marvel 
to  me.  Would  that  we  had  notes  of  some  of  them  ! 
Often,  often  as  I  listened,  I  felt  that  if  those  ringing 
words  could  have  been  delivered  to  an  assembled 
multitude,  just  as  they  were  spoken  there  to  those 
fifty  boys  seated  around  his  tables,  what  fame  would 
be  his  !  As  I  looked  upon  that  earnest,  beaming  face, 
suriounded  by  his  velvet  cap  and  cloak,  as  he  read 
and  commented  on  some  such  Scripture  as  the  28th 
chapter  of  Job  or  the  prophecies  about  Babylon  and 
Nineveh  and  their  fulfilment,  or  the  latter  part  of  the 
II  til  chapter  of  Matthew,  I  sometimes  almost  im- 
agined that  one  of  the  old  Reformers  had  come  back 
to  us  !  But  so  modest,  and  so  absorbed  was  he  in  his 
life-work  that,  all  unconscious  of  his  greatness,  he 
desired  no  other  audience  than  his  pupils.  What  an 
honest  pride  he  had  in  those  boys  !  I  can  see  him  now, 
standing  in  his  door,  hat  in  hand,  on  a  calm  Sabbath 
morning,  gazing  on  that  solid  phalanx  of  fine-looking 


WELL   DONE! 


279 


boys,  from  ten  different  States,  all  in  their  uniforms, 
with  their  tutors  and  officers,  marching  to  church. 
He  seemed  to  feel  somewhat  as  St.  Paul  felt,  when 
he  told  the  Thessalonians  that  they  were  his  '  crown 
of  rejoicing.' 

"  I  am  spending  the  most  curious  winter  of  my  life. 
I  am  here  at  the  sweet  old  home  almost  alone ;  sleeping 
in  the  chamber  of  my  girlhood  ;  writing  on  a  desk  that 
was  my  grandmother's  a  hundred  years  ago  ;  wander- 
ing among  shrubbery  of  my  mother's  planting;  in 
sight  of  the  graveyard,  over  the  falls  (we  didn't  say 
terraces  in  the  old  times),  where  my  dead  sisters  and 
I  played  in  childhood ;  going  over  what  were  my 
husband's  favorite  walks  in  the  *  long  ago  ;'  sitting 
where  my  father  sat  at  family  prayers  :  the  very 
air  laden  with  memories,  and  I  almost  'lingering  for 
the  feet,  which  never  more  my  steps  shall  meet.' 
Thank  God  !  all,  all  who  are  gone  were  followers  of 
our  blessed  Saviour,  and  I  doubt  not  are  now  together 
in  '  Our  Father's  House.'  " 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    PERFECTED    SCHOOL. 

"  Knowledge  and  wisdom,  far  from  being  one, 
Have  ofttimes  no  connexion.     Knowledge  dwells 
In  heads  replete  with  thoughts  of  other  men  ; 
Wisdom  in  minds  attentive  to  their  own." 

COWPER. 

As  we  have  already  seen,  Mr.  Kemper  began  his 
life  of  teaching  under  the  profound  conviction  that 
he  was  entering  upon  a  profession  in  which  a  quarter 
of  a  century  would  be  necessary  to  gain  a  knowledge 
of  its  principles.  Those  twenty-five  years  were 
passed  by  him  with  single-hearted  devotedness  to  his 
chosen  work.  From  the  time  he  taught  as  a  post- 
graduate in  Marion  College,  1841  to  1866,  when  he 
was  the  honored  head  of  the  Family  School  which 
bears  his  name,  his  time,  his  energies,  his  talents, 
his  means  were  all  engrossed  in  the*  work  of  educa- 
tion. 

While  he  had  inherited  the  conservatism  of  Old 
Virginia,  which  prevented  him  from  making  any 
change  for  the  mere  sake  of  change,  or  whose  pro- 
priety might  be  questionable,  he  yet  had  breathed 
the  free  Western  air  in  his  early  manhood,  and  was 
ready  to  put  all  plans  and  professed  improvements 
into  the  testing  crucible,  and  to  adopt  them,  if  they 


THE  PERFECTED    SCHOOL. 


281 


proved  to  be  the  genuine  gold.  Thus  it  was  that 
those  years  of  self  allotted  apprenticeship  were  years 
of  rigid  experiment,  of  constant  pruning,  and  of 
equally  constant  growth  and  development. 

He  was  permitted  to  continue  his  work  for  fifteen 
years  longer,  and  yet,  to  the  day  of  his  last  service 
in  the  field  of  education,  he  never  thought  that  his 
work  was  perfect.  His  conceptions  and  his  plans  for 
realizing  them  grew  year  by  year,  so  that  he  prob- 
ably felt  at  the  last  that  he  was  as  far  from  reaching  his 
ideal  as  he  had  been  when  he  began  over  forty  years 
before.  Still  there  was  a  mighty  change.  He  was 
a  different  man,  developed  both  in  knowledge  and 
wisdom,  as  from  infancy  to  manhood.  The  school, 
since  it  began  in  Boonville  in  1844,  now  that  its 
thirty-seventh  year  was  ending,  was  as  little  like  its 
beginning  as  the  oak  is  like  the  acorn,  or  the  Father 
of  Waters  like  the  incipient  mountain  stream.  So 
great  were  the  changes,  so  many  were  the  impiove- 
ments,  that  Mr.  Kemper  often  said  to  us,  who  were 
his  early  pupils,  that  we  would  hardly  realize  that  it 
was  the  same  school.  Had  he  lived  a  generation 
longer,  this  process  of  development  would  doubtless 
have  continued.  Every  living  man  is  a  growing  man. 
As  soon  as  he  ceases  to  grow  physically  he  begins 
to  die.  So  it  is  with  him  mentally  and  spiritually. 
Growth  is  the  law  of  life  ;  it  is  the  law  of  every  living 
organism. 

It  took  Mr.  Kemper  forty  years  to  make  this  school 
what  it  was  and  is.  Every  year  it  was  doubtless 
better  than  the  one  preceding;  and  he  left  it,  in  the 
vigor  of  its  growth,  to  the  care  of  a  skilled  and  pro- 
gressive mind,  in  the  maturity  of  young  manhood, 

13* 


282  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

under  whom  it  will  continue  to  expand,  to  drink  in 
more  of  the  dews  of  heaven,  and  to  absorb  more  of 
the  light  of  God's  eternal  truth.  The  best  schools 
are  necessarily  the  old  schools,  in  the  hands  of 
living  and  progressive  men. 

We  have  said  so  much  to  prevent  a  misconception 
of  the  title  of  this  chapter.  It  is  not  The  Perfect 
School.  Mr.  Kemper  would  never  have  claimed  it  to 
be  so.  We  shall  not  do  injustice  to  the  memory  of 
his  honesty  by  making  such  a  claim.  In  want  of  a 
better  expression,  we  call  it  The  Perfected  School — 
that  is,  the  school  as,  and  so  far  as,  perfected,  devel- 
oped, completed  by  its  founder.  In  this  chapter, 
therefore,  we  shall  seek  to  present  the  school,  in  all 
of  its  salient  features,  just  as  he  left  it.  For  this 
purpose  we  shall  use  his  last  catalogues,  as  setting 
forth  his  final  views  and  plans  on  all  the  points  of 
which  they  treat.     They  say  : 

"  We  ask  public  attention  to  a  few  well  defined 
characteristics  of  our  life-work. 

"the  school  is  small. 

**  Unlike  the  colleges  and  public  schools,  we  are 
limited  by  the  accommodations  and  discipline  of  a 
family.  Fifty  pupils  fill  our  school-room,  dining- 
room,  and  lodging  -  rooms.  No  day  scholars  are 
admitted.  The  small  portion  of  our  scholars  from 
the  immediate  vicinity  board  with  the  others,  and 
evcrv  Innir  of  the  day  and  night  is  faithfully  em- 
l)l()yed  in  such  labor  or  recreation  as  will  promote 
our  great  end,  which  is 


THE   PERFECTED   SCHOOL,  283 

"the  making  of  men.* 

"While  assiduously  increasing  our  familiarity 
with  such  of  the  arts  and  sciences  as  we  teach,  and 
conscientiously  preparing  for  our  daily  recitations, 
(giving  more  time  to  preparation  than  when  we  were 
novices),  we  regard  the  imparting  of  knowledge  as 
a  very  small  part  of  our  work.  What  a  boy  is  and 
does,  much  more  than  what  he  has,  determines  his 
destiny.  Hence  a  wise  training  is  indispensable. 
This  consists  in  an  energetic  obedience  to  law.  This 
done,  the  great  work  is  virtually  accomplished,  the 
powers  are  symmetrically  developed,  and  the  youth 
is  prepared  for  an  intelligent,  self-controlled  man- 
hood. 

*'  While  we  take  no  notoriously  bad  boys,  and  al- 
ways advertise  that  such  cannot  be  satisfied  here, 
such  boys  are  not  the  most  dangerous  characters  in 
school. 

"physical  culture. 

"  A  bountiful  supply  of  good  food,  ample  play- 
ground, with  facilities  for  rowing,  skating,  and  swim- 
ming, regular  exercise  in  the  open  air,  and  sufficient 
time  for  sleep,  are  as  systematically  attended  to  as 
study  in  study  hours.  Only  two  pupils  have  died  in 
this  family  school  during  its  long  history. 

*  Not  long  before  his  death  Mr.  Kemper  was  called  as  a  wit- 
ness into  court.  To  identify  him,  the  usual  questions  were  put 
as  to  his  name,  residence,  etc.  When  asked,  "  What  is  your  oc- 
cupation ?"  he  bowed  his  head  a  moment,  then  looked  up  and  re- 
plied, "  The  maker  of  men," 


284  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

''moral  discipline. 

"  Referring  to  the '  course  of  study'  for  mental  cult- 
ure, it  must  be  reiterated  that  the  moral  part  is  the 
vital  element  in  every  true  man's  life.  Education 
that  ignores  this  is  radically  defective,  and  may  prove 
a  curse.  Besides  the  daily  reading  and  exposition  of 
the  Scriptures  there  are  two  Sunday  lessons.  In  one 
of  these  the  pupils  study  in  a  scholarly  manner  the 
text  of  the  Bible  (English,  Latin,  or  Greek,  accord- 
ing to  their  attainments) ;  in  the  other  they  study  the 
whole  range  of  Biblical  and  church  history,  as  syn- 
chronized with  the  history  of  the  world  in  Lyman's 
Historical  Chart.  Pupils,  while  their  religious 
preferences  are  respected,  all  attend  church  with 
the  family. 

"But  they  are  not  simply  taught  the  precepts  of 
morals;  their  moral  habits  are  regulated  with  au- 
thority. Industry,  obedience,  and  respect  for  su- 
periors are  steadily  enforced. 

"  SCHOOL    GOVERNMENT. 

"Our  regulations  are  meant  first  to  be  based  on 
the  laws  of  man's  nature,  and  then  to  be  invincible. 
Giving  boys  all  that  a  careful  regard  for  their  real 
wants  should  accord,  we  still  purpose  to  control 
their  evil  tendencies,  and  to  crush  insubordination, 
defiance,  and  impudence.  While  it  is  tyrannous  and 
wicked  to  break  the  manly  spirit  of  boyhood,  it  is 
alike,  ruinous  to  the  good  boy,  the  bad  boy,  and  the 
school,  to  allow  indolence  or  disobedience  to  have 
its  way.  Tlie  true  conception  of  our  relation  to  our 
pupils  is  that  of   a  fatlier   who  has   his  children   on 


THE   PERFECTED   SCHOOL. 


285 


drill ;  while  the  ordinary  idea  of  being  '  a  friend  to 
the  boys'  involves  so  much  pandering  to  their  in- 
clinations as  sacrifices  their  real  interests  and  those 
of  the  school. 

"small   boys. 

**  A  few  small  boys  of  from  nine  to  twelve  years 
are  admitted,  if  able  to  read  respectably.  Boys  of 
this  age  will  room  in  close  proximity  to  the  tutors, 
that  they  may  be  shielded  from  temptation  and 
guarded  in  their  rights.  The  younger  our  pupils 
are,  the  less  we  have  to  undo  and  reconstruct  ;  and 
the  hardest  work  we  have  to  do  is  to  make  thinkers 
of  boys  who  come  to  us  from  the  colleges. 

^'  LABORATORY. 

''  The  course  of  study  in  the  departments  of  physi- 
cal science  and  mixed  mathematics  is  w^ell  illustrat- 
ed. Without  the  expensive  appliances  of  endowed 
colleges,  which  would  be  out  of  place  here,  every- 
thing is  supplied  w^iich  our  course  requires.  We 
have  a  superior  surveyor's  transit,  a  compass,  and 
suitable  apparatus  for  illustrating  chemistry,  physics, 
and  astronomy.  Additions  are  made  from  time  to 
time  as  the  progress  of  science  demands.  We  have 
also  regular  weather  observations  in  connection  with 
the  Missouri  weather  service,  inaugurated  by  Prof. 
Nipher,  of  Washington  University,  St.  Louis. 


SIDE  STUDIES. 


"  Pupils  ordinarily  have  three  recitations  daily,  of  a 
kind  to  tax  their  powers.  The  invalid  may,  by  order 
of  the  sghool    physician,  have   two,  one,  or  none,  ac- 


286  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

cording  to  his  ability.  But  besides  this  substantial 
work  of  the  course,  there  are  many  other  exercises, 
at  once  recreative  and  improving.  Studying  the 
visible  heavens  when  the  nights  are  clear,  gymnas- 
tics, military  drill,  vocal  music,  table-talk  in  the  lan- 
guages studied,  drawing,  and  listening  to  the  read- 
ing of  newspapers  and  other  matter,  illustrate  this 
feature,  Webster's  Academic  Dictionary  is  not  only 
used  as  a  book  of  reference,  but  its  various  depart- 
ments are  faithfully  studied  as  a  text-book,  a  kind 
of  culture  in  the  English  language  almost  unknown 
in  the  race  after  novelties. 

*'  Some  topics  of  English  grammar,  arithmetic,  and 
the  English  Dictionary  constitute  a  '■  table-talk  '  for 
the  English  scholars,  corresponding  to  the  conversa- 
tional exercises  of  the  students  of  the  languages. 

"  SCHOOL  UNIFORM. 

"  This  promotes  economy,  suppresses  vanity,  and 
identifies  our  pupils  on  the  streets,  so  that  they  are 
not  chargeable  with  street  rowdyism.  The  uniform 
consists  of  coat,  pants,  and  cap  of  cadet  gray,  cut  in 
the  military  style.  It  costs  from  $20  to  $30,  accord- 
ing to  size.  It  must  be  worn  on  the  streets,  at  all 
public  places,  and  on  dress  occasions,  and  one  suit 
must  always  be  in  order.  But  any  clothing  a  pupil 
may  bring  with  him  can  be  used  in  the  school-room 
and  on  the  play-ground.  Jewelry  must  not  be  worn, 
and  all  foppery  and  dash  in  dress  are  discouraged  as 
unbecoming  the  character  of  students.  With  the  uni- 
form must  be  worn  standing  collars  and  plain  black 
neckties  or  bows. 


THE   PERFECTED    SCHOOL.  287 

"  SLEEPING-ROOMS. 

"  The  sleeping-rooms  are  used  only  for  sleep,  wash- 
ing, and  dressing.  It  would  be  subversive  of  all  order 
to  allow  undisciplined  youth  to  study  in  their  private 
rooms.  Studying  is  done  in  a  common  room,  and 
always  under  the  supervision  of  a  teacher.  Pupils 
have  access,  under  proper  regulations,  to  the  sitting- 
rooms  and  parlor.  The  lodging-rooms  are  airy  and 
not  crowded. 

"  POCKET-MONEY. 

"  No  student  is  allowed  to  handle  pocket-money. 
Money  designed  for  the  use  of  our  pupils  should 
never  be  sent  to  them,  but  to  Mr.  T.  A.  Johnston, 
who  will  see  that  it  is  properly  applied.  The  best 
characters  in  the  school  spetid  the  least  money.  Parents 
should  keep  a  small  deposit  of  money  with  Mr.  J. 
for  the  contingent  expenses  of  their  sons.  Students 
are  not  allowed  to  go  in  debt,  and  parents  are  ex- 
pected to  agree  not  to  pay  debts  contracted  without 
our  consent.  Our  pupils  are  not  allowed  to  receive 
eatables  from  home.  Their  fare  is  that  of  a  '  well-to- 
do  family.'  They  have  an  abundance,  and  superadded 
luxuries  unfit  them  for  work. 

*'  parents'  contract. 

"  Parents  are  expected  to  interfere  as  little  as  pos- 
sible with  the  school  government,  and  it  is  important 
that  they  should  at  all  times  give  it  their  hearty  sup- 
port. Ill-advised  sympathy  may  confirm  a  boy  in  a 
course  of  insubordination  that  will  render  it  neces- 
sary to  send  him  home.  Parents  are  expected  to 
make  the  following  agreement  and  pledge,   which 


288  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

will  be  sent  them  for  signature  at  the  time  of  enter- 
ing their  sons  : 

"  *I  understand  and  accept  the  terms  of  the  Kem- 
per Family  School,  as  set  forth  in  the  catalogue  of 
the  past  year.  My  son has  not  been  ex- 
pelled from  any  school  or  college;  and  as  far  as  I 
understand  his  character,  he  is  not  likely  to  give 
trouble  to  the  government  of  the  school.  I  will  send, 
or  cause  to  be  sent,  any  money  designed  for  his  use 
only  to  Mr.  Johnston  ;  I  will  pay  no  debts  of  his, 
contracted  without  proper  permission  ;  and  I  will 
not  allow  eatables  to  be  sent  him  from  home.  I  will 
claim  no  refunding  of  his  year's  board  and  tuition 
bill  in  case  he  leaves  school  without  the  consent  of 
the  principals  or  school  physician,  or  is  expelled  for 
rebellion  or  general  immorality.' 

''  BOOKS    FOR    ALL. 

"  The  following  books  are  used  in  all  the  courses, 
and  every  student  needs  them.  They  may  be  brought 
from  home  together  with  any  others  mentioned  in  the 
list  of  studies  :  Fulton  &  Eastman's  Bookkeeping, 
with  Blanks;  Mason's  Gymnastics  ;  Webster's  Aca- 
demic Dictionary  ;  English  Bible  ;  American  Tune 
Book  ;  Lyman's  Historical  Chart  and  Key  ;  Quarto 
Blank  Book. 

''preliminary  examinations. 

''  Quite  a  large  proportion  of  our  boys  enter  school 
professing  to  have  finished  various  sciences  and  olo- 
gies^  and  yet  when  a  printed  page  is  placed  before  them 
they  cannot  master  its  ideas  or  pronounce  its  words. 
In  order  to  ascertain  who  are  deficient  in  matters  of  el- 


THE   PERFECTED    SCHOOL.  289 

ementary  culture,  our  entrance  examinations  will  in- 
clude more  or  less  extended  practice  in  reading,  pen- 
manship, elementary  arithmetic,  and  kindred  points, 
before  we  admit  to  classification  ;  and  those  who  need 
it  will  be  kept  at  such  work  until  they  acquire  profi- 
ciency. 

"  LATIN    AND    GREEK. 

"  Latin  and  Greek  are  taught  with  the  strictest  at- 
tention to  pronunciation  and  grammatical  structure, 
and  in  reading  the  poets,  to  the  laws  of  versification. 
In  the  study  of  Latin,  both  the  Roman  and  English 
methods  of  pronunciation  are  taught  and  practised. 
The  Roman  method  is  beautifully  grand,  simple, 
and  scientific,  and  reproduces  the  sounds  in  which 
Cicero  thundered  and  Virgil  sang.  The  English 
method,  on  the  other  hand,  furnishes  the  easiest  way 
of  learning  the  laws  of  our  own  tongue,  and  is  the 
system  which  usage  has  established  for  the  pronun- 
ciation of  Classical  and  Biblical  proper  names  and 
scientific  terms.  In  connection  with  the  study  of 
Latin  and  Greek  we  have  a  system  of  table-talk,  by 
which  the  student  learns  and  combines  in  simple 
sentences  the  names  of  articles  of  food,  dress,  and 
furniture,  parts  of  the  body,  and  other  familiar  ob- 
jects. This  talking  exercise  gives  the  tongue  and 
ear  valuable  culture  not  easily  acquired  in  mere  reci- 
tation. 

"  OTHER    POINTS    OF    CULTURE. 

"  All  the  scholars  are  exercised  in  tracing  the  con- 
stellations and  using  the  globes.  Spelling  is  care- 
fully attended  to  in  connection  with  all  written 
exercises.     Written  exercises  are  frequent,  and  are 


290  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

made  the  means  of  efficient  drill  in  penmanship,  use 
of  paragraphs,  capital  letters,  marks  of  punctuation, 
and  other  details  of  correct  writing.  Stress  is  laid 
on  accuracy  of  pronunciation,  and  clear,  forcible,  and 
correct  speaking.  Geography  and  Chronology  are 
taught  in  connection  with  history.  Special  classes 
are  formed  on  occasion  to  train  those  who  are  defi- 
cient in  spelling,  reading,  geography,  and  mental 
arithmetic. 

*'  VOCAL    MUSIC. 

"  Music  is  a  short  daily  exercise  for  all.  Those 
who  are  incapable  of  vocalization  are  not  expected 
to  sing,  but  they,  equally  with  the  rest,  are  required 
to  learn  the  principles  of  musical  notation  and  the 
art  of  reading  music,  as  necessary  points  of  good 
culture.  For  practice  in  singing,  a  choir  is  formed 
of  those  having  good  voices. 

''  GYMNASTICS    AND    DRILL. 

"  In  addition  to  the  studies  pursued,  we  practice  a 
system  of  gymnastics  and  military  drill,  which,  with- 
out being  very  elaborate  or  consuming  much  time,  is 
of  value  in  promoting  precision  and  grace  of  bear- 
ing. 

"  TIME    OF    ADMISSION. 

**  Every  student  who  enters  the  school  is  held  le- 
gally bound  to  continue  in  it  for  one  year,  or  for 
the  remainder  of  the  year  if  he  enters  after  its  com- 
mencement, unless  bad  conduct  or  the  state  of  his 
health  renders  it  necessary  to  send  him  home.  Ex- 
cept in  cases  of  confirmed  bad  health,  we  distinctly 


THE   PERFECTED   SCHOOL.  291 

claim  the  payment  of  the  bill  for  the  entire  year,  or 
of  tiie  part  remaining  after  entrance. 

"  EXAMINATIONS    AND    EXHIBITIONS. 

*'  At  the  close  of  each  school  year  the  classes  are  ex- 
amined before  their  friends  and  relatives  and  persons 
specially  invited,  in  the  subjects  pursued  by  them 
during  the  year.  These  examinations  are  designed 
to  show  the  proficiency  of  the  students  in  the  subjects 
studied,  and  also  to  illustrate  the  methods  of  instruc- 
tion and  drill  that  are  followed.  The  relatives  of 
the  students  and  the  friends  of  education  from  a  dis- 
tance are  specially  invited  to  attend  the  examinations. 
The  only  public  exhibitions  are  the  exercises  of  the 
graduating  class,  which  take  place  in  the  school 
building. 


"  The  subject  of  health  receives  special  attention. 
Two  hours'  daily  exercise  in  the  open  air  is  a  school 
duty,  and  opportunity  is  given  for  three.  The  best  care 
is  taken  of  the  sick.  The  school  physician  is  a  gentle- 
man of  thorough  medical  culture,  and  is  a  salaried 
officer  of  the  institution.  He  visits  the  school  daily, 
and  without  charge  to  those  who  are  treated,  looks 
after  the  health  of  all  who  need  his  services.  If  the 
serious  nature  of  a  case  demands  it,  he  will  bring  to 
it  a  consulting  physician  at  his  own  charge.  If  any 
one  desires  other  medical  attendance  than  that  of  the 
regular  physician,  it  must  be  at  his  own  expense. 

*'  TERMS. 

"  Board  and  tuition  in  all  the  branches  (except 
German,  French,  and  piano,  for  which  an  extra  charge 


292  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

will  be  made),  including  the  former  extras  of  phy- 
sician's fee,  pew  rent,  lights,  and  sick-room  charges, 
for  scholastic  year  of  forty  weeks,  $310.  French 
and  German  each  $2  per  moijth  ;  piano  instruction, 
$40  per  session  ;  use  of  instrument,  $10.  Board  and 
tuition  are  payable,  one  half  at  the  opening  of  the 
session,  and  the  remainder  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
December.  Negotiable  notes  bearing  ten  per  cent 
interest  will  be  required,  if  payments  are  not  made 
when  due.  Drafts  sent  must  be  in  St.  Louis  or  New 
York  exchange.  Charges  on  money  sent  by  express 
must  be  prepaid. 

"  The  entire  year  consists  of  one  session  ;  and  any 
student  entering  school  during  any  particular  ses- 
sion is  held  bound  for  the  whole  or  remaining  part 
of  it.  When  the  entrance  is  so  late  that  it  is  neces- 
sary to  charge  for  a  fractional  part  of  the  year,  it  will 
be  counted  as  consisting  of  thirty-three  weeks  instead 
of  forty.  This  rule  is  adopted  to  compensate  us  for 
the  trouble  of  fitting  late  students  for  classes  that 
have  already  made  progress.  The  same  rule  is  ob- 
served in  making  deductions  for  absence.  All  de- 
ductions are  at  our  option.  We  hold  bound  for  the 
bill  of  the  entire  year  all  boys  who  leave  school 
without  our  consent, or  who  have  to  be  expelled  for 
immorality  or  rebellion. 

'*  ADVANCE    PAYMENT. 

"To  prevent  all  misunderstanding  as  to  what 
scholars  are  engaged,  it  is  necessary  to  pay  in  advance 
$20  of  the  school  bill.  Places  are  not  reserved 
against  others  who  comply  with  the  terms  unless 
this  is  done.  The  amount  is  forfeited  if  the  student 
fails  to  come. 


THE   PERFECTED   SCHOOL. 


293 


"  INCIDENTAL    EXPENSES. 

*'  Parents  must  not  expect  us  to  pay  the  expenses 
of  boys  and  look  to  them  for  reimbursement.  We 
need  our  money  for  immediate  use,  and  besides  can- 
not incur  the  risk  of  loss.  Boys  must  not  go  in 
debt  when  it  can  be  avoided.  When  there  is  money 
for  a  boy's  use  with  Mr.  Johnston,  he  will  be  allowed 
to  spend  it  discreetly  under  Mr.  J/s  supervision  ;  but 
when  the  amount  is  exhausted  he  will  not  be  allowed 
to  purchase  anything  unless  absolutely  necessary  for 
comfort.  Debt  is  the  curse  of  business,  and  a  boy 
should  not  learn  that  he  has  such  a  thing  as  credit. 
Rich  parents  must  not  allow  their  boys  to  spend  too 
much  money.  It  begets  in  them  expensive  tastes 
which  they  may  some  day  be  unable  to  gratify,  and 
in  school  it  generates  the  same  tastes  in  others  who 
have  no  superfluous  money  to  spend. 

"  WASHING    AND    FUEL. 


"  Washing  costs  from  $10  to  $25,  according  to 
personal  habits.  Fuel  is  furnished  for  all  study 
hours  and  for  sitting-rooms.  Boys  are  not  allowed 
to  have  fires  in  their  rooms  except  by  special  per- 
mission, with  due  regard  to  health.  The  rooms  are 
used  only  for  sleeping,  washing,  and  dressing. 


DAMAGE    TO    PROPERTY. 


*'  Scholars  are  responsible  for  all  damages  to  prop- 
erty done  by  them,  and  the  common  occupants  of  a 
room  or  any  other  property  are  jointly  responsible 
for  its  good  condition.     When  damages  are  concealed. 


294  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

the  cost  of  repair  is  divided  among  all  the  scholars. 
We  have  formerly  required  a  deposit  of  $2  to  meet 
such  expenses,  but  experience  leads  us  to  believe  the 
moral  effect  will  be  better  to  assess  them  as  they 
occur. 

"miscellaneous. 

*'  Sick  boys  are  placed  under  the  care  of  the  family 
physician  and  a  competent  nurse. 

"Students  while  here  must  not  use  profane  or 
vulgar  language,  drink  intoxicating  drinks,  or  use 
tobacco,  either  by  smoking  or  chewing. 

''  Reports  showing  the  scholarship  and  moral 
standing  of  each  pupil  are  made  and  sent  to  parents 
every  four  weeks.  Special  reports  are  made  if 
a  scholar's  case  requires  it. 

"  While  our  pupils'  legitimate  correspondence  is 
sacred,  and  they  get  their  mail  as  we  do  ours,  we 
allow  no  letters  to  be  received  from  parties  in  Boon- 
ville,  without  our  inspection.  This  is  a  necessary 
restraint  upon  the  demoralizing  influence  of  village 
society. 

"  We  occasionally  exercise  the  right  to  examine 
express  packages  sent  to  the  boys,  if  we  have  good 
reason  to  think  that  contraband  articles  are  so  sent. 
And  if  a  scholar's  condition  makes  it  needful,  we 
limit  his  correspondence  to  parties  licensed  by  his 
parents  or  guardian.  Boys  who  have  been  expelled 
must  cease  correspondence  with  any  of  our  pupils, 
except  by  special  permission. 

"  Boys  are  not  permitted  to  go  on  the  streets  with- 
out special  permission. 


p 


THE   PERFECTED    SCHOOL.  295 

"course  of  study. 

'*  Our  curriculum  and  drill  are  designed  to  fit 
stiidents  in  the  most  thorough  manner  for  college 
and  the  United  States  naval  and  military  schools, 
and  to  give  those  who  may  not  wish  to  pursue  their 
studies  further  the  best  possible  substitute  for  a  full 
educational  course. 

"  Students  have  the  choice  of  three  courses  of 
study,  which  differ  in  the  relative  amounts  of  the 
Classics  and  Sciences.  Each  course  has  three  classes, 
and  is  arranged  for  the  nominal  time  of  three  years; 
but  proficiency  and  not  time  is  the  requisite  for  ad- 
vancement, and  the  length  of  time  will  vary  in  differ- 
ent cases.  Every  student  is  required  to  enter  and 
continue  in  one  of  the  courses,  unless  special  circum- 
stances make  a  change  necessary.  If  parents  desire 
a  particular  course  for  their  sons,  they  should  give 
explicit  information  on  entering  them.  We  provide 
a  more  extended  course  for  those  who  may  wish  to 
continue  their  studies  with  us  after  graduation.  The 
names  and  studies  of  the  courses  are  given  below. 

"  The  subjects  in  the  numbered  paragraphs  under 
the  name  of  each  class  constitute  the  three  daily 
studies  of  each  member  of  the  class,  and  are  pursued 
in  the  order  given.  Those  denominated  side  studies 
are  short  daily  exercises  or  weekly  recitations. 

-JUNIOR    CLASS. 

*'  I.  English  Grammar  completed.  2.  Arithmetic 
completed.  3.  Latin  begun  (Harkness's  Latin  Gram- 
mar and  Jones's  Lessons)  ;  Latin  Prose  Composition 
(Harkness). 


296  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

*'  Side  Studies. — Bookkeeping  (Fulton  &  Eastman) ; 
History  (Lyman's  Historical  Chart)  ;  Declamation; 
Letter  Writing  ;  Bible ;  Sacred  History ;  Vocal  Music ; 
Drawing  ;  Tracing  Constellations. 

*' MIDDLE    CLASS. 

'*  I.  Caesar  (Harkness)  ;  Latin  Prose  Composition. 
2.  Greek  begun  (Hadley's  Grammar  and  Boise's 
Lessons).     3.  Algebra  (Robinson). 

"■^  Side  Studies.  — Bookkeeping;  Lyman's  Chart 
continued;  Declamation  and  Composition;  Latin 
Testament  (Beza)  ;  Sacred  History;  Vocal  Music; 
Drawing;  Tracing  Constellations. 

''latin    course. — JUNIOR    CLASS." 

The  studies  were  the  same  as  those  of  the  Classi- 
cal Junior. 


The  studies  were  the  same  as  those  of  the  Classical 
Middle,  except  that,  in  place  of  Greek,  Hooker's 
Chemistry  and  Avery's  Natural  Philosophy,  or  Ger- 
man, or  French  were  inserted. 

'*  SENIOR    CLASS. 

"  I.  Cicero's  Orations;  Ovid's  Metamorphoses; 
iEneid.;  Latin  Prose  Composition.  2.  Moral  Phi- 
losophy (Peabody)  ;  Mental  Philosophy  (Alden) ; 
Logic  (Atwater)  {German  or  French  optional  in  place 
of  Moral  and  Mental  Philosophy  and  Logic).  3.  Ge- 
ometry, Trigonometry,  and  Surveying,  with  use  of 
Surveyor's  Transit,  Compass  and  Plotting  Instru- 
meats. 


THE  PERFECTED   SCHOOL.  297 

^^  Side  Studies. —  Double  Entry  Bookkeeping; 
Lyman's  Chart;  Latin  Testament;  Church  History  ; 
Vocal  Music  ;  Drawing;  Tracing  Constellations. 

"commercial  course." 

The  Junior  studies  were  the  same  as  those  of  the 
Classical  Junior,  except  that  Science  Primers  of 
Chemistry  and  Physics  were  put  in  the  place  of  Latin. 

The  Middle  Class  studies  were  the  same  in  this 
course  as  in  the  Classical,  except  that  Hill's  Rhetoric, 
Youmans's  Botany,  Chemistry,  and  Natural  Philoso- 
phy (with  German  or  French  optional  instead  of 
them)  were  substituted  for  Greek  and  Latin. 

In  the  Senior  Class  of  this  course,  Geology,  Min- 
eralogy, and  Steele's  Zoology  (with  German  or 
French  optional  for  them).  Moral  and  Mental  Phi- 
losophy, and  Logic  were  put  in  the  place  of  Greek  and 
Latin  in  the  Classical  Course;  and  Champlin's  Po- 
litical Economy  was  added  to  the  side  studies. 

''post-graduate  course. 

**This  course  includes  Spherical  Geometry  and 
Trigonometry,  Analytical  Geometry  and  Calculus, 
and  sufficient  Latin  and  Greek  to  fit  a  student  for  the 
Senior  Class  in  college. 

'*  graduation. 

"Those  who  satisfactorily  complete  either  of  the 
regular  courses,  and  whose  morals  and  conduct  have 
been  good  during  their  connection  with  the  school, 
will  be  awarded  a  certificate  of  proficiency  on  pay- 
ment of  a  graduating  fee  of  five  dollars." 
14 


298  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF,    KEMPER. 


*'  In  contradistinction  from  the  public  and  denomi- 
national schools  and  colleges,  this  institution  is  an 
independent  private  enterprise.  Responsible  to  no 
board  of  trustees  and  to  no  church  court,  its  friends 
and  indorsers  are  the  men  it  has  *  turned  out '  during 
the  thirty-six  years  of  its  history.  In  the  strength  of 
this  characteristic,  it  has  held  on  its  way  without  aid 
from  Church  or  State,  and  especially  without  the  aid 
of  '  drummers. '  No  pupil  enters  here  at  our  personal 
solicitation.     Our  work  is  pursued  as  a 

"  PROFESSION  FOR    LIFE. 

"The  Senior  Principal  has  had  more  than  forty 
years'  experience.  With  singleness  of  purpose  and 
enthusiastic  ardor  he  has  '  magnified  his  office'  as  an 
educator  of  men,  as  distinguished  from  the  mere 
teacher.  While  advancing  age  will  soon  diminish 
the  amount  of  his  own  labor,  he  has  surrounded  him- 
self with  younger  men,  graduates  of  this  school  and 
of  the  State  University,  who  enjoy  advantages  he 
never  had. 

"  SUCCESS  REDUCIBLE  TO  LAW. 

'*  This  school  is  not  a  reformatory  for  bad  boys  ; 
such  should  keep  away.  But  it  claims  to  be  an  insti- 
tution for  producing  the  best  results  with  fair  ma- 
terial, and  WITH  THE  CERTAINTY  OF  LAW.  *  Train  up 
a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old 
he  will  not  depart  from  it.'  Training  implies  military 
exactitude  in  small  matters  as  well  as  in  great.  Going 
with  faithful  scrutiny  into  all  the  details  of  a  boy's 
interests,    why    should    we    not    realize  -in    practice 


THE   PERFECTED   SCHOOL. 


299 


the  desired  results  ?  Let  the  history  of  two  genera- 
tions of  obedient  pupils  educated  here  witness  the 
validity  of  this  claim. 


"  THE  PUPILS    RIGHTS. 

*'  Before  we  demand  obedience,  we  are  careful  to 
accord  to  a  pupil  all  that  his  health,  comfort,  and 
self-respect  demand.  The  school  property  covers  an 
area  of  over  thirty  acres,  with  the  most  ample  play- 
ground. There  is  a  recess  of  ten  minutes  out  of 
every  study  hour,  three  daily  playtimes,  a  weekly 
and  a  monthly  holiday,  and  special  holidays  at 
Christmas  and  Easter.  All  that  skilled  physicians 
recommend  is  provided.  A  farm  of  four  hundred 
acres  is  carried  on  especially  for  the  school,  and  the 
supplies  are  characterized,  without  pretentious  style, 
by  profuse  liberality.  Every  one  has  daily  opportu- 
nity to  bring  his  grievances  to  the  proper  authority, 
and  we  would  rather  steal  a  boy's  money  than  do  in- 
justice to  his  feelings.  On  the  other  hand,  grumblers 
are  not  tolerated.  We  know  they  are  more  disposed 
to  propagate  slander  than  to  get  their  rights. 

"self-denial 

lies  at  the  basis  of  every  valuable  character.  The 
rose-water  theories  of  education  make  it  rather  an 
amusement  than  a  discipline.  We  sometimes  get 
young  men  of  fair  exterior,  who  have  never  had  to 
do  anything  they  disliked.  They  are  here  taught, 
and  very  practically,  that  such  characters  may  be  in- 
nocent, but  cannot  be  truly  virtuous.  Every  farmer 
knows  that  if  he  should  have  a  set  of  boy-laborers, 
he  would   have  to  do  the  thinking  and   enforce   his 


300  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

plans  with  all  authority.  We  do  not  ignore  the 
homely  truth  that  fixing  the  attention  vigorously  and 
protractedly  is  harder  work  than  ploughing.  Without 
this  habit  education  is  a  failure  and  a  snare.  Hence 
the  failure  of  so  many  sons  of  the  rich.  They  have 
never  learned  to  study  so  as  to  have  higher  than  sen- 
sual enjoyments." 

We  have  copied  almost  the  entire  catalogue  of 
1879-80,  in  order  that,  in  his  own  chosen  words, 
all  the  characteristics  of  the  school  might  be  fully 
set  forth.  While  there  are  doubtless  features  in 
the  management  which  he  himself  would  have  sub- 
sequently modified,  and  other  improvements  which 
he  would  have  introduced,  still  this  authorita- 
tive presentation  of  the  school  as  it  was  at  the  close 
of  his  administration  will  be  interesting  to  all  his 
earlier  pupils,  and  will  become  increasingly  so,  in 
the  changes  of  the  future,  to  all  who  enjoyed  the 
benefits  of  his  personal    training. 

We  shall  now  undertake  to  present  and  to  bring 
out  more  prominently  what  were  the  great  facts  of 
his  professional  character  as  an  educator. 


T.  A.JOHNSTON 


I 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    EDUCATOR. 

"A  pleasant  manner  and  a  helpful  word, 
A  manly  spirit,  from  no  task  deterred, 
A  wholesome  temper  held  in  just  restraint, 
A  soul  that  long  endures  without  complaint, 
A  heart  in  strict  accordance  with  God's  plan, 
Are  attributes  becoming  any  man." 

The  historical  portion  of  this  volume  is  now  com- 
plete. We  are  yet  to  give  such  an  estimate  as  we 
can  of  the  character  of  Mr.  Kemper.  Here,  at  the 
very  threshold,  we  stand  abashed  in  conscious  ina- 
bility to  do  our  subject  justice.  For  such  cold 
analytical  work  requires  a  steadier  hand  and  a  less 
impassioned  judgment  than  belong  to  the  closest 
friendship.  The  honest  biographer  feels  himself 
steering  his  bark  through  narrow  straits.  He  fears, 
on  the  one  hand,  that  the  admiration  of  the  pupil 
may  lead  him  to  fulsome  flattery ;  and  in  guarding 
against  this  he  is  liable  to  run  upon  the  rocks  of 
cold,  critical  indifference.  As  Mr.  Kemper  was  one 
of  the  most  honest  of  men,  carrying  his  heart  in  his 
hand,  we  shall  endeavor  to  set  him  forth  just  as  he  was. 
As  he  was  a  life-long  teacher,  we  shall  in  this  chapter 
present  the  salient  points  in  his  character  as  an 
Educator. 


30  2  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER, 

He  had  a  very  high  ideal  of  what  a  teacher  ought 
to  be.  It  may  appear  to  some  to  have  been  visionary, 
so  far  does  it  transcend,  not  only  the  realizations, 
but  also  the  aspirations  of  all  ordinary  instructors. 
This  will  appear  from  the  following  extract,  taken 
from  one  of  his  commonplace  books,  written  prob- 
ably in  the  fall  of  1848  : 

"  THE    educator's    FIELD    OF    LABOR. 

'*  Hoc  age  et  age  solum.     'O  dypog  egtiv  6  Kocffiog. 

*'  Spelling,  Reading,  Penmanship,  Arithmetic, 
Geography,  Grammar,  Speaking,  Music,  History, 
Languages  and  their  Literature,  Mathematics,  Phi- 
losophy, Bible,  Education,  Webster  as  an  Ency- 
clopaedia. 

"  In  all  the  above  the  teacher  must  proceed  upon 
the  idea  that  a  book  is  an  evil,  a  necessary  evil — failing 
in  its  interest  and  clearness  far  more  than  a  written 
sermon  loses  by  want  of  gesture,  and  countenance, 
and  spontaneous  feeling  of  the  natural  extempore 
orator.  He  must  be  able  to  go  ahead  and  out  of  the 
book,  equalling  the  author  in  knowledge  of  the  sub- 
ject, and  superadding  to  this  the  peculiar  technical 
knowledge  and  contrivance  of  the  teacher;  exposing 
the  author's  crudities,  correcting  his  errors. 

"  The  book,  then,  is  a  necessary  evil.  Thinking 
the  great  art  to  be  learned.  Objects  (sensible)  to  be 
constantly  studied.  Much  oral  instruction  and  Hol- 
brook  exercises  to  be  interspersed.  Practical  bota- 
nists and  chemists,  etc.,  by  manipulations  to  be  made. 
Practical  accountants  and  letter- writers  to  be  con- 
stantly perfected  and  turned  out  as  such.  The  idea 
that    things  are    best    learned    practically    by  being 


THE   EDUCATOR. 


Z^Z 


learned  scientifically  (/>.,  as  they  are)  and  practically 
applied,  is  to  be  demonstrated  and  exemplified. 

"  The  affections  of  his  scholars  are  to  be  inter- 
ested, enlisted,  by  reflecting  his  own  affections  for 
them.  He  is  to  be  all  as  a  man  and  a  Christian  that 
it  is  desirable  for  them  to  be.  To  impose  no  task  in 
which  he  cannot  lead  and  exemplify.  Lastly,  to 
'  Paint  for  immortality.' 

'*  The  extent  of  this  field  is  best  seen  by  comparing 
it  with  other  fields  : 

"  I.  It  embraces  the  profession  of  an  author.  The 
teacher's  attention  to  any  one  book  in  learning  and 
teaching  it  will  equal  that  of  the  author.  So  he  is 
a  classical  editor,  mathematical  writer,  etc.,  etc. 

"  2.  Professor  of  Elocution  and  practical  lecturer 
(inter  legendum). 

"3.   Professor  of  Penmanship. 

*'  4.   Professor  of  English  Language  and  Literature. 

"  5.   Professor  of  Mathematics. 

*'  6.  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek. 

"  7.   Professor  of  Drawing. 

"  8.   Practical  Bookkeeper. 

"9.   Professor  of  Music. 

"  10.  Professor  and  Lecturer  on  History  and  Statis- 
tics.    Statesman. 

"11.  Professor  and  Lecturer  on  Chemistry,  Botany, 
Astronomy,  Natural  Philosophy,  and  a  dozen  natural 
sciences, 

"  12.  Professor  of  Moral  Philosophy,  Bible,  Chris- 
tian evidences,  Mental  Philosophy,  Polity,  and  Politi- 
cal Economy.     Lawyer  and  preacher. 

"  13.  Education.  A  Pythagoras,  Socrates,  and  a 
Pestalozzi. 


304  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

"  14.  A  gardener,  orchardist,  and  student  of  health. 
Doctor. 

"  15.  Student  of  Webster's  Dictionary  as  an  ency- 
clopaedia, and  of  other  encyclopaedias,  large  and  small, 
universal  and  special.  Chatham  read  the  dictionary 
regularly  through. 

"16.  A  housekeeper,  to  sweep,  dust,  wash  floors, 
windows,  clean  stoves,keep  library  and  school  furni- 
ture, books,  copies,  slates,  pencils,  in  place  and  in 
order.  Carpenter  for  school  architecture.  Cabinet- 
maker for  school  furniture. 

"  Another  aspect : — 

'*  Schedule  each  boy  for  every  quarter  in  the  day. 

"  Synopsis  of  each  schedule,  embracing  studies  and 
time  to  each. 

"Time  each  has  been  in  school,  and  time  he  has 
devoted  to  each  study.     Seat  each. 

"Characterize  each  mental  condition  and  means 
for  correction. 

*'  Destination  of  each. 

"Who  during  next  week  shall  receive,  and  needs, 
most  attention  ;  who  is  sleepy,  or  has  dislike  to 
teacher  or  school;  and  who  simply  has  little  interest 
or  is  in  danger  of  backsliding. 

'*  Study  parents'  home  government  and  how  its 
evils  are  to  be  removed. 

"  Study  plans  for  getting  public  attention  and 
interest  (best  done  by  really  subserving  this  interest). 

**  History  of  past  failures  and  successes,  and  plans 
based  upon  these  facts." 

This  extract  chiefly  shows  the  comprehensive 
range  of  duties  which,  in  Mr.  Kemper's  estimation, 
belong  to  the  teacher's  sphere.     The  extent  of  his 


THE   EDUCATOR.  305 

scholarship   is  here   partially  revealed.     It    may    be 
more  specially  stated  that  his  studies  were  of  quite 
an  extensive  sweep.     There  were  doubtless  branches 
for  which  he  had  a  special  fondness,  and  in  which 
he  was  more  than  ordinarily  successful.     He  was  not, 
however,  in  any  department  a  specialist.    His  scholar 
ship   was   comprehensive.     It    embraced    the   entire 
range  of  English  literature,  oratory,   poetry,  drama, 
fiction,  history,  essays,  travels,  science,  arts,  theology, 
as  found  in  both   books  and  periodicals.     He  was 
well  read  in  the  classics  of  Greece  and  Rome.     He 
had    probably  read   them  all,  from   Homer  to  Lon- 
ginus,  from  Terence   to   Tacitus.     He   had   studied 
thoroughly  the   entire   course   of  mathematics,  and 
was  well  acquainted  with  its  applications  to  survey- 
ing, engineering,  navigation,  mechanics,  and  astron- 
omy.    He  had  familiarized  himself,  to  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  with  Hebrew,  French,  Spanish,   Italian, 
and  German.     French  he  had  taught.     The  elements 
of  all  the  natural  sciences  he  had  mastered,  and  kept 
himself  well  informed  as  to  the  advances  made  in 
these  progressive  studies.     There  are  few  men  who 
were  as   familiar   as  he   with    every   department   of 
general  history.     In    the    metaphysical    sciences  he 
had  drunk  at  the  fountain  head  of  Attic  philosophy, 
and  had  followed  the  current  of  speculative  thought 
down  through  the  middle  ages,  until  it  spread  itself 
out  in  modern  times  under  the  engineering  of  Bacon 
and  Descartes,  into  the  seas  of  materialism  and  of 
idealism.      He     had     appropriated     Hamilton    and 
Morell.     He  had   made  the  Book  of  books  a  daily 
study  for  half  a  century,  until  its  history,  geography, 
ethnologv,  antiquities,  legislation,  poetry,  morality, 
14* 


3o6  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

and  theology  were  as  familiar  to  him  well-nigh  as 
his  school  or  his  farm.  There  are  not  many  men, 
even  in  professional  circles,  who  had  traversed  the 
entire  field  of  liberal  stud)^  so  completely  as  had  he. 
As  far  as  possible,  he  had  mastered  the  pantology 
of  sciences. 

Mr.  Kemper's  accuracy  in  his  studies  was  fully  as 
remarkable  as  the  range  of  them.  Dr.  Leighton  has 
alluded  to  this  as  one  of  his  early  habits.  No  in- 
telligent pupil  or  friend  could  fail  to  observe  it. 
His  commonplace  books  (of  which  he  left  several 
which  are  extremely  interesting)  bear  testimony  to 
it.  For  example,  on  Nov.  3,  1836,  when,  twenty  years 
old,  he  had  lately  entered  the  preparatory  department 
of  Marion  College,  he  writes:  '' Take  up  Adams's 
Grammar  and  read  over  his  list  of  Latin  authors, 
and  think  what  you  would  give  to  be  able  to  read  them 
fluently — to  read  them,  as  it  is  said  Locke  and  Newton 
did,  for  recreation.  Now  true  wisdom  in  this  matter 
is  to  resolve  to  pass  no  recitation  without  having 
completely  mastered  the  lesson  and  laid  it  away  in 
the  memory.  Learn  all  about  the  derivation^  com^ 
position^  and  proper  use  of  every  word.  This  mode  of 
study  will  create  an  absorbing  interest  and  pleasure 
in  reading  Latin,  and  will  eventuate  in  filling  the 
wish  intimated  at  the  head  of  this  page."  In  this 
same  book,  on  a  former  page,  he  says :  "  When  you 
enter  upon  a  book  or  a  science  extract  all  its  sweets, 
if  it  takes  twelve  readings."  Again,  studying  a 
Greek  Grammar  written  in  Latin,  he  writes:  '''Ov, 
conson.  seq. — ovk^  vocali  tenui  sequent i — ov'Xi  srq.  vac, 
aspirat.*  Now  I  could  not  conceive  for  some  time 
what  ^  tenui  vocali'  meant;  and  as  to  an  aspirate  vowel^ 


THE  EDUCATOR. 


307 


thought  I,  who  ever  heard  of  it  ?  But  on  reading 
tlie  Latin  explanation,  I  found  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  an' aspirate  vowel,  oxi\  that  ^  tdnui^'  in 
contradistinction  to  '  aspirat,'  means  smooth.  I  know 
all  about  oju'' 

When  a  teacher  he  wrote:  "  Philosopher's  stone  in 
studying  :  Fill  up  all  the  little  moments  in  minutely- 
studying  small  parts  of  lessons,  and  persevere  till 
the  longest  lessons  are  read  in  shortest  time,  say  a 
whole  book  of  Virgil  in  fifty  minutes,  whole  Chart 
in  two  and  a  half  hours  or  three."  One  more  quo- 
tation will  suffice  :  "  The  teacher  must  have  an  en- 
tire scholastic  course  of  learning,  academical  and 
collegiate,  so  familiarized  that  a  Saturday  afternoon 
for  recreation,  after  the  severer  labors  of  the  week, 
he  can  read  a  book  of  the  Iliad,  or  a  tragedy  of 
Euripides,  or  two  books  of  Virgil,  or  Lysias  againsi 
Eratosthenes,  or  Gospel  of  Luke,  or  Dalzell's  Mis- 
cellaneous Excerpts,  or  a  book  of  Horace's  Satires,  or 
Livy,  or  a  book  of  Geometry,  Conies,  or  Calculus, 
or  what  either  of  my  gram  mars  teaches  about  nouns, 
adjectives,  verbs,  etc.,  locating  pages,  also  a  dialect, 
with  every  geographical,  historical,  archaeological, 
mythological,  etymological,  syntactical,  prosodial, 
tropical  or  rhetorical,  synonymical,  and  otlier  al- 
lusion."    His  motto  was,  '■^Divide  et  Impera.'' 

That  he  fully  reached  this  extremely  high  standard 
of  scholarship  he  nowhere  asserts,  nor  do  we  claim 
it  for  him.  Such,  however,  was  his  ideal,  and  he 
constantly  strove  for  its  realization,  with  a  success 
which  but  very  few  men  have  achieved.  As  we  thus 
review  the  unusual  sweep  and  accuracy  of  his  at- 
tainments, we  wonder  that   no  institution  ever  did 


3o8  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

itself  the  honor  to  confer  upon  him  tliat  highest 
scholastic  title,  the  degree  of  LL.D.  When  leading 
universities  cast  these  pearls  before  swine,  giving 
them  to  brainless  demagogues  and  pretentious 
sciolists,  it  is  perhaps  as  well  that  his  name  should 
not  have  been  written  by  the  side  of  theirs. 

As  connected  Avith  his  scholarship,  there  is  another 
interesting  fact  to  be  noted,  in  direct  relation  to  his 
work  as  a  teacher.  We  refer  to  his  habitual  prep- 
aration for  meeting  his  classes  in  recitation.  What 
has  already  been  noticed  is  of  the  character  of  gen- 
eral preparation.  In  addition  to  this,  it  was  his 
custom  to  prepare  specially  for  each  recitation.  This 
was  done  sessionally,  weekly  and  daily.  During  the 
vacation  he  mapped  out  his  work  for  the  coming 
year,  deciding  what  branches  should  be  taught  to 
each  grade  of  pupils,  and  what  text-books  and  other 
appliances  should  be  used.  He  reviewed  and  enlarged 
his  knowledge  of  all  these  branches  so  that  he  might 
be  a  more  intelligent  teacher  than  he  had  been  tlie 
year  before. 

A  large  part  of  each  Saturday  was  devoted  to 
making  himself  ready  for  the  instruction  of  the 
coming  week.  As  he  says  in  his  note-books,  "  All 
lessons  must  be  reviewed  a  week  ahead."  Finally, 
each  night  he  made  a  thorough  and  conscientious 
preparation  for  the  labors  of  the  succeeding  day. 
He  neglected  no  branch  that  he  taught,  from  the 
spelling-book  up  to  the  calculus.  In  the  simplest 
lesson  there  might  be  some  word,  whose  pronuncia- 
tion, meaning,  geography,  or  history  might  need  elu- 
cidation. 

With  reference  to  this  work  he  says  :  "  In  preparing 


THE   EDUCATOR.  309 

for  school,  inquire — First,  Whether  everytJiing  in  the 
lesson  is  perfectly  known,  so  as  to  change  place  with 
scholar  and  let  him  try  to  catch  you  without  success. 
Second,  Whether  there  would  be  no  shame  in  pres- 
ence of  a  philosopher />//<?/- ^^^<?//^//;;/.  Third,  Whether 
you  can  give  prelections  and  prepare  class  for  next 
lesson  and  not  assign  one  of  improper  length. 
Fourth,  Are  week's  lessons  in  this  department  with- 
in my  grasp  ?  Fifth,  Session's  also.  Sixth,  Do  I 
know  the  circumstances  and  mental  oondition  of 
each  member  of  the  class,  and  his  affections  toward 
me?  Seventh,  Parents'  design  in  educating  him, 
and  the  state  of  feeling  between  parents,  teacher,  and 
child.  Eighth,  Have  I  class  list  and  text-book  mss. 
both  in  good  condition,  and  the  time  devoted  by  each 
pupil  to  this  branch,  and  whether  at  school  or  at 
home  ?  Ninth,  How  is  it  about  the  whole  text-book  ? 
Can  I  find  anything  dark  on  fifteen  minutes'  review  .'* 
Tenth,  How  often  will  a  review  be  necessary  to  keep 
the  knowledge  bright  ?" 

There  is  no  question  but  that  a  lamentable  and  un- 
necessary ignorance  on  the  part  of  many  teachers  is 
one  of  the  chief  causes  of  their  shameful  and  dis- 
astrous failures.  This  ignorance  is  largely  unneces- 
sary, because  it  is  due  to  a  want  of  conscientious 
industry  on  their  part.  It  is  undoubtedly  a  just  rule, 
that  no  person  is  fitted  to  take  charge  of  a  class  for 
recitation,  unless  he  is  perfectly  familiar  with  the 
subject  treated  in  the  lesson.  He  should  know  it  as 
thoroughly  as  the  man  who  wrote  the  book.  A 
teacher  who  is  a  slave  to  his  text-book,  who  must 
have  it  in  his  hand  and  before  him  for  the  asking  and 
the  answering  of  every  question,  is  a   stick,  a  mere 


310  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

machine,  and  a  very  poor  one.  Alas  !  there  are  many- 
such.  If  such  persons  had  the  industry  and  the  con- 
science carefully  to  prepare  for  every  recitation,  so 
that,  as  Mr.  Kemper  says,  tliey  could  exchange  places 
with  their  pupils  without  shame,  they  would  find 
teaching  a  pleasure,  and  they  would  be  of  tenfold 
more  value  to  the  minds  intrusted  to  their  care.  No 
teacher  should  face  a  class  unless  he  has  made  special 
and  thorough  preparation  for  the  exercises.  We 
have  heard  some  say  that  they  did  not  need  such 
preparation.  Mr.  Kemper  felt  that  he  needed  it  the 
very  last  year  of  his  life.  Agassiz  studied  fishes  till 
his  death.  He  who  does  not  study  has  ceased  to 
learn.  He  who  has  ceased  to  learn  is  retrograding, 
and  will  never  make  a  teacher.  There  can  be  no  life, 
no  earnestness,  no  glow  of  spirit,  no  success  in  the 
class-room,  unless  the  teacher  burns  the  oil  of  pa- 
tient, persevering,  plodding  preparation.  Young 
men,  young  women,  teachers,  this  is  one  lesson  taught 
by  the  great  example  of  Mr.  Kemper,  the  prince  of 
teachers. 

We  have  said  that  Mr.  Kemper  had  a  high  ideal  of 
what  a  teacher  ought  to  be.,  We  have  seen  what  this 
meant,  so  far  as  extensive  and  accurate  scholarship 
and  conscientious  preparation  for  his  class  work 
went.  We  are  now  to  look  at  it  from  a  different  and 
a  higlier  standpoint.  He  caused  to  be  printed  upon 
the  letter  head  of  the  Kemper  Family  School,  this  de- 
vice, "  Education,  not  Teaching,  our  Life-Work." 
In  these  five  words  we  have  expressed  the  most  im- 
portant truths  of  his  professional  career.  They  are 
words  which  ought  to  be  engraved  upon  his  monu- 
ment.    The  principles  which  thcv  embody,  and  which 


THE   EDUCATOR.  311 

were  so  fully  realized  in  his  life,  made  him  without  a 
peer  in  the  school-rooms  of  Missouri.  There  are  two 
main  thoughts  in  them. 

He    was   an    Educator,  as   distinguished   from   a 
Teacher.     There  are  some  intelligent  people,  who  do 
not  know  that  there  is  any  difference  between  these 
two  characters.     There  is  a  connection  between  them. 
The  educator  is  always  a  teacher.     He  teaches  as  a 
part  of  his  work  of  education.     The  teacher,  however, 
is  not  always  an  educator.     He  may  be,  and  too  often 
is,  a  seducafor,  if  we  may  coin  a  word  to  express  an 
idea.     A  mere  teacher  has  to  do  with  the  intellect 
alone  of  his  pupil.      Indeed  his  work  is  hardly  so 
broad  even  as  this.     It  may  be  said  to  exhaust  itself 
mainly  upon  the  memory.     His  effort  is  to  store  the 
mind  of  his  pupil  with  trutiis  and  facts.     If  he  suc- 
ceeds, the  pupil  becomes  a  man  of  intelligence.     He 
has  acquired  knowledge  more  or  less  varied  and  ex- 
tensive.     Knowledge,  sa)'s  the  great  inductive  phi- 
losopher, is  power,  and  is  in  itself  a  good  and  very 
desirable  possession.     There  is  a  sense  in  which  it  is 
true  that  we  cannot  have  too  much  of  it.     There  is, 
however,  another  sense  in  which  a  mind  may  have 
too   much   knowledge.     This  is  true  when  the  facts 
learned  are  either  of  a  trivial  or  of  an  injurious  char- 
acter.    But  even  with  reference  to  important  truth, 
there  may  be  a  cramming  or  an  overstocking  of  the 
mind.     As  already  said  on  a  former  page,  the  human 
intellect   is  like  the  human   stomach.     Its   digestive 
capacity  is  limited.      Every  ounce  of  food,  beyond 
the  digestive  power  of  assimilation,  is  not  only  useless 
but  an  injury.     It  docs  not  strengthen,  it  weakens. 
So  every  truth,  lodged  in  the  mind  as  a  piece  of  un- 


312  THE   IJFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

appropriated  lumber,  does  not  form  a  part  of  the 
furniture  or  of  the  machinery  of  the  soul.  It  is  only 
so  much  cumbersome  rubbish.  But,  aside  from  all 
this,  the  teacher  does,  in  his  proper  sphere,  a  very 
necessary  and  important  work.  Truth  is  the  food  of 
the  soul,  and,  if  given  in  pure  and  proper  quantities 
is  a  part  of  the  life  of  the  spirit.  The  teacher's  work 
however,  at  its  very  best,  is,  as  we  have  already  said, 
extremely  limited.  At  most  it  is  for  the  intellect 
alone. 

The   educator,  on   the    other  hand,  is  all    that    the 
best  teacher  is,  and  he  is  infinitely  more.     His  work 
is  to  form  the  character,  to  mould  the  life,  to  develop 
and  to  direct  the  immortal  powers  of  man.     The  ed- 
ucator is,  under  God,  "a  maker  of  men,"  av'^poo- 
noTtoio? — not  a  portrait-painter,  but  a   man-maker. 
The  educator   concerns  himself  with  the  body  of  his 
pupil,  its  health  and  comfort,  and   especially  with  its 
proper  development,    that  it    may  become   the  best 
possible   home   and    instrument  for    its    indwelling 
spirit.     He   concerns  himself  with  the  expected  vo- 
cation of  his  pupil^  to  see  whether  he  is  adapted  to 
it,  and  if   so,  to   prepare   him    for  it.     He  concerns 
himself  with  the  mind  of  his   pupil,  to  learn  its  ap- 
titudes and  weaknesses,  that  he  may  take  advantage 
of  the  former  and  strengthen  the  latter.     The  educa- 
tor concerns  himself  with  the  taste  of  his  pupil,  that 
he  may  know  its  tendencies  and  deficiencies,  and  di- 
rect,  elevate,  and    purify    it.     He   concerns   himself 
with  the   soul,  the  immortal,  spiritual  nature  of   his 
pupil,  that  he  may  be  fitted  for  a  life   of  happy  and 
holy  usefulness  in  this  world  and  in  that  which  is  to 
come.     He  concerns  himself  with  all  the  habits   of 


THE   EDUCATOR.  313 

his  pupil,  that  these,  the  outgrowth  of  his  native 
disposition,  his  surroundings,  and  his  practices,  may- 
be radically  changed  if  bad,  and  confirmed  and  ma- 
tured if  good.  The  educator,  as  a  potter,  sees  the 
boy  before  him  in  a  sense  as  a  piece  of  plastic  clay, 
which  he  is  to  make  or  mar,  to  fashion  into  an  Apol- 
lo Belvidere,  into  a  Gladstone  in  embryo  ;  or  else  is 
to  dismiss  as  a  distortion,  a  caricature  of  manhood, 
a  possible  Mephistopheles,  a  curse  to  himself  and  to 
society.  It  is  a  high  and  holy  work  that  engages 
the  brain  and  heart  of  the  educator.  He  is  God's 
truest  vicegerent,  vicar  upon  the  earth,  and  needs, 
therefore;  to  be  most  like  God  in  wisdom,  love,  and 
patient  power.  There  are  many  teachers  in  the 
school-room  ;  there  are  but  few  educators. 

Every  good  man  is  more  or  less  an  educator.  In 
proportion  as  he,  consciously  or  unconsciously,  in- 
fluences and  elevates  the  character  of  others,  he  is 
engaged  in  the  divine  work  of  education.  Every 
minister  of  the  gospel  who  realizes  the  spirit  of  his 
calling  is  directly  and  distinctively  an  educator. 
This  is  his  great  mission  with  reference  to  our  fallen 
race.  He  is  God's  chosen  instrument,  first  to  change 
the  direction  of  men's  lives,  and  then  to  cultivate 
them  for  the  pure  and  exalted  society  of  heaven. 
The  mother  is  the  chief  educator  of  the  race.  To 
her  primarily  this  sacred  work  is  intrusted.  The 
child  is  linked  to  her  by  the  chain  of  its  helplessness, 
during  its  earliest,  most  impressible  days.  Then  it 
is  that,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  it  receives  its  moral 
impulse  for  time  and  for  eternity.  After  it  leaves 
her  side  it  rarely  changes  the  general  direction  of  its 
character.     It    becomes  an  angel    or  a  devil,  as  she 


314  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

has  started  it  upon  the  path  of  immortality.  She 
hands  the  youthful  spirit  over  to  the  teacher,  and  for 
ten  years  he  chares  with  the  parents  the  chief  respon- 
sibility for  the  character  of  the  child.  If  it  is  already 
upon  the  right  road,  the  teacher  is  to  keep  it  there, 
and  to  aid  it  to  make  true  and  rapid  progress  in  all 
the  elements  of  a  strong  and  virtuous  life.  If  its 
moral  bearings  are  downward,  if  it  has  already  be- 
gun the  career  of  ruin,  he  is  to  arrest  it,  to  turn  it 
about,  to  show  it  the  better  path,  to  train  it  for  the 
skies.  If  he  does  so  he  is  an  ediicator ;  if  he  makes 
no  effort  to  do  so,  the  blood  of  that  soul  will  be 
found  upon  his  skirts. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  a  teacher,  and  a  very  efficient  one. 
He  was  remarkably  apt  and  successful  as  an  instruc- 
tor ;  and  no  boy,  however  ignorant  he  may  have  been 
when  he  entered  the  school  at  Boonville,  ever  left 
without  a  material  addition  to  his  stock  of  valuable 
information.  But  Mr.  Kemper  was  more  than  a 
teacher — he  was  an  educator.  He  looked  all  over 
and  all  through  a  boy,  and  from  the  very  first  day 
it  was  his  aim  to  rnake  of  that  boy  all  that  it  was 
possible  for  him  to  become,  physically,  mentally,  and 
morally.  If  he  failed,  as  he  sometimes  did,  it  was 
due  to  one  or  both  of  two  causes,  beyond  his  power 
to  prevent.  Either  the  boy  was  already  hopelessly 
ruined,  or  else  the  parents  failed  to  sustain  the  dis- 
cipline of  the  school,  or  both  causes  conspired  to 
thwart  the  educator's  best  efforts. 

There  was  emblazoned  upon  the  shield, "  Educa- 
tion, not  Teaching,  our  Life-work."  These  two 
facts  made  Mr.  Kemper  what  he  was.  He  was  an 
educator,  and  education  was  his  life-work.      There 


THE  EDUCATOR.  315 

is  surely  nothing  stranger  in  the  history  of  our  civili- 
zation than  the  false  estimate  which  is  put  upon  the 
work  of  the  school-room.  How  many  men  are  there 
in  Missouri  to-day,  who,  at  some  period  of  their 
lives,  have  undertaken  to  teach?  Of  the  educated 
classes,  it  is  doubtless  true  that  a  fair  majority  have 
done  so.  How  many  of  these  taught  five  years  ? 
How  many  ten  ?  How  many  of  the  teachers  in  the 
State  to-day  have  taught  ten  years?  There  are  more 
than  ten  thousand  who  are  now  teaching  in  this 
broad  commonwealth ;  are  there  two  hundred  of 
them  who  have  seen  a  decade's  service  in  the  school- 
house?  The  report  of  Dr.  Shannon,  ex-State  Super- 
intendent of  Schools  for  Missouri,  shows  that  in  the 
year  1882  there  were  10,607  teachers  in  this  State  em- 
ployed in  the  public  schools,  besides  those  who 
taught  in  private  schools,  the  State  University,  and 
the  normal  schools.  Again,  how  many  of  the  ten 
thousand  now  teaching  expect  to  remain  at  their 
post  for  ten  years  ?  How  many  expect  to  make  it 
their  life-work  ? 

These  are  serious  questions,  and  the  answers 'show 
not  only  that  there  is,  in  the  outside  general  com- 
munity, an  almost  universal  apathy  as  to  the  bearing 
of  these  facts,  but  also  that,  among  teachers  them- 
selves, it  is  the  exception  to  find  one  who  intends  to 
make  teaching  a  profession,  and  to  devote  his  life  to 
its  assiduous  cultivation.  Misses  enter  the  school- 
room and  undertake  to  teach  until  they  marry.  Men 
do  so,  as  a  temporary  makeshift,  when  they  have 
nothing  else  to  do,  or  as  a  means  to  help  them  to  some 
other  and  permanent  profession.  My  countrymen, 
intelligent    parents  that  love   your  children,   it  is  a 


3i6  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER, 

shame  that  this  is  true.  You  do  not  intrust  a  suit, 
involving  a  thousand  dollars,  to  a  man  who  is  not  a 
professional  lawyer.  You  do  not  call  in,  to  treat 
your  family  when  sick,  a  man  who  practises  medi- 
cine merely  as  a  stepping-stone  to  something  better. 
Why,  then,  will  you  intrust  the  education  of  your 
children,  the  most  high  and  solemn  charge  that  any 
man  can  receive,  to 

"Skulls  that  cannot  teach  and  will  not  learn  ;" 

to  men  and  women  who  despise  the  business,  and 
intend  to  quit  it  as  soon  as  possible  ? 

Parents,  you  are  to  blame  for  this  sad  state  of 
affairs  in  our  schools.  Until  teaching  is  made  re- 
spectable, there  will  be  no  improvement.  Several 
things  must  be  changed  before  teaching  becomes  a 
respectable  profession.  Our  common  schools  must 
be  continued  forty  weeks  in  the  year.  The  same 
teacher  must  be  retained  for  a  series  of  years  ;  if 
possible,  for  life.  But,  above  all,  the  teacher  must 
be  paid  a  respectable  salary.  The  report  of  the 
State  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  the  year  1882 
shows  that  the  average  annual  salary  of  the  public 
school  teachers  of  Missouri  was  but  a  trifle  over  two 
hundred  dollars — about  forty  dollars  a  month  for 
five  months'  service.  Men  and  women,  who  respect 
themselves  and  who  are  qualified  to  educate  your 
children,  will  not  continue  to  teach  for  a  miserable 
pittance  of  forty  dollars  a  month  for  five  months  in 
the  year.  As  soon  as  we  make  up  our  minds  that 
we  will  respect  the  teacher  as  we  do  the  lawyer 
and  the  doctor,  and  allow  him  the  same  compensa- 
tion, then  we  shall  have  men  who  will  make  it  their 


THE  EDUCATOR. 


317 


profession,  and    who  will   be  able   to    educate   our 
children.     Until  then  it  will  be  as  it  is  now. 

Mr.  Kemper  believed  that  education  was  a  profes- 
sion, like  the  ministry,  law,  medicine,  and  statesman- 
ship, and  he  devoted  his  life  to  it.     In  his  view  it 
required  the  entire  consecration  of  the  best  powers 
of  the  strongest  man  for  a  lifetime  to  achieve  success 
in  it.     He  considered  himself  an  Jtpprentice  for  the 
first   twenty-five  years   of   his   consecration   to   the 
work.     Only  a  devoted  man  could  become  a  master- 
workman,  even  at  the  close  of  that  long  novitiate. 
He  had  a  contempt  for  teachers  who  despised  their 
profession,  who  rushed  in  where  an  angel  might  fear 
to  tread.     For  over   forty  years  he   knew    but   one 
thing.     In  winter  and  summer,  by  day  and  by  night, 
in    sickness   and   health,  in    poverty   and    plenty,  he 
stood  at    liis  post,  devoting  body,  mind,  soul,  prop- 
erty, time,  life  itself  to  the  divine  work  of  education. 
One  fact  will  show  the  earnest  spirit  of  his  conse- 
cration.    For  many  years  he  pursued   his  work,  if 
not  in  comparative  poverty,  at  least  with  no  adequate 
remuneration  for   his   services.     Think   of   it!     He 
leaves  a  memorandum  behind  him,  showing  that  he 
and  James  and  Tyre  Harris  taught  an  entire  school 
year  for  some  twelve   hundred  dollars  !     Until  the 
death   of  his  father  gave  him  a  small  patrimony,  he 
was  unable  to  undertake  the  support  of  a  family,  and 
lived   the   life   of  a  celibate.     Nothing   less   than  a 
martyr's  spirit  carried  him  through  those  long  years 
of   patient,  unrequited   toil.       But  he  stood  true  to 
his  post,  and  would  have  died  there  in  obscure  pen- 
ury rather  than  forsake  it,  for  education  was  meant 
by  him  from  the  beginning  to  be  his  life-work. 


3i»  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

We  revert  here  to  another  important  fact  in  his 
work  as  an  educator.  At  one  time,  if  we  are  not  mis- 
taken, he  allowed  his  name  to  be  used  by  his  friends 
in  connection  with  a  professorship  in  the  University 
of  Virginia,  and  not  long  after  accepted  a  chair  in 
Westminster  College.  It  is  our  belief  that  he  after- 
ward found  that  these  were  mistakes  ;  that  his  proper 
position  was  at  the  head  of  an  academy.  Such  was 
his  true  sphere,  because  the  real  work  of  education  is 
best  done  in  the  family  boarding-school.  This  was  his 
matured  conviction,  and  in  it  he  was  surely  right. 
As  the  head  of  the  Kemper  Family  School  he  was 
exactly  where  he  ought  to  be.  It  was  the  ideal 
place  for  an  educator.  He  was  in  his  own  property, 
untrammeled  by  trustees,  with  fifty  boys  under  his 
absolute  control  for  seven  days  and  seven  nights  out 
of  every  week.  Under  these  circnmstances,  as  he 
said,  education  was  reduced  to  the  certainty  of  law. 

Many  intelligent  "people  have  never  seen  this,  and 
pass  by  such  a  school  to  send  their  boys  to  the  col- 
lege or  the  university.  It  is  the  judgment  of  the 
writer  that  probably  three  fourths  of  the  lads  who 
are  at  our  colleges  ought  to  be  at  some  good  acad- 
emy. The  college  is  the  place  for  teaching,  but  not 
for  education.  If  a  young  man  has  studious  habits 
and  a  fair  mind,  he  can  and  will  become  a  good  ele- 
mentary scholar  by  his  four  years'  attendance  at  the 
university.  If,  however,  he  goes  there  uneducated, 
with  body,  mind,  and  soul  out  of  repair,  in  all  hu- 
man probability  he  will  return  in  the  same  or  a 
worse  condition.  The  professors  in  a  college  are  in 
a  position  to  teach,  but  not  to  educate  their  students. 
Education  necessarily  involves  close,  intimate  asso- 


THE  EDUCATOR. 


19 


ciation  between  the  teacher  and  his  pupil.  The 
teacher  must  know  all  about  his  pupil,  must  have 
unlimited  control  of  him,  must  bring  his  personal 
influence  to  bear  directly  upon  him,  or  else  he  cannot 
educate  him.  These  are  impracticable  in  the  col- 
lege. 

They  are  equally  so  in  our  crowded  public  schools. 
People  wonder  that  these  graduate  girls  and  boys 
who  lead  a  life  of  crime.  It  is  said  that  the  forth- 
coming census  report  for  1880  will  reveal,  to  some, 
the  astounding  fact,  that  the  criminal  and  helpless 
classes  abound  in  proportion  to  the  intelligence  of 
the  several  States.  It  is  not  surprising,  however,  to 
those  who  have  been  looking  beneath  the  surface, 
and  who  know  that  the  law  of  cause  and  effect  pre- 
vails in  the  world  of  morals  as  it  does  in  the  world  of 
matter.  We  have  thousands  of  teachers  all  over 
this  country,  and  the  school-house  dots  almost  every 
hill.  We  have,  however,  but  few  educators,  and 
fewer  schools  where  an  educator  has  any  opportunity 
to  do  his  work.  Our  public  schools,  especially  in 
the  cities,  bring  the  children  together  in  large  masses, 
in  order  that  they  may  be  taught  cheaply  at  whole- 
sale. They  are  taught  many  things  that  are  found 
in  books.  They  become  familiar  with  history,  the 
sciences,  mathematics,  and  the  languages.  But  what 
does  the  teacher  know  of  their  habits  ?  In  many 
cases,  what  does  it  concern  him  ?  The  result  is  a 
generation  of  sharpened  intellects  and  untrained 
affections  and  desires ;  of  overfed  brains  who  propose 
to  live  by  their  wits. 

What  we  need  in  this  good  land  of  ours  is  a 
Kemper  Family  School  in  every  county  and  city  ward, 


320.  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

presided  over  by  Christian  men,  whose  life-work  it  is 
to  educate  the  fifty  boys  who  are  annually  committed 
to  their  absolute  control.  These  would  constitute,  in 
the  aggregate,  a  body  of  trained  men,  who  would 
prove  the  advance  guard  in  the  nation's  march  toward 
a  higher  and  a  purer  civilization. 

The  Kemper  Family  School,  as  perfected  by  its 
founder,  was  and  is  the  model  school  for  education 
in  Missouri.  It  is  the  result  of  his  life-work.  In 
such  a  school  the  personal  qualities  of  the  ruling 
spirit  are  of  unspeakable  importance.  He  is  its  life 
and  soul.  He  is  not  only  the  trainer,  but  is  also  the 
model  of  those  fifty  immortal  spirits.  As  he  is,  he 
will  endeavor  to  make  them.  As  he  is,  they  are  al- 
most sure  in  kind,  if  not  in  degree,  to  become. 
What  should  such  a  man  be  1  Certainly  a  model 
man — a  healthy  man,  an  intelligent  man,  a  culti- 
vated man,  a  Christian  man.  Mr.  Kemper  realized 
all  this.  He  felt  the  responsibility  of  his  position. 
He  knew  that  he  was  the  cynosure  of  those  immortal 
eyes  ;  that  his  character  would  be  impressed  upon 
them  ;  that  those  boys  would  probably  bear  his  image 
throughout  eternity.  Knowing  and  feeling  this,  he 
strove  to  be  what  he  tried  to  make  them  be,  a  per- 
fect man,  a  faithful  follower  of  Jesus  Christ. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE     MAKER     OF     MEN. 

"  '  The  man  who  rules  his  spirit,'  saith  the  Voice 
Which  cannot  err,  '  is  greater  than  the  man 
Who  takes  a  city.'     Hence  it  surely  follows, 
If  each  might  have  dominion  of  himself, 
And  each  would  govern  wisely,  and  thus  show 
Truth,  courage,  knowledge,  power,  benevolence, 
All  the  princely  soul  in  private  virtues  — 
Then  each  would  be  a  prince,  a  hero — greater — 
He  will  be  man  in  likeness  of  his  Maker  !" 

Mrs.  Hale. 

The  preceding  chapter  has  revealed  to  us  the  ideal 
which  Mr.  Kemper  had  before  him  as  a  scholar, 
teacher,  and  professional  educator.  That  he  did  not 
fully  realize  his  own  ideal  is  only  saying  what  is  true 
of  every  man  of  lofty  spirit.  We  may  go  further  and 
affirm  that,  in  this  world  of  imperfection,  its  complete 
realization  is  a  manifest  impossibility,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  it  demanded  perfection.  This  throws  no 
discredit  upon  his  good,  sound  judgment.  The 
Master  has  said,  "Be  ye  perfect,"  and  no  impeach- 
ment of  His  infinite  wisdom  can  be  made,  for  no  moral 
being  can  properly  aim  at  less  than  the  perfection  of 
his  own  character,  however  far  he  may  come  short  of 
the  accomplishment. 
15 


322  THE    LIFE     OF    PROF.    KEMPER. 

That  he  was  conscious  of  his  own  failures  we  could 
show,  if  necessary,  by  frequent  quotations  from  his 
diaries,  which  are  almost  plaintive  in  the  revelations 
which  they  make  of  his  sense  of  self-humiliation. 
Despite  his  heroic  eiforts,  he  could  not  reach  the 
cloudless  summit  of  the  mountain,  and  at  times  he 
felt  like  throwing  himself  down  upon  the  ground  in 
exhausted  desperation.  It  was  a  heavy  burden  that 
he  bore.  Not  alone  the  care  of  those  fifty  boys,  for 
soul,  mind,  and  body,  morning,  noon,  and  night, 
Saturday,  Sunday,  Monday ;  but  it  was  also  the 
slanders  of  his  enemies,  the  ignorant  fault-finding  of 
the  parents,  the  lack  of  proper  appreciation  by  his 
friends,  and  the  isolation  of  a  pioneer  in  an  unoccu- 
pied and  unvisited  country.  There  was  no  one  trav- 
eling with  him  to  the  top  of  that  mountain  ;  thougli 
there  were  a  few  who  had  caught  his  spirit  and 
were  following  him  near  the  base.  "  Grand,  gloomy, 
and  peculiar,  he  sat  upon  his  throne,  a  sceptred 
hermit,  wrapt  in  the  solitude  of  his  own  originality." 

In  this  chapter  we  shall  set  foith  more  in  detail 
some  of  his  peculiarities  as  an  educator,  or  maker  of 
men.  We  shall  first  present  a  few  points  having 
reference  to   himself,  as  fitting  him  for  his  mission. 

We  shall  begin  with  that  which  he  considered 
the  foundation,  the  basis  of  them  all.  He  was  a 
Christian  educator.  We  do  not  speak  here  of  his 
general  character  as  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  but  simply  of 
it  as  connected  with  his  professional  work.  We  shall 
here  quote  an  extract,  which  he  made  from  the  writ- 
ings of  a  fellow-laborer,  and  whose  sentiments  he 
adopted  as  his  own  : — 

*'  Whatever  success  I  may  have  had  as  a  teacher,  I 


THE   MAKER    OF  MEN.  323 

attribute  it  wholly  to  the  grace  of  God.  If  I  could 
not  pray^  I  would  not  teach.  The  responsibility  is 
too  great.  I  often  wonder  at  my  rashness  in  taking 
upon  myself  so  important  a  trust,  and  daily  plead 
most  earnestly  for  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit — meekness, 
gentleness,  love.  The  spirit  of  a  teacher  is  very  apt 
to  be  imbibed  by  the  pupils.  'Tis  not  a  sufficient 
reward  to  have  the  approval  of  the  parents  of  pupils, 
though  this  is  gratifying.  So  to  teach  them  that  they 
may  become  useful  members  of  society,  be  happy 
themselves,  make  others  happy  around  them  ;  that 
they  may  love  God  and  their  neighbors,  '  do  unto 
others  as  they  would  others  should  do  unto  them,' 
is  what  I  aim  at  in  all  my  instructions." 

Mr.  Kemper  sought  to  be  an  earnest,  intelligent, 
useful,  cheerful  Christian,  not  only  for  his  own  sake, 
but  also  because  of  the  immortal  souls  intrusted  to 
his  care,  and  whom  he  must  mould  for  time  and  for 
eternity.  No  intelligent  pupil  could  fail  to  see  that 
he  made  Christianity  the  basis  of  his  belief,  his  in- 
struction, and  his  discipline.  There  are  texts  of  Script- 
ure which  he  might  have  put  in  the  shape  of  motto- 
cards  upon  the  walls  of  the  school-room.  This  was 
unnecessary,  and  would  have  been  far  less  efficient 
than  his  own  frequent  and  most  pointed  quotation  of 
them.  These  passages  have  rung  in  the  ears  of  some 
of  us  for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  have  often 
proved  a  warning  and  a  stimulus. 

Another  marked  feature  in  his  effort  to  fit  himself 
for  the  culture  and  direction  of  his  pupils  was  his 
earnest  desire  and  endeavor  to  secure  a  perfect  control 
of  himself.  If  he  had  a  hobby,  so  far  as  his  own  pro- 
fessional fitness  was  concerned,  it  was  this.     His  jour- 


324  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

nals  are,  in  a  sense,  full  of  it.  There  was  no  saying 
of  Solomon  which  he  seemed  to  love  so  well  to  quote 
as,  "  He  that  ruleth  his  spirit  is  greater  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city."  Memory  seems  to  say  to  us  that  we 
have  heard  him  repeat  it  a  score  of  times.  Lessing 
makes  one  of  his  characters  in  "  Minna  von  Barn- 
helm"  say,  "  Man  spricht  selten  von  der  Tugend  die 
man  hat  ;  aber  desto  ofter  von  der  die  uns  fehlt" — 
"  We  seldom  speak  of  the  virtue  which  ive  have  ;  but  the 
oftenerofthat  which  we  lack.''  This  may  partly  explain 
Mr.  Kemper's  admiration  of  self-control.  We  know 
that,  in  his  private  writings,  he  sometimes  bemoans 
his  want  of  this  virtue.  If  we  are  not  mistaken,  this 
is  often  true  of  men  of  positive  character.  The  un- 
ruly passion  is  different  in  different  men.  With  Mr. 
Kemper  there  was  a  special  desire  and  effort  to  main- 
tain a  mastery  of  his  temper.  We  believe  it  to  be  a 
universal  fact,  that  all  really  great  characters  are 
endowed  with  this  passion  to  an  eminent  degree. 
Indeed  it  is  as  the  fire  to  the  engine,  the  source  of  the 
power  of  the  mighty  motor.  Washington  is  an  ex- 
ample. It  is  necessary,  however,  that  it  be  held  in 
strict  obedience  to  the  intelligence  directing  it  to  the 
attainment  of  high  moral  ends.  This  was  the  view 
which  he  took. 

Beyond  the  temptation  growing  out  of  any  native 
tendencies,  there  was  that  which  proceeded  from  his 
position  as  the  head  of  the  school  government.  The 
discipline  of  the  family  and  of  the  school  are,  and 
ought  to  be,  autocratic.  The  school  is  neither  a 
democracy  nor  an  aristocracy.  It  is,  and  must  be, 
an  absolute  monarchy.     The  educator,  of  necessity,  is 


I 


THE   MAKER   OF  MEN.  325 

the  unlimited  master  of  his  pupils.  This  fact  is  a 
strong  temptation  to  an  imperious  temper. 

But  these  temptations,  so  far  from  justifying  des- 
potism in  the  autocrat  of  the  school,  make  it  neces- 
sary that  he  should  conscientiously  and  rigidly  guard 
himself  against  it.  As  he  is  the  embodiment  of  law, 
and  discharges  all  the  functions  of  government, 
legislative,  judicial,  and  executive,  it  is  indispensable 
that  he  should  also  be  the  impersonation  of  wise, 
calm,  impartial  justice.  A  teacher  who  has  no  con- 
trol of  himself,  and  plays  the  passionate  tyrant  in  his 
management  of  his  pupils,  is  unfit  for  his  position, 
and  should  voluntarily  abdicate,  or  be  forced  to  resign 
authority  which  he  knows  not  how  to  exercise.  All 
this  Mr.  Kemper  well  knew,  and  it  made  him  con- 
scientiously earnest  in  his  desire  and  endeavor  to 
obtain  a  complete  mastery  over  himself.  He  says, 
more  than  once  in  his  journal,  that  he  would  as  soon 
be  guilty  of  a  crime  as  of  doing  injustice  to  the 
meanest  of  his  pupils.  As  an  example  to  his  boys, 
and  as  necessary  to  his  wise  and  efficient  administra- 
tion of  discipline,  he  felt  that  he  must  learn  to  govern 
himself.  That  he  did  it,  to  an  eminent  degree,  will 
be  the  testimony  of  every  law-abiding  pupil  whom  he 
was  called  upon  to  educate. 

There  is  only  one  other  point,  so  far  as  his  personal 
characteristics  are  concerned,  to  which  we  will  allude. 
It  is  his  attention  to  little  things.  The  miscroscope 
reveals  the  wisdom  of  God  even  more  wonderfully 
than  does  the  telescope.  The  mind  is,  indeed,  over- 
whelmed with  the  sublimity  of  the  conception  of 
infinite  power,  as  it  manifests  itself  in  moons,  planets, 
comets   and  suns — the  stellar  families  of  the  firma- 


S26  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

ment  ;  these  families,  myriads  in  number,  and  yet 
the  nearest  neighbors  among  them  millions  of  miles 
distant  from  each  other!  But  these  stars,  whether 
central  suns  or  planetary  satellites,  are  all  composed 
of  minute  particles,  every  atom  of  which  reveals  the 
wisdom  and  omnipotence  of  their  Creator.  It  is  the 
atom  before  which  the  proud  intellect  of  man  stands 
baffled  in  conscious  impotence.  He  can  see  how 
these  atoms  aggregate  into  elements,  and  elements 
combine  into  manifold  material  forms,  and  material 
forms  make  a  world,  and  worlds  make  a  solar 
system,  and  solar  systems  make  a  universe.  But 
that  atom,  what  is  it }  Whence  came  it .''  The  in- 
teger of  material  being,  the  depository  of  ma- 
terial force,  unseen  by  human  eye,  unmeasured  by 
human  compass,  it  is  the  final,  unimpeached,  unim- 
peachable witness  to  testify  to  the  being,  wisdom, 
power  of  the  eternal  Mind,  who  brought  it  forth  by 
creative  energy  from  the  depths  of  nothingness  !  Give 
finite  power  and  wisdom  atoms,  and  it  can  ijiake  ele- 
ments ;  from  elements  it  can  make  compounds  ;  from 
compounds  it  can  make  worlds  ;  from  worlds  it  can 
make  a  universe.  But  what  finite  mind  can  make  an 
atom  ?     It  is  there  we  find, God. 

It  is  thus  the  sublimity  of  wisdom  to  attend  to  little 
things.  Right  here  Mr.  Kemper  separated  himself 
from  the  herd  of  teachers.  Hundreds  and  thousands 
of  them  can  teach  Latin  and  Greek,  and  mathematics, 
and  the  sciences.  Few  there  are  who  will  attend  to 
the  Horatian  metres,  to  the  vivid  elucidation  of  the 
extraction  of  the  cube  root,  to  the  proper  sounding 
of  the  small  words  of  an  English  sentence,  to  the 
accurate  pronunciation  of  every  proper  name,  to  the 


THE   MAKER   OF  MEN.  327 

manner  in  which  a  boy  articulates  his  answers,  to  the 
condition  in  which  the  floor,  and  the  desks,  and  the 
walls  of  the  school-room  are  kept.  We  know  that 
there  is  a  tithing  of  mint  and  a  neglecting  of  the 
weightier  matters  of  the  law.  We  know  that  a  man 
maybe  a  mere  martinet,  punctilious  about  trifles  and 
careless  about  great  principles.  The  true  man  is  he 
who  does  what  Christ  enjoins:  *' These  ye  ought 
to  have  done,  and  ?iot  to  leave  the  other  undone.''  Mr. 
Kemper  did  not  neglect  the  weightier  matters ;  and 
yet  there  was  no  nicety  of  scholarship  or  of  deport- 
ment which  seemed  to  escape  his  notice.  Let  one 
illustration,  of  many  that  might  be  given,  suffice. 
He  taught  his  pupils  punctuation,  not  only  in  its 
general  principles,  but  in  its  details.  For  example, 
there  is  one  right  way  to  point  the  date  at  the  head 
of  a  letter.  Every  other  way  is  inaccurate  and  wrong. 
He  told  us  exactly  how  to  do  it.  Thirty-live  years 
have  rolled  away  since  we  heard  him  teach  it,  but 
here  it  is,  just  as  he  gave  it  to  us  : 

BooNViLLE,  Mo.,  Jan.  i,  184S. 

Six  stops,  no  more,  no  less,  in  the  full  and  partly 
abbreviated  date,  as  here  written.  In  every  de- 
partment of  education  he  looked  after  the  pennies 
which  make  the  pounds. 

His  attention  to  minutiae  introduces  us  to  some 
interesting  peculiarities  of  his  professional  work. 

The  first  of  these  ideas  to  which  he  gave  special 
prominence  as  a  teacher,  was  his  practice  of  requir- 
ing frequent  reviews  of  all  the  studies  pursued. 
During  the  ten  years  while  it  was  the  writer's  privi- 
lege  to  enjoy  his  instruction,  it   was  his  custom  to 


328  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

devote  every  Friday  to  a  review  of  the  work  of  the 
week.  He  found  reason  to  modify  this  plan  in  his 
later  experience.  The  change  was  doubtless  a  wise 
one,  as  there  are  some  branches,  and  some  portions 
of  all  studies,  which  require  more  speedy  and  more 
frequent  reviews  than  do  others.  The  idea,  however, 
is  the  same.  It  is  the  wise  teacher  who  not  only 
adopts  it,  but  also  knows  how  to  make  the  most 
judicious  use  of  it.  It  is  a  necessity  for  all  successful 
tuition,  especially  of  immature  minds.  The  memory 
has  its  laws,  in  accordance  with  which  it  does  efficient 
work.  Among  these,  as  laid  down  by  Brown,  is 
the  simple  subjective  law  of  the  frequency  of  repeti- 
tion. This  lies  at  the  foundation  of  mental  as  well 
as  of  muscular  habit.  The  first  point  is  the  clear 
vision  of  the  truth,  when  it  is  originally  given  to  the 
mind  of  the  child.  When  that  is  gained,  the  same 
truth  must  be  brought  before  him  again  and  again, 
until  he  becomes  familiar  with  it  as  an  old  acquaint- 
ance. While  older  pupils,  with  cultured  and  in- 
quisitive minds,  may  be  expected  to  do  this  for  them- 
selves, the  younger  ones  need  the  personal  care  of 
the  teacher  and  the  stimulus  of  actual  recitation  to 
secure  it.  No  experienced  teacher  doubts  that  an 
average  class,  which  is  exercised  in  frequent  reviews 
of  a  subject,  will,  at  the  end  of  the  year,  know  at 
least  twenty-five  per  cent  more  of  that  study  than  a 
similar  class  which  has  covered  the  same  ground 
without  this  exercise. 

The  greatest  peculiarity  of  Mr.  Kemper  as  a 
teacher  was  what  he  called  the  General  Exercise. 
This  requires  explanation  to  all  who  were  neither  his 
pupils  nor  observant  patrons.     It  was  simply  this  :  he 


THE  MAKER    OF  MEN.  329 

devoted  fifteen  minutes  every  day  to  a  lecture,  given 
to  the  entire  school  on  some  interesting  topic  of  in- 
formation. This  he  called  the  General  Exercise. 
We  know  from  his  journal  that  he  prepared  himself 
carefully  for  it.  He  made  out,  during  the  vacation, 
a  list  of  these  topics,  upon  which  he  proposed  to  talk 
during  the  coming  session,  and  made  himself  familiar 
with  them.  Each  Saturday  he  would  arrange  the 
subjects  to  be  presented  the  succeeding  week. 
Every  night  or  morning  he  would  prepare  himself 
for  the  next  Exercise,  so  as  to  have  all  the  facts  con- 
cerning it  fresh  and  clear  before  his  mind.  In  this 
way  he  secured  accuracy  and  the  condensation  of  the 
greatest  possible  amount  of  information  within  the 
limit  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  talk.  The  amount  of 
instruction  which  he  was  able  to  give  in  these  few 
minutes  was  in  the  aggregate  very  great,  and  of  such 
a  character  as  many  of  his  pupils  would  not  get  from 
their  text-books. 

We  have  before  us  one  of  the  lists  which  he  made 
of  these  General  Exercise  Topics.  There  are  over 
two  hundred  of  them ;  enough  to  occupy  him  for 
several  years,  as  many  of  them  would  require  a  week 
for  their  presentation.  We  shall  here  insert  a  few 
of  them,  taking  them  from  the  beginning  as  they 
occur  : — 

"  TOPICS    FOR    GENERAL    EXERCISE. 

*'  I.   History  from  image  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 

**  2.   How  a  fly  walks  on  the  ceiling. 

"  3.  Nature  of  fog,  dew,  rain,  hail,  snow,  winds, 
storms,  thunder,  liglitning,  meteors,  meteoric  stones, 
water. 

15* 


330  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

**4.  Names  of  months  and  days  of  week,  with  the 
number  of  days  in  each  month. 

"5.  Seasons.  Day  and  night.  Sun  nearest  in 
winter,  but  no  more  heat. 

"  6.    Weather,  climates,  isothermal  lines. 

"7.   Why  a  mosquito  bite  swells. 

''8.   Why  the  skin  breaks  out  in  hot  weather. 

"9.   How  and  why  we  perspire. 

"  10.  Circumference  of  earth  by  N.  P.  star. 

"11.  Latitude  and  longitude. 

"  12.  Any  experiments  in  chemistry  from  Dalton's 
300. 

"  13.  Ancient  and  modern  modes  of  reasoning. 
Bacon's  inductive  method. 

"  14.  Distance  of  sun  and  moon  by  parallax. 

"  15.  What  is  known  of  distances  of  fixed  stars  by 
annual  parallax,  and  what  of  distances  of  nebulae  by 
proportionate  telescopic  effects." 

These  will  serve  as  illustrations.  Most  of  these 
concern  the  natural  sciences,  but  as  we  proceed  we 
find  that  almost  the  entire  field  of  human  knowledge 
is  covered  by  them.  Those  who  were  his  pupils 
doubtless  recall  this  as  one  of  the  most  valued  feat- 
ures in  the  school  life  at  Boonville.  The  amount 
of  information  thus  given  and  received  was  great. 
So  far  as  important,  practical  ideas  are  concerned,  it 
was  probably  equal  to  that  which  many  received 
from  the  study  of  their  text- books. 

Another  peculiar  feature  in  Mr.  Kemper's  man- 
agement of  the  scliool  was  the  frequency  of  recesses. 
The  plan  of  the  "  old  field"  schools  was  to  begin  at 
sunrise  and  to  dismiss  at  sunset,  with  little  or  no 
recreation  in  the  mean  while.     Some  now  think  that 


THE   MAKER    OE  MEN.  331 

those  were  the  good  old  days,  and  that  their  customs 
should  be  restored.  Leaving  altogether  out  of  view 
the  weary  irksomeness  of  such  protracted  and  unre- 
lieved sessions,  they  were  altogether  inexpedient, 
for  the  reason  that  more  is  accomplished  in  the 
shorter  hours  of  the  new  system.  Mr.  Kemper  had 
the  reputation  of  being  a  very  strict  teacher,  and 
such  he  undoubtedly  was.  There  was  a  determined 
earnestness  about  him  in  the  school-room  which 
would  not  brook  disobedience  or  idleness.  It  will 
therefore  in  this  connection  be  a  surprise  to  many 
persons  to  learn  that  he  probably  allotted  more 
time  to  recreation  than  did  any  other  teacher  in  Mis- 
souri. It  was  his  custom  to  give  the  entire  school 
an  intermission  of  eight  minutes  every  hour.  There 
were  two  recesses,  therefore,  in  the  forenoon,  and 
two  in  the  afternoon.  He  divided  each  hour  into 
four  quarters,  having  the  bell  rung  at  the  end  of 
every  quarter.  In  connection  with  this  arrangement 
every  pupil  was  allowed  to  protract  one  of  his  fore- 
noon and  one  of  his  afternoon  recesses,  so  as  to  in- 
clude the  first  quarter  of  the  next  hour.  Taking 
them  altogether,  these  aggregated  fifty-four  minutes 
during  the  day,  or  nearly  one  hour  out  of  the  six. 
At  the  regular  recesses,  every  boy  who  was  not  un- 
der discipline  was  expected  to  go  out  upon  the  play- 
ground and  fill  his  lungs  with  fresh  air.  As  result- 
ing from  this,  no  pupil  became  "  sicklied  o'er  with 
the  pale  cast  of  thought;"  the  body  was  kept  in  vig- 
orous condition,  the  brain  preserved  its  clearness, 
and  there  was  no  excuse  for  idleness  during  the 
time  allotted  to  study.  Every  pupil  was  required  to 
give  his  earnest  and  undivided  attention  to  the  les- 


33^  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

son  before  him.  By  this  means  the  utmost  possible 
amount  of  information  was  gleaned  by  the  student 
from  his  book,  and,  what  was  still  more  important, 
there  was  induced  a  habit  of  concentration  of  mind 
which  proved  invaluable  to  him  in  after  life.  We 
know  a  Kemper  boy  whose  experience  illustrates 
this.  When  he  went  to  college  he  roomed  next  to  a 
student  who  was  devoted  to  the  violin.  Early  and 
late,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  that  instrument 
was  kept  at  work.  It  was  an  intolerable  nuisance  to 
nearly  all  in  the  building  who  wished  to  study.  It 
did  not  disturb  the  Kemper  boy.  He  had  learned  to 
fix  his  thoughts  on  the  book  before  him.  We  have  seen 
him  since,  unmoved  and  apparently  unconcerned, 
while  writing  or  grappling  with  knotty  questions,  or 
reading  a  book  requiring  thought,  with  his  own  and 
other  children  making  merry  all  around  him.  He 
owes  this  largely  to  Mr.  Kemper's  frequent  recesses, 
which  enabled  him,  when  a  lad,  to  form  this  habit 
of  fixed  attention. 

Mr.  Kemper's  rule  was  absolute,  that  nothing  but 
study  was  to  be  allowed  in  study  time.  This  rule  did 
not  mean  that  the  pupil  should  keep  his  eye  fixed 
upon  the  book,  as  though  he  were  petrified  into  a 
statue.  The  teacher's  practised  eye  could  readily 
detect  when  this  attention  was  merely  mechanical 
and  bodily.  Such  compliance  with  the  letter,  to  the 
neglect  of  the  spirit,  was  not  tolerated.  It  was  worse 
than  a  more  open  violation  of  the  rule.  For  it  added 
to  idleness,  and  loss  of  time,  and  neglect  of  improve- 
ment, that  which  is  worse  than  them  all — hypocrisy. 
If  such  an  evasion  of  a  wise  law  had  been  allowed, 
Mr.  Kemper  could  have  made  but  a  poor  claim  to  be 


THE   MAKER   OF  MEN:  333 

considered  an  educator.  There  is  no  trait  of  char- 
acter more  radically  vicious  than  hypocrisy.  Hon- 
esty, truthfulness,  frankness — this  is  the  basis  of 
true  manhood.  A  heart  that  is  without  it  is  hollow, 
rotten  to  the  very  core.  Notliing  but  study  in  study 
time  meant  a  whole-souled  devotion  to  the  subject 
treated  of  in  the  book  before  the  eye  of  the  pupil. 
"  The  double-minded  man  is  unstable  in  all  his  ways." 

"  There  lies  no  desert  in  the  land  of  life  ; 

For  e'en  that  tract  which  barrenest  doth  seem, 

Labored  of  thee  in  faith  and  hope,  shall  teem 

With  heavenly  harvests  and  rich  gatherings  rife." 

Perfect  attention  to  the  matter  in  hand  suggests 
another  principle  in  his  management  of  tlie  school. 
He  required  that  every  lesson  should  h^ perfectly  learned. 
This  is  apparently  a  harsh  regulation.  Yet  it  is  not. 
It  was  prompted  by  a  wise  regard  for  the  best  inter- 
ests of  his  pupils.  It  was  essential  to  the  success 
of  his  work  as  a  teacher,  and  was  no  less  a  part  of  his 
effort  to  secure  a  true  education.  It  was  one  of  his 
maxims,  that  there  is  no  knowledge  which,  so  far  as 
it  goes,  is  not  perfect  knowledge.  Everything  else 
is  mist,  confusion,  conjecture,  uncertain  guessing. 
If  a  fact  or  truth  is  known,  it  is  known  ;  if  it  is  not 
known,  it  is  simply  not  known.  It  was  one  of  his 
fiivorite  aphorisms,  in  addressing  his  pupils,  "  If  you 
know  a  thing,  you  know  it  as  well  as  anybody  knows 
it."  He  was  careful  to  assign  such  lessons  as  were 
well  within  the  reach  of  the  industrious  boy  of  aver- 
age capacity.  Short  lessons  perfectly  known  were 
better,  he  thought,  than  long  ones  superficially 
scanned.  Depth,  not  breadth,  quality  not  quantity, 
was    his   judgment.      He  would   not  hear  an  imper- 


334  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

feet  recitation.  If  there  were  reasons  that  justified  it, 
the  same  portion  would  be  assigned  for  tlie  next  day. 
Ordinarily  the  delinquent  pupil  was  required  to  make 
up  the  deficiency  in  the  hours  set  apart  for  recre- 
ation. It  must  be  perfectly  recited  before  release 
was  giv^en. 

Not  only  for  the  knowledge  thus  acquired,  but 
even  more  for  its  influence  on  the  character  of  the 
pupil,  was  this  a  wholesome  rule.  The  world  is  full 
of  abortions.  The  professions  and  the  trades  alike 
show  them.  The  man  who  makes  a  perfect  shoe, 
and  the  lawyer  who  prepares  his  pleadings  with  ar- 
tistic accuracy,  are  the  exceptional  few.  They  are 
the  elite  of  their  class.  Every  shoemaker  and  every 
lawyer  ought,  because  he  may  do  this.  It  is  not 
because  he  cannot,  it  is  because  he  will  not.  He 
was  never  drilled  to  accuracy.  He  was  never  made 
to  do  a  thing  seven  times  until  he  did  it  exactly 
right.  His  habits  were  so  formed  when  he  was  a 
boy;  so  formed  at  home,  so  formed  at  school.  With 
him  the  rule  is,  "  Well  enough  is  good  enough." 
As  a  result,  he  is  a  botch,  a  failure — at  best,  a  me- 
diocre. If  he  had  been  drilled  by  his  teacher  to  learn 
his  lessons  perfectly,  as  a  matter  of  principle,  as  an 
element  of  his  chaiacter,  his  habits  would  have  been 
so  moulded,  and  he  would  have  carried  them  into 
the  duties  of  his  mature  life.  Every  pupil  of  Mr. 
Kemper  has  reason  to  thank  him  that  he  was  held  to 
the  rule  of  perfect  accuracy.  In  knowledge  and  in 
character,  the  mass  of  men  are  like  the  old  woman 
who  could  always  "tell"  good  "  bluein',"  it  would 
either  sink  or  swim,  she  could  not  tell  which. 

One  of  the  best  points  in  Mr.  Kemper's  character 


THE   MAKER   OF  MEN:  335 

as  a  teacher  is  brought  out  in  the  following  letter. 
It  is  to  his  niece,  Miss  Jasper  Bocock,  in  the  prospect 
of  her  leaving  Virginia  to  make  her  home  with  him  : 

"  BooNViLLE,  Mo.,  Jan.  9,  1878. 

"Jasper — My  Dear  Child:  Your  little  note  pleases  me 
much.  Every  point  in  it.  pleases  me.  Your  apprehension  lest 
you  would  not  altogether  suit,  or  be  suited,  shows  caution  and 
prudence.    *  *   • 

"  Your  fears  are  like  those  of  Bunyan's  Pilgrim.  You  will  find 
the  lions  chained.  A  woman  of  real  character,  so  far  from  being 
out  of  place  in  a  boy's  school,  is  the '  bright  particular  star'  in 
the  firmament.  If  you  want  to  study  for  some  years,  we  can  at 
least  give  you  time  to  study,  self-support,  and  a  masculine  drill 
that  girls  need,  and  do  not  often  get  at  their  schools.  We  don't 
promise  much  salary  till  a  girl  is  thoroughly  fatted  to  earn  it,  here 
or  elsewhere.  We  can  use  all  your  German,  and  probably 
French.  You  would  do  well  to  learn  to  speak  both  fluently. 
.  .  .  Now  I  think  you  are  the  farthest  possible  from  a  super- 
numerary. Do  as  I  tell  you,  without  fear,  and  you  can  work 
yourself  up  to  be  a  necessity  to  us,  no  less  than  the  joy  of  our 
household.     Will  you  do  it  ? 

"The  only  thirtg  you  and  your  mother  will  miss  is  the  charm 
of  old  Virginia  society.  We  are  a  mixed  population,  and  every 
one  must  have  resources  in  himself.  Can  you  bear  the  transi- 
tion ?  Compared  with  Virginia,  we  are  new.  But  in  many 
things  we  are  ahead  of  her.  I  have  lost  all  the  Virginian's  clan- 
nishness,  and  think  it  a  great  deal  better  to  love  one's  fellow- 
men  than  it  is  to  love  the  Virginians. 

"  If  you  come,  we  will  make  geometry  your  especial  pleasure, 
notwithstanding  your  present  aversion.  Bocock  and  Kemper 
blood  ought  to  do  anything. 

"Another  paradox:  we  could  soon,  after  the  first  year,  have 
you  teaching  our  senior  class.  But  it  would  take  several  years 
before  we  would  trust  you  to  teach  the  beginners. 

"Haven't  you  a  mission?  Everybody  has  a  mission  that 
has  two  hands  to  work,  or  nerves  to  suffer  pain.  '  They  also 
serve  who  only  stand  and  wait.'  Whether  working,  suffering,  or 
waiting,  if  we  do  it  well,  there  is  a  glory,  and  character,  and  a 


33^  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

reward,  in  comparison  with  which  the  questions  of  wealth  and 
poverty,  married  or  single  life,  popularity  or  persecution,  are 
baubles. 

"  Love  to  Willis  and  your  mother.  Write  me  a  letter,  pouring 
out  your  heart.  Your  loving  uncle, 

"F.T.Kemper." 

We  refer,  of  course,  to  his  paradox,  that  he  would 
intrust  the  care  of  his  senior  class  to  his  niece  years 
before  he  could  his  beginners.  Popular  opinion,  as 
tested  by  general  custom,  is  the  reverse  of  this.  The 
fundamental  work  of  starting  children  up  the  hill  of 
knowledge  and  of  forming  their  first  habits,  is  usual- 
ly given  to  inexperienced,  brainless  girls,  or  to  equal- 
ly brainless  and  ignorant  old  women.  There  never 
was  a  graver  or  a  sadder  mistake.  The  best  mind  in 
a  faculty  should  be  put  in  charge  of  the  preparatory 
classes.  There  is  no  portion  of  a  child's  school  life 
so  important  as  its  first  five  years.  Those  well-spent, 
success  is  assured.  Those  wasted,  or,  as  is  usual, 
worse  than  wasted,  all  future  efforts  are  compara- 
tively futile.  In  nothing  was  Mr.  Kemper  wiser  than 
in  the  special  care  which  he  gave  to  the  primary 
classes.  Some  of  our  best  schools  give  the  same  or 
higher  wages  to  the  teachers  of  the  preparatory 
studies. 

One  of  the  mo^t  marked  peculiarities  of  Mr. 
Kemper's  management  of  the  school  we  have  had 
occasion  to  notice  in  its  early  history.  It  was  his 
adoption  of  the  system  of  the  Quaker  Lancaster,  in 
the  free  use  of  pupil  monitors  to  assist  him  in  the 
work  of  the  school-room.  He  employed  them  as 
subordinate  teachers.  In  the  first  days  of  the  school 
at  Boonville  this  was  a  necessity.     The  revenues  did 


THE  MAKER   OE  MEN.  337 

not  justify  the  employment  of  paid  assistants.  It 
was  not  Mr.  Kemper's  conviction  that  such  teachers 
were  equal,  much  less  superior,  to  those  whom  he 
might  have  chosen  as  salaried  assistants.  This  is 
manifest  from  the  fact  that  when  the  income  of  the 
school  justified  it,  as  it  did  in  its  later  history,  he  dis- 
carded the  plan  of  pupil  teachers,  and  used  the  other 
system.  The  year  he  died  the  total  enrollment  of 
pupils  was  sixty-two,  and  yet  five  teachers  were  em- 
ployed besides  himself  to  give  them  instruction. 
The  enrollment  of  1846-47  was  seventy-five,  and  he 
had  no  assistance  except  from  his  pupils.  It  is  a 
benefit  to  the  pupils  who  are  thus  employed  as 
subordinate  teachers,  but  of  course  they  are  not 
equal  to  those  who  make  teaching  their  regular 
business.  Mr.  Kemper,  however,  to  the  very  last, 
employed  his  own  former  pupils  as  his  regular 
teachers.  During  the  more  than  forty  years  of 
his  professional  life,  he  did  not  have  half  a  dozen 
teachers  who  had  not  been  his  own  pupils.  No  fact 
of  his  administration  showed  greater  wisdom  than 
this. 

But  the  monitor  system  was  used  by  Mr.  Kemper 
quite  extensively  in  other  parts  of  school  work  be- 
sides teaching.  One  rang  the  bell  at  the  end  of  each 
quarter  of  an  hour.  One  inspected  the  desks  daily, 
to  see  that  they  were  kept  clean  and  in  order.  One 
attended  to  the  ventilation  of  the  room  during  the 
recesses.  One,  as  sheriff,  had  charge  of  those  who 
were  "kept  in"  during  recess.  One  inspected  the 
schedules,  to  see  that  each  boy  had  one  in  good  con- 
dition^ and  that  he  was  complying  with  it.  One  at- 
tended to  the  condition  of  the  fires  ;    another  to  bring 


S3^  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

ing  water,  which,  at  a  regular  time,  was  distributed. 
One  had  general  charge  of  the  cleanliness  of  the 
room,  floor,  desks,  benches,  walls. 

This  system  will  commend  itself  to  the  practical 
wisdom  of  every  teacher.  It  saves  the  principal  a 
great  deal  of  care,  worry,  and  time.  By  confiding 
these  minor  matters  to  chosen  pupils,  their  self-re- 
spect is  increased.  It  was  not  always  the  best  who 
were  selected  for  these  offices.  They  were  sometimes 
used  as  a  moral  stimulus  to  a  boy,  and  his  moral 
character  was  strengthened  and  improved  thereby. 
The  duties  were  more  efficiently  discharged  than 
they  could  have  been  by  the  principal,  in  the  midst 
of  his  many  responsibilities. 

Allusion  was  made  above  to  a  monitor,  who  was 
inspector  of  schedules.  This  suggests  another  distinc- 
tive feature  of  the  school.  Every  pupil,  from  the 
youngest  to  the  oldest,  was  required  to  have  a  pro- 
gramme of  his  daily  duties.  As  has  been  said,  the 
regular  school  hours  were  divided  into  quarters, 
which  were  announced  by  the  tapping  of  the  bell. 
For  each  of  these  divisions  a  regular  duty  was  as- 
signed to  each  pupil.  These  were  written  down 
upon  his  schedule,  and  he  was  required  to  conform 
his  daily  habits  strictly  to  this  programme.  This  was 
true  not  only  of  his  recitations,  but  also  of  the  divi- 
sions allotted  to  study.  That  is,  one  or  more  divi- 
sions were  assigned  to  the  study  of  spelling;  these 
and  no  others  must  be  appropriated  to  this  work. 
So  of  every  other  study. 

There  are  several  advantages  connected  with  this 
arrangement.  It  saves  all  confusion  of  mind  on  the 
part  of  the   student  as  to  what  he  must  do  next.     It 


THE   MAKER   OF  MEN.  339 

enables  the  principal  to  see  at  a  glance  whether  he 
lias  made  a  wise  distribution  of  his  time.  Their 
chief  benefit,  however,  was  in  their  educational  in- 
fluence upon  the  character  of  the  boy;  the  plan  led 
him  to  be  methodical  in  his  habits. 

This  leads  us  to  refer  to  another  prominent  feature 
in  Mr.  Kemper's  administration,  of  which  the  pre- 
ceding is  an  illustration.  He  was  thoroughly  sys- 
tematic himself,  and  required  his  pupils  to  be  so. 
This  principle  was  extended  to  everything.  There 
was  a  certain  way  that  a  boy  must  sit  at  his  desk, 
not  as  a  motionless  statue,  but  with  head  erect  and 
front  face.  There  was  a  certain  way  that  he  must 
move  across  the  room,  quickly  and  quietly.  There 
was  a  certain  way  that  he  must  stand  at  recitation, 
erect,  without  support,  and  toeing  the  mark.  There 
was  a  certain  way  that  he  must  hold  the  book  while 
reading;  and  there  was  a  certain  finger  and  part  of 
the  finger  that  he  must  use  in  pointing  to  his  words. 
Everything  was  orderly  and  systematic.  The  very 
tones  of  his  voice  were  controlled.  He  must  have 
nothing  in  his  mouth  or  before  his  mouth,  and  he 
must  speak  promptly  and  distinctly.  Everything 
must  be  kept  perfectly  neat.  There  must  be  no  mark- 
ing of  the  desks,  benches,  walls  ;  there  must  be  no 
littering  of  the  floor  by  scraps  of  paper  or  by  spitting. 
As  the  president  of  a  school  for  girls,  the  writer  is 
ashamed  to  say  that  he  has  never  been  able  to  keep 
his  study  halls  and  recitation  rooms  as  neat  as  were 
those  of  the  Male  Collegiate  Institute. 

Some  may  think  that  all  this  was  overnice  and 
particular.  Let  such  consider  that  Mr.  Kemper  was 
an   educator,  a   maker  of  men,  and   no  habit  which 


34°  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF,    KEMPER. 

contributed  to  perfection  of  character  was  to  be  de- 
spised by  him.  None  of  these  niceties  consumed 
unnecessary  time  or  interfered  with  study,  while  they 
all  contributed  to  the  pupil's  sense  of  self-respect, 
and  laid  the  foundation  for  system  and  neatness  in 
subsequent  life.  It  is  interesting  to  observe  the  in- 
fluence of  this  early  discipline.  Take  one  trivial  il- 
lustration. We  were  taught  not  to  deface  the  school 
property.  Among  other  things,  he  would  say  : 
"Suppose  I  were  visiting  you,  and,  sitting  in  your 
parlor,  I  should  take  my  knife  and  scratch  the 
chairs  and  deface  the  piano,  what  would  you  think 
of  me  ?' '  To  this  day,  though  often  in  the  midst  of 
whittlers  on  the  street,  the  writer  has  never  been  able 
to  bring  himself  to  cut  an  empty  dry-goods  box.  It 
is  Mr,  Kemper's  work.  No  boy  who  formed  those 
habits  then  has  ever  regretted  them  since. 

But  one  more  fact,  and  we  are  through  with  this 
poor  sketch  of  him  as  an  educator.  He  assigned  his 
pupils  only  three  studies  at  a  time.  This  he  would  have 
preferred  as  a  teacher,  this  he  was  forced  to  do  as  an 
educator.  Most  of  our  schools  are  conducted  on  the 
theory  of  tuition — that  the  one  great  object  is  to 
pack  the  mind  as  a  storehouse  with  the  treasures  of 
knowledge.  Asa  consequence,  every  possible  branch 
is  put  into  the  curriculum,  and  the  poor  boy  is  forced 
to  cram  it  into  his  cranium.  Take  up  the  catalogues 
of  our  popular  schools,  and  you  will  find  that  each 
class  is  expected  to  carry  some  six  or  eight  studies  at 
a  time.  This  we  suppose  is  done;  but  it  is  our  judg- 
ment that  more  real  knowledge  would  be  obtained 
during  the  four  years'  course,  were  only  half  the 
number  of  branches  pursued  at  a  time. 


THE   MAKER   OF  MEN.  341 

However  this  may  be,  we  have  no  doubt  of  the 
relative  influence  of  the  two  systems  upon  the  mental 
development  of  the  student.  .  There  are  two  reasons 
why  the  cramming  process  is  to  be  condemned,  from 
the  educational  standpoint.  The  mind  is  injured 
when  the  memory  is  burdened  with  more  truths  than 
the  reasoning  powers  can  properly  elaborate  and 
digest.  Such  men  become  mental  dyspeptics.  They 
are  either  lean  and  emaciated  dyspeptics,  because 
even  the  memory  is  unable  to  retain  the  excessive 
pabulum  committed  to  it,  or  else  they  become 
bloated  dyspeptics,  without  nerve  or  muscle,  with  the 
fats  and  sugars  all  absorbed,  and  the  albuminoids  all 
rejected. 

Another  resulting  evil  is  that  this  system  tends  to 
induce  the  habit  of  superficiality.  Let  two  students, 
of  the  same  capacity  and  industry,  be  compared  under 
the  two  systems.  Let  the  one  be  given  six  studies, 
and  the  other  three.  They  each  devote  six  hours  a 
day  to  faithful  study.  The  one  will  give  an  average 
of  two  hours  to  each  branch;  the  other,  of  course, 
only  one.  No  ambitious,  thorough  mind  ever  found 
that  it  had  too  much  time  to  devote  to  any  study. 
If  he  wishes  to  go  well  into  the  subject,  to  learn  all 
about  it,  his  two  hours  will  pass  away,  and  he  will 
wish  for  more.  The  other,  however  ambitious  and 
thorough  he  may  be  disposed  to  be,  finds  that  it  con- 
sumes all  his  time,  using  the  utmost  diligence,  to 
obtain  the  truths  which  lie  upon  the  surface  of  his 
studies.  The  natural  result  is,  that  the  one  mind  is 
trained  to  habits  of  full  and  deep  study,  while  the 
other  is  forced  to  content  himself  with  skimming  the 
surface. 


342  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

There  are  many  other  things  which  we  might  say 
about  Mr.  Kemper  as  an  educator.  It  would  be  well 
perhaps  to  discuss  some  of  his  peculiarities  as  a  dis- 
ciplinarian. This  the  writer  forbears  to  do,  for  more 
than  one  reason.  Candor  compels  him  to  say  that 
his  maturer  judgment  has  not  approved  some  of  the 
features  of  the  penal  code  of  his  revered  teacher. 
We  believe  that  he  was  far  better  adapted  to  the  edu- 
cation of  what  are  known  as  good  boys,  than  he  was 
to  the  reclamation  of  those  who  were  known  as  bad. 
Moreover,  he  believes  that  this  was  Mr.  Kemper  s  own 
judgment  of  himself.  No  man  is  perfecc,  and  this  is 
the  one  serious  criticism  which  we  would  make  of 
him  as  an  educator  ;  and  in  this  he  may  have  been 
right  and  we  wrong. 

Take  him  all  in  all,  as  a  teacher  and  as.  an  educator, 
both  in  its  negative  and  positive  aspects,  it  is  our 
profound  conviction  that  Missouri  has  never  had  his 
equal,  and  the  country  never  his  superior.  Brethren 
of  the  school-room,  he  was  our  Nestor,  our  model. 

"  Like  some  tall  cliff  that  lifts  its  awful  form, 
Swells  from  the  vale,  and  midway  leaves  the  storm  ; 
Though  round  its  breast  the  swelling  clouds  are  spread, 
Eternal  sunshine  settles  on  its  head." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE   SAGE. 

'*  Knowledge  is  proud,  thai  he  has  learned  so  much  ; 
Wisdom  is  humble,  that  he  knows  no  more." 

COWPER. 

Wisdom  as  a  practical  virtue  is  to  be  seen  in  acts 
rather  than  in  words.  Every  w^ise  act,  however,  is 
but  the  outward  realization  of  a  prior  wise  thought, 
which  prompted  and  directed  it.  Unfortunately 
wisdom  of  opinon  and  wisdom  of  life  are  sometimes, 
divorced  ;  the  former  may  exist  without  the  latter. 
Sometimes  these  wise  thoughts  do  not  reveal  them- 
selves in  words,  but  only  in  deeds.  This  is  their  best 
expression,  in  oAe  light  ;  and  yet,  for  general  use- 
fulness "  A  word  fitly  spoken,  how  good  is  it  ;  it  is 
like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver." 

We  have  thought  it,  therefore,  desirable  to  gather 
together  into  tliis  chapter  some  of  the  more  interest- 
ing and  valuable  thoughts  of  Mr.  Kemper,  as  we  have 
found  them  scattered  through  his  journals  and  com- 
monplace books.  They  will  thus  serve  a  double 
purpose,  as  a  revelation  of  his  inner  self,  and  as  food 
for  reflection  to  those  who  may  read  these  pages. 
They  will  be  arranged  under  two  general  heads — i. 
Those  which  bear  upon  education  ;  and,  2,  Those  of 
a  more  general  character. 


344  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

EDUCATIONAL    MAXIMS. 

"  The  chief  art  of  learning,  says  Locke,  is  to  at- 
tempt but  little  at  a  time." 

" '  Only  save  every  moment  of  time  that  you  now 
lose,  and  you  will  be  able  to  do  anything.' — Todd." 

"  *  Make  all  you  read  your  own,  and  you  will  soon 
be  rich  in  intellectual  treasures.' — Ibid." 

"  Resolved  never  to  punish  a  boy  without  clear 
conviction  of  its  necessity,  and  not  in  a  passion." 

"  Must  do  good.  Pupils  feel  your  character  giving 
weight  to  precepts."  ^ 

"  I  will  estimate  my  knowledge  by  the  number  of 
ideas,  not  by  volunies  or  pages  gone  over." 

"  Great  power  is  in  the  pen  as  a  means  of  im- 
provement." 

"  My  school  is  too  complex  for  one  man  to  teach. 
I  must  change  my  plan,  in  order  that  my  energies 
may  be  successfully  applied.  In  either  an  infant 
school,  a  common,  or  a  high  school,  I  might  work  to 
my  mind,  if  I  could  live  by  it."  [He  subsequently 
acted  accordingly.] 

"  Education  first,  Education  last,  Education  al- 
ways, with  the  Bible  for  the  foundation  and  cap- 
stone.'' 

"The  faithful  teacher  will  industriously  employ 
all  his  time  in  school  for  the  good  of  his  scholars 
(and  out  of  school  too) ;  but  after  all  he  may  find  it 
desirable  to  employ  monitors  to  do  one  half  the  acts 
that  an  unwise  teacher  will  perform  himself.  Let 
the  teacher  answer  no  question,  do  no  work  that  can 
be  done  as  well  by  a  scholar  ;  not  that  he  may  be 
idle,  but  most  efficiently  employed." 

"  The    professional  teacher  must  be  at  home  (as 


THE   SAGE.  345 

any  other  artist  in  his  peculiar  calling)  at  calculating 
every  eclipse  as  it  occurs  ;  analyzing  every  plant  and 
flower  in  his  walks ;  analyzing  all  the  soils  and 
minerals,  in  his  walks  and  vacation  excursions;  con- 
versing with  fulness,  and  interest,  and  charming  in- 
struction on  any  topic  in  history  that  may  be  started 
in  his  presence,  or  in  polite  literature  ;  demonstrating 
any  theorem,  or  solving  any  problem  in  his  course 
of  mathematics,  pure  or  mixed  ;  know  his  own  work 
for  each  hour  as  it  passes,  and  that  of  his  pupils,  and 
his  own  time  and  others'  for  each  study  daily,  and 
how  long  to  finish." 

''  Let  everything  be  done  with  clear  motives  and 
superior  excellency,  and  your  heart  will  soon  be  in 
your  work,  and  success  will  crown  the  result.  It  is 
as  necessary  for  the  teacher  to  be  *  interestingly  em- 
ployed,' as  for  the  pupil." 

*'  Have  no  boy  of  whom  you  cannot  be  proud. 
They  are  your  representatives ;  and  as  you  labor 
faithfully,  it  is  right  to  labor  so  wisely  as  to  get  credit 
for  it." 

'•  OPPOSITION  IS  THE  BADGE  OF  MERIT. 
'  My  dark-eyed  darling  !  don't  you  know, 
If  you  were  homely,  cold,  and  stupid, 
f/«bent  for  you  were  slander's  bow? 

Her  shafts  but  follow  those  of  Cupid. 
Dear  child  of  genius,  strike  the  lyre,* 
And  drown  with  melody  delicious. 
Soft  answering  to  your  touch  of  fire. 
The  envious  hint,  the  sneer  malicious. 

'  Remember,  it  is  music's  law, 

Each  pure,  true  note,  though  low  you  sound  it, 
Is  heard  through  discord's  wildest  roar 
Of  rage  and  madness  storming  round  it. 
16 


346  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Serenely  go  your  glorious  way, 

Secure  that  every  footstep  onward 
Will  lead  you  from  their  haunts  away, 
Since  you  go  up,  and  they  go  downward.' 

Mrs.  Osgood." 

'^  Labor,  not  pretended,  but  unfeigned,  interested 
and  devoted,  is  essential  for  teacher  and  pupil.  This 
clock  doen'st  run  by  weights,  but  by  constant  pull- 
ing." 

*'  The  teacher's  manners  toward  his  pupils,  if  he  is 
right,  will  not  be — {a)  those  of  society  in  general, 
but  those  of  a  drillmaster;  nor  (M)  those  of  a 
meditative  philosopher,  calmly  walking  out  to  mor- 
alize upon  the  nature  of  man  ;  but  those  of  Cyrus's 
commanders,  when  ordering  the  wheels  to  be  lifted 
out  of  the  mud.  (c)  They  will  not  be  those  of  a  man 
seeking  favor  with  the  public,  and  afraid  lest  he 
should  lose  it ;  but  those  of  a  master-workman,  who 
can  and  does  exact  of  the  best  portion  of  the  public 
to  come  up  to  his  standard." 

"  Idleness  persisted  in  is  to  be  treated  as  wanton- 
ness and  rebellion." 

"Perhaps  all  a  teacher's  errors  and  failures  may, 
in  some  way  or  other,  be  referred  to  neglect  of  little 
things.     See  Jesus,  the  son  of  Sirach." 

"  The  teacher  may  try  it,  and  he  will  find  that,  in  his 
questions  on  the  chart  or  mathematical  demonstra- 
tions, he  loses  his  freedom  and  buoyancy,  and  power 
to  excite  mind,  when  lie  has  to  refer  to  liis  book." 

"  Self-knowledge  is  secured  by  the  application  of 
a  perfect  system  of  school  regulations." 

"  Make  most  of  each  minute  in  recitation,  by,  ist, 
knowing  the  lesson  perfectly  in  whole  and  part;  2nd, 


THE   SAGE.  347 

by  unlearning  the  lesson,  or  studying  the  mental 
process  of  the  boy  in  studying." 

"All  scholars  must  know  all  their  lessons  all  the 
time.     Nothing  less  is  the  standard." 

**  A  boy's  condition  at  a  good  school  is  that  of  a 
triumphant  victor,  rejoicing  as  a  giant  to  run  a 
race 

*  (The  noblest  hero  of  the  whole 
Is  he  who  does  himself  control)  '; 

or,  it  is  that  of  the  quarry  slave,  scourged  to  his  dun- 
geon, chafed  perpetually  by  the  cords  that  bind  him." 

"  The  art  of  making  men  is  the  highest  of  arts.  It 
is  an  art — a  difficult  art — comprehending  so  many 
arts,  sciences,  and  moral  principles,  that,  like  the  law 
of  gravitation,  it  was  long  unknown,  and  now  is  only 
dimly  appreciated  by  those  who  occupy 'the  higher 
regions  of  thought.'  " 

"The  elements  of  language,  properly  taught,  so 
V  cultivate  the  powers  that  any  language  can  be  learned 
as  a  by-business.     See  Milton  on  learning  Italian." 

*'  Never  talk  to  a  class  unless  the  attention  of 
every  member  is  fixed.  As  well  teach  a  boy  asleep 
as  inattentive,  and  far  better.  For  an  ineffectual 
effort  to  do  a  boy  good  sears  his  susceptibilities, 
hardens  his  heart." 

"  Wliatever  a  boy  says  in  any  recitation^  is  to  be  used 
as  an  exercise  in  propriety  of  speech.'' 

"  Break  up  entirely  the  mere  mechanical  coming 
to  school,  and  going  through  the  round  of  recitations, 
moving  in  a  circle,  without  obiious  advance.  If  a  little 
boy  spells  but  one  word  at  a  lesson,  let  him  know 
everything  about  that  word.  The  least  motion  for- 
ward, if  rightly  done,  is  moving  fast." 


348  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

"  Let  things  be  in  the  understanding  before  they 
are  put  into  the  memory." 

"  Experience  will  show  that  numeration  is  the  most 
important  rule  ;  it  is  the  science  of  arithmetic." 

"  Self-possession  and  self-government  before  any 
action." 

*' A  good  teacher  is  not  the  man  who  can  answer 
an  interrogatory  of  an  inquiring  mind;  but  a  man 
w^ho  first  excites  inquiries  in  the  mind  of  dulness  and 
then  answers  them." 

**  Moral  qualifications  are  more  essential  in  a 
teacher  than  intellectual,  and  the  great  moral  con- 
servator is  prayer.  He  needs  not  to  attempt  to  bring 
his  pupils  to  be  influenced  by  their  consciences, 
~    unless  he  is  himself." 

"  One  grand  reason  for  the  unhappiness  of  the 
teacher's  life  is,  that  his  mind  is  out  of  his  business. 
He  is  looking  forward  to  something  else.  As  soon 
as  he  can,  by  the  permission  of  the  public,  he  is  off 
from  the  scene  of  his  rage  and  torment,  to  get  a 
breath  of  fresh  air  and  enjoy  himself.  There  is 
matter  enough  in  science  and  in  the  imparting  of  it, 
matter  enough  in  the  worth  of  a  human  mind,  to 
claim  the  teacher's  attention,  study,  highest  interest 
and  pleasure." 

**The  teacher's  employment  is  often  small  to  an 
observer,  when  it  is  most  philosophical  and  most 
important.  The  teacher  is  as  greatly  employed  in 
teaching  addition,  as  in  teaching  the  calculation 
of  eclipses.  Tiie  multitude  do  not  see  this  ;  but  it 
is  because  they  think  God  is  in  the  whirlwind, 
the  fire,  the  storm,  when  He  is  in  the  still  small 
voice." 


THE   SAGE.  349 

'*  *  Who  reigns  within  himself,  and  rules 

Passions,  desires  and  fears,  is  more  than  king.' 

Milton. 

Is  not  the  sublime  picture  of  Milton  the  very  essen- 
tial requisite  of  a  good  teacher?" 

''  When  a  boy  is  getting  along  badly,  learn  his  sched- 
ule ;  give  him  more  time  and  attention  ;  help  him, 
though  undeserving,  and  you  will  love  him  better." 

*'  When  a  boy  is  in  a  bad  spirit,  all  that  he  does  is 
wrong,  and  it  is  useless  to  particularize.  From  the 
time  of  his  rising  till  he  is  asleep,  if  there  is  not 
something  wrong,  it  is  because  there  is  no  opportu- 
nity for  it." 

"  The  teacher  need  not  fear  that  other  teachers  will 
copy  his  plans,  use  his  thunder,  rise  on  his  merits.  If 
a  visitor  could  come  into  your  school,  and,  by  looking 
on,  wind  himself  up  like  a  clock,  which  would  then 
operate  in  his  own  school,  the  teacher  might  fear 
being  supplanted  by  one  of  less  merit.  But  no 
teacher  can  copy  another's  excellences  without  copy- 
ing his  excellent  spirit,  his  true  manhood,  his  schol- 
arly knowledge,  and  his  technical  knowledge  of  his 
profession.  Of  all  such  copyists,  the  professional 
teacher  may  well  exclaim,  '  Would  that  the  Lord's 
people  were  all  prophets  ! '  " 

"  '  1  will  pray  for  them  first,  and  then  I  have  no 
fears  that  I  will  do  them  harm,  either  by  my  thoughts 
or  words.'— S.  H.  T.'s  note.  (Apply  to  bad  boys,  ig- 
norant and  bad  parents,  and  to  all  who  vex  me  in 
any  way.)" 

"  Knowledge,  perfect  as  the  best  author,  perfect  as 
the  best  scholar  is  required  to  recite,  perfect  as  law  of 
mind  requires  the  teacher  to  attain." 


350  THE   LTFE    OF  PROF,    KEMPER. 

*'  Look  over  roll  to  prepare  for  teaching  with  ref- 
erence to  the  scholar's  progi^ess.,  his  knowledge,  in- 
terest, moral  character,  and  destination,  parental 
relation,  etc." 

"  The  teacher's  talisman  consists  in  three  things: — 
First,  A  right  mental  and  moral  condition  in  self  and 
scholars.  Second,  Attention  to  minutiae,  as  to  con- 
dition and  progress  ;  e.g.  what,  how,  where,  and  why 
of  spelling  lessons.  Third,  Drilling  in  business  qual- 
ifications, accounts,  mensuration,  interest,  letter-writ- 
ing, good  as  to  penmanship  and  diction." 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  the  honest  teacher  being 
unfaithful ;  but  great  danger  of  not  being  intellectually 
employed  each  hour  he  teaches.  (I  refer  to  clear, 
serene,  strong  intellect.)  Secure  the  latter  at  all 
hazards." 

"  There  are  things  that  are  essential^  without  which 
greatness  and  goodness  cannot  exist — viz.  (i)  Spirit 
of  prayer.  (2)  Clear  plan  and  knowledge.  (3)  Dig- 
nity and  kindness — no  shame.  (4)  Firmness  and  sub- 
ordination in  school.  No  pains  to  be  spared  for 
these." 

"  I  must  go  out  of  myself  to  my  business,  and  return 
to  myself  with  pleasure.  So  even  public  worship, 
and  private  too,  are  means.  They  must  be  used  by  an 
intelligent  agent.,  who  uses  them  and  is  not  a  nonentity, 
or  a  passive  being  suffering  their  influence  to  fall 
upon  him.  This  will  effectually  save  the  teacher 
from  the  trituration  of  little  cares ^  and  make  him 
strong  as  a  giant,  by  daily  conquerirjg  and  control- 
ling himself." 

"  True  and  steady  estimate  of  my  profession  as  a 
teacher.     Not,  at  one  time  elated  to  sublimest  flights 


THE   SAGE.  351 

of  philosophy  ;  and  at  another,  debased  to  the  level 
of  the  itinerant,  starveling  kicked-out  pedagogue." 

"  Teacher's  greatest  danger  is  from  abnormal  action 
— physical,  intellectual,  and  moral.  The  farmer  gets 
exercise  and  fresh  air  without  thinking  about  them- 
But  the  teacher  must  think  about  them  and  provide 
for  them,  watch  his  own  feelings  and  comfort,  and 
capability  for  business.  He  must  make  these  the 
rule  of  his  system  of  exercise,  diet,  etc.,  and  no  dictum 
of  the  physiologist. 

''  On  the  other  hand,  the  farmer  and  most  mechani- 
cal employments  require  little  of  mental  or  moral 
quality  in  their  performance;  while  the  teacher  is 
all  the  time,  and  must  of  necessity  be,  performing 
?fioral  action,  and  that  about  the  most  minute  things, 
and  always  in  circumstances  specially  trying.  Then 
mifid,  as  the  material  he  works  on  and  the  instrument 
he  works  with,  depraved  nature  to  mould  and  control 
in  the  pupil,  the  same  in  himself,  and  previous  bad 
habits  in  both. 

"  What  but  so  walking  with  God  as  not  to  fulfil 
the  lusts  of  the  flesh  can  keep  that  calm  balance  of 
the  powers,  which  make  those  powers  successful,  or 
intelligently  or  comfortably  employed?  His  petty 
cares,  like  his  manner  of  doing  everything,  require 
;;//>//^/<f  attention,  not  slight  but  minute,!exact  attention- 
He  may  neglect  whenever  neglect  causes  no  petty 
abnormal  action.  But  let  him  remember  that  the 
smaller  the  duty,  the  greater  the  danger  of  sin  stealing 
in  unperceived.  Economists  save  dimes.  Christians 
must  mind  every  idle  word;  and  he  that  despiseth 
small  things  shall  fall  by  little  and  little." 

"  Let  the  teacher  have  all  right  before  God    and 


352  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

man,  before  self  and  scholars  ;  let  perfect  truth  and 
holiness  swell  his  bosom,  and  you  can  as  soon  pre- 
vent a  little  leaven  from  leavening  the  whole  lump,  as 
to  prevent  his  usefulness,  respectability,  and  hap- 
piness." 

"  No  scholar  is  so  bad  (if  good  enough  to  remain 
in  school)  but  a  perfect  teacher  will  secure  his  respect, 
and  control  his  powers,  unconsciously  to  the  scholar 
himself.  Every  humble,  pious  man  is  respected. 
*  When  a  man's  ways  please  the  Lord,  he  maketh 
even  his  enemies  to  be  at  peace  with  him/  '  Men 
-^xW praise  thee,  when  thou  doest  well  for  thyself.'  " 
.  "*  I  venerate  the  man  who  knows  what  he  means.' 
— Gertnan  Poet  (quoted  memoriter).  Now  the  teacher 
must  know  in  regard  to  religion,  health,  profession, 
toil,  recreation,  etc.,  etc." 

"Under  all  provocations  and  petty  cares,  reflect 
in  a  manly  inanner — not  what  punishment  is  deserved, 
but  what  is  proper  for  me  to  do." 

"In  order  to  usefulness  to  fellow-men,  success 
among  tliem,  or  even  admission  to  their  society, 
health,  cheerfulness,  and  oneness  of  character  are 
requisite,  perhaps  essential,  to  the  teacher,  who  vol- 
untarily resigns  the  influence  of  wealth,  fame,  and 
pleasure.  All  must  be  right  within,  that  all  may  be 
right  without." 

"  Let  the  educator  enter  upon  his  profession  with 
the  perseverance  of  Forcellinus,  who  spent  forty 
years  on  his  great  lexicon." 

"  Resolved  to  learn  more  by  conversatioHy  and  to  make 
my  recitations  a  converse  of  the  soul  of  self  and 
scholars.  Thus  we  shall  learn  more,  be  happier  in 
learning,  and  retain  it  longer." 


THE   SAGE.  353 

**  The  teacher  in  studying  must  not  do  this  to  make 
men  distinguish  him  as  a  very  learned  man,  above 
most  of  his  fellow-men.  This  isolation  from  his 
fellows  would  make  him  lonely,  unhappy,  and  unfit 
for  his  business,  even  if  he  could  attain  it.  But  he 
must  study  the  higher  branches  to  perfect  him  in  his 
calling,  that  he  may  be  more  truly  one  of  the  people. 
The  best  blacksmith  in  a  country  becomes,  by  his 
superiority  as  a  smith,  more  closely  allied  with  the 
people.  They  are  more  interested  in  him  socially 
and  pecuniarily.  So  it  should  be  with  the  teacher. 
He  can,  moreover,  acquire,  if  wise,  a  strong  hold  wpon 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  in  the  way  of  gratitude  and 
confidence.  The  blacksmith  who  is  superior  topther 
smiths  in  his  vicinity  is  but  a  better  citizen  by  the 
operation,  and  therefore  more  closely  allied  to  his 
fellow-men.  So  no  superiority  in  any  calling  should 
raise  the  incumbent  above  his  fellow-men  (Deut. 
17  :  30),  but  viake  Jiiin  a  better  public  servant,  and  dearer 
to  the  people,  and  more  intimate  with  them.  *  I  am  no 
better  than  other  people.* — Jenny  Lind." 

"  The  teacher  who  finds  his  seven  years  of  college 
retirement,  the  monkish  tendency  of  teaching  all  day 
and  studying  lessons  at  night  for  next  day,  and 
the  abstraction  of  abstract  thoughts  and  sciences — 
make  him  unsocial,  must  allot  a  portion  of  time 
systematically  to  visiting,  and  visit  even  though  he 
does  not  feel  like  it.  He  must  cultivate  those  prac- 
tical branches  of  study  which  throw  him  into  com- 
munion with  physical  nature,  with  men  of  busi- 
ness— surveying  in  field,  geology,  botany,  etc.  He 
must  seek  the  acquaintance  of  his  fellow-men  ;  be  the 
first  to  get  acquainted  with  a  stranger  settling  in  the 
16* 


•354  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

town  ;  he  must  attend  to  his  dress  and  manners,  so  as 
to  make  himself  agreeable  to  society,  and  especially 
to  get  a  passport  loXh^best  society  in  any  place  where 
he  may  sojourn  ;  always  remembering  that  true  Chris- 
tianity is  true  politeness." 

"The  vast  amount  of  knowledge  to  be  acquired 
shall  not,  in  the  first  place,  discourage  me.  Then  I  will 
not  make  its  vastness  an  excuse  for  hurry ;  as  haste 
makes  waste,  and  results  in  doing  x\Q\.\\\vi^\M  progress^ 
and  worse  than  nothing  in  mental  and  moral  habits. 
But,  thirdly,  the  vastness  of  what  is  to  be  done  shall 
be  inducement  to  make  wiser  plans,  and  to  pursue 
them  with  the  unchanging  perseverance  of  the  tortoise 
when  he  beat  the  hare.  Great  attainments  are  to  be 
made  by  the  lapse  of  time^  when  individ'ial  moments 
have  been  improved.  Acorns  make  oaks.  Do  well 
whatever  is  done." 

''  To  be  a  perfect  teacher  (and  every  good  teacher 
must  aim  at  perfection)  you  must  make  your  arrange- 
ments to  have  perfect  Character^  perfect  Healthy  and 
perfect  Knowledge.  He  who  has  not  time  to  attend 
to  these  three  is  a  mechanic  who  has  not  time  to  take 
care  of  his  tools." 

"The  teacher's  is  a  highly  intellectual  and  spiritual 
employment.  He  must  use  all  the  means  of  health 
and  of  exhilaration  in  his  business,  with  at  least  the 
care  of  professional  musicians,  who  live  by  their 
concerts.  The  carpenter  feels  best  while  shov- 
ing his  plane.  He  whistles  while  at  work.  That 
the  teacher  may  feel  like  whistling  at  his  work,  he 
must  not  only  have  character,  health,  and  knowledge, 
but  he  must  have  daily  si4ccess.  Where  parents  do 
not  give  him  an  opportunity,  they  must  be  distinctly 


THE    SAGE.  355 

apprised  of  the  state  of  facts.  The  teacher  must  be 
so  settled  in  his  mind  that  the  cause  of  failure  is  not 
in  his  health,  his  excessive  labors,  or  his  want  of  per- 
fect self  and  school  government,  as  not  to  be  disturb- 
ed in  his  equanimity  by  any  annoyance  from  want  of 
success  in  the  case  of  any  scholar." 

"  Resolved  to  pursue  my  calling  so  as  to  make  it 
interesting  to  my  imagination,  and  pleasant.  A 
special  guard  must  be  had  against  trying  to  do  too 
much." 

''  The  carpenter  who  whistles  at  his  work,  or 
rather  has  the  spirit  of  song  while  at  work,  will  do 
much  more  than  another  who  is  dull.  The  school- 
boy who  has  to  get  up  and  feed  and  curry  a  horse 
will  be  better  for  school  by  that  diversion  of  thought. 
But  if  he  feeds  a  pig,  which  shall  be  his  own  pig  for 
market,  how  infinitely  better  for  his  feelings. 

*'  The  teacher  who  keeps  everything  in  order,  and 
makes  little  episodes  of  cleaning  up  (even  shoes), 
may  find  his  heart  interested  in  the  neatness,  comfort, 
and  economy  resulting,  and  will  be  greatly  better 
fitted  for  his  monotonous  duties.  He  will  find  him- 
self whistling  while  at  such  work.  Then  let  him  so 
pursue  his  work  as  to  be  certain  of  success,  and  self- 
poised  in  school,  and  then  the  attrition  of  little  cares 
cannot  use  him  up." 

"  Your  boys  are  bound  to  learn — don't  be  afraid. 
Be  enthusiastic,  and  give  the  teacher  a  chance 
to  succeed  and  to  be  enthusiastic  himself.  He 
then  will  make  them  learn,  as  fast  as  they  will  take 
it." 

"  Every  teacher  is  a  housekeeper  in  his  school-room, 
and,  if  a  bachelor,  in  his  chamber  and  sitting-rooni. 


356  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

These  petty  duties  will  relieve  his  mind  and  fit  him 
for  school.  But  if  he  is  a  sloven  here,  he  will  be  a 
sloven  in  mentals  and  pedagogics  ;  and  in  these  de- 
partments he  will  work  the  ruin  of  scholars  and  of 
self.  See  here  great  effects  from  little  causes.  Have 
then  a  code  of  housekeeping.'' 

*'  *  It  is  as  hard  to  teach  an  hour  as  it  is  to  preach 
an  hour.'  Doing  either  all  day  will  soon  kill  one. 
Besides  teaching  a  class,  the  teacher  must  watch 
school — a  double  debt  to  pay." 

'*  All  pupils  submit  like  little  children  at  the  start. 
All  the  wisest  will.  The  most  foolish  only  have  to 
be  made." 

''  I  am  going  to  educate  you.  I  do  not  mean  to  be 
unhealthy  over  it,  or  to  be  exhausted  by  too  much 
work,  or  by  worrying,  or  hurrying,  or  by  anxiety  or 
despondency.  I  mean  to  carry  you  through,  as  the 
Crotonian  carried  the  bull  through  the  stadium. 
Yes^  /,  /will  do  what  few  can  ;  Til  walk  the  course, 
firm  as  a  giant  and  graceful  as  a  tragedian.  God 
help  this  exertion  of  my  will.  Make  me  strong  in 
the  strength  which  God  supplies." 

''The  teacher  has  no  right  to  go  into  his  school- 
room in  bad  health,  with  his  faculties  dull,  with  his 
bodily  frame  not  elastic  and  not  in  perfect  trim — />., 
so  far  as  these  depend  upon  the  faithful  use  of  every 
possible  means  of  health." 

"  Manage  by  love,  get  their  affections.  To  this 
end,  you  must  love  them,  and  be  lovely  yourself.  To 
be  lovely  is  not  to  whine  and  feign  a  smile,  when 
you  do  not  feel  like  it.  But  to  be  first  pure  a?id good 
your  self y  then  express  7V  hat  you  are.'' 

"  Boys  must  be  made  to  study,  if  they  will  have  it 


THE    SAGE.  357 

so;  but  they  ought  to  study,  because  they  are  inter- 
ested and  see  the  importance  of  it." 

"Put  yourself  fully  in  the  current  of  competition 
in  your  school.  Be  second  to  none.  Let  no  sister  of 
charity  be  kinder,  no  Wyman  be  more  attentive  to 
the  wants  of  pupils,  no  school  be  better  fitted  in 
minutiae." 

"  Tlie  virtues,  as  love,  patience,  fortitude,  etc.  ; 
the  minor  virtues,  order,  cleanliness,  neatness,  etc.  ; 
the  Christian  graces,  love,  joy,  meekness,  etc. ;  and 
the  sciences  and  arts,  mathematics,  physics,  reading — 
all  grow  in  clusters.  Any  one  will  grow  better  by 
growing  with  all  the  others,  and  no  one  can  grow 
well  without  some  improvement  in  the  others.  See 
here  what  a  perfect  man  the  teacher  must  be.  In 
greater  and  minor  virtues,  in  Christianity,  in  learn- 
ing (especially  teacher's  knowledge),  he  must  honor 
God  and  his  calling,  be  at  peace  in  the  midst  of 
trials,  serene,  and  resolute,  and  calm,  and  stern,  and 
self-possessed.  But  how  immeasurably  is  his  burden 
increased  when  it  is  recollected  that  he  must  not 
only  possess  these  things  in  common  with  other 
good  men,  but  must  impart  them  to  others,  must  re- 
form the  wayward,  and  labor  for  the  ungrateful  an'd 
faultfinding." 

''Teachers'  knowledge  means  this:  Men,  in 
general,  know  a  subject  well  enough,  when  they 
have  their  purposes  answered.  The  teacher  never 
knows  a  subject  well  enough,  when  anything  could 
be  learned  that  would  add  to  the  interest  of  a  pupil  a 
single  particle,  or  save  a  second's  time  at  reci- 
tation." 

"  School    government  must   be  strong,   successful 


35 8  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER.  ' 

(letting  no  villain  avoid  duty),  administered  with 
perfect  self-control  on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  and  in 
the  spirit  of  true  Christian  love,  without  affected 
whining  smiles,  or  artful  efforts  for  popularity." 

*^  General   knowledge  is  all  that  is   necessary  for 
the  polite  scholar.     But  the  teacher  cannot  interest 
these  general,  polite  scholars  without  having  all  the 
minutiae  at  hand  always  bright.     Just  as  the  minister 
of  the  cross  prepares  himself  laboriously  for  weeks 
to  elucidate  a  knotty  point  in  theology  {after  having 
gone  through  a  college  and  theological  course) ;  although 
it  is  enough  for  a  hearer  to  listen  attentively  for  an 
hour  that  the  difficulties  may  vanish.     Teachers  must 
be  able  to  recite  all  his  grammars,  make  analyses  of 
geometry,  elementary,  analytical,  and  descriptive,  at 
any   moment's  bidding.     Then  descend  to  such  ar- 
bitrary things  as  recollecting  labors  of  Hercules,  nine 
muses,  positive  and  negative  metals,  conductors  of 
heat  and  electricity,  seven  wise  men  of  Greece,  twelve 
patriarchs,  twelve  apostles,   seven   churches,   books 
and  chapters  in  Bible,  formulae  in  arithmetic  and  al- 
gebra, verbatim  methods  of  explaining  rules  in  each, 
verbatim  definitions  \n2Ci\  sciences,  measures,  statistics, 
efc,  etc." 

"  Teacher  must  know  where  each  boy  is  now, 
where  he  was  a  week  ago,  so  as  to  note  progress. 
Not  only  what  his  daily  lessons  are,  but  haiv  he  pre- 
pares them,  what  titne  he  gives  to  them,  how  long  he 
is  to  come  to  school,  how  long  to  study  each  branch. 
Such  an  exact  plan,  that  the  best  half  of  every  class 
will  perfectly  exemplify  the  mode  of  learning,  and 
the  worst  half  may  learn  //  they  would.  Thus  shame 
and  faultfinding  will  go  where  they  belong.     This 


I 


THE   SAGE.  359 

implies,  of  course,  that  the  teacher  knows  all  that  he 
would  have  his  scholars  know,  and  is  willing  to  sub- 
mit to  most  severe  tests." 

We  might  have  made  many  more  extracts,  setting 
forth  his  ideas  and  plans  as  a  scholar,  a  teacher,  and 
an  educator.  E-nough  have  been  given,  however,  to 
show  his  most  important  thoughts,  and  to  reveal  him 
as  one  of  the  most  philosophical,  exact,  and  pains- 
taking of  teachers.  His  co-workers  in  the  school- 
room will  find  in  these  extracts  much  matter  for 
practical,  profitable  reflection. 

It  was  our  purpose  to  put  into  this  chapter  some  of 
his  religious  meditations  ;  but  as  its  limits  will  not 
permit,  we  shall  defer  them  until  we  discuss  his 
Christian  character,  and  conclude  by  giving  some 
selections  of  a 

GENERAL    NATURE. 

''  Obey  natural  and  moral  law,  and  let  happiness 
and  circumstances  go  to  the  winds,  or  where  they 
please." 

"  Anger  and  irritability  are  not  forcible^  afraid  to 
be  so  ;  but  see  the  force  of  Leonard  in  court." 

"It  is  not  poverty  that  can  make  a  man  unhappy, 
but  discontent.  This  points  the  spear  and  whets  the 
edge  of  bad  circumstances.  This  clouds  the  brow 
with  gloom.  He  should,  as  Tupper  says,  '  Smile  and 
be  content.'  Then  sorrow  grows  bright.  Discon- 
tent unfits  for  business  too,  wears  out  the  soul,  works 
death.  It  must  be  the  portion  of  every  ambitious 
sinner,  however  successful  ;  for  it  is  not  in  the  na/ure 
or  duration  of  earthly  good  to  satisfy  man.  But  a 
quiet   conscience   and    contented    mind    can    do    it. 


360  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Present  content  improves  to-morrow  without  car- 
ing for  it.  I  will  enjoy  what  I  now  have,  and  *  take 
no  thought  for  the  morrow.  Sufficient  unto  the  day- 
is  the  evil  thereof.'  This  is  my  '  crock  of  gold.'  The 
contented,  humble  man  will  acheive  more  than  the 
proud,  though  Jess  noisy — more  real  good.'' 

"  Place,  time,  and  manner  for  everything,  and 
everything  in  its  place,  time,  and  manner." 

" '  Be  a  whole  man  to  one  thing  at  a  time,'  as 
Brougham  says.  One  thing  at  a  time,  and  it  well 
done." 

"  The  first  sure  symptom  of  a  mind  in  health  is  rest 
of  heart  and  pleasure  felt  at  home,  especially  after  a 
a  hard  day's  work,  or  week's." 

"  Do  what  experience  shows  is  most  comfortable. 
This  implies  self-knowledge,  self-possession,  self-gov- 
ernment, self-examination." 

* '  Mens  Sana  i7t  corpore  sano. ' ' 

"Economize  dimes;  cancel  debts  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible." 

''  No  inability  arising  from  bad  bodily  or  mental 
health.  See  Bronson  on  the  voice.  Each  day  must 
bring  its  due  amount  of  rest,  and  nourishment,  and 
sleep.  A  nervous  man  must  not  only  allow  time 
enough  for  sleep,  but  prepare  for  bed  so  as  to  get 
sleep  while  in  bed." 

"  Be  a  Christian  and  philosopher.  No  outward 
circumstances  can  prevent  one's  being  learned,  wise, 
good,  polite,  cheerful,  and  happy,  if  all  is  right 
within." 

"  Be  prepared  for  petty  ^^r^^by  a  faithful  perform- 
ance of  petty  duties.  '  Many  a  sensitive  spirit  is  worn 
away  by  the  attrition  of  petty  vexations.'     Avoid  all 


THE   SAGE.  361 

avoidable  vexations,  and  rejoice  in  the  unavoidable 
ones  as  a  part  of  God's  direct  disciplinary  providence. 
Thus  you  will  avoid  being  vexed  about  what  you  can 
help,  and  what  you  cannot  help." 

"  Not  only  are  emotions  to  be  watched,  but  the 
causes  of  them." 

"  A  man  of  two  minds  is  unstable  in  all  his  ways." 

"  Remember  that  despondency  is  the  greatest  of 
weal^nesses.  It  unfits  for  present  duty,  and  retrieves 
not  a  lost  cent,  nor  a  wasted  moment.'* 

"  '  Washington,  Jefferson,  Madison,  Monroe,  and 
Taylor  were  all  reflecting,  dispassionate,  and  self -poised. 
Marshall  was  as  undisturbed  by  passion  as  the  moun- 
tain is  by  the  storms  which  war  beneath  its  summit.' 
Majestic  soul  !" 

"  Singularity  and  individuality,  not  for  show,  but  for 
the  sake  of  that  secret  thought  and  devotion  which 
secure  great  results.  He  who  produces  great  results, 
or  makes  great  attainments,  uses  peculiar  means 
which  others  despise.  But  this  singularity  gives  him 
individuality,  self-respect,  and  self-reliance." 

"Symmetry  and  uniformity  of  character  can  only 
be  secured  by  perfect  attention  to  all  moral  action, 
however  small.  The  truth  is  harmonious,  and  it 
alone  is.  Moral  action,  moreover,  cannot  exist  with- 
out attention ;  it  would  be  machinery  and  habit,  not 
moral  action. 

"  Be  so  *  resolute  and  calm  '  as,  under  the  most  dis- 
tracting duties,  to  preserve  '  virtue's  awful  eye,'  the 
power  of  a  serene  countenance,  stern  and  severe  if 
need  be,  but  never  passionate,  or  indicating  any  want 
of  self-control." 

'' Every  meal  should  be  :   i.  A  sacrifice  of  gratitude 


362  THE   LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

to  God.  2.  An  exercise  of  self-government,  beautiful 
regard  for  natural  law.  3.  Time  for  natural  enjoy- 
ment of  food.  4.  An  occasion  for  improving  the 
socfal  powers,  politeness,  etc." 

*'  '  I  see  no  fault  that  I  have  not  myself  committed. ' 
— German  Poet  (memoriter).  Then  be  not  censorious, 
but  charitable  and  forgiving." 

"  Let  no  man  despise  learning  through  you,  saying 
that  it  unfits  for  business  of  life/' 

'"Honor  all  men.  Be  courteous,  pitiful,  gentle, 
pleasing  your  neighbor  for  his  good  to  edification.'  " 

*'  As  peace  is  worth  more  than  knowledge,  be 
satisfied  with  present  attainments,  while  using  all 
proper  means  for  increase  of  knowledge.  Work,  but 
don't  worry.      Haste,  but  don't  hurry." 

"  Nothing  but  perfection  will  make  the  soul,  cre- 
ated in  God's  image,  happy  at  all  times.  Be  it  mine 
to  aim  at  perfection,  and  to  make  daily  progress  in  it ; 
perfection,  especially  in  little  things — my  words,  my 
books,  my  thoughts,  my  demeanor.  This  requires 
that  originality  which  does  everything  well  and  in 
7ny  own  way.  I  can  never  secure  happiness  and  the 
highest  wisdom  by  imitati?ig  others.'' 

"  Resolved,  not  only  in  matters  of  justice,  but  of 
social  expression  of  kindness  and  love,  to  regard  all  men 
as  brethren.'' 

^"'  Labor  ipse  voluptas.'  Apply  this  to. study,  teach- 
ing, and  all  employments." 

"'Besvvift  to  hear,  slow  to  speak.'  The  first  is 
promotive  of  knowledge,  and  is  a  good  antidote  to 
absence  of  mind  in  company.  The  second  prevents 
scandal  and  imprudences,  and  gives  influence,  self- 
possession,  and  self-respect." 


THE   SAGE. 


2>^Z 


"'Did  General  Jackson  go  to  heaven,  in  your 
opinion?*  '  Did  he  ever  say  he  was  going  there?' 
'  I  heard  him  say  so.*     '  Well,  he  went.'  " 

"  SjuI  first  (or  you  are  an  idolater)  ;  then  health, 
or  you  throw  stones  into  your  machinery;  then 
school;  then  study." 

Thus  ends  this  collection  of  "  orient  pearls  at 
random  strung." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE    MORALIST. 

**  There  is  a  devil  in  every  berry  of  the  grape." — Koran. 
"  Ten  thousand  casks, 
Forever  dribbling  out  their  base  contents, 
Touched  by  the  Midas  finger  of  the  state, 
Bleed  gold  for  ministers  to  sport  away. 
Drink,  and  be  mad  then.    'Tis  your  country  bids. 
Gloriously  drunk,  obey  th'  important  call. 
Her  cause  demands  the  assistance  of  your  throats, 
Ye  all  can  swallow,  and  she  asks  no  more." 

COVVPER. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  these  closing  chapters  to  give 
a  truthful  and,  as  far  as  may  be,  comprehensive  view 
of  Mr.  Kemper's  inner  self.  The  preceding  three 
have  bought  out  traits  that  were  mainly  intellectual. 
This  and  the  next  will  seek  to  present  him  as  he 
stood  in  the  higher,  the  moral  sphere,  which  contains 
two  continents,  lying  side  by  side  like  Asia  and 
Europe,  the  earthly  and  the  heavenly.  Either  of 
these  is  so  extensive  that  its  full  discussion,  within 
a  few  pages,  is  impracticable.  So  far  as  mere  natural 
morality  is  concerned,  there  are  many  points  of 
interest  and  importance,  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Kemper's  character,  which  might  be  given  :  his  truth- 
fulness, honesty,  generosity,  hospitality,  consideration 
for  the  young,  tlie  lowly,  the  unfortunate.     Suffice- it 


THE  MORALIST.  365 

to  say  Ihat,  in  all  the  duties  arising  out  of  the  re- 
lations of  this  life,  domestic,  social,  patriotic,  and 
philanthropic,  his  principles  were  enlightened  and 
elevated,  and  his  practice  such  as  made  him  a  model 
for  young  men. 

As  we  cannot  elaborate  all,  we  have  determined, 
for  several  reasons,  to  select  one,  somewhat  as  a  type 
of  the  rest.  Practically  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
important  in  this  age  and  part  of  the  world.  We 
have  been  led,  however,  to  select  this,  for  the  ad- 
ditional reason,  that  he  has  left  behind  him  a  fall 
and  eloquent  statement  of  his  views  regarding  it. 
We  thus  accomplish  a  double  purpose  ;  as  the  speech, 
which  will  be  given  in  full,  will  not  only  clearly  de- 
fine his  position  on  this  important  question  of  morals, 
but  will  also  furnish  a  fair  specimen  of  his  ability  as 
a  rhetorician  and  an  orator. 

The  proper  use  of  alcoholic  liquors,  whether  fer- 
mented or  distilled,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
practical  problems  of  this  day.  It  is  a  question 
which,  more  or  less  directly,  affects  every  individual, 
every  parent,  every  wife,  every  child,  every  patriot, 
every  philanthropist,  every  Christian.  It  is  the 
skeleton  in  the  closet  of  the  majority  of  the  wretched 
families  of  this  country.  More  secret  and  bitter  tears 
are  shed  over  it,  perhaps,  than  over  all  other  miseries 
combined. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  always,  in  practice,  a  temperate 
man.  He  was  more  :  he  entirely  abstained  from  the 
use  of  intoxicating  liquors.  In  the  mind  of  many, 
these  are  associated  with  tobacco,  the  narcotic 
stimulant.  He  never  used  tobacco  in  any  form. 
This  was  his  practice;  his  principles  are   presented 


366  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

in  the  speech  we  sliall  give,  prepared  when  he  was 
a  young  man,  and  delivered  by  him  on  more  than 
one  occasion. 

"  THE    TEMPERANCE    REFORM    A    WORK    OF    PURE 
BENEVOLENCE. 

"  I  Stand  here  to-day  at  the  request  of  the  presi- 
dent of  your  society.  You  will  allow  me  to  say  that 
it  is  an  honor  which  I  am  too  well  acquainted  with 
myself  to  have  souglit,  or  even  to  have  accepted, 
but  for  special  reasons. 

*' Temperance  is  a  subject  which,  when  rightly 
understood,  deserves  a  noble  rank  among  the  great 
moral  movements  of  the  age.  Yet  it  is  a  subject 
sometimes  unworthily  regarded  as  only  fit  for  a 
schoolboy's  experiment,  or  for  the  flippancy  and  brass 
of  the  village  orator.  In  such  a  state  of  feeling,  what 
fiiend  of  the  cause  would,  when  called  upon,  shrink 
from  its  advocacy  .^  However  feebly  the  subject  may 
be  discussed  to-day,  it  is  in  itself  a  tower  of  strength, 
a  theme  in  reference  lo  which  we  may  boldly  say, 
'  Hear  me  for  my  cause,  and  be  silent  that  you  may 
hear. ' 

**  One  of  the  most  interesting  aspects  of  the  tem- 
perance society  is  its  relation  to  the  great  cause 
of  man's  improvement,  intellectually  and  morally, 
which  so  conspicuously  marks  the  present  age.  Some, 
even  in  the  19th  century,  have  doubted  whether  man 
has  made  progress  in  his  best  interests,  and  whether 
all  things  are  not  as  they  were  from  the  beginning. 
This,  if  not  a  misanthropic,  must  be  a  misinformed 
judgment,  as  it  certainly  is  a  very  gloomy  one.  The 
pa^c  of  prophecy  and  the  signs  of  the  times  indicate 


THE   MORALIST.  367 

just  the  reverse.  Has  not  the  harp  of  prophecy,  *  in 
tones  as  sweet  as  angels  use, 'told  of  the  period  when 
'  many  shall  run  to  and  fro  ;  and  knowledge  shall  be 
increased  '  ?  Take  a  solitary  instance  of  modern  im- 
provement for  illustration  :  the  steam-engine  driving 
the  rapid  wheel  along  the  iron  road  or  through  the 
billowy  deep,  instinct  with  life  and  motion,  perform- 
ing the  labor  and  relieving  the  toil  of  a  thousand 
horses,  yet  governed  by  a  touch  of  the  hand,  by  which 
a  vapor,  light  as  smoke,  is  revolutionizing  the  world. 
"  But  it  is  not  enough  for  man's  highest  interests 
that  he  be  intellectually  illuminated  and  physically 
benefited.  In  the  language  of  a  great  master,  'All 
that  is  great  is  moral.'  In  vain  shall  the  light  of 
knowledge  blaze  around  us,  until  in  prophetic  lan- 
guage, '  the  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of 
the  sun,  and  the  light  of  the  sun  seven-fold,'  if  there 
is  no  correspondent  improvement  of  those  passions 
and  propensities,  which  have  made  the  reader  of  his- 
tory to  sicken  at  its  story.  Shall  we  glorify  ourselves 
that  modern  science  has  made  neighbors  of  the  world's 
antipodes,  if  it  has  only  brought  into  contiguity  the 
same  old  elements  of  discord  and  moral  death  ?  No, 
not  so.  But  this  is  not  our  unhappy  condition.  Not 
only  shall  the  human  intellect,  like  the  sun  of  the 
morning,  struggle  above  the  mists  of  ignorance  and 
superstition,  but  the  storm  of  human  passion  shall  be 
calmed  till 

*'  '  Peace  on  earth  shall  hold  her  easy  sway, 
And  man  forbear  his  brother  man  to  slay.' 

One  song,  one  song  of  love,  employs  all  nations, 

'  '  And  mountain  top,  from  distant  mountain  top, 
Shall  catch  the  flying  joy.' 


368  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

''  Now,  whatever  promotes  a  result  so  desirable 
commends  itself  to  our  benevolence,  our  patriotism, 
our  philanthropy,  and  our  religion.  It  is  our  purpose 
to  show  that  the  temperance  movement  is  an  essential 
element  in  that  system  of  means  which  is  to  regen- 
erate a  world.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  argument 
we  shall  not  find  it  necessary  to  run  foul  of  any  man's 
creed  or  to  rasp  unkindly  across  the  feelings  of  the 
most  sensitive. 

*'  Classic  fable  tells  of  a  certain  robber,  Procrustes, 
away  back  in  the  age  of  Theseus,  who  had  an  iron 
bed  on  which  he  placed  his  victims.  If  they  were 
shorter  than  his  bed,  he  stretched  them  until  they 
equaled  it  in  length.  If  longer,  he  barbarously  cut 
off  the  excess  of  length.  A  striking  picture  of  an  age 
of  savage  darkness.  Men  talk  as  they  please  about 
the  dangers  of  freedom  of  opinion,  and  European 
governments  and  professed  republics  may  muzzle  the 
press;  but  they  can  never  alter  the  hard  fact  that,  if 
anything  under  heaven  is  sacredly  and  peculiarly  a 
man's  own,  it  is  his  own  opinion.  This  fact  lies  in 
the  very  nature  of  things.  It  belongs  to  the  existence 
of  mind,  and  is  indestructible  as  mind  itself.  Yet 
there  will  be  opposers ;  for,  to  use  the  words  of  a 
celebrated  Irish  orator,  '  Bigotry  has  no  head,  and 
cannot  think  ;  she"  has  no  heart,  and  cannot  feel  ;  and, 
if  she  pause  a  moment  in  her  eternal  flight,  it  is  but  to 
whet  her  fangs  foi  keener  rapine  and  replume  her 
wings  for  more  sanguinary   desolation.' 

'*We  shall  not  attempt  to  further  a  benevolent 
cause  in  any  other  than  a  benevolent  spirit.  Such 
a  course  savors  indeed  of  human  weakness,  but 
is  no  part  of  the   temperance   reformation   or  of  its 


I 


THE  MORALIST.  369 

allies.  It  needs  no  such  aid.  ^  Non  tali  auxilio 
tempus  eget!  When  I  cannot  promote  a  cause  of 
benevolence  without  vilifying  those  not  connected 
with  it,  and  impeaching  their  motives,  may  *  my  right 
hand  forget  her  cunning,  and  my  tongue  cleave  to 
the  roof  of  my  mouth.'  I  am  opposed  to  the  use  of 
intoxicating  drinks  as  a  beverage  ;  but  among  those 
who  make  and  sell  the  article  I  number  some  of  my 
best  friends  and  most  respectable  citizens.  I  have 
observed  that  this  abuse  is  the  result  of  great  weak- 
ness, and  sometimes  of  that  canting  hypocrisy  which 
cares  so  much  for  the  public  morals  as  to  neglect  its 
own.  Never,  I  repeat  it,  is  it  the  legitimate  fruit  of 
temperance  principles. 

*'  A  similar  error  is  found  in  the  extreme  to  which 
some  injudicious  friends  would  push  their  opposition 
to  the  use  of  spirituous  liquors.  Not  content  to 
abandon  its  use  as  a  drink,  they  would  banish  it  from 
the  workshop  of  the  artisan,  the  laboratory  of  the 
chemist,  and  the  shelves  of  the  druggist.  For  such 
a  notion  the  temperance  society  is  by  no  means  re- 
sponsible. This  is  not  what  we  teach.  We  inculcate 
that,  apart  from  the  vast  evils  of  intemperance,  it  is 
physically,  chemically  demonstrable,  that  alcohol  is 
injurious  to  the  health  of  a  liealthy  man.  Therefore, 
it  is  best  not  to  use  it  as  a  drink.  If  any  man  chooses 
to  make  temperance  his  hobby,  and  ride  it  till  his 
head  can  hold  but  one  idea,  to  him  alone  be  the  folly 
and  the  shame. 

"  In  showing  how  intimately  our  cause  is  connected 

with  man's  intellectual  and    moral   improvement,   it 

may  be  of  some  interest  to  take  a  rapid  glance  at  the 

past   history  of  the  world.     It  will  appear  that  in- 

17 


37 O  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

temperance  has  had  a  prominent  part  in  making  the 
world  what  it  has  been — a  stage  on  which  has  been 
enacted,  from  age  to  age,  a  tragedy  of  crime  and 
calamity,  of  blood  and  suffering.  I  recollect,  when 
quite  a  small  boy,  to  have  read  the  fable  of  the  Court 
of  Death. 

*'  It  represents  Death,  the  King  of  Terrors,  as  about 
to  choose  a  prime  minister.  Having  assembled  his 
most  efficient  emissaries,  he  declared  his  intention 
to  bestow  this  exalted  honor  on  that  servant  who 
had  caused  the  greatest  waste  of  human  life.  First 
came  War.  He  came  thundering  from  a  thousand 
battle-fields.  He  strode  with  iron  foot  before  the 
assembled  courtiers,  and  confidently  claimed  the 
office.  Next  came  Pestilence,  and  told  how  he  had 
mounted  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  and  desolated 
kingdoms,  until  the  voracity  of  death  was  sated. 
Then  Consumption  and  Famine,  meagre,  and  wan, 
and  attenuated,  claimed  pre-eminence  among  the 
shadowy  ministers  of  Death.  But  while  these  claims 
were  being  considered,  there  was  a  pause  and  an 
interest,  as  if  some  distinguished  personage  was 
approaching.  It  was  Intemperance.  Bloated,  and 
stupid  with  beclouded  brain  and  blunted  sensibilities, 
he  stated  his  case.  He  had  withered  the  rose  from 
the  cheek  of  the  blooming  bride.  He  had  multiplied 
widows  and  orphans  and  beggars,  had  swelled  the 
catalogue  of  crime,  demented  judges,  jurors,  and 
lawyers,  physicians,  ministers,  and  statesmen  ;  and 
all  diseases  followed  in  his  train.  The  other  appli- 
cants retired,  and  Intemperance  was  installed  the 
Prime  Minister  of  Death. 

"  It  is  a  part  of  our  blissful  ignorance  that  we  are 


THE  MORALIST.  371 

not  assured  of  the  existence  of  intemperance  in  the 
antediluvian  world.  We  do  not  know  that  this  was 
one  of  the  sins  for  which  the  waves  wheeled  and 
gamboled  above  the  higiiest  mountains.  But  we  do 
know  that  the  ancient  patriarch,  just  buoyed  up 
above  a  prostrate  world,  was  made  drunk  and  dis- 
graced by  wine.  On  every  page  of  history,  from 
the  days  of  Noah  till  the  present,  has  this  demon 
rioted  in  his  wild  and  besotting  revel.  The  deifica- 
tion of  Bacchus,  the  god  of  wine,  occurred  in  India 
in  its  early  history,  and  to  the  present  day  his  rites 
are  mingled  with  the  obscenities  of  the  pagan  wor- 
ship. Athens,  as  she  advanced  in  refinement  and  the 
arts,  paid  her  devotions  more  sedulously  to  the  rosy 
god,  till  Plato  says  he  saw  the  whole  city  dnink  on 
a  feast  of  Bacchus.  Thus  were  drunkenness  and  de- 
bauchery linked  with  the  religious  feelings  of  the 
most  enlightened  people  of  antiquity.  Here  it  was 
that  a  theatre  was  dedicated  to  Bacchus  which  held 
thirty  thousand  spectators;  and  then,  as  now,  the 
favorite  victims  of  this  vice  were  men  of  genius,  of 
power,  and  capabilities  of  usefulness. 

"Alexander  tlie  Great,  that  prodigy  of  humanity, 
after  having  subdued  the  world  by  his  genius,  dies 
in  a  drunken  frolic,  and  yields  his  mighty  soul  a 
captive  to  the  reeling  god.  He  dies  at  Babylon, 
where,  two  centuries  before,  that  '  beauty  of  the  Chal- 
dees'  excellency  '  was  laid  in  the  dust,  while  her  king 
and  a  thousand  of  her  lords  were  drunk  ivith  wine. 
Yes,  Babylon,  the  mistress  of  kingdoms,  is  no 
more.  As  the  Euphrates,  like  a  pilgrim  monarch, 
passes  the  ruins  of  the  wasted  kingdom,  the  silent 
ripple  of  its  wave  tells  of  wine  and  its  attendant 


372  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

vices  ;  and  the  gray  osiers  that  grow  along  its  banks, 
as  they  sigh  to  the  breeze  that  wafts  across  the  ruins 
of  the  imbecility  of  man,  mingle  in  the  dirge  their 
warnings  against  intemperance  as  a  national  sin. 

*'  But  if  the  philosophy  and  morals  of  Socrates  and 
Plato  were  no  antidote  to  this  vice,  we  would  surely 
expect  that  iron-hearted  Rome  would  scorn  its  effem- 
inating influences.  While  her  soldiers  drank  vine- 
gar and  water,  she  trod  with  iron  foot  on  the  nations 
of  the  world.  They  marched  with  a  weight  of 
armor  under  which  a  modern  soldier  can  scarcely 
stand.  Here,  too,  are  introduced  the  Bacchanalian 
festivals.  Feasts  of  revelry  become  part  of  the 
Roman  religion.  They  often  worshiped  in  the 
night,  the  strictest  secrecy  being  enjoined  on  all 
who  participated ;  and  thus  the  holiest,  strongest 
feelings  of  the  mistress  of  the  world  were  enlisted  in 
a  service  where  '  vice  held  carnival  and  sin  kept 
lent.'  The  senate,  not  out  of  a  regard  for  morals, 
but  from  policy,  abolished  these  festivals.  But  it 
was  too  late  :  the  greenness  of  youth,  the  freshness 
of  her  heart  were  gone. 

"  Such  was  the  world's  addictedness  to  drunken- 
ness before  the  process  of  distillation  was  discovered. 
As  a  chemical  fact,  the  distilling  of  alcohol  is  inter- 
esting, and  forms  a  part  of  the  progress  of  science. 
But,  alas  for  mankind,  that  there  has  been  so  little  of 
true  knowledge  connected  with  its  origin  and  use. 
It  originated  in  the  days  of  alchemy,  when  the 
philosophers  invoked  witchcraft  and  magic  for  the 
production  of  their  universal  solvent,  by  which  any- 
thing might  be  turned  into  gold.  Its  nature  and  in- 
iluence   have  been    little   understood.     Theoricus,  a 


THE  MORALIST.  373 

writer  of  the  sixteenth  century,  gives  us  the  follow- 
ing description  : 

" '  Alcohol  sloweth  age  ;  it  strengtheneth  youth  ;  it 
helpeth  digestion;  it  abandoneth  melancholic;  it 
cureth  the  hydropsia ;  it  puffeth  away  ventositie  ;  it 
keepeth  and  preserveth  the  head  from  whirling,  the 
eyes  from  dazzling,  the  tongue  from  lisping,  the  mouth 
from  snaffling,  the  stomach  from  wambling,  the  heart 
from  swelling  ;  it  keepeth  the  hands  from  shivering, 
the  sinews  from  shrinking,  the  veins  from  crumbling, 
the  bones  from  aching,  and  the  marrow  from  soak- 
ing.' No  wonder  that  there  was  no  longer  search 
for  the  philosopher's  stone  ;  for  here  was  a  substitute 
answering  far  better  purposes. 

'*  We  should  have  been  glad  of  the  use  of  distilla- 
tion, if  ignorance  had  not  presided  at  its  discovery. 
Hence  from  a  cloud,  no  larger  than  a  man's  hand, 
has  grown  a  lowering  and  tempestuous  blackness, 
brooding  over  the  world,  and  desolating  the  lands 
with  its  tempestuous  torrents.  Distilled  liquor  was 
first  brought  into  ordinary  use  in  the  Hungarian 
mines,  to  preserve  the  workmen  from  the  effects  of 
damp  and  cold.  In  1583  it  was  first  dealt  out  to 
English  soldiers  for  almost  the  same  purpose.  From 
this  beginning  it  has  grown  until  it  has  polluted 
every  walk  of  life.  Drunken  physicians  have  at- 
tended the  sick  and  the  dying.  Drunken  lawyers  have 
enlightened  the  bench,  that  needed  to  be  exhilarated 
by  alcohol.  Drunken  clergy  have  preached  the 
gospel  to  a  people  who  have  nourished  intemper- 
ance, till,  old  enough  to  live  without  its  foster- 
mother,  the  Church,  it  has  been  excommunicated 
from  her  narrow  precincts,  to  ruin  family  and  friend, 


374  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

to  disgrace  responsible  office,  and  to  fill  the  grave  of 
the  loathsome  drunkard. 

"  Such  is  an  outline  of  the  past  history  of  intem- 
perance. It  is  very  difficult  to  conceive  adequately 
of  the  magnitude  of  this  evil  as  it  exists  among  us 
at  the  present  day,  so  interwoven  is  it  with  sickness 
and  pauperism  and  crime  and  mental  and  moral 
imbecility.  Some  years  since  a  scarcity  of  provi- 
sions was  apprehended  in  Ireland,  and  a  law  was 
passed  forbidding  the  distillation  of  corn.  The  con- 
sequence was  that  the  anticipated  scarcity  was  pre- 
vented. Ireland  exported  corn  that  year,  and  bought 
double  the  quantity  of  blankets  she  had  done  before. 
Felix  Grundy  says  that  after  thirty  years'  extensive 
practice  as  a  lawyer,  it  is  his  opinion  that  four  fifths 
of  all  the  crimes  in  the  United  States  can  be  traced 
to  intemperance. 

"  Why  is  it,  then,  that  this  evil,  of  such  acknowl- 
edged magnitude,  excites  so  little  interest  among 
men  v/ho  are,  in  general,  the  friends  of  temperance 
and  friends  of  their  kind  ?  I  answer,  because  we 
deal  in  generalities,  and  do  so  little  that  gives  spe- 
cial point  to  our  good  wishes.  This  is  precisely  the 
difficulty  which  the  organization  of  temperance 
societies  meets  and  vanquishes.  We  look  upon  in- 
temperance as  we  look  upon  death  itself,  until  its 
very  familiarity  renders  us  insensible  to  it.  The 
soldier  can  walk  among  the  heaped-up  corpses  of 
the  battle-field  with  as  little  concern  as  if  they  were 
so  many  stones.  Familiarity  with  death  makes  its 
impressions  as  transient  as  those  of  the  wing  of  the 
bird  in  its  tiight  through  the  air. 


THE  MORALIST.  375 

'  As  from  the  wing  no  scar  the  sky  retains, 
The  parted  wave  no  furrow  from  the  keel, 
So  dies  in  human  hearts  the  thought  of  death.' 

Butler,  in  his  'Analogy,'  accounts  for  this  state  of 
things  in  a  way  that  may  give  the  friends  of  tem- 
perance a  lesson.  He  remarks  that  those  impres- 
sions in  which  we  are  passive,  are  always  weakened 
by  repetition,  while  those  feelings  excited  by  the 
active  exercise  of  our  own  powers  become  more  in- 
tense with  the  activity  put  forth.  So  that  our  minds 
and  our  benevolence,  like  the  brawny  muscles  of  the 
blacksmith's  arm,  become  large  and  strong  by  exer- 
cise. 

"  Here  is  a  vice  which  takes  off  from  our  land  its 
thirty  thousand  victims  annually,  erasing  every  orig- 
inal, godlike  lineament  from  every  one  of  its  victims, 
and  weighing  like  an  incubus  upon  the  breast  of 
human  progress  as  it  is  palpitating  to  advance. 
Look  at  its  waste  of  intellect;  and  the  intellectual 
resources  of  this  nation  need  to  be  developed  no  less 
than  its  natural  wealth.  Many  a  genius  that  would 
have  arisen  and  shed  glory  from  its  wings  has  'gone 
down  to  the  vile  dust  from  whence  he  sprung,  un- 
wept, unhonored,  and  unsung.'  This  waste  of  mind, 
could  we  see  it  collected,  would  swell  into  mountains 
and  rise  above  the  stars.  It  is  insanity  to  talk  of  the 
intellectual  resources  of  this  people  being  devel- 
oped till  this  bane  of  intellect  is  banished.  But  the 
loss  to  the  community  of  an  army  of  drunkards, 
who  might  have  filled  the  front  ranks  of  usefulness 
and  honor,  and  the  wail  of  a  host  of  tattered  and 
disconsolate  widows,  are  not  the  worst  features  of 
this  picture.     There   are   the  tears   and  woe   of  the 


376  fHE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

friendless,  uneducated  orphans,  thrown  upon  the 
world's  cold  charity,  with  no  affectionate  home  to 
develop  their  sympathies:  and  with  none  to  care  for 
their  moral  susceptibilities,  they  are  schooled  to  vice 
and  invited  to  crime,  each  one  liable  to  becohie  a 
nucleus,  around  which  may  cluster  a  thousand  hered- 
itary obliquities,  and  a  radiant  point  for  diffusing 
the  ribaldry  and  blasphemy  and  debauchery  which 
infect  the  lowest  drunkeries.  Ah  !  the  tombs  of  the 
drunkard's  uneducated  and  vicious  children  plead 
eloquently  for  the  full  blaze  of  the  era  of  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  individual  man. 

'  No  doubt,  in  those  neglected  tombs  are  laid 
Some  hearts  once  pregnant  with  celestial  fire  ; 
Hands  that  the  rod  of  empire  might  have  swayed. 
Or  waked  to  eloquence  the  living  lyre. 

*  Some  village  Hampden,  that,  with  dauntless  breast. 
The  little  tyrant  of  his  fields  withstood  ; 
Some  mute,  inglorious  Milton  there  may  rest  ; 
Some  Cromwell,  guiltless  of  his  country's  blood. 

'  But  knowledge  to  their  eyes  her  ample  page, 
Rich  with  the  spoils  of  time,  did  ne'er  unfold  ; 
Chill  penury  repressed  their  noble  rage. 
And  froze  the  genial  current  of  the  soul.' 

"  Where  is  any  effectual  remedy  for  this  vice  }  It 
is  in  abstinence  from  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  bev- 
erage, a  common  drink.  In  this  there  is  no  monk- 
isli  austerity,  and  no  refusal  to  enjoy  God's  gifts  in 
their  most  benign  profusion.  We  hold  that  'every 
creature  of  God  is  good,'  and  that  *  He  has  given  us 
all  things  richly  to  enjoy.'  But  surely  they  are  to  be 
enjoyed  in  accordance  with  the  laws  which  God  has 


THE  MORALIST.  377 

impressed  on  our  physical  constitution.  God  has 
given  us  every  article  in  the  materia  medica,  but  are 
we  therefore  to  use  tobacco  and  prussic  acid  and 
arsenic  as  ingredients  in  our  breakfasts  and  dinners 
and  suppers  ?  Is  that  what  is  meant  by  enjoying  thank- 
fully the  blessings  of  Providence  ?  Everything  is  to 
be  enjoyed  in  accordance  with  its  own  nature.  Now 
what  is  the  nature  of  alcohol,  and  what  is  its  place  .^ 
It  is  useful  to  the  physician,  to  the  chemist,  the  artist. 
Is  it  useful  in  the  stomach  of  a  healthy  man  ?  Ask 
Dr.  Drake,  probably  the  most  distinguished  medical 
man  in  the  West,  and  he  will  tell  you  that  alcohol 
has  no  appropriate  place  there;  that,  when  intro- 
duced, it  is  neither  converted  into  blood,  flesh, 
nor  bone.  Nor  Dr.  Drake  alone;  but  every  man 
who  knows  the  chemical  properties  of  spirituous 
liquors  and  the  physiology  of  digestion  tells  the 
same  story. 

''On  the  banner  of  temperance  is  inscribed.  Tem- 
perance consists  in  the  moderate  use  of  things  useful, 
and  in  abstinence  from  those  that  are  pernicious. 
Pointing  to  the  superlative  and  unmitigated  woe  of 
the  past,  and  to  the  bright  prospect  of  a  glorious 
future,  she  addresses  neither  our  political  prejudices 
nor  our  sectarian  feelings.  With  the  most  enlarged 
philanthropy,  she  cries  '  To  you,  O  men,  I  call,  and 
my  voice  is  to  the  sons  of  men.'  Shall  she  not  be 
heard  ?  Her  face  beams  with  benignity.  In  her  train 
follow  Health  and  Peace  and  Prosperity.  She  even 
approaches  the  poor  inebriate,  whose  habits  are  an 
iron  collar  around  his  neck,  and  bids  him  to  be  free. 
For  she  stands  upon  the  broken  sceptre  and  the 
shattered  spear  of  the  drunkard's  captivity. 

17* 


37^  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER, 

'  In  faith  and  hope  the  world  will  disagree, 
But  all  mankind's  concern  is  charity.' 

'*  The  Bible  is  pre-eminent  in  forming  the  character 
of  this  age.  This  volume  gives  countenance  and 
sustenance  to  the  temperance  cause.  *  Look  not 
upon  the  wine  when  it  is  red,  when  itgiveth  its  color 
in  the  cup  :  at  last  it  biteth  like  a  serpent,  and  stingeth 
like  an  adder.'  *  It  is  not  for  kings  to  drink  wine,  nor 
princes  strong  drink  ;  lest  they  drink  and  forget  the 
law.'  '  It  is  good  neither  to  eat  flesh,  nor  to  drink 
wine,  nor  anything  whereby  thy  brother  is  offended 
or  is  made  weak.'  '  Woe  unto  him  that  putteth  the 
bottle  to  his  neighbor's  lips.' 

"  But  not  to  the  Christian  only  does  the  thought 
commend  itself.  I  appeal  to  the  philanthropist.  I 
ask,  Where,  in  the  circle  of  your  benevolence,  can 
you  do  so  much  at  so  little  cost  as  in  promoting  the 
interests  of  temperance  1  When  can  you  find  an  evil 
of  greater  magnitude  to  be  removed  ? 

"  General  Washington  charged  us,  in  his  Farewell 
Address,  to  cling  to  religion  and  pure  morals  as  the 
only  hope  of  our  country.  Here  is  a  great  national 
vice,  and  it  draws  with-it  a  multitude  of  other  vices, 
taking  annually  into  the  drunkard's  grave  many  who 
would  illustrate  our  country's  annals  by  their  genius, 
and  be  a  blessing  to  mankind.  Where,  then,  is  the 
patriot  who  will  not  give  his  countenance  and  co- 
operation to  the  temperance  cause  }  Pause,  then,  fel- 
low-citizen, lover  of  your  country,  if  you  area  friend 
to  public  virtue — pause  before  you  contribute  in  any 
degree  to  the  perpetuity  of  that  vice  with  which  all 
other  vices  are  interlocked,  and  vices  too  with  which 
are   mingled    *all  shapes,  all   forms,  all    modes  of 


THE   MORALIST.  379 

wretchedness  and  agony  and  desperate  woe.'  Com- 
merce, arts,  wealth,  and  learning  cannot  save  us. 
Egypt  was  learned  and  rich,  but  her  pyramids  tow- 
ered above  a  people  morally  degraded  as  the  creep- 
ing things  they  w^orshiped.  Much  as  demagogues 
may  flatter  us,  our  strength  as  a  nation  is  but  a  rope 
of  sand  if  we  neglect  the  subject  of  public  morals. 

''  Could  we  go  round  to   tlie  graves   of  the  thou- 
sands of  drunkards  that  are  annually    buried  in  our 
country,  and,   standing  at  the  head  of  the  sepulchre, 
could  we   summon  back  the  dweller  there  and  look 
at   his  capabilities,  we    should   find    many  a  genius 
of   the   highest   order,    lost  to  society.     The   gifted 
Charles    Lamb  lamented  that    in   the  prime  of  life 
his  mind  was  so  ruined  by   intemperance  that  it  was 
only  at  intervals  that  he  could  read  and  appreciate  the 
productions  of  his  earlier  and  sober  years.     A  multi- 
tude of  such   men    have  been  saved,  and  multitudes 
more  will  be  saved  to  their  country  and   the  world, 
when  the  temperance  cause  shall    have   achieved  its 
triumph.     The    late  Dr.   Morrison,  founder   of  the 
Anglo-Chinese  College  and   translator  of  the  Bible 
into  the  Chinese  language,  was  taken  up,  a  little  dirty 
boy,  in  the  streets  of  London,  and  taken  to  the  Sun- 
day-school.    There  his  genius  was  developed,  and  he 
was  saved   from  the  vices   of  that  city,  with    its  five 
thousand  licensed  temples  of  drunkenness.   God  speed 
the  cause,  until  many  a  Morrison  shall   rise  to    bless 
the  Celestial    Empire,  and    many  a  youth    be  saved, 
who,  like    Samuel  J.  Mills,  shall  say,   '  We  are  little 
men,  but  the  world  must  feel  our  influence.' 

'^  But,  says  some  one,  the  argument  against  spirit- 
uous liquors  is  valid,  but  to  exclude  wine  and  cider 


380  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

is  an  unnatural  and  unscriptural  extreme.  To  this 
I  answer,  ist,  That  the  alcoholic  stimulus,  in  what- 
ever form,  is  not  necessary  to  health.  2nd,  That  there 
is  danger  in  the  popular  use  of  them,  especially  in 
this  country.  3rd,  That  their  use  would  embarrass  the 
cause  of  temperance,  which  every  good  man  wishes 
to  succeed.  Lastly,  That  these  carping  fault-finders, 
who  reproach  us  with  going  to  an  extreme,  would 
reproach  us  still  more,  and  with  greater  justice,  if 
we  stopped  short  of  total  abstinence.  There  will 
always  be  some  croakers,  whom  none  can  please. 
They  can  throw  more  mud  in  an  hour  upon  a  good 
man,  or  a  good  society,  than  can  be  lived  down  in  a 
year.  A  serious  notice  they  do  not  require.  They 
are  like  one  John  Lilburn,  in  the  time  of  Cromwell, 
of  whom  it  was  said,  that,  if  he  were  the  only  man  in 
the  world,  so  bent  was  he  upon  antagonism,  that 
rather  than  lack  occasion  to  dispute,  John  would 
quarrel  with  Lilburn,  and  Lilburn  would  quarrel 
with  John. 

"What  will  be  the  influence  of  this  reform,  carried 
out,  on  the  unwashed  and  uncombed  and  penniless, 
hereditarily  diseased  children  of  the  drunkard  1  Let 
no  one  despise  the  act  of  that  little  boy  who  intelli- 
gently takes  his  pen  and  pledges  perpetual  hate  to  all 
that  can  intoxicate.  That  act  may  be  worth  his  use- 
fulness and  respectability.  Besides,  children  have 
tiieir  influence.  A  farmer  who  was  fond  of  his  glass, 
and  who  was  accustomed  also  to  furnish  it  to  his 
hands,  on  finding  that  his  work  did  not  get  on  so  well 
in  consequence  of  this  practice,  determined  to  buy  off 
his  laborers  during  harvest,  by  giving  to  every  man 
a  sheep.     He  did  so,  but  continued  to  drink  himself. 


JTHE  MORALIST.  381 

One  day,  when  he  had  been  congratulating  hinnself 
on  the  improved  state  of  his  farm,  since  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  use  of  liquors,  he  was  about  to  take  a 
drink  himself,  when  one  of  his  little  boys  said  to  him, 
'  Father,  would  not  you  better  take  a  sheep  too  ? ' 
He  set  down  his  glass,  and  drank  no  more. 

'  A  grain  of  corn  an  infant  hand 
May  plant  upon  an  inch  of  land, 
Whence  twenty  stalks  may  spring,  and  yield 
Enough  to  stock  a  little  field. 
The  harvest  of  that  field  might  then 
Be  multiplied  to  ten  times  ten,  • 
Which,  sown  thrice  more,  would  furnish  bread 
With  which  an  army  might  be  fed.' 

"  Shall  young  men  refuse  to  co-operate  in  the  tem- 
perance cause?  With  them  especially  it  is  a  matter 
of  personal  safety,  no  less  than  of  benevolent  effort. 
Dissipation  in  some  form  is  the  besetting  sin  of 
youth.  I  hazard  nothing  when  I  say  that  the  young 
man  accustomed  to  take  his  social  glass  stands  upon 
slippery  places.  Oh,  the  self-confidence,  how  ill- 
founded  !  Go  to  the  loathsome  drunkard,  that  being 
who  has  made  himself  the  outcast  of  all  things.  You 
will  often  find  him  the  wreck  of  an  amiable  heart 
and  a  lofty  spirit.  He  was  nursed  tenderly  as  you 
have  been.  In  childhood  his  cheek  was  impearled 
in  many  a  mother's  warm  tear.  As  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, dignity  sat  upon  his  brow,  and  energy,  nerving 
his  manly  step,  made  many  a  tear  of  apprehension 
to  set  to  sparkle  through  the  smile  of  parental  inter- 
est. Yet  his  own  self  has  been  ruined,  and  the  fond- 
est hopes  have  been  blasted.  The  sword  has  pierced 
through  the  soul  of  the  mother  that  bore    him,  has 


382  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.  KEMPER, 

created  that  indescribable  anguish  which  exclaims: 
'  Is  it  nothing  to  you,  all  ye  that  pass  by?  Behold 
and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like  unto  my  sorrow.' 
Is  this  a  solitary  instance  ?  Let  your  observation 
answer.  Is  it  not  rather  one  of  those  ten  thousand 
shipwrecks  of  human  character  which  lie  strewn  in 
wild,  disastrous  confusion  upon  the  shores  of  time  ? 

"  But  tliere  is  another  motive.  Not  only  are  the 
personal  interests  of  many  a  young  man  bound  up 
in  the  temperance  movement ;  but  where  is  the  young 
man  who  is  maturing  a  character,  and  does  not  design 
to  accomplish  large  good  to  his  fellow-men  .?  Ex- 
pansive benevolence  is  surely  one  of  the  firmest 
pillars  of  a  desirable  and  useful  character.  Of 
course,  in  this  argument  I  address  young  men  who 
have  some  stamina  of  character.  That  youth  whose 
highest  ambition  it  is  to  tie  the  prettiest  knot  in  his 
cravat  is  overshot  in  this  appeal.  But  I  address  my- 
self to  such  as  I  love  to  educate,  those  who  mean  to 
be  something  and  to  do  something. 

''  '  In  the  world's  broad  field  of  battle,'  what  higher 
satisfaction  could  a  soul  possessed  of  such  senti- 
ments desire,  than  the  assurance  that  he  had  saved, 
by  his  influence,  '  some  forlorn  and  shipwrecked 
brother,  sailing  o'er  life's  solemn  main'  ?  This  has 
been  done  in  thousands  of  instances,  and  prevention 
better  than  cure  is  now  the  safety  of  a  multitude 
of  youth  marching  under  our  snow-white  banner. 
Here  is  goodness  twice  blessed — in  the  recipient  and 
in  the  bestower.  Does  no  heavenly  benediction  rest 
on  such  an  instrument.?  *  They  that  be  wise  shall 
sliine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament  ;  and  they 
that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as  the  stars,  forever 
and  forever.* 


THE   MORALIST.  383 

"  Finally,  the  cause  commends  itself  to  the  ladies, 
and  there  I  leave  it.  If  they  enter  into  its  spirit,  my 
work  is  more  than  done,  my  task  more  than  accom- 
plished. I  commend  it  to  them,  not  in  tiie  cant 
phrase  of  fulsome  flattery— I  will  not  thus  prostitute 
this  occasion.  Then  my  honesty  might  be  suspected 
by  all  ladies  of  good  sense.  For,  as  the  sensitive 
plant  shrinks  from  the  first  approach  of  a  rude  hand, 

'  So  female  virtue  should  from  flatter)'  fly, 
And  spurn  the  incense  of  its  gilded  lie.* 

"I  go  at  once  to  that  perennial  fountain  of  sensi- 
bility which  springs  eternal  in  the  female  heart,  and 
simply  lay  this  object  of  benevolence  at  her  feet,  as- 
sured it  will  not  go  away  unblest. 

"  I  moreover  appeal  to  your  righteous  indignation. 
Woman  has  suffered  the  curse  causeless  from  intem- 
perance. The  rose  has  withered  from  her  cheek,  and 
sorrows  untold  have  desolated  her  spirit,  because 
her  husband  or  father  or  son  has  made  himself  a  brule. 
Let  her  now  rise',  in  the  majesty  and  fearlessness  of 
injured  innocence,  and  the  cause  ;////^/ go  forward. 

"  In  savageism  and  immorality  woman  is  a  slave. 
But  she  rides  in  the  car  of  civilization  and  moral 
improvement.  She  shines  in  peerless  beauty  only 
where  the  highest  moral  virtue  prevails.  Woman 
must  co-operate  in  the  world's  redemption.  She  will  ; 
and  when  the  darkness  of  moral  death  shall  have 
fled  away,  the  philosophical  reader  of  history  will 
look,  page  after  page,  upon  the  influence  of  woman's 
still  and  small  but  potential  voice." 

In  this  address  we  know  not  which  most  to  ad- 
mire, its  eloquent  beauty,  its  decided  and  lofty 
principles,  or  its  enlightened  conservatism. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


THE  CHRISTIAN. 


*•  Life  and  religion  are  one,  or  neither  is  anything  :  I  will  not 
say  that  neither  is  growing  to  be  anything.  Religion  is  no  way 
of  life,  no  show  of  life,  no  observance  of  any  sort.  It  is  neither 
ihe  food  nor  the  medicine  of  being.  It  is  life  essential." — 
George  MacDonald. 

We  have  now  come  to  that  which  is  the  founda- 
tion, the  shaft,  and  the  capstone  of  the  character 
which  has  it.  It  is  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  web  of 
life.  As  George  MacDonald  says,  it  is  the  essential 
life  itself.  Religion  is,  and  ought  to  be,  and  must 
be,  in  and  through  and  under  and  over  every  char- 
acter, of  which  it  is  a  true  and  active  element. 

We  have  already  learned  that  Mr.  Kemper,  nour- 
ished from  his  infancy  in  the  atmosphere  of  piety, 
under  the  tutelage  of  a  pious  mother  and  a  godly 
father,  made  a  personal  profession  of  the  relig- 
ion of  Christ,  and  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church 
when  he  was  but  a  youth.  It  was  his  original  pur- 
pose to  prepare  himself  for  the  gospel  ministry,  and 
with  this  design  in  view  he  entered  Marion  College. 
He  went  so  far  as  to  prepare  notes  of  several  ser- 
mons, and,  although  he  was  never  formally  licensed 
to  preach,  he  delivered  these  sermons  to  public  con- 
gregations.    As   heretofore  stated,  we   have  one  of 


THE   CHRISTIAISr.  385 

tliese  skeleton  sermons.  It  is  marked  "No.  2.  Weak 
Faith,"  and  headed  by  the  memorandum,  "  Notes  of 
a  sermon  preached  at  the  camp-ground  of  New  Prov- 
idence Church,  August,  1838."  It  was  upon  the  text, 
''  Him  that  is  weak  in  the  faith,  receive  ye;  but  not 
to  doubtful  disputations"  (Rom.  14  :  i).  We  make 
a  few  extracts  :  "  The  apostle  recognizes  degrees  in 
faith.  Weakness  of  faitli  is  no  part  of  religion,  but 
arises  from  the  previous  habits  of  thought  and  life 
exercised  by  the  individual.  ...  So  habits  of  scep- 
ticism will  harass  men  whose  judgment  has  been 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  Bible."  He  shows  the 
peculiar  weakness  to  which  the  Jew,  the  heathen, 
and  the  man  raised  under  Christian  influences  would 
be  liable.  As  to  the  last  he  says  :  "  A  man  in  whose 
ears  the  Bible  and  religious  truth  have  been  rung 
from  infancy  will,  if  he  neglect  the  truth,  acquire  a 
habit  of  insensibility  which  will  trouble  him  after  he 
commences  the  service  of  God."  Again  he  says: 
"This  weakness  of  faith  is  manifested  when  people 
say  they  are  not  fit  to  join  the  church,  though  they 
are  conscious  of  sincerity  and  earnestness  in  forsak- 
ing sin.  They  erect  a  false  standard  as  to  what  re- 
ligion is.  They  think  the  Christian  is  a  perfect 
man,  whereas  he  is  the  veriest  babe  at  first,  fed  on 
milk  by  hand,  hardly  able  to  stand  or  walk,  liable  to 
be  dashed  over  by  any  opposition.  Their  ideal 
Christian,  if  earth  ever  sees  such  a  one,  is  to  be 
looked  for  among  those  who  have  been  long  in  the 
church,  and  have  been  exercised  much  in  applying 
the  knife  to  their  sins  and  crucifying  them  constant- 
ly. The  church  is  greatly  in  error  on  this  subject. 
Every   remarkable  case  of  miserable   persistence  in 


386  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

rebellion,  till  the  man  is  subdued  as  if  in  the  storm 
of  battle,  is  rung  through  the  land,  and  these  cases 
become  the  rule  instead  of  the  exception." 

For  satisfactory  reasons,  he  abandoned  the  purpose 
of  entering  the  ministry.  What  these  reasons  were 
we  do  not  fully  know.  Of  one  fact  we  have  no 
doubt :  that  he  was  not  at  all  influenced  in  his  decision 
by  any  decrease  of  interest  in  Christianity  as  his  own 
personal  faith.  His  whole  subsequent  life  proves 
this  to  be  so. 

He  transferred  his  membership  from  the  church  at 
Madison  Court-House,  Va.,  to  that  at  the  Marion 
College.  When  he  removed  to  Boonville  he  car- 
ried his  church  letter  with  him.  He  was  accordingly 
identified  with  the  Boonville  church  from  1844  till 
his  death,  with  the  exception  of  the  few  years  he 
spent  at  P'ulton.  From  the  first  he  was  one  of  the 
active  members  of  the  congregation,  and  in  1855  was 
chosen  a  ruling  elder.  This  office  he  held  continu- 
ously until  he  died. 

Having  given  this  brief  statement  of  his  church 
life,  we  shall  now  present  some  of  his  religious  prin- 
ciples, and  then  set  forth  his  religious  habits.  As  to 
his  religious  faith  but  little  need  be  said.  He  was  a 
Christian  theist  ;  firmly  convinced  of  the  existence 
of  an  eternal,  personal  God,  he  was  equally  so  of  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  as  an  in- 
spired revelation  of  His  will.  He  believed  in  all  the 
cardinal  doctrines  of  evangelical  Christianity,  the 
Trinity  of  the  Godhead,  the  divinity  of  Christi,  His  vi- 
carious atonement  for  man,  and  the  eternal  separation 
of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked.  There  was  only  one 
point  with  regard  to  which  he  differed  from  the  mass 


THE   CHRISTIAN.  387 

of  orthodox  theologians.  Witii  respect  to  it  his  di- 
vergence was  merely  theoretical ;  his  practice  was 
strictly  orthodox.  Moreover,  we  never  heard  him 
express  his  peculiar  views  on  the  point  in  question, 
and  we  find  no  allusion  to  it  in  his  journals. 

He  was  a  Presbyterian  ;  he  believed  in  all  the  es- 
sential principles  of  the  Westminster  Confession  of 
Faith  and  Form  of  Government.  Flis  acceptance  of 
the  oflice  of  elder  required  this.  He  was,  therefore, 
a  Protestant,  a  Paedo-baptist,  and  a  Calvinist,  and 
of  course,  in  church  government,  a  Presbyterian. 
While  he  was  intelligently,  decidedly,  and  firmly  at- 
tached to  these  peculiar  views,  he  had  the  utmost  tol- 
eration and  respect  for  those  who  thought  quite 
otherwise.  There  was  not  a  particle  of  bigotry 
about  him.  The  circle  of  his  religious  friendship 
embraced  Christians  of  every  shade  of  belief.  The 
circle  of  his  social  friendship  embraced  every  respect- 
able man  and  woman. 

Mrs.  Kemper  has  directed  our  attention  to  his  be- 
lief in  special  providences,  and  has  given  a  number 
of  instances  in  his  life  as  illustrations.  With  regard 
to  the  doctrine  of  special  providence,  we  may  say 
that  all  who  believe  in  general  must  also  believe  in 
special  providence.  As  there  can  be  no  compounds 
without  elements,  and  no  elements  without  atoms  ; 
so  there  can  be  no  general  management  of  the  uni- 
verse which  does  not  necessarily  include  a  supervis- 
ing and  directing  attention  to  its  details.  There  are 
some,  however,  who  misinterpret  this  doctrine  of 
special  providence,  as  though  it  taught  the  continu- 
ance of  the  day  of  miracles.  God  does  no  miracles 
now.     They  are  past,  with  the  necessity  for  them. 


SSS  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

But  that  God  so  arranges  the  workings  of  His  laws 
and  the  free  actions  of  men  as  to  promote  the  inter- 
ests of  His  people,  sometimes  in  ways  that  are  quite 
remarkable,  and  even  to  us  incomprehensible,  is  not 
only  reasonable  but  true.  It  is  all  done  by  the  regu- 
lar operation  of  natural  law,  and  by  the  free  volition 
of  voluntary  agents,  so  that  the  divine  promise  is  ful- 
filled, '*  There  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall 
any  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwelling."  Such  was  Mr. 
Kemper's  belief.  God's  hand  is  in  everything  that 
concerns  us.  All  providences  are  special  providences  : 
"  The  steps  of  a  good  man  are  ordered  of  the  Lord.** 

•'  In  each  event  of  life,  how  clear  thy  ruling  hand  I  see  ; 

Each  blessing  to  my  soul  most  dear,  because  conferred  by  Thee.** 

There  are  some  passages  of  our  lives  which  mani- 
fest this  overruling  care  of  God  more  strikingly  than 
do  others.  These  we  single  out  and  call  them  spe- 
cial providences.  Such  they  are;  but  God's  kind 
and  wise  hand  is  no  more  in  them  than  in  the  com- 
mon happenings  of  our  daily  lives.  They  are  extraor- 
dinary, and  as  such  they  are  adapted  and  designed 
to  arrest  our  attention,  and  make  us  feel  that  our 
Father  is  watching  over  usi  We  shall  record  a  few 
of  these,  given  by  Mrs.  Kemper.  When  he  was  a  boy 
he  was  accidentally  thrown  under  the  wheels  of  a  four- 
horse  wagon,  loaded  with  chestnut  rails,  both  of  the 
wheels  passing  over  his  body.  Though  seriously  in- 
jured, he  recovered.  While  at  Marion  College,  he 
was  narrowly  saved  from  drowning  while  crossing 
a  stream  with  his  aunt  and  her  two  sons.  A  loaded 
wagon  again  passed  over  him,  as  he  was  driving  out 
to  his  farm  near  Boonville,  rendering  him  insensible 


THE   CHRISTIAN.  389 

for  a  time.  On  another  occasion,  in  company  with 
his  wife  and  Mrs.  Bocock,  all  three  narrowly  escaped 
serious  injury,  if  not  death,  from  the  breaking  of 
the  harness  as  they  were  descending  a  steep,  broken 
hill,  and  meeting  a  wagon  in  the  narrowest  place. 
During  the  vacation  of  1871,  he  was  driving  from 
Boonville  to  Marshall,  with  his  wife,  three  small  chil- 
dren, and  Misses  Annie  and  Maria  McCutcheon,  in  his 
carriage,  which  was  drawn  by  two  small,  well-trained 
mules.  When  they  reached  the  Lamine  River,  Mrs. 
Kemper  and  the  ladies  and  children  left  the  carriage, 
on  account  of  their  fear  of  the  soundness  of  the  old 
boat  which  was  to  ferry  them  over.  Mr,  Kemper 
drove  the  mules  into  the  boat.  They  then  became 
quite  restive,  and,  despite  the  fact  that  a  man  was 
holding  them  at  their  heads,  as  soon  as  they  neared 
the  opposite  bank,  ''  they  leaped  forward  and  went 
down  where  the  river  was  thirty  feet  deep.  What 
power  was  it  that  diverted  sudden  death  from  the 
driver;  that  loosened  every  fastening,  and  left  the 
carriage  upon  the  boat  with  scarcely  a  fracture?" 

Twice  the  school  buildings  were  set  on  fire  by  bad 
boys,  who  were  boarding  pupils ;  and  once  a  lamp 
exploded  in  a  part  of  the  house  not  observed  by  the 
family,  and  the  resulting  fire  was  discovered  by  a  sick 
pupil,  who  was  excused  from  his  studies  to  go  to  his 
room.  A  similar  accident  was  averted  on  another 
occasion  by  the  opportune  return  of  the  pupils  from 
church.  In  the  cases  of  incendiarism,  the  flames  were 
discovered  in  what  we  call  accidental  ways. 

In  these  things,  the  unbeliever  sees  nothing  to  call 
forth  his  gratitude  to  a  Father  above,  who  watches, 
over  His  children  ;    but  to  the  trustful   spirit,   who 


390  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

'*  can  lift  to  heaven  an  unpresuinptuous  eye,"  and 
recognize  in  tliem  the  loving  care  of  Him,  "  who, 
never  weary,  watches  where  His  people  be,"  they  are 
occasions  of  grateful  joy. 

"  Behind  the  dim  unknown 
Standeth  God  within  the  shadow,  keeping  watch  above  his  own." 

"  All  nature  is  but  art  unknown  to  thee  ; 
All  chance,  direction  which  thou  canst  not  see." 

As  still  further  setting  farth  his  religious  princi- 
ples, we  shall  transcribe,  from  his  commonplace 
books,  some  of  the  meditations  which  he  has  re- 
corded, 

"  If  I  suffer  more  in  health,  or  in  circumstances,  or 
in  reputation,  than  other  men,  I  will  be  calm  and 
peaceful,  for  I destt^ve  it.  I  will  get  close  to  the  hand 
That  strikes." 

"  Every  meal  to  be  a  sacrifice  to  God." 

"  A  calm,  humble  employment  of  my  talents  in 
doing  good  would  be  better  than  proudly  standing 
off  on  account  of  unworthiness,  and  trying  to  be  good 
before  serving  God.  Sorrow  and  darkness  in  such 
pride  are  a  great  blessings  if  they  lead  you  to  aban- 
don it." 

"Thoughts  of  past  sins  and  their  consequences 
should  excite  humility  as  to  self,  gratitude  to  God, 
freedom  from  all  censoriousness  tOAvard  fellow-men, 
cheerfulness  as  to  all  thr*^e.  Thus  the  devil  will  be 
cheated  out  of  the  spoiL«i  he  has  taken  in  the  contlicts 
of  early  youth.  With  his  slaves,  early  sins  excite 
horror  and  apprehension,  not  the  melting  and  joyous 
re|)entance  of  the  Christian.  The  consequences  of 
sin,  in  loss  of  property  and  health,  excite  shame,  dis- 


THE   CHRIST  I  AN.  39 1 

content,  remorse.  They  shall,  by  God's  grace,  excite 
in  me  the  opposite  emotions,  cheerful  acquiescence  in 
merited  chastisement,  and  gratitude  that  no  more  is 
inflicted  ;  for  more  is  deserved.'' 

"Special  things  in  regard  to  which  my  character, 
habits,  and  temperament  need  to  be  changed — ist,  Do 
every  duty  pleasantly,  without  hurry,  ambition,  or 
fatigue;  2nd,  To  cure  myself  of  all  anxiety  for 
future  support.  These  involve  clear  knowledge  of 
my  text- books  and  peace  of  God.  So  that  all  my 
rules  are  resolved  into  perfect  abiding  in  Christ.  This 
is  the  one  thing;  all  else  is  scaffolding." 

'*  A  heavenly  countenance  to  be  secured.  Or,  if 
this  is  impracticable,  just  so  much  as  is  the  fruit  of  a 
heart  filled  with  the  love  of  God,  and  a  mind  thinking 
justly  and  serenely." 

"  Judge  of  the  love  of  God  in  the  soul  by  keeping 
His  commandments.  Preserve  such  assurance  and 
peace  of  conscience  as  will  enable  me  to  admonish 
and  turn  many  from  iniquity  without  the  retort, 
'Physician,  heal  thyself.'" 

"  Crucify  and  watch  besetting  sins:  despondency, 
pride,  unbelief,  irritability." 

"  Resolved  to  labor  to  make  daily  perceptible  progress 
in  the  one  thing  needful^  and  then  to  '  let  earth  roll,  nor 
feel  her  idle  whirl.'  " 

"  He  who  pursues  the  one  thing  needful,  with 
suitable  proportionate  interest,  will  attend  to  life's 
duties  with  relative  subordination  ;  providing  wisely 
the  necessaries  and  comforts  of  life  as  a  matter  of  duty ^ 
not  of  ambition  or  slavish  pursuit." 

"  '  Resolved,  that  I  will  do  in  my  worst  frames 
what  I  see  to  be  my  duty  in  my  hesL'^Edivards.'* 


392  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

'^  The  letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit  maketh  alive. 
All  that  relates  to  forms  of  worship,  to  posture  of 
worship,  perhaps  to  distinctive  creeds,  may  be 
classed  as  belonging  to  the  letter;  while  the  spirit 
embraces  the  temper,  the  conduct^  and  that  essential 
truth  which  is  the  basis  of  goodness.  Hence,  learn 
to  lay  less  stress  on  the  mere  posture  in  worship  and 
the  appearance  of  a  solemn  countenance,  and  lay 
more  stress  on  the  mightier  matters  of  the  law,  judg- 
ment, mercy,  and  faith." 

"He  who  makes  God  his  all  will  be  satisfied  with 
that  portion ;  and  he  who  does  not,  ought  not  to  ex- 
pect to  be  satisfied." 

"  So  long  as  you  are  discontented  with  outward 
circumstances,  or  uninterested  in  daily  denying  your- 
self and  taking  up  the  cross,  and  following  Christ ; 
so  long  as  you  cannot  live  above  the  world;  so  long 
as  you  are  proud ;  so  long  as  you  look  for  your  happi- 
ness in  earth,  where  it  is  not  to  be  found  ;  so  long  as 
you  do  not  use  stated  prayer  faithfully,  and  fasting 
for  that  kind  that  goes  out  by  nothing  else ;  so  long 
as  a  day  passes  by  without  growth  in  grace,  or  with- 
out being  usefully  employed;  so  long  as  the  joy  of 
the  Lord  is  not  your  strength  :  just  so  long  may  you 
expect  a  clouded  brow  and  the  rod  of  affliction, 

"  So  long  as  you  labor  for  a  good  character  to  feed 
your  spiritual  pride ;  so  long  as  you  try  to  get  such 
a  stock  of  sanctity  and  strength  of  character  that  it 
will  go  on  by  its  own  impulse;  so  long  God  will  cast 
you  into  the  mud.  Your  animalism  arui other  grosser 
propemities  will  never  die  in  this  world.  They  must  beY^KMN 
CRUCIFIED.  Then  you  must  not  he  proud  or  self-complacent 
that  you  have  nailed  them  to  tlu  cross  ;  but  go  on  to  fight 


I 


THE   CHRISTIAN.  393 

man  fully  against  your  other  more  subtle  spiritual  foes. 
secret  pride,  secret  forget/ ulness  of  God  {unbelief),  secret 
discontent,  or  anything  incompatible  with  the  deepest  humil- 
ity and  the  loftiest  spirituality  of  mind.  This  last  war- 
fare, against  '  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places,' 
is  the  one  in  which  God  will  vouchsafe  evidences  of 
His  acceptance,  richer  than  can  be  won  by  monkish 
austerity  or  a  thousand  costly  sacrifices.     Off    ^01 

"  In  reading  the  Scriptures,  there  must  be  much 
time  employed.  There  is  a  devotional  reading  ;  a  com- 
prehensive  reading,  embracing  large  portions  ;  a  critical 
reading,  suited  to  interest  a  Bible-class  and  answer 
their  shrewdest  questions  in  antiquities,  history, 
prophecy,  etc. ;  and  lastly,  a  revieiving.  These  ought, 
if  possible,  be  attended  to  daily,  and  very  largely  on 
Sunday,  securing  an  obvious  weekly  progress  in 
knowledge  and  sanctification," 

"  I  seem  to  be  driven  to  try  much  more  fasting  and 
prayer  (perhaps  to  try  whole  nights)  before  the 
demons  will  be  expelled  from  my  bosom.  Absti- 
nence entire  from  animal  food  for  one  month  and 
fasting  twice  a  week  would  be  a  good  experiment." 

'' '  The  exercise  of  grace  is  its  evidence.' — A.  Alex- 
ander.'' 

"  A  rational  moral  being  may  be  all  the  time  doing 
duty,  and  consequently  happy,  or  at  least  calm  and 
peaceful,  in  sufferings  even.  '  For  me  to  live  is 
Christ.'  Just  tJiink  oilife  being  but  an  enactment  of 
righteousness,  a  fulfilment  of  duty.  You  are  always 
to  be  doing  or  suffering  God's  will.  '  Life  has  its 
enjoyments,  and  is  not  the  contemptible  thing  we 
make  it,  but  heaven  on  earth,  wlien  it  is  conducted 
18 


394  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

OD  right  principles,  directed  to  a  right  end,  and  de- 
voted to  the  will  of  God.  What  would  we  have 
more,  when  the  way  to  Heaven  is  through  Heaven  ; 
if  quiet  passions,  regular  desires,  contented  minds, 
pure  wills,  well-grounded  hopes,  .holy  longings, 
happy  foretastes,  communion  with  God,  and  recon- 
ciliation to  death  can  make  it  so.' — Adams,  hi  Compre- 
hensive Commentary. " 

*'  Nothing  is  done  in  the  best  possible  way  unless 
/;/  the  spirit  of  prayer.'' 

"  I  must  consider  clearly  and  calmly,  and  keep  a 
conscience  void  of  offence,  as  to  the  frequency  of  my 
seasons  of  fasting  or  abstinence,  and  the  length  of 
time  spent  in  secret  prayer.  Christ  spent  whole 
nights  in  prayer,  and  rose  a  great  while  before  day 
to  pray." 

"  My  life  is  so  much  of  it  spent  in  laboriously 
doing  nothing  that  I  must  hasten  and  flee  to  the  ark 
of  safety,  and  not  look  back  nor  tarry  in  all  the 
plain/' 

"  What  is  hope  good  for,  if  it  is  not  an  anchor  to 
your  soul,  to  keep  it  steady  amid  the  cares  of  school 
and  life.?  How  sweet  it  is  to  be  kept  steady  by  hope, 
not  by  slavish  chains.  The  peace  of  God  keep  your 
heart  and  mind.'' 

"Religion  involves  self-denial,  but  not  the  unfeel- 
ing, cheerless,  iron-hearted  self-denial  of  the  stoic. 
If  we  give  up  any  indulgence,  it  is  not  with  the  oath 
of  the  drunkard,  who  swears  that  lie  will  not  drink 
lor  a  limited  time,  and  wants  to  drink  all  that  time, 
even  though  he  should  abstain.  Not  so  have  I 
learned  Christ.  If  He  requires  my  pride  to  be  cut 
up  by  the  roots,  He  plants  and  nourishes  humility, 


THE    CHRISTIAN.  395 

which  makes  it  easy  to  sacrifice  pride.  What  is  so 
sweet,  what  knocks  off  all  the  rough  corners  of  care, 
and  makes  a  man  so  pleasant  and  approachable,  as 
this  grace  of  Humility  ?  What  a  bargain  has  the 
man  made  who  has  exchanged  pride  for  humility  ! 

'  He  that  is  down  need  fear  no  fall ; 
He  that  is  low,  no  pride  ; 
He  that  is  humble  ever  shall 
Have  God  to  be  his  guide.'  " 

'  *  '  Bene  orasse  est  bene  studuisse!  ' ' 

*'  *  The  trivial  round  the  common  task, 
Should  furnish  all  we  ought  to  ask, — 
Room  to  deny  ourselves,  a  road 
That  leads  us  daily  nearer  God.'  " 

"  If  the  devotional  season  has  been  attended  to,  has 
there  been  a  maintenance  of  the  spirit  of  the  exercise, 
more  than  of  the  accustomed  form  ?" 

"  The  record  of  the  past  shows  the  truth  of  Cal- 
vin's remark,  *  We  should  fall  a  hundred  times  a 
day,  did  not  God  uphold  us/  " 

"  I  task  myself  too  much  ;  and  when  I  am  bright 
in  executing  this  task,  I  exhaust  myself.  Let  viy 
only  task  be.,  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  god.  What 
this  does  not  do  for  me,  leave  undone." 

"  My  son  Lewis  dead.  Three  weeks  ago  to-day 
the  little  darling  slept,  as  we  believe,  in  Jesus. 

'  Our  embraces  will  be  sweet, 
At  the  dear  Redeemer's  feet, 
When  we  meet  to  part  no  more, 
Who  have  loved.' 

The  briny  tears  do  not  cease  to  fall,  but  I  do  not 
repine.     Even  so,  Father." 


396  THE   LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

''  A  well-regulated  life  must  have  u7iit}\  a  great 
central  principle.  Allegiance  to  God  is  the  great 
law  needed. 

"To  be  a  great  man,  one  must  have  a  great  object. 
God  has  not  left  great  objects  to  the  favored  few. 
Every  humble  Christian  has  an  object  greater  than 
the  jurist,  the  statesman,  the  orator,  the  scholar,  or 
the  mere  divine.  '  He  that  ruleth  his  spirit  is  greater 
than  he  that  taketh  a  city.'  Cicero  makes  Caesar 
greater  in  forgiving  an  enemy,  and  thus  conquering 
himself,  than  in  all  his  previous  victories.  They  are 
amusing  themselves  with  toys,  whose  highest  am- 
bition is  earthly  greatness." 

"  How  beautiful  is  self-denial  on  the  page  of  the 
Bible,  'that  book  of  ultimate  truths  in  morals!  '  'If 
any  man  be  my  disciple,  let  him  deny  himself,  and 
take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me.*  " 

These  extracts,  which  might  be  greatly  multiplied, 
sufficiently  indicate  the  high  tone  of  his  Christian 
principles,  and  are  many  of  them  maxims,  which 
show  an  advanced  stage  of  Christian  experience. 
We  are  now  to  show  how  he  realized  these  principles 
in  his  life.  The  Westminster  divines  say,  "Truth  is 
in  order  to  goodness."  This  is  undoubtedly  its  ul- 
timate design.  It  is  one  of  the  sad  anomalies  of  sin, 
that  this  design  is  not  always  reached.  Paul  speaks 
of  those  who  "  hold  the  truth  in  unrighteousfiess'^ — an 
orthodox  creed  with  an  heretical  life.  They  know  the 
truth,  but  they  love  the  lie.  But  we  shall  find  no 
such  contradiction  between  Mr.  Kemper's  faith  and 
his  practice. 

As  to  Mr.  Kemper's  religious  life,  its  fundamental 
habit  was  a  daily,  reverent,  close  study  of  tlie  Script- 


THE   CHRISTIAN.  397 

ures.  There  are  few  theologians  who  are  as  well 
versed  in  the  Bible  as  was  he.  It  was  his  daily  study 
for  fifty  years.  During  forty  years  of  this  period  he 
probably  gave  an  average  of  an  hour  a  day  to  it. 
This  would  be  equivalent  to  five  years'  constant  study 
eight  hours  a  day,  every  day  of  the  week.  We  can 
well  see  that,  as  a  result,  a  man  of  his  successful 
habits  of  study  must  have  amassed  an  extraordinary 
amount  of  information  as  to  the  Bible  in  that  time. 
He  used  the  "  Comprehensive  Commentary"  as  a  con- 
stant help.  He  read  the  New  Testament  critically 
in  the  original  Greek  and  in  the  Latin.  These  he 
taught  his  pupils. 

He  studied  the  Bible  largely  for  its  mere  literary 
merits.  To  him  it  was  surpassingly  interesting  for 
these  reasons.  Like  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  he  spent 
weeks  in  the  study  of  the  genealogical  tables  of 
Genesis.  They  were  to  him  the  key  to  ethnology 
and  to  ancient  history.  He  made  himself  thorough- 
ly familiar  with  the  antiquities  and  geography  of  the 
Scriptures.  He  adopted  the  opinion  of  Sir  William 
Jones,  that  the  Bible  contained  more  sublime  poetry 
than  all  other  books  put  together.  The  Proverbs 
were  to  him  an  inexhaustible  mine  of  practical  wis- 
dom. Not  a  day  passed  that  he  did  not  find  an  op- 
portunity to  use  some  of  them  in  the  management  of 
the  school.  The  morality  of  the  Bible  he  made  the 
basis  of  his  own  conduct  and  the  standard  for  his 
pupils. 

But  Mr.  Kemper  read  the  Scriptures  devotionaily. 
While  he  admitted  their  literary  excellences,  he  did 
not  forget  that  these  were  but  the  outer  casket ;  that 
the  jewel  was  within.     The  Bible  was  to  him  God's 


39^  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Word,  and  he  read  it  daily  as  a  communication  from 
the  Heavenly  Father  to  his  soul.  He  took  it  to  be 
the  nourishment,  the  bread,  the  strength  of  his  spirit, 
in  its  true  and  higher  life.  He  realized  that  '*  Man 
shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that 
proceedeth  from  the  mouth  of  God."  The  Bible 
was,  therefore,  more  to  him  than  the  gold  of  Ophir 
or  the  jewel  of  the  mine.  It  was  to  his  eager,  loving, 
trustful  spirit  the  very  representative  of  God,  the 
vicar  of  Christ.  He  therefore  sought  it  as  the  tryst- 
ing-place  of  his  soul  with  the  Saviour. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  also  pre-eminently  a  man  of 
prayer.  No  one  who  ever  heard  him  as  he  led  the 
devotions  of  the  sanctuary  could  doubt  this.  There 
are  some  men  wlio  pray  as  if  they  were  strangers  to 
God  and  to  His  worship.  There  are  many  more 
whose  language  is  a  collection  of  unfelt,  formal  ut- 
terances, with  no  more  life  or  spirit  than  the  Chinese, 
who  turns  out  his  prayers  with  a  crank.  Such  peo- 
ple do  not  pray,  in  public  or  in  private.  They  never 
have  a  season  of  real,  face-to-face  communion  with 
God.  With  Mr.  Kemper  it  was  undoubtedly  other- 
wise. When  he  prayed,  every  hearer  felt  that  he  and 
God  were  friends  :  the  orte  as  a  loving  Father,  the 
other  as  an  humble,  trustful  child.  This  country  has 
probably  never  had  a  greater  mind  than  Dr.  Charles 
Hodge.  He  was  remarkable  in  his  public  prayers. 
He  seemed,  like  Moses  on  the  mount,  talking  face  to 
face  with  God  ;  and  many  a  time  the  skin  of  his  face 
did  shine  as  his  wrapt  spirit  engaged  in  this  sweet  and 
holy  communion.  'Twas  even  so  with  Mr.  Kemper. 
Frequently  it  seemed  as  though  the  cup  of  his  bless- 
ing ran  over,  as  he  pleaded  for  himself  and  others  ; 


THE   CHRISTIAN.  399 

and  his  tremulous  voice  and  tear-filled  eyes  beto- 
kened the  sweet  and  awful  nearness  of  his  approach 
to  the  mercy-seat.  Such  public  prayers  told  plainly 
of  similar  seasons  of  earnest  and  successful  wrest- 
ling with  God  in  the  privacy  of  the  closet.  Tliey 
were  the  overflow  of  the  fountain,  whose  source  was 
down  deep  in  the  affectionate  and  trustful  reverence 
of  his  soul. 

He  has  left  on  record,  in  his  journals,  several  prayers 
which  were  expressive  of  his  desires  at  the  time  they 
were  prepared.     We  shall  transcribe  one  of  these  : 

"  O  Lord,  the  Father  of  my  spirit,  hear  me  in  my 
distress.  Thou  callest  Thyself  the  Father  of  the  spir- 
its of  all  flesh.  I  own  and  rejoice  in  my  paternity. 
But  I  have  grievously  departed  from  Thee,  have  lost 
the  lineaments  of  the  divine  character,  and  have  been 
a  'prodigal  son.'  My  distress  is  great,  but  less  than 
I  deserve.  My  vanity,  pride,  obstinacy,  want  of  gov- 
ernment of  the  tongue,  want  of  the  spirit  of  prayer, 
want  of  love  to  God,  and  utter  uselessness  in  the 
church  of  which  I  have  been  so  long  a  member — 
these  sins  naturally  produce  sorrow,  disappointment, 
shame,  and  remorse. 

"  Life  is  far  spent,  and  when  its  history  is  written, 
O  my  God  !  how  shall  I  appear  ?  What  useful  work 
have  I  accomplished  ?  What  sinner  have  I  saved 
through  grace  ?  What  work  of  charity  have  I  set  on 
foot  ?  What  kindly  and  blessed  influence  have  I  ex- 
erted .''  Whom  have  I  made  happier .?  What  at- 
tainments in  grace  have  I  made  .^ 

"  O  Thou,  tvho  knowest  me  altogether  ;  whose  eye 
has  followed  my  path  since  Thou  gavest  me  my  being ; 
who  seest  the  wreck  of  my  health,  the  depression  of 


400  THE  LIFE   OF  FKOF.    KEMPER. 

my  spirit,  the  wounds  in  my  heart,  which  sin  has 
made:  O  Thou  'Physician  of  souls,'  heal  my  sin- 
sick  spirit.  '  Revive  my  soul  with  grace.'  Chase 
away  my  doubts.  Invigorate  my  health,  the  health 
of  all  my  powers,  and  make  me  a  living  sacrifice  for 
Thee.  O  Jesus,  Thou  meek  and  lowly  Teacher,  pity 
a  scholar,  who  has  wrought  folly  and  reaped  disap- 
pointment and  wretchedness.  Teach  me  effectually. 
Take  away  every  false  hope,  every  impure  desire, 
every  unworthy  motive,  every  imprudent  means  of 
compassing  my  ends,  and  give  me  that  purity  of 
heart  which  Thou  hast  blessed,  and  that  freedom 
from  anxious  care  which  Thou  hast  enjoined. 

"Enable  me  to  abide  in  Thee,  in  my  spirit  and  my 
conduct.  Give  me  an  assured  hope.  Give  me  a  spirit 
of  prayer,  and  enable  me  to  watch  unto  prayer,  and 
for  answers  to  prayer. 

"  Are  not  all  these  petitions  according  to  Thy  will  ? 
Hast  Thou  said  to  the  seed  of  Jacob,  Seek  ye  my  face 
in  vain  ?  No,  Lord,  Thy  promise  is  firm  as  the  ever- 
lasting mountains.  He  who  asks  receives.  Then 
heal  me,  and  heal  me  now,  if  now  Thou  canst.  '  Why 
should  I  wander  an  alien  from  Thee?'  Sin  is  a 
monster  in  the  universe  ofGod.  A  state  of  sin  is  not 
the  natural  state  of  things,  when  we  look  at  man's  orig- 
inal structure.     Then  slay  this  foe  of  God  and  man. 

"  I  cast  him  out.  I  engage  here  to  be  Thine  ;  but  all 
my  strength  is  in  Thee.  Enable  me  to  fight,  to  con- 
quer, and  to  grow  daily  in  grace  and  wisdom.  Help 
me  especially  this  week  on  which  I  to-day  enter. 
May  it  be  a  week  of  recovery,  o~f  reviva:l  in  my  soul, 
of  prosperity  in  spiritual  wisdom,  of  redeeming  the 
lime,  of  fulfilling  all  Thy  pleasure.     Oh,   may  study 


THE    CHRISTIAN,  401 

not  interfere  with  health,  or  devotions,  or  with  teach- 
ing. May  I  be  exceedingly  joyous  in  all  my  tribula- 
tions. 

"  Now,  Lord,  I  feel  relieved  during  the  progress  of 
this  prayer.  Glory  to  Thee,  who  liftest  up  those 
who  are  cast  down ;  who  healest  the  broken  in  heart 
and  bindest  up  their  wounds;  who  hearest  while  I 
am  yet  speaking.  Now  I  am  Thine.  Oh  what  a 
portion  have  I !  May  it  be  my  never-failing  portion. 
May  I  continually  resort  to  my  strong  tower,  break 
the  chain  of  evil  habits,  and  stand  free  before  God. 

"  Bless  me  especially  in  my  Biblical  studies.  May  I 
be  prepared  to  teach  my  Bible-class  to  their  edifica- 
tion, instruction,  and  comfort,  not  to  the  admiration 
of  my  wisdom.  May  I  be  thoroughly  prepared,  not 
in  the  letter  only  but  in  the  spirit  of  my  next  lessons  ; 
and  may  those  who  have  been  members  of  the  class 
be  more  faithful  in  their  studies  and  in  their  attend- 
ance. May  I  know  how  to  instruct  my  boarding 
scholars  each  morning,  so  as  to  interest,  teach,  and 
fit  them  for  heaven.  May  I,  in  assisting  them  in 
the  preparation  of  their  Sunday-school  lesson,  fur- 
nish them  for  an  honorable  and  pleasant  recitation 
each  Sabbath  morning. 

'*  May  my  private  reading  increase  in  interest  and 
profit.  May  the  Greek  Testament  abide  in  my  heart 
and  in  my  affections. 

*'  May  I  gain  this  week  the  confidence  and  love  of 
all  my  pupils,  especially  the  disaffected  and  the 
smaller  ones. 

^'Help,  Lord,  with  that  power  which  is  irresisti- 
ble ;  and  Thine  shall  be  the  praise  forever.     Amen." 

Another  marked  religious  habit  of  his  was  fasting. 


402  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

This  he  practised  in  both  forms,  in  abstinence  from 
special  kinds  of  food,  and,  at  certain  seasons,  from 
all  kinds  of  food.  He  had  his  regular  and  his  occa- 
sional days  of  fasting.  He  was  fully  persuaded  that 
this  practice  was  beneficial  to  him,  bodily,  mentally, 
and  spiritually.  His  main  design  in  it  was  spiritual, 
to  induce  humility,  a  sense  of  dependence  upon  God, 
and  weanedness  from  the  world,  and  preparation  for 
a  higher  sphere  of  religious  consecration.  Such  is 
the  connection  between  the  soul  and  the  body  that 
the  mortification  of  the  latter  may  be  made  to  con- 
duce to  the  purification  and  elevation  of  the  former. 
For  this  reason  the  Saviour  has  said,"  The  days  will 
come  when  the  Bridegroom  shall  be  taken  from 
them,  and  then  shall  they  fast."  In  times  of  spirit- 
ual depression,  when  we  are  called  to  mourn  our 
coldness  and  separation  from  the  favor  of  God,  when 
the  Bridegroom  is  not  with  us;  then  fasting  is  a 
necessity,  a  duty,  a  privilege,  a  means  of  grace. 
Those  who  most  need  it  least  practise  it.  There 
has  seldom  been  a  Christian,  who  has  been  remark- 
able, either  for  his  piety  or  his  usefulness,  who  has 
not  made  it  a  part  of  the  discipline  of  his  soul.  It  is 
to  be  regretted  that  it  has  so  largely  fallen  out  of  the 
habits  of  the  Church.  With  Mr.  Kemper  it  was  pos- 
sibly excessive.  He  may  have  carried  it  to  an  ex- 
treme. We  believe  that  he  did,  and  that  his  health 
and  usefulness  were  injured  by  it.  A  man  wliose 
digestive  powers  are  impaired  requires  regularity, 
and  must,  therefore,  employ  fasting  as  a  spiritual 
discipline  very  judiciously. 

Mr.   Kemper  was  conscientiously  faithful    in  his 
attendance  upon  all  the  services  of  the  sanctuary. 


•       THE   CHRISTIAN.  403 

His  punctuality  was  wonderful,  when  we  consider 
his  delicate  health  and  his  excessive  labors.  There 
was  no  one  who  was  more  regularly  in  his  pew  than 
he— Sunday  morning,  Sunday  evening,  at  the  week- 
ly prayer- meeting.  He  did  this  for  his  own  sake. 
He  loved  to  be  at  the  house  of  God,  to  engage  in  His 
worship.  A  day  in  the  courts  of  the  Lord  was  to 
him  better  than  a  thousand  in  the  tents  of  wicked- 
ness. He  needed  to  be  there  for  his  own  spiritual 
life  and  health,  and  he  refreshed  himself  from  the 
pure  waters  that  issued  there  in  prayer  and  praise 
and  instruction.  He  did  this  for  the  sake  of  others  ; 
for  the  encouragement  of  his  pastor,  whose  heart 
was  cheered  and  whose  hands  upheld  by  his  presence; 
for  an  example  to  his  brethren,  over  whom  the  Holy 
Ghost  had  made  him  a  bishop,  and  that  he  might  aid 
them  in  the  services  of  the  sanctuary.  He  did  it 
especially  for  Christ's  sake,  in  obedience  to  His  com- 
mand, and  that  he  might  thus  publicly  testify  his 
trust  in  Him,  who  never  neglected  a  duty  He  owed 
to  us. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  a  faithful  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school.  So  long  as  we  were  with  him,  and  to  the 
last,  he  never  failed.  We  believe  that  he  never 
superintended  the  regular  Church  school.  He  pre- 
ferred to  teach,  and  conscientiously  and  laboriously 
prepared  himself  for  it.  At  times  he  taught  an  adult 
congregational  Bible-class  in  the  afternoon  of  Sun- 
day. After  he  became  interested  in  his  farm  (which, 
next  to  his  family  and  school,  was  his  pet),  he  estab- 
lished a  Sunday-school  out  there,  and  superintended 
and  taught  it  regularly  every  Sabbath  afternoon.  The 
treasures  of  Biblical  and  spiritual  knowledge  which 


404  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

he  had  amassed  he  thus  dis'pensed  with  a  free  and 
loving  hand,  to  others  ;  and  doubtless  many  at  the 
last  day  will  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed,  as  having 
led  them  to  Christ,  or  neai-er  to  Him. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  a  generous  Christian.  He  freely 
and  bountifully  gave  of  what  the  Lord  had  intrusted 
to  him.  To  the  Church  in  her  various  enterprises, 
and  to  the  poor,  he  was  the  Master's  almoner. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  a  humble  Christian.  He  never 
felt  that  he  had  any  piety  of  which  to  boast.  His 
journals  sigh  with  the  language  of  penitence  and 
self-humiliation.  He  quotes  as'appropriate  to  him- 
self the  remark  of  Bradford,  as,  pointing  to  a  worth- 
less drunkard,  he  said  :  "  But  for  the  grace  of  God, 
there  goes  John  Bradford.''  The  tree  of  piety  never 
reaches  heaven  whose  roots  do  not  go  down  deep 
into  the  soil  of  lowly  contrition. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  a  spiritual  Christian.  His  relig- 
ion did  not  consist  merely  of  his  creed  and  the  outer 
observances  of  the  Church — reading  the  Bible,prayer, 
fasting,  etc.  His  was  the  hidden  man  of  the  heart,  a 
life  hid  with  Christ  in  God.  The  externals  of  re- 
ligion, so  abundantly  and  so  carefully  attended  to, 
were  with  him  but  the  outer  exhibits  of  this  inner 
spiritual  life. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  a  useful  Christian.  He  did  not 
live  for  himself.  He  was  not  a  disciple  of  Jesus  se- 
cretly. "Where  is  thy  brother?"  was  a  question 
which  echoed  and  re-echoed  in  his  heart.  Like  Abou 
Ben  Adhem,  he  loved  his  fellow-men.  Like  the 
Master,  he  was  ever  going  about  to  do  them  good. 
His  was  a  consecrated  life.  Self  was  crucified,  and 
he  lived  to  honor  Christ,  in  working  earnestly,  ardu- 


THE  CHRISTIAN.  405 

ously,     intelligently,     successfully    for    his    fellow- 
men. 

"  I  venerate  the  man  whose  heart  is  warm, 
Whose  hands  are  pure,  whose  doctrine  and  whose  life, 
Coincident,  exhibit  lucid  proof 
That  he  is  honest  in  the  sacred  cause." 


CHAPTER  XXr. 

THE    VICTOR     CROWNED. 

"  Exigi  monumentum  acre  perennius 
Regalique  situ  pyramidum  altius  ; 
Quod  non  imber  edax,  non  Aquilo  impotens 
Possit  diruere,  aut  innumerabilis 
Annorum  series  etfugatemporum." 

Horace. 

"  I  STILL  live,"  said  the  dying  statesman.  ''  By  it  he, 
being  dead,  yet  speaketh,"  was  written,  by  the  pen 
of  inspiration,  of  the  shepherd,  who  fell,  six  thousand 
years  ago,  the  first  martyr  to  the  cause  of  conscience. 
This  is  the  land  of  the  dying  and  the  dead.  All  that 
pass  beyond  it,  across  the  river,  enter  the  evergreen 
fields  of  immortality.  There  are  some-,  however,  that 
never  die.  Not  Enoch  alone,  nor  Elijah,  who  did  not 
pass  through  the  portals  of  death  to  enter  the  city 
wliich  hath  foundations.  There  are  many  others 
that  have  not  died  and  will  never  die.  Adam  and 
Noah,  and  Abraham,  and  Jacob,  and  Moses,  and 
David,  and  Isaiah,  and  Paul,  and  Homer,  and  Soc- 
rates, and  Plato,  and  Aristotle,  and  Cicero,  and 
Virgil,  and  Confucius,  and  Brahma,  and  Zoroaster, 
live  on  this  earth  to-day,  more  really  and  more  in. 
fluentially  than  when  their  bodies  could  be  seen  and 
heard  by   fellow-mortals.     No   material  clement  or 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  407 

force  has  perished  since  creation's  morn.  Is  spirit 
and  spiritual  force  less  indestructible?  Says  the 
Roman  orator,  **  Nemo  parum  diu  vixit^  qui  viriutis 
perfected  perfecto  functus  est  fnunere.''  Montgomery- 
sings  : 

•*  When  the  good  man  yields  his  breath 
(For  the  good  man  never  dies)." 

Men  live  in  the  deeds  that  perpetuate  them.  Some 
build  colossal  fortunes,  and  through  these  for  a  few 
generations,  possibly,  they  are  still  a  factor  in  the 
lower  plane  of  human  activity.  Some  mount  the 
red  horse,  and  preside  over  the  carnival  of  slaughter; 
and  thus  live,  blessed  by  the  victors  and  cursed  by 
the  vanquished.  Some  live  in  the  political  institu- 
tions they  have  devised  and  advocated  and  estab- 
lished, like  Burke,  in  the  enfranchisement  of  the 
Catholics,  and  Madison,  in  the  Constitution  of  this 
country.  Some  live  in  the  works  of  genius  they  have 
produced,  the  truths  they  have  uttered,  the  beauties 
and  sublimities  they  have  realized,  as  Copernicus, 
Newton,  Bacon,  Angelo,  Raphael,  Mozart,  Milton. 
Some  live  in  the  charities  they  have  inaugurated  : 
Alfred,  Yale,  Harvard,  Vassar,  Girard,  Peabody. 
Are  not  such  men  more  truly  alive  to-day,  more  in- 
fluential in  the  present,  moving,  progressive  world, 
than  one  thousand  millions  of  those  who  are  now 
breathing  their  useless  breath  upon  the  earth  } 

The  educator  can  never  die.  If  he  trains  one  sino^le 
soul  aright,  that  soul  will  perpetuate,  and,  it  may  be, 
even  widen  the  potential  circle  of  his  influence.  If 
he  train  a  thousand,  each  of  these  will  be  a  centre, 
a  radiating  point,  whence  his  power  will  reach  to  ten 
times  or  one  hundred  times  as  many  more.     So  it 


4o8  THE  LIFE   OF  PKOF.    KEMPER. 

will  go  on,  on,  till  the  latest  generation  of  men  will 
be  the  purer  and  the  happier,  for  the  moral,  elevating 
force  which  he  introduced  centuries  before. 

Mr.  Kemper  lives  to-day,  and  will  never  die.  He 
lives  in  the  work  which  he  did  in  the  Church  ;  in  the 
unknown  and  numberless  charities  which  blessed 
the  poor  and  the  stricken  ;  in  the  power  which  he 
exerted  over  his  fellow-teachers  ;  in  the  model  school 
which  he  perfected  and  intrusted  to  fitted  men  ;  and 
in  the  lives  of  two  thousand  pupils,  whom  he  devel- 
oped, controlled,  and  directed  to  usefulness  and 
virtue.  He  was  a  "maker  of  men";  and  the  men 
whom  he  made,  and  enlightened,  and  elevated,  and 
cheered,  gather  around  him  now,  to  put  the  victor's 
chaplet  upon  his  revered  and  honored  brow.  These 
laurels  will  make  a  triple  crown.  The  first  will  be 
composed  of  evergreens,  furnished  by  appreciative 
friends.  The  second,  of  the  Rose  of  Sharon  and  the 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  intertwined  by  the  loving  hand 
of  the  pastor  from  whose  lips  he  gladly  received  the 
word  of  life.  The  third  will  be  a  cluster  of  immor- 
telles, presented  by  those  who  owed  him  the  heaviest 
debt  of  gratitude,  his  pupils. 

From  the  Boonville  Advertiser^  on  the  occasion  of 
his  death : — 

"  A  city  is  wrapped  in  mourning.  Thousands  of  throbbing 
hearts  felt  the  shock  of  the  lightning  stroke  of  death  that  laid  him 
low.  His  name  was  a  tower  of  strength  ;  his  intellect  was  of 
God's  noblest  handiwork  ;  his  private  life  was  purity  ;  his  public 
work  a  benefaction  ;  and  he  dwelt  in  the  hearts  of  his  fellow- 
citizens.  .  .  .  From  the  [founding  of  this  school  to  the  day  of 
his  death,  Mr.  Kemper,  though  always  assisted  by  a  corps  of 
competent  teachers,  was  the  active  ruling  spirit.  By  his  extreme 
individuality,  great  force  of  character,  and  profound  learning,  he 


THE    VICTOR    CROWNED.  409 

succeeded  in  building  up  for  the  school  a  reputation,  we  might 
say  national  in  its  scope.  For  years  past  its  pupils  have  come 
from  all  parts  of  the  Union,  and  its  graduates  are  scattered  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  Many  of  them  occupy 
prominent  positions  in  the  social,  business,  and  political  world, 
and  all  of  them  acknowledge  with  gratitude  their  obligations  to 
their  Alma  Mater." 

•  From  the  Boonville  Topic  : — 

*'  The  pupils  under  his  tuition,  through  the  many  years  of  his 
teaching,  number  many  thousands  ;  and  all  over  Missouri  and 
the  States  and  Territories  farther  west  are  representatives  of  this 
school  in  the  professions  and  other  honorable  callings.  .  .  .  He 
was  one  of  the  most  public-spirited,  generous,  and  kind-hearted 
persons  we  have  ever  known,  and  many  a  recipient  of  his  unos- 
tentatious charity  will  revere  his  memory  and  weep  over  his 
grave.  As  a  good  citizen,  as  one  to  whom  the  education  of  the 
young  could  be  safely  trusted,  as  a  member  of  the  church  and  a 
Christian  gentleman,  and  as  a  friend  to  the  needy,  he  will  be 
sadly  missed  in  our  community." 

Resolutions  of  the  State    Teachers'   Association, 
adopted  at  its  regular  session,  June,  1881  : — 

"  Whereas,  In  the  Providence  of  God,  our  brother  and  faithful 
co-worker,  Prof,  F.  T.  Kemper,  has  been  removed  from  us  by  the 
hand  of  death,  therefore,  be  it  resolved  by  the  Missouri  State 
Teachers'  Association  : 

"  1st,  That,  in  the  death  of  Prof.  F.  T.  Kemper,  our  Association 
has  lost  a  faithful  and  useful  member,  society  an  honored  and 
influential  citizen,  the  cause  of  education  a  valuable  and  talent- 
ed teacher,  and  the  Church  a  noble  defender  of  the  faith. 

"  2nd,  That  we  extend  to  the  bereaved  family  and  friends  of  our 
deceased  brother  our  warmest  sympathy." 

Prof.  George  L.  Osborne,  President  of  the  Normal 
School  at  Warrensburg,  pending  the  foregoing  reso- 
lutions, said : — 


4IO  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

"  It  has  been  my  pleasure  and  good  fortune  for  six  years  past 
to  associate  witli  Prof.  Kemper  in  educational  worlc.  I  found  in 
him  a  most  cordial  colaborer.  He  was  ever  ready  with  the  kind- 
ly smile,  the  encouraging  word,  the  firm  grasp  of  the  hand,  to 
help  those  who  needed  help.  The  grand  old  Commonwealth  of 
Virginia  has  been  eulogized  as  the  mother  of  statesmen  and 
Presidents,  but  she  never  produced  a  nobler  son  than  was  Prof. 
Kemper.  The  grandest  monument  that  can  be  erected  to  human 
greatness,  he  has  built  with  his  own  hands.  Its  foundations  lie 
deep  in  the  affections  of  his  fellow-citizens,  its  superstructure 
rises  through  forty  years  of  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the  cause 
of  human  progress." 

From  the  Missouri  Teacher^  Kirksville,  Mo.  : — 

"His  departure  has  saddened  many  a  heart,  and  cast  a  shadow 
of  gloom  over  many  a  household.  A  good  man  has  taken  his 
departure,  and  we  shall  greatly  miss  him.  Prof.  Kemper  has 
been  identified  with  the  educational  interests  of  our  State  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  the  work  he  has  done  will  not  soon  perish. 
He  has  built  a  monument  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  many  noble 
men  that  will  not  soon  decay.     Many  rise  up  to  bless  him." 

Captain  James  H.  Rollins,  U.  S.  A.,  of  Columbia, 
a  patron,  to  his  son  at  the  school  : — 

"  I  feel  that  we  have  lost  a  dear  friend,  and  the  cause  of  ed- 
ucation one  of  its  best  defenders  and  workers.  Mr.  Kemper 
was  a  manly  and  good  man;  and  a  great  educator.  He  had 
strength  and  firmness  without  ostentation,  or  any  disposition  for 
parade  and  show.  He  looked  to  the  substance  of  all  things  in 
this  life,  rather  than  the  shadow.  In  your  pathway  through  life, 
you  will  rarely,  if  ever,  come  across  another  man  with  so  high  a 
sense  of  duty,  and,  at  the  same  time,  with  so  much  ability  to  per- 
form it  rightly  and  properly  under  all  circumstances.  You  should 
forever  keep  his  memory  green,  and  take  his  character  and  life  as 
a  model  and  guide,  and  example  to  imitate  and  follow." 

Mrs.  Captain  James  H.  Rollins,  of  Columbia,  Mo., 
writing  to  Mrs.  Kemper: — 


THE    VICTOR    CROWNED.  411 

"  I  do  not  know  of  any  one,  outside  of  my  immediate  family, 
whose  death  could  have  touched  my  heart  so  nearly  ;  for  I  had 
learned  to  love  and  admire  Mr.  Kemper  so  much.  We  have  said 
so  often,  since  his  death,  that  it  must  be  such  a  sweet,  comforting 
thought  to  you  to  feel  that  his  life  here  had  been  so  good,  and 
noble,  and  perfect." 

Mrs.  DeWitt  C.  Lionberger,  of  Boonville,  Mo.,  a 
friend  : — 

*'  A  pillar  of  strength  to  his  own  family,  an  example  to  his  fel- 
low-laborers for  Christ,  and  a  model  of  social  and  philosophic 
spirit  to  the  community.  Strong  in  Christ,  and  yet  humble  and 
trusting  as  a  little  child." 

Rev.  A.  J.  Sparks,  editor  of  the  Sunday- School  Rec- 
ord^ Sedalia,  Mo. : — 

"  Prof.  Kemper  was  one  of  the  noblest  and  best  of  men.  Mis- 
souri has  never  had  an  equal  to  him  as  a  teacher." 

Mrs.  E.  McCutchen,  of  Higginsville,  Mo.,  a  life-long 
intimate  friend  : — 

"  As  much  as  I  admired  him  for  his  many  good  and  noble 
qualities,  I  cannot  find  words  to  express  my  admiration  of  his 
home  life." 

Mrs.  Charlotte  Campbell,  of  Kansas  City,  a  pat- 
ron : — 

"  I  think  in  him,  more  than  in  others,  the  power  of  God  was 
manifested  in  the  inner  man  ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  live  with 
him,,  and  see  him  in  every  turn  of  life,  to  know  how  beautifully 
the  Spirit  was  moulding  him  into  the  image  of  his  Master." 

W.  W.  Thornton,  Esqf,  of  Shelbyville,  111.,  to  his 
son  at  the  school : — 

"While  there  are  many  educators  of  youth  in  the  United 
States,  there  was  but  one  F.  T.  Kemper." 


412  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

Hon.  James  S.  Rollins,  of  Columbia,  Mo.,  the  presi- 
dent of  the  curators  of  the  State  University : — 

"  While  his  place  can  never  be  filled  as  a  teacher  and  educator 
of  men,  he  has  left  behind  him  a  most  enviable  reputation  as  a 
good  citizen,  a  gentleman,  and  a  Christian," 

Thomas  T.  Slack,  an  old  friend,  of  Jefferson, 
Texas  : — 

"  As  an  educator  and  as  an  exemplary  Christian  gentleman,  he 
had  but  few  equals." 

Rev.  B.  T.  Lacy,  D.D.,  of  Sedalia,  Mo.,  Stone- 
wall Jackson's  chaplain,  a  patron  : — 

"  It  was  my  sad  privilege  to  attend  the  funeral  of  our  noble  and 
lamented  friend.  Prof.  F.  T.  Kemper.  The  loss  is  as  great  as 
Missouri  could  have  sustained  in  the  death  of  any  one  of  her  dis- 
tinguished and  useful  citizens.  He  was  the  best  educator  of  this 
country,  and  has  accom.plished  a  grand  work.  Some  lasting  me- 
morial of  such  a  man  and  such  a  work  should  be  prepared." 

Rev.  J.  M.  Curtis,  for  some  yearsrector  of  Christ's 
Church,  Boonville,  Mo.,  to  Mrs.  Kemper  : — 

"  I  felt  that  I  must  tell  you,  how  (beginning  his  acquaintance 
with  a  slight  and  perhaps  half-unconscious  prejudice,  and  always 
seeing  many  important  questions  of  life  from  a  widely  different 
standpoint),  the  broad  grasp  of  his  intellect,  his  modest  yet  ac- 
curate scholarship,  his  manly  courage,  his  firm  Christian  faith,  and 
his  tender  Christian  spirit,  had  so  impressed  me,  the  few  years 
that  I  had  known  him,  as  to  make  my  own  life  a  better  and  more 
earnest  one,  through  the  influence  of  his  example." 

Miss  Carrie  Bliss,  of  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  a  friend  : — 

•*  I  loved  him  as  one  of  my  best  and  truest  friends.  I  think 
every  one,  brought  into  contact  with  him,  must  have  loved  and 
honored  him.  I  am  reminded  of  the  following  lines,  which  seem 
peculiarly  applicable  to  him  :  'This  brave  and  tender  man,  in 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  413 

every  storm  of  life,  was  oak  and  rock  ;  but,  in  the  sunshine,  he 
was  vine  and  flower.  He  was  the  friend  of  all  heroic  souls.  He 
climbed  the  heights,  and  left  all  superstitions  f^r  below  ;  while 
on  his  forehead  fell  the  golden  dawning  of  a  grander  day.  He 
sided  with  the  weak,  and  with  a  willing  hand  gave  alms,  and  with 
a  loyal  heart  he  faithfully  discharged  all  public  trusts.  He  added 
to  the  sum  of  human  joy,  and  were  every  one  for  whom  he  did 
some  loving  service  to  bring  a  blossom  to  his  grave,  he  would 
sleep  to-night  beneath  a  wilderness  of  flowers.'  " 

Rev.  James  H.  Brookes,  D.D.,  of  St.  Louis,  in  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Kemper: — 

"  I  am  free  to  say,  I  have  never  seen  a  teacher  who  impress- 
ed me  so  favorably  with  his  style,  his  scholarship,  and  his  enthu- 
siasm. I  can  only  indicate  my  estimate  of  your  ability  by  declar- 
ing that  I  would  esteem  it  a  very  great  privilege,  did  the  pressing 
duties  of  my  ministry  allow  me,  to  spend  at  least  a  year  in  the 
study  of  that  plentiful  and  splendid  language,  the  Greek,  under 
your  instructions.  I  have  often  said  to  others,  and  am  willing  to 
say  to  you,  that  I  would  rather  commit  a  son  of  mine  to  your  tui- 
tion than  to  send  him  to  any  college  in  the  land." 

The  following  extended  tribute  comes  from  the 
graceful  pen  of  the  late  Rev.  John  S.  Grasty,  D.D., 
the  biographer  of  the  saintly  McPlieeters  : — 

"  F.   T.   KEMPER    AS    HE    APPEARED  TO    ONE  WHO    LOVED  HIM. 

"  There  are  deaths  which  create  a  sad  vacuum  in  a  particular 
home  circle,  but  are  felt  little  beyond.  There  are  deaths,  again, 
which  cast  a  shadow  upon  an  entire  community,  and  cause  mourn- 
ing in  many  families.  There  are  deaths,  once  more,  that  send  a 
pang  throughout  an  entire  commonwealth,  and  even  farther.  Of 
this  latter  class  was  the  unexpected  departure  of  F.  T.  Kemper, 
the  widely  known,  and  deeply  loved,  and  sincerely  honored  teach- 
er, scholar,  and  Christian  gentleman,  who  presided  over  the  school 
called  by  his  name,  and  located  in  the  town  of  Boonville,  Mo. 
His  decease  leaves  a  vacancy  which  may  not  be  filled  for  several 
generations.     Of  a  truth,   the  exact  like  of  such  a  man  can  be 


414  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

found  only  now  and  then,  at  intervals  of  time  and  in  places  wide- 
ly apart. 

"  Born  in  the  same  State  with  Mr,  Kemper,  I  have  known  the 
family  stock  from  boyhood.  The  Kempers  were  a  people  of  the" 
highest  respectability  and  of  pecuniary  independence  there  in  ' 
Madison  County,  Virginia.  Industry,  force,  desire  for  practical, 
useful  knowledge  vvere  general  characteristics.  The  solid  rather 
than  the  gaudy  was  preferred  by  members  of  the  house,  as  I  have 
personally  known.  Ex-Gov.  James  M,  Kemper,  a  younger  broth- 
er, was  a  classmate  when  we  were  fellow-siudents  at  Washing- 
ton College,  Va.  I  can  recall  the  period  of  his  arrival  at  the  insti- 
tution. He  was  clad,  not  in  the  finest  of  French  cloth,  nor  did  his 
apparel  and  manner  indicate  a  youth  who  had  come  to  impress 
his  fellows  by  means  of  a  glittering  wardrobe,  and  through  brilliant 
and  showy  ways.  On  the  contrary,  the  boy  of  fifteen  summers  wore 
a  neatly-fitting  suit  of  home-made  jeans,  and  from  hat  to  shoe 
both  the  youth  and  his  clothes  seemed  to  say,  'We  are  here  for 
work.'  And  so  it  proved.  For  from  the  first  day  onward  young 
Kemper  labored  faithfully,  gained  ground  steadily  and  surely 
until  the  prize  was  insured.  When  the  college  days  were  over 
we  corresponded  for  a  season,  but  this  kind  of  intercourse  (as 
is  usually  the  case)  gradually  fell  away  until  it  entirely  ceased. 
Nevertheless,  I  watched  the  upward  progress  of  this  valued  friend, 
as  he  rose  step  by  step  until  reaching  the  highest  summit  of  hon- 
or within  the  limit  of  his  native  State.  Nor  was  there  ever  a 
charge  of  dishonesty,  or  of  indirection  even.  The  whole  was 
accomplished  by  '  square  work.'  such  as  conscience  and  the  great 
Master  approve.  I  have  ventured  to  say  this  much  about  the 
younger  brother,  because  he  and  F.  T.  Kemper  were  by  nature 
so  much  alike.  And  as  I  had  known  the  one  in  boyhood  and 
afterward,  it  did  not  require  years  or  months  to  mark  those  points 
of  character  which  individualized  the  other. 

"  F.  T.  Kemper  settled  in  Missouri  about  thirty-five  years  ago, 
and  selected  teaching  for  his  life-work.  The  personal  acquaint- 
ance that  I  had  with  him  did  not  begin  till  the  summer  of  1S73.  I 
had  received  an  invitation  to  address  the  Society  of  Inquiry  con- 
nected with  Westminster  College,  and  while  in  I'ulton  a  message 
rcnrlu'd  me  froni  Mr.  Kemper,  which  resulted  in  a  visit  to  Hoon- 
viilc.      An  u(  iiu.iiiiiancc  ihcii   Ik  i;..ii  wliith  riiHiud  into  an  ever- 


THE    VICTOR    CROWNED.  415 

growing  f  1  iendship.  And  as  the  relations  between  us,  for  the  past 
six  years  especially,  have  not  only  been  cordial  but  intimate,  it 
would  seem  n-ore  than  strange  did  I  not  seek  to  throw  a  simple 
flower,  at  least,  upon  the  grave  of  my  friend,  now  that  death  has 
hung  a  veil  between. 

"  That  F.  T.  Kemper  was  a  man  of  mark,  that  as  an  educator 
he  greatly  excelled,  has  been  confessed  for  twenty-five  years. 
Those  who  once  smiled  when  he  called  himself  the  '  maker  of 
men,'  have  long  since  admitted  the  claim,  as  pupils  from  the 
Kemper  School  have  gone  forth  to  fill  oflJices  of  trust  throughout 
the  entire  West.  That  the  city  and  neighborhood  in  which  he 
lived  accepted  him  silently,  or  otherwise,  as  a  leader  of  public 
thought,  must  have  been  obvious  to  all.  That  his  daily  walk  in- 
spired universal  confidence  ;  that  the  fathers  themselves,  who 
had  been  taught,  and  disciplined  in  the  '  Kemper  Family  School,' 
whatever  their  experience  there,  preferred  this  school  for  their 
sons,  is  a  fact  which  in  itself  points  to  the  excellence  and  the 
enduring  worth  of  the  teacher  at  its  head. 

"Still  farther,  whenever  a  person  notably  succeeds  in  any  im- 
portant business,  it  is  natural  to  inquire  after  the  means  and  in- 
struments through  which  this  success  was  attained.  How  then 
did  this  young  emigrant  begin  at  the  bottom  and  build  for  himself 
a  name  ?  Was  it  because  the  land  was  fresh,  and  the  country 
invitingly  open  ?  Ay,  but  the  same  opportunities  were  offered 
to  scores  and  hundreds  of  compeers,  who  entered  the  race  together, 
yet  so  began  and  ended  their  course  as  to  make  no  sign  !  Was 
it  for  the  reason  that  our  friend  had  wealth  and  powerful  connec- 
tions to  help  him  in  his  task  ?  Not  this  ;  for  the  amount  of  money 
at  command  was  moderate,  while  young  Kemper  was  a  stranger 
in  a  strange  land  !  Was  it  on  account  of  scholarship  which  his 
adopted  State  could  not  match  ?  Just  here,  again,  many  were  his 
equals,  while  a  few  confessed  superiors  !  Were  his  intellectual 
gifts  so  brilliant  that  the  multitude  was  charmed  ?  Never  did  this 
teacher  [lay  claim  to  any  quality  that  attracted  by  its  glitter. 
Nevertheless,  the  man  succeeded,  and  succeeded  notably  at  his 
work.  If  I  may  be  allowed  to  illustrate  a  person's  character  by 
an  edifice  and  its  proportions,  I  would  point  to  a  building  whose 
foundations  are  broad,  tough,  and  below  frost.  The  sills  are 
thick,  strong,  and  without  a  flaw  ;  while  the  materials  which  enter 


41 6  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

inlo  the  house  at  every  angle,  are  selected  for  substance  and  not 
for  show.  In  all  the  structure,  from  corner  to  capstone,  we  find 
nothing  for  mere  ornament — no  paper  make-believes,  no  Dolly 
Vardens — no  pretended  strength,  no  secret  weakness  or  deform- 
ity covered  up  and  hidden  by  means  of  plaster  or  paint.  But 
the  house  from  bottom  to  top  is  honestly  built — built  for  comfort, 
built  for  summer  and  winter,  and  with  strength  to  resist  storms. 

"  Mr,  Kemper  was  what  we  call  a  substantial  man.  He  had  a 
moral  base  of  depth  and  breadth  with  which  to  begin.  When- 
ever his  calm  judgment  decided  that  a  thought  or  act  was  wrong, 
from  that  moment  onward  he  put  it  away.  He  might  be  mistaken 
in  his  decisions,  but  he  loved  the  right,  and  looked  for  no  '  fruit 
to  be  desired  '  from  any  undertaking  which  was  not  founded  on 
the  truth.  In  his  view,  all  lies,  of  whatever  sort,  must  yield  sor- 
row in  the  end.  Hence  in  every  undertaking  he  was  conscien- 
tiously careful  to  look  at  the  surroundings.  Is  it  '  just,  true,  love- 
ly, and  of  good  report?  '  were  questions  unspeakably  more  vital  to 
Mr.  Kemper  than  the  fairest  promise  of  gold  and  silver  from  the 
mine.  Indeed,  our  friend  came  into  the  world  with  all  the  ele- 
ments of  a  man,  and  these  were  developed  as  the  years  revolved. 
Here,  then,  was  a  part  of  that  capital  with  which  young  Kemper 
began. 

"  It  has  been  said  already  that  the  school- room  was  the  field  in 
which  Mr.  Kemper  chose  to  labor.  By  some,  it  may  be,  the  rules 
laid  down  in  this  Family  School  were  considered  stern,  if  not 
needlessly  severe.  Yet,  if  the  truth  is  fairly  told,  these  regula- 
tions bore  hardly  upon  no  one  who  had  the  heart  and  the  pluck  to 
do  right.  This  teacher,  from  his  inmost  soul,  loathed  shams, 
pretence,  and  everything  false  or  perfunctory.  The  sorry  boy 
who  slighted  the  lesson,  or  the  mean  one  who  sought  refuge  in 
untruth  or  prevarication,  was  found  out  and  corrected.  Thor- 
oughness was  a  motto  for  every  class,  and  whenever  the  student 
exhibited  diligence,  courage,  and  honor,  the  Principal  warmed 
toward  such  an  one,  and,  if  need  arose,  not  only  the  heart  but 
also  the  purse  was  open  to  help. 

*'  As  man,  and  teacher,  and  Christian  gentleman,  Mr.  Kemper 
stood  pre-eminent  at  home— in  the  city  of  his  adoption.  There 
could  not  be  found  a  respectable  citizen  in  Boonville  who  did 
not  regard  as  representative  both  the  *  Family  School '  and  its  la- 


THE    VICTOR    CROWNED.  417 

borious,  accomplished,  and  self-denying  head.  And  yet  the 
principal  of  this  widely  known  and  valued  institution  never  took 
on  airs,  and  no  one  ever  saw  him  walking  abroad  as  some  lofty 
lord  of  the  manor  !  He  seldom  spoke  of  himself,  and  if  at  all, 
in  language  strikingly  modest.  In  intercourse  with  pupils  and 
neighbors,  courtesy  and  good-breeding  always  marked  his  bearing. 
Every  inhabitant  of  the  county  knew  him,  and  he  never  passed 
the  humblest,  poorest,  or  most  ignorant  without  a  sign  of  recog- 
nition. Blood  will  tell,  and  it  was  impossible  for  this  well-bred 
Christian  gentleman  to  tyrannize,  rebuff,  or  be  coarse,  however 
conscious  he  might  be  of  superiority  and  power,  or  however  lowly 
and  unfortunate  the  fellow-creature  who  stood  in  his  presence. 
On  the  contrary,  he  felt  it  a  Christian  duty  to  cultivate  friendliness, 
and  this  toward  the  community  generally  in  which  God  had  cast 
his  lot.  Hence  it  became  a  constant  practice  with  him  to  make 
calls,  if  only  of  a  few  minutes,  upon  different  households  through- 
out the  entire  city.  Especially  did  he  go,  and  with  a  sympathetic 
heart  and  cheerfully  helping  hand,  wherever  affliction  had  entered 
or  the  dependent  called  for  aid.  And  not  even  the  loved  and 
trusted  wife  of  his  bosom— so  unostentatious  were  his  deeds  of  love 
— could  recount  his  ministries  to  the  sorrowing  or  his  gifts  to  the 
poor.  His  charity  was  abounding  and  his  sympathies  fresh  and 
sweet.  Nevertheless,  in  all  that  he  did,  he  considered  himself  a 
steward.  The  inspired  statement,  "  Ye  are;  not  your  own,  ye  are 
bought  with  a  price,"  was  accepted  in  its  fulness.  Self-praise, 
therefore,  from  such  a  man  was  simply  out  of  the  question.  Al- 
though the  '  Kemper  Family  School,'  all  things  considered,  had 
been  a  splendid  success,  and  notwithstanding  it  could  point  to  a 
long  roll  of  illustrious  names  among  its  alumni  in  science,  poli- 
tics, and  the  learned  professions,  still  the  principal  never  boasted. 
Never  did  he  entertain  a  guest  with  histories  of  his  own  great 
deeds,  and  point  out  the  fine  things  his  superior  genius  had  dis- 
covered. He  allowed  his  'labors  under  the  sun'  to  speak  for 
themselves.  And  whatever  might  be  the  result  of  thoughtfully 
laid  plans,  no  one  ever  heard  him  complain  that  the  sowing  had 
been  his  and  the  reaping  another's.  This  man,  with  his  great  soul, 
was  too  happy  to  have  hidden  a  few  grains  under  the  soil  which 
should  germinate,  and  yield  sheaves  to  those  who  were  to  follow. 
His  fully  informed  head  and  sanctified  heart  forbade  the  thought 
19 


41 8  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

of  making  self  the  theme.  It  was  here,  especially,  that  his  early 
social  advantages,  and  educational  training  '  stood  him  in  good 
stead.'  He  never  forgot  to  be  a  gentleman.  In  the  '  self-made 
man  '  alone,  can  egotism  be  charitably  excused.  For  whatever 
the  privileges  of  after  years,  the  lack  of  refined  culture  in  youth 
is  seldom,  if  ever,  wholly  repaired.  Together  with  striking — 
and  many  times  lofty — excellences  in  such  persons,  friends  are 
forced  to  mourn  the  presence  of  pride,  intolerance,  and  painful 
self-conceit.  In  the  tree,  although  the  root  supplies  the  sap  and 
the  life,  yet  the  fruit,  sweet  or  sour,  or  a  mean  between  the  two, 
takes  on  its  flavor  from  the  nature  of  the  graft." 

"  Of  Mr.  Kemper  as  a  church  member  and  office-bearer  in  the 
house  of  God,  what  shall  be  said  ?  For  surely  a  prince  and  a  great 
man  in  Israel  is  fallen.  His  praise  was  in  all  the  churches.  He 
will  be  missed  by  the  pastor  whom  he  loved,  by  the  associate  elders 
who  were  accustomed  to  take  sweet  counsel  with  him,  and  by  the 
Presbytery  and  Synod  where  his  presence  and  influence  were  so 
sensibly  felt.  It  was  a  privilege  above  price  for  a  particular  con- 
gregation to  possess  such  a  ruler.  For  there  is  not  a  point,  in  the 
whole  domain  of  ecclesiastical  work,  where  a  laborer  like  Mr. 
Kemper  does  not  leave  a  lasting  sign.  He  was  as  regular  in  his 
attendance  on  the  prayer-meeting  as  the  pastor,  and  his  petitions 
at  a  throne  of  grace  flowed  from  a  full  heart,  and  from  an  under- 
standing profoundly  enriched  by  familiarity  with  the  Word.  For 
forty  years,  nothing  short  of  serious  sickness  kept  him  from  the 
Sabbath-school,  while  he  delighted  in  the  Bible-class,  and  studied 
the  Scriptures  as  one  who  'searches  for  hidden  treasure.'  And 
what  a  hearer  he  was,  whenever  the  preacher  entered  the  sanctu- 
ary with  a  message  jedolent  of  the  truth  and  winged  by  the  Spirit  ! 
What  minister  of  the  gospel,. preaching  in  his  presence,  cannot 
recall  the  lights  and  shadows  that  swept  over  his  face  as  the  am- 
bassador for  Christ  warned  the  ungodly  or  else  pointed  the 
weary  and  heavy  laden  unto  Him  that  gives  rest.  It  is  a  grand 
thing  to  enter  the  pulpit  when  the  preacher  feels  assured  of  a 
hearer  like  this  !  For,  if  there  be  not  another  to  hear,  the  well- 
beaten  oil  can  by  no  means  be  lost. 

"  Mr.  Kemper  was  not  only  a  wise  and  safe  counselor  in  the 
session,  but  joined  the  pastor  heartily  in  watching  for  souls.  For 
if  a  case  of  religious  interest  occurred  in  the  flock,  he  was  sure  to 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  419 

find  it  out.  If  any  were  tempted  or  perplexed,  he  could  make 
time  to  see  them,  and  point  out  these  tried  and  troubled  ones  to 
One  who  giveih  strength.  As  the  head  of  a  far-famed  school, 
with  its  reputation  older  than  belonged  to  any  contemporary — 
with  a  name  now  become  a  household  word  over  the  State— this 
honored  Nestor  of  Missouri  teachers  did  not  think  it  beneath 
him,  from  any  point  of  view,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  the  widow  ; 
to  enter  the  homes,  however  humble,  of  the  sorrowing,  and  to 
mingle  his  tears  with  those  who,  though  mean  in  the  eyes  of  the 
self-constituted  great,  are  nevertheless  often  rich  in  faith  and 
*  heirs  of  the  kingdom.'  Nor  did  he  draw  back  when  the  trans- 
gressor needed  his  care.  For  he  remembered  the  words  and  the 
ways  of  Ilitn  who  was  the  greatest  of  teachers.  Nor  could  he 
forget  the  example  of  that  '  Mighty  Prophet,'  who,  speaking 
comfortably  to  the  amiable  and  gentle  Mary  and  the  careful  and 
busy  Martha,  did  not  refuse  to  eat  with  publicans  and  sinners, 
while  He  allowed  a  poor,  erring  '  unfortunate'  to  wash  His  feet 
with  her  tears,  and  to  wipe  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head.  Oh  ! 
if  men  would  but  learn  it,  how  much  more  essential  greatness  is 
there  in  simplicity,  in  deep  sympathy  for  bereavement,  in  a  single 
faithful  hour  spent  in  reclaiming  and  cheering  a  lost  Magda- 
lene, than  in  all  the  bluster,  arrogance,  and  false  pretence  which 
mark  the  path  of  not  a  few  vain,  restless  seekers  after  place  and 
power  ! 

*•  It  was  in  Mr.  Kemper's  zealous  efforts  to  cairry  the  gospel 
'  into  the  regions  beyond'  that  he  took  into  his  system  the  seeds 
of  a  fatal  disease.  Mrs.  Kemper,  a  wife  thoroughly  worthy  of 
such  a  husband,  wrote  to  Mrs.  G.  as  follows:  'We  were  in 
the  habit  of  going  to  Sabbath-school,  over  five  miles  in  the  coun- 
try, every  Sabbath  afternoon,  and  this  very  cold  winter  we  suf- 
fered greatly.  But  I  could  protect  myself  by  covering  head  and 
face  with  heavy  shawls,  while  Mr.  Kemper  had  to  drive  and  watch 
closely  a  team  of  gay  horses.  We  would  get  home  only  in  time 
for  supper.  After  supper  we  had  a  reading  time  with  the  boys, 
and  I  could  not  persuade  my  husband  that  it  was  his  duty  to  rest 
at  home  instead  of  going  to  night  service.  Two  or  three  of  the 
last  Sabbaths  were  so  bad  we  could  not  go  to  the  country,  but 
he  did  not  rest,  but  visited  the  sick  and  afflicted  in  town.'  Here 
was  true  greatness,  and  how  small  do  the  fussy,  explosive,  self- 


42 o  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

asserting  heroes  appear  beside  such  a  splendid  man  as  this  !  In- 
stead of  the  sumptuous  study,  the  afternoon  slumber,  the  many 
idle  if  not  misspent  hours  of  the  Sabbath  day,  this  man,  full  of 
business  too,  voluntarily  taxed  body  and  spirit  in  order  to  garner 
an  interval  of  time  to  be  devoted  to  labors  *  five  miles  away  in 
the  country/  and  this  when  every  limb  'suffered  greatly  with  the 
cold.'  It  was  with  such  inner  forces  as  these  that  the  Kemper 
School  first  saw  the  light,  and  had  been  able  to  hold  out  through 
dark  days  as  well  as  bright.  And  it  was  by  means  of  such  lofty 
worth  that  the  principal  exerted  a  healthful  and  abiding  power 
over  hundreds,  not  to  say  thousands,  in  the  West  and  South,  who 
will  never  willingly  let  the  name  of  the  loved  teacher  die. 

"  Heads  of  schools  and  colleges,  such  as  this  man  was,  are 
greatly  to  be  desired.  Let  there  be  principals  whose  chief  end 
shall  be  not  to  impress  the  pupil  and  communities  with  ideas  of 
their  own  greatness,  but  teachers  of  larger  girth  than  this,  anxious 
to  spend  and  be  spent  in  the  cause  of  truth. 

"  It  was  the  aim  of  Mr.  Kemper  to  return  full  value  for  every 
dollar  that  the  student  paid  in.  Hence  bistable  was  bountiful,  the 
rooms  arranged  for  comfort,  extensive  play-grounds  convenient ; 
while  the  scholar  had  the  opportunity,  through  moderate  handi- 
work on  the  little  farm  neSr  by,  of  earning  twenty,  thirty,  or  even 
forty  cents  per  day,  to  be  applied  to  tuition,  or  otherwise,  as  the 
student  himself  chose. 

"  When  the  regular  exercises  of  the  day  were  over,  it  was  de- 
lightful to  meet  Mr,  K.  in  the  home  circle.  His  hospitality  to  a 
guest  was  overflowing,  and  it  was  exceedingly  beautiful  to  witness 
his  gallantry  to  wife,  tenderness  toward  children,  united  to  his 
warm  consideration  for  all.  His  experiences  were  large,  his 
knowledge  of  particular  subjects  full,  while  the  desire  to  make 
those  around  him  useful  and  happy  never  seemed  to  fag?  I  have 
spent  weeks  together  at  his  house,  and  each  day  had  its  scheme  for 
adding  new  pleasure,  for  the  discussion  of  plans  by  which  existing 
evils  might  be  cured.  All  the  faith  and  the  force  thar\vere  in  him 
had  been  reduced  to  practice,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  position  or 
office  that  he  might  not  have  filled  with  ^onor.  Had  he  chosen 
the  law,  he  must  have  excelled  as  a  jurist.  Had  the  gospel  min- 
istry claimed  him,  his  labors  in  such  a  field  would  have  abounded. 
Had  he  entered  the  army  his  comrades  must  have  named  him 
among  '  the  bravest  of  the  brave.' 


THE    VICTOR    CROWNED.  421 

"  In  person  Mr.  Kemper  was  of  medium  height  and  very  com- 
pactly built.  True,  he  did  not  possess  those  physical  proportions 
which  are  usually  called  commanding,  yet  his  bodily  form,  from 
every  point  of  view  and  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  was  pre- 
eminently manly.  Looking  on  his  face,  with  the  forehead  broad, the 
mouth  honest  and  full  of  meaning,  whether  the  lips  were  wreathed 
with  smiles  or  compressed  by  resolve,  the  entire  countenance  in- 
dicated harmony  and  strength, and  without  the  marring  of  a  feature. 
The  dark,  lustrous  eye  especially  attracted.  For  its  light  varied 
with  the  thought,  kindling  at  one  time  in  righteous  anger  or  just  re- 
proof, and  then  as  sorrow  entered  melting  into  sympathetic  tears. 
Nature  furnished  a  visage  which  was  exceedingly  fine.  For  the 
countenance  as  a  whole  '  gave  forth  no  uncertain  sign'  of  benig- 
nity, pity,  mental  power,  and  human  kindness,  combined  with  a 
purpose  to  do  right  down  '  to  the  uttermost  farthing.'  And  one 
needed  not  to  commune  with  him  long  before  it  was  seen  that 
here  was  a  man  ready  to  dare  or  to  do  anything  duty  demanded, 
even  if  life  itself  were  to  be  the  sure  forfeit.  Fearless  for  the 
right,  and  set  against  wrong  ;  with  sympathies  for  the  poor,  and 
not  envious  of  the  rich  ;  in  reverence  worshiping  God,  with  good 
will  for  fellow-man  ;  loving,  liberal,  laborious  ;  striving  in  faith 
and  patience  to  win  the  prize — this  workman,  living  and  dying, 
was  '  a  nobleman  of  nature  crowned  with  the  diadem  of  grace.' 

"  When  such  a  man  departs  from  our  midst  the  world  seems 
poorer.  When  we  revisit  his  earthly  home,  and  move  and  linger 
about  the  places  and  amid  the  scenes  where  he  once  spake  and 
pilgrimed,  how  his  voice  is  missed,  and  how  the  very  silence 
seems  to  bring  back  an  invisible  presence  and  utter  his  praise  ! 

"  Many — and  the  writer  especially,  at  whose  house  he  so- 
journed— can  vividly  recall  Mr.  Kemper's  last  visit  to  Mexico,  Mo. 
He  came  to  attend  the  Teachers'  Association,  and  was  called  to 
address  the  meeting.  The  grandeur  of  the  discourse  deeply  im- 
pressed all.  Many  spoke  of  it  as  the  noblest  effort  of  the  gifted 
speaker's  life.  In  concluding  he  said  :  '  I  am  growing  old,  and 
my  life  work  is  nearly  done.  Standing  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
waiting  to  depart,  I  catch  glimpses  of  those  signal  lights  beyond, 
which  mark  the  path  and  wave  me  welcome  to  the  further  shore.' 
Ay  !  we  are  wiser  than  we  know.  For  even  then  the  hour  had 
begun  to  strike.     Voices,  deep  but  low,  were  whispering  lo  this 


422  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

ripened  saint  of  a  '  home  over  there,'  where  unfading  crowns,  un- 
speakable joy,  and  eternal  life  are  the  free  but  sure  reward.  The 
day  was  breaking,  the  shadows  fleeing,  and  with  the  battle  fought 
and  the  victory  won,  the  veteran  soldier  laid  aside  his  armor  and 
entered  into  rest.  Thank  God  for  such  a  life,  for  a  record  that 
abounds  » 

'  In  deeds  of  noble  rectitude — in  scorn 

For  miserable  aims  that  end  with  self — 

In  thoughts  sublime  that  pierce  the  night  like  stars, 

And  with  their  mild  persistence  urge  man's  search 

To  vaster  issues. 

He  lived  and  made  undying  music,  and  then. 

With  high  reverence,  richly  mixed  with  love, 

Went  up  to  join  the  choir  invisible 

Of  those  immortal  dead  who  live  again 

In  minds  made  grander  by  the  once  presence 

Of  those  noble  here. '  ' ' 

Rev.  S.  S.  Laws,  LL.D.,  President  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Missouri  :— 

"  Permit  me  to  express  the  hope  that  Prof.  Kemper  will  be 
allowed  to  tell  his  own  story  to  the  full  extent  that  he  has  left 
written  materigjs  for  so  doing.  His  English  is  singularly  pure  and 
terse.  His  utterances  have  the  directness  of  the  man  himself. 
He  was  as  sensitive  as  a  child,  but  had  true  greatness  of  soul. 
He  had  a  ready  and  lively  appreciation  of  worth,  and  an  imperi- 
ous detestation  of  all  crookedness  and  baseness.  He  was  touch- 
ed by  any  kindly  appreciation  of  his  own  worth  and  good  work, 
but  proudly  indifferent  to  the  censure  consequent  on  doing  what 
•  he  conceived  to  be  right  and  just. 

•'He  was  strict  as  a  teacher,  for  the  good  of  his  pupil.  In  one 
of  my  last  conversations  with  him  he  boldly  avowed  himself  in 
his  school  as  a  tyrant.  I  ventured,  by  way  of  justice  rather  than  of 
compliment,  to  dissent,  assigning  as  my  reason  that  tyranny  was 
the  exercise  of  arrogated  authority,  or  of  intrusted  authority  without 
reason  ;  whereas  I  felt  sure  that  he  was  careful  to  exercise  only  such 
authority  as  he  conceived  legitimately  belonged  to  him,  and  then  in 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  423 

a  reasonable  manner,  however  sternly.  His  only  response  was 
one  of  his  good-humored  and  characteristic  laughs.  But  it  must 
be  said  of  him  that  he  was  never  more  exacting  of  others  than  of 
himself. 

"  He  had  one  trait  as  a  teacher  that  I  must  mention  as  unique. 
It  was  that  of  lifting  his  pupils  by  stages.  His  kindly  personal 
interest  in  every  honest  eflfcrt  on  the  part  of  the  learner  won  for 
him  their  confidence  and  affection.  After  a  time  he  would  so 
inspire  them  with  confidence  and  self-reliance  and  freedom  of 
personal  class-room  intercourse,  that  some  out-cropping  would 
indicate  that  the  class  began  to  think  that  they  knew  almost  as 
much  about  the  subject  in  hand  as  the  teacher.  Then  he  would, 
at  once  and  abruptly,  rise  to  a  higher  plane,  and  begin  to  pull 
them  up  after  him  ;  only  to  repeat  the  same  experiences.  This 
was  a  feature  of  his  class-work,  such  as  I  have  never  known  it  in 
any  other,  and  to  some  it  made  him  a  puzzle. 

"  It  occurs  to  me  that  I  must  mention  two  incidents,  of  interest 
to  myself,  at  least.  His  testimony  touching  the  plan  of  a  lan- 
guage chair  taking  full  charge  of  the  subject,  from  the  grammar  up- 
ward, after  trying  it  in  Westminster,  was,  that  it  was  a  little  more 
work  for  the  teacher  at  the  start,  but  in  the  end  less  work  and 
better  scholarship. 

"The  other  is  his  opinion  of  my  lecture  on  Metaphysics.  I 
sent  him  a  copy,  and  asked  him  to  give  me  the  benefit  of  his  view 
of  it.  It  was  the  last  time  we  were  ever  together  ;  and  it  was  dur- 
ing his  attendance  at  the  State  Teachers'  Association  at  this  place, 
1880,  that,  sitting  on  my  veranda  in  conversation  with  myself  and 
some  friends,  he  brought  up  the  subject  as  something  with  which 
he  had  charged  his  mind.  He  assured  me  that  he  agreed  with 
the  lecture  entirely,  making  only  an  incidental  remark  about  one 
unusual  form  of  expression,*  which  I  took  occasion  to  point  out 
as  having  been  expounded  into  greater  plainness  in  another  part 
of  the  lecture.  Of  course  I  felt  gratified  and  complimented  by 
the  commendatory  assent  of  so  careful  a  reader  and  exacting  a 
thinker,  and  so  frank  and  independent  a  speaker,  on  a  discussion 
so  radical  and  far-reaching  as  the  one  in  question. 

"  If  the  address  delivered  by  Professor  Kemper  before  that 
Association  has  been  left  in  manuscript,  it  will  be  a  gem.  But 
*  "  Inferential  intuition,"  page  351,  as  compared  with  pp.  415,  416. 


424  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.  KEMPER. 

I  fear  that  Mrs.  Kemper's  impression  that  it  was  never  written  is 
true.  It  was  certainly  one  of  the  finest  efforts  of  his  life.  It 
bristled  with  incisive  and  concisely  illustrated  points,  uttered  and 
clothed  as  was  possible  only  to  an  able  and  experienced  teacher." 

Rev.  M.  M.  Fisher,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Latin 
in  the  University  of  Missouri  : — 

"  My  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Kemper  began  twenty-seven  years 
ago,  when,  in  my  boyhood,  I  accepted  my  first  professorship  in 
Westminster  College.  It  will  always  be  one  of  the  most  delight- 
ful and  precious  recollections  of  my  life  that  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century  a  fiiend's  place  was  accorded  me  in  the  heart  and  home 
of  one  of  the  best  and  purest  men  it  has  ever  been  my  fortune  to 
know. 

"  One  of  the  most  noteworthy  traits  in  the  character  of  this 
prince  among  American  educators  was  his  unflinching  adherence 
to  principle  under  all  circumstances.  What  right  and  duty  com- 
manded he  did,  no  matter  whose  frown  might  come,  or  what  the 
consequences  might  be.  Seeking  popularity  by  sacrificing  prin- 
ciple was  utterly  abhorrent  to  his  nature.  A  more  just  man  in 
all  the  relations  of  life  I  never  knew.  Whether  his  pupils  were 
poor  or  rich,  influential  or  the  reverse,  this  great  teacher  held  the 
scales  of  justice  with  a  hand  whose  impartiality  could  never  be 
called  in  question.  His  conscientious  regard  for  duty  extended 
to  everything.  Mr.  Kemper  during  his  whole  life  was  a  student. 
On  one  occasion,  in  talking  over  the  duties  of  a  teacher,  he  said  to 
me  :  '  I  never  hear  a  lesson  in  reading  or  grammar  without 
first  studying  it  myself.  It  is  necessary  to  arouse  and  keep  alive 
interest  in  my  pupil?.'  And  so  he  prepared  himself  beforehand 
for  every  duty.  What  a  volume  of  instruction  there  is  here  for 
all  teachers. 

"  That  such  a  man  should  be  thorough  might  be  taken  for  granted, 
but  the  degree  of  that  thoroughness  was  known  by  comparatively 
few.  Mr.  Kemper  did  not  acquire  as  rapidly  as  some  scholars  I 
have  known,  but  the  painstaking  perseverance  that  marked  the 
man  always  gave  him  the  victory.  His  accuracy  in  pronuncia- 
tion was  proverbial,  and  almost  astonishing.  Only  in  one 
instance  in  twenty-five  years  did  I  know  his  being  in  error.     We 


I 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  42 

had  made  an  agreement  to  call  the  attention  of  one  another  to 
mispronounced  words.  At  the  rhetorical  exercises  one  Saturday 
morning  the  word  Granicus  was  used,  which  he  said  he  thought 
ought  to  be  pronounced  Gran'-i-cus.  When  asked  for  his  author- 
ity in  private,  he  replied  that  he  had  seen  the  statement  in  some 
English  periodical,  whose  high  standing  had  inspired  him  with 
confidence  in  whatever  it  might  say  on  such  points.  On  further 
examination  he  at  once  adopted  the  usual  pronunciation,  and  said 
Gra-ni'  -cus. 

*'  In  his  studies,  teaching,  and  in  fact  in  everything,  he  was  sys- 
tematic. This  enabled  him  to  dcran  amount  of  work,  especially 
in  his  earlier  teaching  life,  that  would  otherwise  have  been 
impossible*  In  talking  about  system  being  a  necessity,  he  once 
remarked  :  *  If  I  had  a  boy,  and  he  had  nothing  to  do  but  twirl  his 
finger  around  his  thumb,  I  should  want  him  to  have  some  system 
in  it.' 

"  There  was  one  talent  in  Mr.  Kemper  which  has  never  been 
spoken  of  to  a  very  great  extent,  but  which  has  been  felt  hun- 
dreds of  times,  and  that  too  by  thousands.  I  refer  to  his  power 
as  a  speaker.  For  chaste,  concise,  elegant  English  he  had  few 
equals  in  America.  In  point  of  rhetoric,  some  of  his  addresses 
were  not  only  powerful  and  successful,  but  also  splendid  and  well- 
nigh  faultless.  My  conviction  is  that  no  teacher  in  our  country 
was  superior  to  him  in  the  ability  to  weave  into  his  speeches,  and 
that  too  with  matchless  skill,  the  great  events  of  history  and  the 
every-day  incidents  of  life.  Some  little  incident  that  would  pass 
unnoticed  by  most  men  was  often  used  by  Mr.  Kemper  with  even 
thrilling  effect.  He  had  in  a  very  extraordinary  degree  common- 
sense,  which  may  be  set  down  as  essential  in  all  great  educators. 
To  speak  truth,  no  one  c^in  achieve  real  success  without  this 
requisite.  It  has  often  been  a  source  of  regret  with  me  that  Mr. 
Kemper's  speeches  were  not  committed  to  writing.  A  book  con- 
taining his  educational  addresses  would  itself  be  a  treasure. 

"  As  an  educator  he  attained  and  held  with  the  hand  of  a 
giant  a  most  exalted  position.  Many  may  be  able  teachers,  but 
few  men  in  a  generation  can  truthfully  be  called  educators.  Mr. 
Kemper's  aim  was  not  to  teach  Latin  or  Greek,  physics  or 
mathematics  merely,  but  to  make  men  —  to  send  out  men 
thoroughly  equipped  to  do  what  God  called  them  to  do. 
19* 


426  THE  LIFE  ,0F  PROF.   KEMPER. 

"  A  feature  of  peculiar  interest  in  the  character  of  this  eminent 
man  was  his  tenderness  of  heart.  This  reminds  me  of  one  of 
the  most  gifted  men  in  this  generation,  who  was  associated  with 
Mr.  Kemper  in  Westminster  College — t  refer  to  Dr.  S.  S.  Laws, 
who  has  achieved  such  signal  success  in  the  University  of  the 
State,  and  who  ranks  among  the  ablest  university  presidents 
America  has  ever  produced.  Both  these  men,  to  a  stranger, 
might  seem  severe  and  rugged  and  unfeeling,  but  an  intimate 
acquaintance  proved  both  men  to  be  remarkably  tender-hearted, 
and  to  possess  all  the  delicate  sensibilities  of  the  most  refined 
woman.  Par  nobile  fratrum.  I  shall  never  cease  to  regard  it  as 
one  of  the  choicest  and  greatest  blessings  of  my  life  that  so  much 
of  my  time  has  been  passed  in  association  with  these  two  grand 
men,  who  have  made  an  impression  on  this  Empire  State  that 
eternity  alone  can  fully  unfold. 

"  As  a  Christian,  Mr.  Kemper  was  one  of  the  most  humble, 
earnest,  and  devoted  men  I  ever  met.  He  was  greatly  afflicted  in 
the  loss  of  several  children,  to  whom  he  was  most  tenderly  at- 
tached. All  his  trials  seemed  to  bring  him  nearer  to  God. 
Through  life  he  was  supported  by  the  companionship  of  a  wife 
whose  native  talent  and  refined  culture  rendered  vital  assistance 
in  the  great  work  of  his  life,  and  whose  Christian  fortitude  was 
always  most  conspicuous  in  hours  of  darkness  and  sorrow." 

Resolutions  of  respect,  in  Memory  of  Professor 
Frederick  T.  Kemper,  deceased,  passed  by  the  City 
Council  of  Boonville,  on  the  occasion  of  his  death  : — 

"  Wheyeas,  The  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Universe  has  seen  proper 
in  His  infinite  wisdom  to  take  from  our  midst  our  distinguished 
friend  and  fellow-citizen.  Prof.  F.  T.  Kemper ;  and 

"  Whereas,  We  desire  to  place  upon  the  records  of  our  city  a 
recognition  of  the  love  of  our  people  for  the  memory  of  the  de- 
ceased, as  well  as  our  own  individual  esteem  for  his  cliaracter  ; 
now,  therefore,  be  it 

'•  Resohied,  That  we,  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Councilmen 
of  the  City  of  Boonville,  and  the  representatives  of  the  friends 
and  neighbors  of  the  deceased,  do  profoumJly  recognize  his  death 
as  a  public  calamity,  and  sincerely  and  deeply  feel  that  our  com- 


THE    VICTOR    CROWNED.  427 

munity  has  lost  a  worthy  citizen  and  a  good  man,  our  people  a 
generous  friend  and  kind  neighbor,  and  our  city  a  patriotic  and 
practical  benefactor  ;  and  that  for  ourselves  and  in  the  name  of 
our  people  we  extend  to  his  family  and  friends,  in  the  hour  of 
their  sad  bereavement  and  irreparable  loss,  our  profoundest  sym- 
pathies and  deepest  regrets.     And  be  it  further 

'■'Resolved,  That,  in  token  of  our  respect  for  the  memory  of  our  de 
ceased  citizen,  and  our  high  regard  for  hisdistiAguished  character, 
we  hereby  ask  the  Mayor  of  our  city  to  issue  his  proclamation, 
requesting  the  people  of  our  city  to  close  their  respective  places 
of  business  during  the  funeral  of  our  departed  friend;  and  that 
the  offices  of  the  city  be  draped  in  mourning  for  the  period  of 
thirty  days." 

The  next  group  of  testimonials  will  embrace  those 
of  a  distinctively  religious  character.  The  first  of 
these  is  a  paper  passed  by  the  Pastors'  Union  of  Boon- 
ville,  embracing  all  the  Protestant  ministers  of  the 
place  : — 

"  We  feel  thankful  to  God  for  the  long  and  useful  life  which 
Prof.  F.  T.  Kemper,  in  the  providence  of  God,  was  permitted  to 
spend  in  our  midst.  We  feel  deeply  afflicted  in  the  death  of  one 
so  long  and  usefully  identified  with  the  cause  of  religion  and 
Christian  education.  Now,  as  it  has  pleased  Almighty  God  to 
remove  our  beloved  brother  from  his  labors  on  earth  to  his  reward 
in  heaven  ;  therefore 

"  Resolved,  That  while  we  deeply  regret  the  loss  of  his  presence 
and  labors,  we  humbly  submit  to  the  action  of  Him  who  doeth 
all  things  right. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  extend  to  his  bereaved  family  our  Chris- 
tian sympathy." 

Resolutions  of  the  Session  of  the  Boonville  Pres- 
byterian Church,  March  11,  1881  : — 

"  We  recognize  in  this  providence  the  wise,  loving,  and  sover- 
eign hand  of  Almighty  God,  and  bow  with  submission  to  His 


428  THE    LIFE     OF    PROF.    KEMPER. 

holy  will.  <  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away  ; 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.' 

"  We  desire  to  record,  as  a  Session,  our  sense  of  personal  be- 
reavement, in  the  loss  of  this  friend  and  counselor,  in  the  work 
intrusted  to  us  as  oflEicers  of  the  church. 

"  We  desire  to  express  our  high  appreciation  of  his  character 
as  a  man,  his  consistency  as  a  Christian,  and  his  faithfulness  as 
an  elder.  He  was  an  Israelite  in  whom  was  no  guile,  an  elder 
who  took  the  oversight  of  the  flock  willingly  and  of  a  ready  mind, 
not  as  a  lord  over  God's  heritage,  but  as  an  example  to  the  flock. 

"  We  tender  our  heartfelt  sympathy  to  his  sorely  bereaved  fam- 
ily, and  mingle  our  tears  with  theirs.  Our  prayer  is  that  God, 
whom  he  served,  may  be  their  Sun  and  Shield,  their  Keeper,  and 
their  Shade  upon  their  right  hand." 

The  action  of  the  Synod  of  Missoyri,  taken  at  St. 
Louis  in  the  fall  of  1881  : — 

"  In  making  mention  of  the  death  of  Ruling  Elder  Prof.  F.  T. 
Kemper,  the  Synod  records  : — 

"  First,  Its  recognition  of  the  sovereign,  wise,  and  loving  hand 
of  God,  who  killeth  and  maketh  alive,  who  gave  and  has  taken 
away,  in  whose  sight  the  death  of  His  saints  is  precious. 

"  Second.  Its  sense  of  loss  to  the  Church  on  earth  in  the  re- 
moval of  such  men  from  the  ruling  eldership  ;  for  good  men  are 
among  our  best  gifts. 

"  Third.  Its  appreciation  of  Prof.  Kemper  as  a  man  filling  in 
the  largest  measure  his  sphere  in  life.  As  a  man,  he  exemplified 
the  virtues  of  truth,  righteousness,  and  godliness  ;  as  a  Christian, 
be  was  adorned  with  the  graces  of  the  Spirit,  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  Master,  who  went  about  doing  good  ;  as  an  offi- 
cer in  the  church,  he  was  prayerful,  faithful,  and  fearless  in  his  dis- 
charge of  the  trust  committed  to  him  ;  blameless,  vigilant,  sober, 
of  good  behavior,  given  to  hospitality,  having  a  good  report  from 
them  that  are  without,  taking  the  oversight  of  the  flock  willingly 
and  of  a  ready  mind  ;  as  an  educator,  he  made  Christianity  the 
basis  of  his  work,  not  only  by  inculcating  Christian  maxims,  but 
by  making  the  Bible  a  text-boolT  in  his  school. 

"  Fourth.  Its  gratitude  to  God  for  leaving  him  with  us  so  long, 
for  the  bright  example  of  his  victorious  faith,  by  which  he  being 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  429 

dead  yet  speaks  to  us,  and  for  the  works  which  follow  him  to  the 
lengthened  shadows  of  his  earthly  life. 

,  "  Fifth.  Its  prayer  to  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  that  He 
will  raise  up  and  endow  many  young  men  all  over  our  Zion  to  fill 
the  high  office  of  ruling  elder  of  His  house." 

The  last  is  from  the  Rev.  O.  W.  Gauss,  M.D.,  the 
pastor  of  the  Boonville  Presbyterian  Church  : — 

"  PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES. 

"  The  first  time  I  saw  Prof.  Kemper  was  at  the  Sunday  even- 
ing service  in  the  church  of  which  he  was  an  elder.  The  cordial 
manner  in  which  he  came  forward  to  greet  me  at  once  put  me  at 
ease  in  his  presence.  Fancy  pictures  to  us  the  mental  and  phys- 
ical characteristics  of  men  of  repute.  Prof.  Kemper's  name  was 
familiar  to  me  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  successful  edu- 
cators in  the  land,  and  I  expected  to  find  him  fastidious  in  dress, 
imposing  in  person,  and  stern  in  the  lines  of  his  face.  But  the 
man  whom  I  saw  coming  out  of  the  congregation  to  the  pulpit 
was  in  every  respect  the  opposite  of  this.  In  dress  he  was  plain  ; 
his  person  was  vigorous,  but  not  imposing  ;  and  his  face  was 
thoughtful,  firm,  and  earnest,  but  not  rigid.  The  thing  which  spe- 
cially impressed  me  that  night  was  the  pleasant  smile  which 
lighted  up  mouth,  eye,  and  brow,  and  made  me  feel  that  the 
grasp  of  the  hand  which  he  extended  was  more  than  a  form.  The 
sweet  guilelessness  of  his  smile  revealed  a  spirit  that  was  Nathan- 
ael's  before  his  Lord.  Forthwith  my  heart  went  out  to  him  with 
a  confidence  which  v/as  never  withdrawn.  A  friendship  was  then 
formed  which  every  young  pastor  so  much  needs,  combining  sym- 
pathy and  forbearance  toward  inexperience,  with  the  wisdom 
and  helpfulness  of  riper  years. 

"  To  undertake  a  narrative  of  his  life,  or  even  of  that  portion 
of  it  which  came  under  my  observation,  would  be  trespassing  on 
the  domain  of  the  biographer  ;  to  attempt  to  estimate  his  charac- 
ter as  a  whole  would  be  more  than  I  could  manage  ;  but  in  the  re- 
lation which  I  sustained  as  pastor  of  the  church,  of  which  he  was 
an  honored  elder  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  century,  certain  phases 
of  his  religious  character  passed  under  my  observation,  which  no 


430  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

one  else  would  be  so  likely  to  notice  in  their  bearing  upon  pas- 
toral work. 

"  I  cherish  his  memory  as  that  of  a  man  of  the  most  humble 
and  most  exalted  type  of  piety,  realizing  as  much  as  any  one  I 
ever  knew  the  Saviour's  promise,  '  He  that  humblech  himself 
shall  be  exalted.'  The  beautiful  lines  he  was  wont  to  repeat, 
a«  illustrating  his  conception  of  Christian  character,  fit  well  his 
own  : — 

*  The  bird  that  soars  on  highest  wing. 
Builds  on  the  ground  her  lowly  nest ; 
And  she  that  doth  most  sweetly  sing, 

Sings  in  the  shade,  whence  all  things  rest. 
In  lark  and  nightingale  we  see 
What  honor  hath  humility.' 

I  esteemed  many  other  things  in  him.  Specially  was  his  Biblical 
knowledge  such  that  I  always  felt  that  the"  proper  place  for  me 
was  to  sit  at  his  feet  and  learn  of  him.  But  my  most  vivid  im- 
pression was  derived  from  his  spirit  of  single-hearted  consecration 
to  Christ.  This  was  the  key-note  of  his  life,  to  which  his  business 
affairs,  hi?  social  intercourse,  his  church  labors,  his  daily  walk 
were  attuned. 

"  Few  ministers  of  the  gospel  ever  came  within  the  circle  of  his 
influence  who  will  not  heartily  respond  to  this  acknowledgment 
of  his  uniformly  kind  treatment.  In  receiving  them  he  received 
their  Master,  and  his  attentions  to  them  were  acts  of  personal 
devotion  to  Christ.  His  house  was  always  open  to  entertain 
them,  his  hand  was  always  outstretched  to  help  them,  his  heart 
was  always  in  sympathy  with  them.  In  the  first  few  weeks  of  my 
settlement  over  the  Boonville  church,  he  frequently  expressed 
concern  lest  the  deacons  might  not  be  sufficiently  thoughtful  in 
paying  the  salary,  and  so,  as  strangers,  the  pastor's  family  would 
suffer  embarrassment.  No  one  ever  took  a  greater  delight  in 
doing  for  others.  He  was  jealous  for  the  honor  of  Christ,  as 
intrusted  to  the  ministry,  and  was  grieved  to  discover  any  imper- 
fection of  character  in  those  appointed  to  minister  in  holy  things, 
like  the  dead  fly  in  the  apothecary's  ointment.  He  coveted  for 
them  the  utmost  attainable  perfection,  putting  the  essential  first, 
but  desiring  that  they  might  have  every  other  possible  excellence. 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  431- 

It  was  in  this  spirit  that  he  would  sometimes  criticise  the  preacher's 
pronunciation,  enunciation,  grammar,  and  whole  style.  In  one 
of  my  first  interviews  with  him  he  said  to  me,  *  I  want  to  be  proud 
of  my  pastor.'  His  language  impressed  me  as  the  counterpart  of 
Paul's  language  to  the  Corinthian  church,  '  I  have  espoused  you 
to  one  husband,  that  I  may  present  you  as  a  chaste  virgin  to 
Christ. '  As  the  pastor's  most  fervent  desire  is  to  see  Christians  liv- 
ing near  their  Lord,  so  the  heart  of  this  good  elder  was  filled  with 
such  zeal  for  his  Redeemer  that  he  wanted  the  man  who  stood 
forth  as  His  ambassador  to  give  him  honor  in  all  things. 

"  He  always  came  to  the  house  of  God  hungry  for  the  bread  of 
life.  Keenly  alive  to  the  powers  of  learning,  eloquence,  and  rheto- 
ric in  the  pulpit,  himself  possessing  these  gifts  to  a  remarkable  de- 
gree, he  was  yet  always  an  appreciative  hearer  of  the  simple  truth 
as  preached  by  men  destitute  of  them.  I  have  often  felt,  in  the 
years  of  my  pastorate,  that  the  man  who  was  the  best  teacher  was 
the  most  teachable.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  he  loved  the 
house  of  God,  and  found  a  delight  in  the  simple  ordinance  of  Di- 
vine worship,  which  was  far  more  to  him  than  anything  the  world 
could  afford.  The  language  of  David  was  his  own  :  '  How  ami- 
able are  Thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  hosts.  A  day  in  Thy  courts 
is  better  than  a  thousand.  I  would  rather  be  a  doorkeeper  in 
the  house  of  my  God  than  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness.' 

"  He  gave  to  the  prayer-meeting  a  special  charm,  and  its  in- 
formal exercises  were  very  dear  to  him.  As  the  labors  of  his  school 
were  lightened  upon  him  in  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  he  made 
one  of  a  little  company  of  six  or  eight  to  study  the  Sunday-school 
lesson  weekly.  He  took  evident  delight  in  this  little  meeting, 
and  never  failed  to  give  delight  by  the  directness  with  which  he 
would  seize  upon  the    central  truth  of  the  passage  under  study. 

"  He  had  no  set  phrases  in  prayer,  but  with  the  simplicity  of  a 
child  poured  out  his  soul  before  God  in  language  that  all  could 
understand,  and  with  an  unction  that  all  could  feel.  A  very  com- 
mon expression  with  him  when  he  arose  to  pray  was,  'O  Thou 
that  hearest  prayer,'  as  though  his  faith  went  forward  to  encour- 
age his  soul  to  press  boldly  into  the  Divine  presence,  and  tell  all 
its  needs.  Another  expression  that  was  very  common  with  him 
was,  '  Thou  that  receivest  sinners,'  and  I  can  recall,  as  he  uttered 
these  words,  how  his  voice  would  become   choked  with  tears. 


432  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER, 

Whenever  he  spoke,  and  he  often  did,  it  was  from  the  heart  and 
to  the  heart.  In  the  week  of  prayer  preceding  his  death,  at  a  un- 
ion meeting,  after  different  persons  had  enumerated  the  things 
for  which  they  were  thankful,  just  as  the  meeting  was  about  to 
close,  he  arose  and  said  ;  *  I  would  like  to  say  a  few  words.  I 
want  to  say  that  I  am  thankful  for  affliction.  It  is  good  for  me 
that  I  have  been  afflicted.'  I  do  not  remember  much  else  that 
was  said  or  done  there  that  night.  But  his  own  deep  emotion  and 
earnestness,  and  the  profound  feehng  of  sympathy  awakened  by 
his  tender  words,  are  as  fresh  to  me  as  though  I  had  heard  them 
but  yesterday.  This  is  only  a  sample  of  what  his  fellow-worship- 
ers so  often  heard  from  his  lips.  A  most  instructive  and  pleas- 
ing book  could  have  been  compiled  out  of  his  impromptu  prayer- 
meeting  talks. 

"  But  the  occasions  which  more  than  any  others  discovered  the 
depths  of  his  religious  experience  were  the  quarterly  communion 
seasons.  At  these  times  his  whole,  soul  seemed  stirred.  During 
the  preparatory  services  his  voice  was  so  choked  with  emotion 
that  his  utterance,'  when  praying  to  God  or  speaking  to  us,  was 
often  impeded.  It  was  a  touching  sight  to  behold  the  strong 
man,  with  overflowing  eyes,  passing  around  and  partaking  of  the 
sacred  emblems.  That  which  moved  him  at  these  times  was  the 
sense  of  his  own  sin  and  of  his  Saviour's  grace.  The  love  of  the 
cross  overcame  him.  He  has  told  me  that  his  father's  emotion 
at  the  communion-table  was  painful,  but  that  this  was  not  the 
case  with  him.  His  feeling  was  only  an  intense  realization  of 
the  kindness  and  love  of  God  to  him  a  sinner.  He  was  accus- 
tomed to  speak  of  these  communion  seasons  as  the  milestones  of 
the  Christian's  course,  marking  off  our  growth  in  grace  and  our 
progress  to  our  journey's  end.  He  always  mentioned  with 
trembling  accents  the  thought  that  at  each  season  he  was  possi- 
bly passing  the  last  stone. 

"  Without  any  of  that  irrt  verent  familiarity  which  often  pains 
the  ear  in  the  language  of  some  zealous  Christians,  he  had  all 
that  confidence  in  Christ  which  one  cherishes  in  a  friend  who  has 
been' tried  and  found  true.  Speaking  one  day  of  the  story  of 
Jonah,  as  one  of  the  hard  things  in  the  Bible  for  some  people  to 
believe,  he  said  :  *  I  never  had  any  trouble  to  believe  this  narra- 
tive.    Christ  by  recognizing  it  has  set  upon  it  the  seal  of  triith. 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  433 

and  I  know  Christ  would  not  deceive  me.'  What  a  beautiful 
illustration  of  childlike  faith  !  In  him  was  blended  in  sweet  har- 
mony the  moral  and  intellectual  strength  of  Christian  manhood, 
with  the  trustfulness  of  a  little  child.  It  has  been  said  that,  as  the 
perfect  boy  must  have  something  of  the  man  about  him,  so  the 
perfect  man  must  have  something  of  the  boy  in  him.  In  the 
common  acceptation  of  the  word  there  was  nothing  of  the  '  boy' 
about  Prof.  Kemper  ;  but  he  did  possess  those  childlike  disposi- 
tions which  our  Saviour  commended,  and  like  his  Master,  who 
said,  '  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,'  he  too  ever  had 
open  arms  for  the  little  ones.  He  has  often  told,  with  a  peculiar 
satisfaction  and  pride,  how  he  could  win  little  children  to  leave 
their  mothers'  arms  and  come  to  his  own.  It  was  this  childlike 
spirit  that  won  to  him  the  stranger  and  the  poor,  for  whom  he  was 
always  doing.  I  have  been  interested  to  see  that,  while  in  the 
house  of  God  he  was  courteous  to  all,  he  paid  special  attention  to 
plain  people.  Often,  immediately  upon  the  pronouncing  of  the 
benediction,  he  was  seen  hastening  back  through  the  aisle  to 
greet  some  stranger  on  whom  his  eye  had  rested  in  the  congre- 
gation, ere  he  should  leave  the  house. 

"  He  would  expect  to  find  such  a  man  always  abounding  in  the 
work  of  the  Lord.  Besides  attending  with  conscientious  faithful- 
ness to  the  duties  that  devolved  on  him  as  an  elder,  he  failed  not 
to  use  every  opportunity  to  do  good.  His  heart  was  always  on 
the  alert  to  win  souls  to  Christ.  I  was  in  his  carriage  with  him 
once  in  company  with  two  young  men,  one  of  whom  was  weigh- 
ing the  question  of  his  call  to  preach  the  gospel.  .  When  in  the 
course  of  conversation  the  topic  came  up,  he  not  only  expressed 
his  conception  of  the  work  of  the  ministry,  but  his  estimate  of 
that  work,  by  saying,  '  There  is  no  work  on  earth  like  that  of  turn- 
ing men  to  righteousness.'  It  was  from  the  tone  of  his  voice,  in 
giving  emphasis  to  the  passage,  that  I  first  caught  the  climax  in 
the  promise,  '  They  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of 
the  Jirmamettt ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness 
as  the  STARS  forever  and  ever.' 

"  He  founded  a  little  Sunday-school  in  the  neighborhood  of  his 
farm,  which  for  more  than  twenty  years  lived  under  his  fostering 
care,  and  was  the  means  of  great  good  in  the  community.  Dur- 
ing a  large  part  of  the  time  he  personally  superintended  iU  and 


434  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

the  rides  back  and  forth  in  the  severe  winter  weather  may  have 
laid  the  foundation  of  his  fatal  sickness.  As  he  had  more  leisure 
from  his  school  duties,  he  gave  his  encouragement  to  general 
Christian  work  ;  by  his  presence  and  instruction  imparting  the 
main  interest  and  profit  to  more  than  one  Sunday-school  conven- 
tion which  I  attended  with  him. 

"  The  system  upon  which  his  school  was  managed  often  gave 
him  the  appearance  of  extreme  rigor."  But  as  a  matter  of  fact  his 
heart  was  burdened  with  desire  for  the  salvation  of  the  youth 
gathered  under  his  roof,  and  he  lost  no  opportunity  to  urge  upon 
them  the  importance  of  a  personal  surrender  to  Christ.  There 
was  no  sight  so  beautiful  to  him  as  the  young  turning  their  feet 
into  the  way  of  righteousness.  When  it  was  the  privilege  of  the 
session  to  receive  such,  tears  of  gladness  have  rained  down  his 
cheeks,  and  words  of  tender  counsel  and  sympathy  have  issued 
from  his  heart  as  he  took  them  by  the  hand  to  welcome  them  to 
the  Church  of  the  living  God. 

"  His  piety  reached  down  into  his  pocket.  He  stood  at  the 
door  of  the  Lord'.s  vineyard,  waiting  for  the  command,  *  Go 
work,'  with  his  open  purse  in  his  hand,  as  it  were.  No  call  for 
money  to  carry  on  the  Lord's  work  ever  failed  to  get  from  him  a 
cheerful  and  liberal  response.  He  had  proved  and  found  true  the 
words  of  the  Saviour,  *  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,' 
and  he  gave  out  his  own  experience  for  the  benefit  of  others  in 
the  unction  with  which  he  so  often  said,  '  The  liberal  soul  shall 
be  made  fat  ;  and  he  that  watereth  shall  himself  also  be  watered.* 

"When  the  apprehension  in  regard  to  his  recovery,  which  I 
had  felt  for  several  days,  was  aroused  to  the  keenest  alarm  by  the 
message  of  the  servant,  '  Mr.  Kemper  is  dying,'  I  hastened  to  his 
bedside  to  see  that  the  angel  of  death  had  indeed  come,  and  that 
the  light  of  the  just  man  was  about  to  be  removed  from  earth  to 
shine  in  the  Father's  kingdom  above.  For  three  hours  we 
watched  the  Christian  in  the  dfeath  struggle,  until  we  beheld  him 
plant  his  foot  upon  the  vanquished  foe,  and  ascend  to  God  on  the 
wings  of  his  triumphant  faith,  shouting  back  to  the  weepers 
around  his  couch,  '  All  is  well.' 

'  Jesus  paid  it  all,  all  the  debt  I  owe.' 

In  describing  the  dying  of  his'last  boy,  he'described  his  own  :   *  It 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED. 


435 


was  a  grand   pageant  of   the  soul  '  ;   so  painless,  peaceful,  and 
hopeful  was  his  translation  from  earth  to  heaven. 

"  I  am  thankful  that  I  was  permitted  to  witness  that  scene,  but 
more  thankful  that  I  was  permitted  to  know  the  man  in  his  life. 
By  his  faith  he  being  dead  yet  speakelh  of  a  true  Christian  man- 
hood. Behold  in  him  what  God  hath  wrought,  a  beautiful  piece 
of  the  workmanship  of  Divine  grace.  He  has  gone  from  earth 
to  be  with  Christ,  where  he  has  eternally  renewed  his  youth, 
and  already  received  the  palm  of  victory  and  the  crown  of  life, 
of  which  he  loved  to  sing  on  earth  in  the  words  of  his  favorite 
hymn  : — 

*'  Palms  of  glory,  raiment  bright, 
Crowns  that  never  fade  away, 

Gird  and  deck  the  saints  in  light. 

Priests,  and  kings,  and  conquerors  they. 

"Yet  the  conquerors  bring  their  palms 

To  the  Lamb  amidst  the  throne  ; 
And  proclaim  in  joyful  psalms, 

Victory  through  His  cross  alone. 

"  Kings  their  crowns  for  harps  resign, 

Crying,  as  they  strike  the  chords, 
'Take  the  kingdom,  it  is  Thine, 
King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords.' 

"  Round  the  altar  priests  confess, 
'  If  these  robes  are  white  as  snow, 

'Twas  the  Saviour's  righteousness. 
And  His  blood  that  made  them  so.' 

"  Who  were  these?     On  earth  they  dwelt, 

Sinners  once  of  Adam's  race  ; 
Guilt,  and  fear,  and  suffering  felt, 

But  were  saved  from  all  by  grace. 


'•  They  were  mortal  too  like  us  ; 

Ah  I  when  we  like  them  shall  die, 
May  our  souls,  translated  thus. 

Triumph,'  reign,  and  shine  on  high. 


436  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

We  have  reserved  to  the  last  the  tributes  of  his 
pupils.  As  theirs  is  the  greatest  debt,  so  theirs  should 
be  the  highest  appreciation. 

Resolutions  passed  by  the  Kemper  Family  School 
March  9,  1881  : — 

"  Whereas,  The  hand  of  Divine  Providence  has  removed  our 
beloved  teacher,  F.  T.  Kemper,  from  the  scene  of  his  temporal 
labors,  and  from  the  students  who  profited  by  his  ministry  and 
example  ;  and 

"  Wheieas,  We  are  desirous  of  testifying  our  respect  for  his 
memory  and  of  expressing  our  earnest  and  affectionate  sympathy 
with  the  household  deprived  by  this  dispensation  of  its  earthly 
head  ;  therefore,  be  it 

^^  Resolved,  That,  in  our  natural  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  the 
faithful  and  tender  shepherd,  we  find  consolation  in  the  belief 
that  it  is  well  with  him  for  whom  we  mourn  ;  and 

"  Resolved,  That  while  we  deeply  sympathize  with  those  who 
were  bound  to  our  departed  preceptor  by  the  nearest  and  dearest 
ties,  we  share  with  them  the  hope  of  a  reunion  in  that  better 
world,  where  there  are  no  partings,  and  bliss  ineffable  forbids  a 
tear  ;  and 

'^Resolved,  That  we  tenderly  condole  with  the  family  of  our 
deceased  guardian  in  their  hour  of  trial  and  affliction,  and  de- 
voutly commend  them  to  the  keeping  of  Him  who  looks  with 
pitying  eye  upon  the  widow  and  fatherless  ;  and 

"  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  transmitted  to 
the  family  of  the  deceased,  as  a  token  of  our  respect  .and  vener- 
ation for  the  Christian  character  of  a  good  man  gone  to  his  rest, 
and  the  interest  felt  by  his  late  students  in  those  he  loved  and 
cherished." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  former  students  of  the 
Kemper  Family  School,  who  are  now  residents  of 
Kansas  City,  Mo.,  held  March  16,  1881,  the  follow- 
ing resolutions  upon  the  death  of  Professor  F.  T. 
Kemper  were  unanimously  adopted  : — 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  437 

"  Whereas,  God  hath  removed  our  friend  and  former  beloved 
teacher  from  all  earthly  labor  and  care  ;  and 

••  Whereas,  We,  his  former  students,  are  desirous  of  testify- 
ing to  our  sincere  respect  for  his  memory,  and  of  giving  expres- 
sion of  sympathy  to  the  family  bereaved  by  this  visitation  of 
God  ;  therefore.  tJfc-4i 

"  Resolved,  That,  in  our  grief  for  and  remembrance  of  the  loss 
of  one  who  was  a  scholar,  friend,  and  Christian,  we  are  consoled 
with  the  belief  that  it  is  well  with  him  for  whom  we  mourn  ;  and 

"  Resolved,  That  we  tender  our  condolence  to  the  family  of  the 
deceased  in  this  their  time  of  trial  and  affliction,  and  commend 
them  to  the  blessing  and  mercy  of  God. 

"  Wash.  Adams,  .  Wyan  Nelson, 

"  Andrew  R.  French,  T.  W.  Russell, 

"  James  Gibson,  George  W.  Ferrel, 

•' W.  L.  Campbell." 

Frank  Baird,  Kirksville,  Mo.,  a  recent  pupil : — 

"  He  treated  me  just  as  a  father  would.  Well  do  I  remember 
one  day  when  he  called  me  to  his  room  and  advised  me." 

Frank  L.  Webster,  Topeka,  Kansas,  a  pupil  of 
1874-76:— 

"He  was  a  power  for  good  in  the  world,  and  hundreds  of 
young  men — even  men  who  are  no  longer  young — can  testify  to 
his  efforts  in  the  advancement  of  truth  and  knowledge  ;  can  tes- 
tify that  they  are  better  because  such  a  man  lived." 

Ralph  Talbot,  Esq.,  of  Holmes  &  Talbot,  lawyers, 
St.  Louis,  a  recent  pupil : — 

**  I  feel  a  strong  personal  grief  in  the  death  of  one  of  the  best 
and  noblest  of  all  men  whom  I  have  ever  known." 


Edwin  M.  Price,  Columbia,  Mo.,  a  recent  pupil : — 

"There  are  not  many  days  that  I  am  not  called  upon  to  put  in 
aclice  something  I  learned  while  at  Kemper's  Family  School." 

Adrian  Dozier,  St.  Louis,  a  recent  pupil:— 


43^  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

"  Mr.  Kemper  was  undoubtedly  the  best  teacher  that  I  ever 
saw.  I  think  that  I  learned  more  in  the  two  years  I  attended  his 
school  than  I  ever  learned  in  any  five  years  of  my  schooling 
elsewhere." 

Mrs.  Maggie  Miller  Haddox,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  a 
pupil : —  • 

"  I  owe  all  that  is  good  in  me  to  my  dear,  good  friend.  My 
ideas  of  what  constitutes  a  good  and  honest  man  are  formed  fi-om 
what  I  know  Mr.  Kemper  was." 

The  Rev.  Uncas  McCluer,  Chatham  Hill,  Va.,  a 
pupil  :— 

"  It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  say  how  much  I  owe  him  for  his 
example  and  service." 

A.  R.  Bradley,  St,  Labory,  Neb.,  a  pupil : — 

*'  The  death  of  none  of  my  relatives  would  make  me  more  un- 
happy, as  Mr.  Kemper  was  a  man  whom  I  really  loved." 

L.  C.  Nelson,  of  Nelson  &  Noel,  bankers,  St.  Louis, 
a  pupil  : — 

"  There  might  have  been  as  good  men  in  ihe  world,  but  none 
in  my  estimation  were  truer,  greater,  or  better.  His  place  will, 
I  believe,  never  be  filled.  I  shall  talk  to  my  two  little  boys,  as 
they  grow  up,  of  his  beautiful  character  and  sterling  worth  and 
integrity,  and  try  to  inspire  them  with  a  desire  to  emulate  his  life 
.and  virtues." 

William  H.  Goebel,  U.  S.  S.  Yantic,  Navy  Depart- 
ment, Washington,  D.  C,  a  recent  pupil : — 

"  One  of  Mr.  Kemper's  proverbs  was  that  sin  never  pays.  He 
used  to  tell  us  that  he  did  not  want  to  be  called  Professor,  be- 
cause too  many  professions  were  going  under  that  name." 

T.  C.  Davis,  Leavenworth,  a  pupil  of  1848-50: — 

"  I  often  explain  to  my  children  the  system,  as  taught  by  Mr. 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED. 


439 


Kemper,  and  tell  them  it  was  a  better  system  than  is  taught  at 
their  school  ;  and  our  schools  are  supposed  to  be  of  the  best." 

Joseph  C.  Terrell,  Esq.,  a  prominent  lawyer  of 
Fort  Worth,  Texas,  one  of  the  oldest  pupils  : — 

"Of  all  the  men  whom  I  have  known  through  life's  journey, 
none  have  done  so  mucVi  good  to  the  human  race  as  our  loved 
schoolmaster,  F.  T.  Kemper.  Not  one  man  in  a  million  lived  so 
little  for  self.  He  has  indeed  left  indelible  footprints  on  the 
sands  of  time." 

Frederick  K.  Freeman,  Florida,  a  nephew  of  Mr. 
Kemper,  an  old  pupil,  and  a  member  of  the  Stone- 
wall brigade  : — 

"  !  have  often  thought  that  my  uncle  possessed  very  many  of 
the  sterling  trails  and  noble,  unswerving  qualities  which  went  to 
make  up  the  character  of  Gen.  Stonewall  Jackson.  It  has  often 
occurr*ed  to  my  mind  that  had  uncle  thrown  his  talents  in  a  mili- 
tary direction  during  the  late  war,  he  would  have  developed  into 
another  Stonewall  Jackson." 

Elisha  Stanley  Rector,  New  Home,  Bates  County, 
Mo.,  a  pupil  of  1846  : — 

"  Mr.  Kemper  called  us  four  little  boys,  Reuben  Garnett,  Boyle 
Hay  den,  Samuel  Massey,  and  myself,  his  '  ponies.'  He  was  a 
good  teacher,  a  good  man,  and  the  world  is  better  off  for  his 
having  lived  in  it." 

Lambert  Ott,  M.D.,  a  successful  physician  of  Phil- 
adelphia, Pa. : — 

"  He  was  the  first  to  point  out  to  me  a  common  error,  so  preva- 
lent in  our  schools  of  learning— a  lack  of  thoroughness  in  the  ele- 
ments— thus  giving  a  vague  and  dim  insight  to  the  future  acqui- 
sitions, supported  by  a  mass  of  imperfections.  To  my  mind,  the 
secret  of  his  success  was  in  his  earnestness,  his  acting  with 
thoroughness  and  deliberation  in  every  thing  undertaken.  His 
ideas,  when  firmly   ground    into   the    young   mind,  always   gave 


•440  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER, 

promise  of  a  useful  man.  I  find  his  instructions  of  incalculable 
benefit  to  me  in  my  daily  work,  and  I  feel  very  grateful  to  him  for 
the  sound  principles  inculcated.  He  was  the  first  who  taught 
me  how  to  study,  how  to  control  my  powers,  and  the  worth  of 
that  prime  factor  of  intelligence, attenticm." 

C.  T.  Holland,  M.D.,  Keytesville,  Mo.,  a  pupil  of 
1867:— 

"  I  always  will  think  that  Mr.  Kemper  was  one  of  the  best 
men  that  lived." 

S.  S.  Simpson,  principal  of  the  public  schools  of 
Nevada,  Mo.,  an  old  pupil : — 

"  I  shall  ever  hold  his  name  in  grateful  remembrance,  and 
point  to  him  with  pride,  as  my  teacher  and  benefactor." 

Miss  Maria  McCutchen,  principal  of  the  Higgins- 
ville  Seminary : — 

"  He  taught  me  how  to  teach,  and  as  an  educator  is  my  stand- 
ard." 

Andrew  R.  French,  grain  merchant,  of  Kansas 
City ;  telegram  on  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Kemper's 
death  :— 

"  Would  I  could  be  with  you  to-day  !  The  dead  was  one  of  the 
noblest  of  men.  I  loved  him  like  a  father.  Green  will  ever  be 
his  memory  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  knew  him  well." 

Major  Robert  Ruxton,  Miami,  Mo.*,  an  old  pupil : — 

"His  reputation  was  more  than  national.  He  was  peerless  in 
his  profession.  In  all  the  relations  of  life  he  was  nearer  perfec- 
tion than  any  man  we  ever  knew — the  best  balanced.  He  was  the 
only  man  in  whom  we  could  never  find  a  weak  place.  He  never 
allowed  any  time  to  go  to  waste.  The  daily  walks  for  exercise 
were  improved  ;  the  table-talks  at  meals  were  always  pleasant 
and  profitable.  His  prayers  evinced  the  deepest  interest  in  his 
school.     His  powers  of  imparting  information  were  almost  super- 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  441 

atural.  His  facility  of  illustration  was  most  wonderful.  In 
everything  he  did  and  said,  he  kept  steadily  in  view  the  prepara- 
tion for  a  higher  and  better  life,  both  in  himself  and  pupils." 

The  Hon.  D.  H.  Mclntyre,  Attorney-General  of 
Missouri,  a  pupil  at  Westminster  College:— 

•'  An  erudite  gentleman,  a  consistent  Christian,  and  a  most 
useful  public  servant,  he  was  an  ornament  to  society  and  one  of 
its  most  useful  members.  He  seemed  to  think  it  his  mission  to 
teach,  and  he  discharged  that  mission  with  great  zeal  and  patience. 
Hundreds  attest  how  successfully  he  followed  his  chosen  calling. 
In  him  the  State  has  lost  one  of  its  most  valued  citizens.' 

Elder  Joseph  K.  Rogers,  LL.D.,the  distinguished 
president  of  Christian  College,  Columbia,  Mo.,  who 
has  since  also  entered  upon  his  reward  : — 

"Such  was  my  admiration  of  your  husband's  many  splendid 
qualities,  and  my  appreciation  of  the  noble  life  he  led,  that  I  feel 
constrained  to  send  tl]is  word  of  sympathy  and  condolence,  and  to 
express  thus  briefly  my  great  sense  of  the  loss  sustained  by  the 
whole  country  in  his  death." 

Hon.  William  Brown,  Jacksonville,  111.,  Assistant 
Solicitor-General  of  the  Wabash  System,  with  juris- 
diction of  all  the  roads  lying  east  of  the  Mississippi, 
an  old  pupil : — 

"  Mr.  Kemper  was  the  best  instructor  of  youth  I  ever  knew. 
His  methods  were  the  result  of  a  deep  and  careful  study.  His 
rules,  many  of  which  I  yet  remember,  were  calculated  to  impress 
themselves  upon  the  minds  of  boys,  and  to  control  their  action  at 
the  time  and  for  the  future.  His  great  good  sense,  I  can  now  see, 
was  an  all-pervading  presence  in  every  detail  of  his  school  govern- 
ment. I  can  more  fully  appreciate  now,  than  I  once  could,  the 
wisdom  of  his  requirements  as  to  'little  things,'  as  they  seemed. 
He  demanded  that  all  things  should  be  put  to  their  legitimate  use, 
and  should  not  be  misused.  I  recall  his  little  rule  '  In  opening 
and  closing  a  door,  take  hold  of  the  knob.'     That  was  the  use  for 

20 

« 


442  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

which  the  knob  was  placed  there  ;  it  was  the  best  thing  for  such 
a  purpose  ;  and,  when  so  placed,  he  could  see  neither  sense  nor 
decency  in  seizing  the  door  instead  of  the  knob.  So  in  the  essen- 
tials, he  was  painstaking,  patient,  and  comprehensive." 

Hon.  L.  M.  Lawson,  of  Donnell,  Lawson  &  Simp- 
son, bankers,  New  York,  an  old  pupil.  From  this 
gentleman  we  shall  present,  first,  the  following  beauti- 
fully-worded telegram,  to  which  allusion  has  already 
been  made : — 

"  The  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Professor  Kemper  has  over- 
whelmed me  with  grief.  Words  cannot  express  my  deep  and 
loving  loyalty  to  the  memory  of  my  old  teacher.  The  State  of 
Missouri  has  lost  one  of  its  most  useful  citizens,  the  cause  of 
education  its  noblest  advocate,  polite  learning  its  brightest  or- 
nament, religion  its  purest  example,  and  1  my  best  friend." 

We  shall  give  also  an  extract  from  a  letter  written 
to  Mrs.  Kemper  : — 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  grateful  I  am  for  the  memory  that 
remains  to  me  of  his  lovely  life  and  noble  character  ;  how 
thankful  I  am  for  the  light  and  joy  he  diffused,  and  his  high  ex- 
ample of  all  that  is  true,  and  gentle,  and  brave,  and  good.  In  the 
long  years  that  have  passed  since  I  was  his  pupil,  no  day  has  ever 
come  that  was  not  cheered  and  brightened  with  some  memory  of 
his  devotion  and  power  ;  and  I  could  count  the  times  by  myriads 
when  I  have  turned  from  the  arid  wastes  of  life  to  the  contempla- 
tion of  his  character,  rich  and  fertile  as  I  knew  it  to  be  in  every 
great  and  good  qualification.  .  .  ,  We  do  know  that  his  death 
makes  a  large  diminution  to  the  earthly  happiness  of  us  all, 
and  we  cannot  but  mourn  for  the  loss  of  one  whom  we  loved  so 
dearly  and  who  so  well  deserved  cur  love.  Yet  nhcre  is  pleasure 
in  the  recollection  of  the  extent,  the  variety,  and  depth  of  his 
learning,  the  majesty  of  his  simplicity,-  the  fascination  of  his  meek- 
ness, and  the  power  of  his  godliness,  which  entitle  him  to  be  held 
in  enduring  remembrance  ;  and  there  is  consolation  too  in  the 
fact  that  we  behold  beside  his  tomb  the  risen  and  sanctified  spirit, 
and  we  rejoice  in  the  beauty  and  the  bloom  of  his  immortal  life." 


THE    VICTOR    CRO  WNED.  443 

Hon.  Phil.  E.  Chappell,  Treasurer  of  the  State  of 
Missouri,  an    old  pupil  : — 

"  For  many  years  I  have  been  so  accustomed  to  study  the  char- 
acter of  Prof.  Kemper  in  the  great  depth  and  breadth  and  height 
of  its  development,  that  single  incidents,  however  striking,  have 
been  lost  in  the  most  profound  admiration  for  the  finished  struct- 
ure, as  it  looms  up  to  the  view,  like  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and 
of  fire  by  night,  leading  the  old  and  the  young  to  the  higher  and 
better  life.  In  all  m.y  life,  I  am  sure  I  have  never  met  his  coun- 
terpart, whether  viewed  as  a  successful  educator,  or  as  a  citizen, 
who  in  all  the  relations  of  life  came  so  fully  up  to  the  most  ex- 
acting requirements  of  a  robust.  Christian  manhood. 

"  Regarding  his  life  as  a  trust  too  sacred  to  be  trifled  with,  its 
hours  too  precious  to  be  wasted  in  frivolous,  unprofitable  pleas- 
ures, or  squandered  in  the  indulgenceof  unhallowed  appetites  and 
passions,  he  dedicated  it  wholly  to  the  pursuit  of  a  calling  in 
which  he  could  honor  his  God  while  serving  his  fellow-men  ;  by 
training  at  the  same  time  the  head  for  the  active  duties  of  life, 
and  the  heart  for  the  joys  and  peaceful  rest  of  the  life  to  come,  so 
that  when  young  men  left  his  school  to  take  part  in  the  great 
drama  of  life,  they  carried  with  them  knowledge  sanctified  by  his 
teachings,  and  a  sense  of  moral  responsibility  impressed  upon 
them  by  every  precept  and  example  of  their  faithful  teacher. 

•'I  have  often,  in  reverting  to  the  wonderful  success  of  this 
great  and  good  man,  in  a  field  of  labor  where  so  many  have  met 
the  sorest  disappointments  and  made  the  saddest  failures,  asked 
myself,  What  was  the  secret  of  his  success  ?  and  as  often  have  an- 
swered, He  started  in  life  with  a  definite  object  in  view  ;  he  com- 
prehended fully  the  duties  and  grave  responsibilities  of  the  pro- 
fession he  had  chosen  ;  to  the  conscientious  discharge  of  those 
duties  and  obligations  he  brought  a  well  balanced  mind,  patient 
industry,  indomitable  will  and  courage,  tempered  with  the  stern- 
est sense  of  religious  conviction,  and  executive  ability  which 
grasped  the  purpose  and  details  of  all  he  proposed  to  do  :  and  he 
enforced  method,  system,  and  discipline  at  all  tirhes  and  under 
all  circumstances,. as  the  means  by  and  through  which  all  his  ends 
were  to  be  accomplished.  I  am  free  to  confess  that  for  my  busi- 
ness success  in  life,  such  as  it  has  been,  I  am  indebted  greatly  for 


444  THE  LIFE    OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

the  lessons  of  order,  system,  and  promptness  which  I  received  from 
him. 

"  If  success  in  any  calling  is  the  test  and  measure  of  ability,  then 
Professor  Kemper  was  ^r^a/ in  his  profession.  His  life-work  was 
grand  in  its  results,  as  it  was  noble  in  its  aims.  Look  over  the 
State,  and  you  will  find  hundreds  of  his  pupils  to-day  ranking 
among  the  most  useful,  deserving,  and  honored  of  her  citizens, 
who  mourn  the  loss  of  him  who,  in  his  day  and  generation,  was 
useful  to  his  kind,  far  above  the  average  even  of  men  to  whom 
the  world  has  accorded  great  usefulness." 

Rev.  Charles  C.  Hersman,  I^.D.,  president  of  West- 
minster College,  and  one  of  his  pupils  there  : — 

"  In  regard  to  our  beloved  teacher,  I  have  not  words  to  express 
to  you  the  sense  of  personal  loss  which  I  felt  when  the  sad  news 
of  his  death  reached  me.  I.  who  had  been  instructed  so  faith- 
fully, carefully,  and  thoroughly  by  him,  who  had  known  him  as 
friend,  instructor,  guide — a  professor  of  Christ  in  public  life,  an 
exemplar  of  all  Christian  virtues  in  private — I  loved  him  while 
among  the  living  on  earth,  and  cherish  his  memory  now  that  he 
is  among  the  living  in  heaven. 

"  I  always  regarded  him  as  a  man  of  one  aim,  and  that  aim  to 
educate  the  young  in  the  principles  of  Christianity  for  the  battle  of 
life  here,  and  for  the  triumph  of  life  hereafter.  He  impressed  me 
as  a  man  who  cared  nothing  for  money,  and  nothing  for  fame, 
only  as  a  firm  adherence  to  truth  and  right  would  secure  it. 

"While  at  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  a  few  of  the  stu- 
dents formed  a  private  class  and  recited  Greek  to  one  of  the  pro- 
fessors who  had  visited  Germany  and  had  been  largely  trained  in 
one  of  her  universities.  He  asked  me  in  what  college  and  from 
whom  I  had  received  instruction  in  Greek.  I  replied,  '  From 
Prof.  F.  T.  Kemper.'  He  said  that  he  was  not  aware  that  there 
was  a  school  in  the  West  where  the  instruction  was  so  thorough, 
even  in  the  minutiae  of  the  language. 

"  He  stood  in  the  front  rank  of  educators,  accomplished  a 
noble  work  in  his  generation,  and,  departed,  has  left  a  record  of 
which  we,  his  pupils,  may  be  proud,  and  which  we,  his  colaborers, 
may  well  strive  to  emulate." 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  445 

This  poem  is  from  the  pen  and  brain  and  heart  of 
Edward  R.  Taylor,  M.D.,  of  Taylor  &  Haight, 
attorneys-at-lavv,  San  Francisco,  an  old  pupil: — 


•*  STANZAS    ON   THE    DEATH    OF    PROFESSOR 
F.  T.   KEMPER. 

"  This  was  the  noblest  Roman  of  them  all. 
.     .     .     the  elements 
So  mixed  in  him,  that  Nature  might  stand  up, 
And  say  to  all  the  world,  This  was  a  man.  " 

Julius  CcEsar^  Act  v.,  Scene  5. 
I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith. 
2  Timothy H  :  7. 

I. 
"  All's  over  now  ;  that  great  heart  beats  no  more  ; 

That  nimble  intellect  has  heavenward  fled  ; 
Yet  we,  lamenting,  question  o'er  and  o'er, 

Can  it,  indeed,  be  true  that  Kemper's  dead  ? 

"  He  who  but  yesterday  with  vigorous  tread 
Strode  through  our  midst  the  Titan  that  he  was, 

Whose  energies  in  richest  affluence  spread, 
Yet  never  known  to  halt  or  suffer  pause  ? 

"  "When  Death  strikes  sudden  down  some  puny  thing, 
We  marvel  not,  though  sorrow's  tear  be  shed  ; 

But  when  one  falls  like  him  of  whom  I  sing, 
We  wonder  more  than  can  be  writ  or  said, 

"  'Tis  then  there  burst  and  crowd  upon  the  brain 
Thoughts  deep  and  strange  on  what  we  know  as  Life — 

Its  myst'ries,  its  relations,  loss  and  gain, 
And  what  the  meaning  of  its  toil  and  strife. 

"  Thick  grows  the  darkness  'round  us  as  we  seek 
To  solve  the  problem  that  unsolved  remains, 

While  Life  and  Death,  relentless,  ever  wreak 
Their  fury  on  us  as  they  mock  our  pains. 


! 


446  THE  LIF^   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

"  Vain,  vain  all  questioning  ;  he  who  trod 
These  academic  shades  for  twoscore  years, 

Now  lies  all  breathless  here  as  any  clod, 
And  naught  is  left  save  memory  and  tears. 


"  He  was  a  ISIan— ay,  every  inch  a  Man — 

Alert  in  body  and  alert  in  mind  ; 
A  glorious  soul  that  ever  sought  the  van. 

And  died  had  rather  than  to  lag  behind. 

"  He  sprang  from  Old  Virginia's  honored  soil, 
Receiving  heritage  of  blood  and  brain 

That  bore  him  on  th*rough  years  of  ceaseless  toil 
To  ripest  harvests  of  the  richest  grain. 

"  No  energy  was  lost  on  effort  vain, 
In  bungling  that  he  was  not  fit  to  do, 

But  seeing  clearly  what  he  could  attain, 

That  polestar  blazed  fore'er  before  his  view. 

"  To  training  youth  he  every  feeling  turned, 
From  earliest  manhood  to  his  latest  day  ; 

And  at  the  last  the  passion  fiercer  burned 
Than  when  at  first'he  started  on  his  way. 

"  He  never  faltered,  never  changed  his  course  ; 
He  sauntered  in  no  by-ways,  howe'er  sweet  ; 
,  His  one  aim  seized  him  aS  a  mighty  force, 
And  carried  him  to  Triumph's  sunlit  seat. 

'*  Of  hard  antagonisms  there  were  enough 
To  make  the  proudest,  stoutest  nature  quail  , 

But  his  was  that  indomitable  stuff 
Which  could  not,  would  not,  dared  not  fail. 

'•  And  when  he  moved  against  opposing  wills, 
The  right,  at  least  to  him,  was  clear  and  plain, 

And  firmly  rooted  as  the  granite  hills  : 
Conciliation  tried  her  wiles  in  vain. 


I 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  447 

"  He  would  be  master  in  his  own  domain. 

And  King  he  was,  a  veritable  Czar, 
Who  treated  threats  with  haughtiest  disdain. 

Nor  shrank  from  any  consequence  of  war. 

**  Yet  he  was  kind,  and  drew  the  wayward  heart, 
In  love,  respect  and  wonder,  to  his  own, 

And  with  such  skill  instruction  did  impart 
That  none  but  idiots  could  resist  his  tone. 

*'  His  exposition  was  so  clear  and  full, 
And  with  it  blent  such  passion  for  the  theme. 

And  such  forbearance,  that  the  dullest  dull 

Were  borne  along  in  Learning's  limpid  stream. 

'*  The  memorizing  process  he  abhorred  ; 

'Twas  his  to  train  the  faculties  in  thought. 
And  not  in  gathering  up  a  useless  hoard 

Of  useless  facts  with  incoherence  fraught. 

"  He  dug  deep  down  into  the  Classic  mine. 
And  fondled  lovingly  its  treasured  wealth, 

Firm  in  belief  that  by  this  honored  sign 

The  young  would  surely  march  to  mental  health- 

'*  With  this  and  Mathematics  in  their  hand, 

He  led  his  votaries  to  the  shrine  of  Thought, 
And  bade  them  there  that  discipline  command 

Which  he  deemed  could  with  nothing  else  be  bought. 
# 
"  Yet  varied  was  the  diet  which  he  spread. 

Presenting  all  with  most  consummate  art, 
And  ever  striving  intellect  to  wed 

With  pure  ambition  and  a  cleanly  heart. 

"  No  task  was  e'er  imposed  beyond  the  power 

Of  willing  industry  with  ease  to  do  ; 
But  learned  it  had  to  be  within  the  hour, 

Without  excuse  of  any  shade  or  hue. 


44^  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.    KEMPER. 

"  And  study  was  so  intermixed  with  play, 
Which  unconstrainedly  pursued  its  course, 

That  none  could  justly  cry  the  master  nay. 
When  he  demanded  all  the  reason's  force. 

"  He  was  himself  a  lover  of  ihe  sport 

That  sent  the  blood  all  tingling  through  the  veins 

And  often  to  the  campus  would  resort, 
To  feel  its  pulses  and  receive  its  gains. 

"  He  held  his  sway  without  a  break  or  flaw, 
Even  when  drinking  at  that  joyous  fount, 

And  in  disputes  inexorably  saw 

Justice  dealt  out  to  each  with  fairest  count. 

"  In  regulations  sensibly  precise. 

He  parceled  every  moment  to  its  deed. 

And  in  adjustment  was  so  wisely  nice 
That  Labor  spent  itself  on  every  need. 

*'  He  sternly,  rigidly  maintained  the  law, 
With  no  abatement,  and  no  mercy  shown 

To  those  who  pleaded  with  excuse  of  straw. 
Or  those  who  set  their  will  against  his  own. 

"He  owed  no  debt  to  others  for  his  rules  ; 

H  is  methods  and  his  schemes  were  his  alone  ; 
Within  himself  he  fashioned  all  his  tools. 

And  sat  upon  an  unfamiliar  throne. 

"He  never  sought  advice,  nor  could  he  bear 
The  slightest  interference  with  his  plan. 

Nor  change  his  course  so  much  as  by  a  hair, 
For  love,  esteem,  or  fear  of  any  man. 

••  Austere  he  was  not,  and  was  only  stern 
When  dereliction  met  him  face  to  face  ; 

And  though  his  wrath  did  then  relentless  burn. 
It  quickly  passed,  and  left  but  little  trace. 


THE    VICTOR    CROWNED.  449 

*'  Life  meant  to  him  perpetual,  earnest  work — 

Uncompromising  warfare  on  Pretence  ; 
And  woe  to  that  poor  wretch  who  dared  to  shirk, 

Or  slumber  in  the  arms  of  Indolence. 

"His  grasp  was  firm  on  all  he  undertook  ; 

He  saw  his  way  as  clearly  as  the  sun  ; 
Convictions  formed  he  never  once  forsook, 

And  things  to  do  were  things  already  done. 

"  For  slipshod,  scrappy,  half-done  work,  he  had 

Disgust  immeasurable  and  supreme  ; 
He  knew  no  middle  way  'twixt  good  and  bad, 

And  carried  thoroughness  to  an  extreme. 

**  He  had  no  vain  ambition  to  bestride 

The  universal  ;  far  too  well  he  knew 
That  this  has  been,  must  ever  be,  denied, 

Save  only  to  the  world's  colossal  few. 

*'  But  what  he  did  pretend  to  know  or  teach, 

He  fathomed  to  its  very  inmost  core, 
And  ever  deeper  sank  his  mental  reach 

Some  well-worked  mine  still  further  to  explore. 

"  Profound,  acute  in  intellectual  ken, 
He  left  no  problem  to  his  mind  obscure. 

But  wrestled  with  it  o'er  and  o'er  again, 
Till  it  became  his  property  secure. 

"  This  was  the  very  essence  of  his  rule, 
*    The  fundamental  law  which  lifted  high 
His  school  above  the  ordinary  school, 
Where  memorizing  cram  bids  thought  [to]  die. 

'*  But  while  he  delved  with  wonder-working  hand, 

And  gathered  treasure  in  abundant  yield. 
He  may  have  lacked  at  times  the  full  command 

Of  that  nice  tact  which  governs,  all  concealed. 
20* 


45  o  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

"  And  yet  his  government  was  firm  and  sure, 
And  modeled  perfectly  in  all  its  parts  ; 

It  knew  no  variance  for  rich  or  poor, 
And  won  the  homage  of  all  honest  hearts. 

*•  He  was  not  versatile,  nor  could  he  be. 

With  such  devotion  to  a  single  aim  ; 
He  kept  the  narrow  road,  nor  bent  the  knee 

Before  the  shrine  of  either  gain  or  fame. 

"  The  social  walks  of  life  he  little  knew. 
Although  in  any  place  he  was  at  ease  ; 

There  was  so  much  of  pressing  work  to  do. 
He  had  no  time  the  multitude  to  please. 

"  In  truth,  he  lacked  the  inclination  ;  he 
Had  naught  to  ask  of  favor  or  reward. 

Content  to  let  Appreciation  see 

Success  from  which  he  could  not  be  debarred. 

**  He  followed  God  the  Presbyterian  way. 
But  fooled  not  splitting  theologic  hairs  ; 

Loving  to  read  his  Bible,  and  to  pray 
That  Heaven  would  keep  his  feet  from  hidden  snares. 

"  He  made  no  quarrel  with  his  brother's  creed. 
Nor  sought  to  woo  that  brother  to  his  own, 
'^  Well  satisfied  that  others  should  proceed 

Their  several  ways  to  the  eternal  thorne. 

"  No  sham,  no  show  was  his  ;  but  simple,  true, 

In  all  relations  of  his  long  career  ; 
With  more  than  love — with  reverence — we  strew 

The  laurel  on  his  unpretending  bier. 

"  Such  was  the  master,  who  for  forty  years 
Ruled  o'er  these  academic  shades  supreme  ; 

And  looking  backward  thro'  our  falling  tears, 
How  grand,  how  beautiful  it  all  doth  seem  ! 


i 


THE    VICTOR   CROWNED.  451 

**  Grand  as  a  temple,  whose  majestic  dome 

Floats  proudly  in  the  empyrean  air  ; 
Beautiful  as  thoughts  which  to  the  suppliant  come 

When  rising  comforted  from  healing  prayer. 

**  We  see  the  master  here  year  in,  year  out. 

Moving  e'er  forward  to  his  chosen  aim. 
With  fervid  earnestness  unvexed  by  doubt, 

Or  chilled  by  ignorant,  ungrateful  blame  ; 

"  Toiling  and  toiling  with  persistent  love 

To  train  the  mind  and  elevate  the  soul, 
And  making  this  a  consecrated  grove, 

With  names  of  thousands  on  its  golden  roll. 

"  This  was  the  lesson  he  so  nobly  taught — 
A  lesson  we  should  write  for  youth  to  view, 

And  firmly  fasten  to  their  inmost  thought — 
That  Life  is  nothing  save  as  we  may  do  ; 

**  And  do  with  that  consuming  earnestness 
That  bates  no  jot  though  lions  choke  the  way  ; 

That  pants  and  thirsts  for  thoroughness, 
And  higher,  higher  grows  from  day  to  day  ; 

*'  That  nobly  seeks  those  well-considered  ends 

Within  the  capabilities'  best  scope, 
And 'every  force  of  mind  and  body  bends 

Untiringly,  to  realize  the  hope  ; 

"That  reckons  Character  the  all  in  all, 

And  counts  as  dross  the  babblements  of  speech. 

Save  as  with  fullest  knowledge  it  may  fall 
The  words  of  wisdom  and  of  love  to  teach  ; 

"  That  marches  bravely  on,  and  scorns  to  weep, 
Though  every  passage-way  be  trebly  barred. 

And  finds  at  last  the  solitary  steep 

Where  Virtue,  smiling,  waits  with  her  reward." 


452  THE  LIFE   OF  PROF.   KEMPER. 

W.  Speed  Stephens,  cashier  of  the  Central  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Boonville,  has  caused  a  memorial 
tablet,  with  the  following  inscription,  to  be  placed 
on  the  walls  of  the  church  where  Mr.  Kemper 
worshiped : — 

*'  Placed  here  by  one  of  his  endeared  pupils  to  the 
Memory  of 

F.  T.    Kemper, 

Long  a  useful  Member  and  honored  Elder  in  this  Church. 
Born  Oct.  i6,  1816,  he  died  March  9,  1881. 

*•  He  lived  the  sentiment  of  his  own  words, '  It  is  accordant  with 
my  experience,  with  common  sense,  and  the  Bible,  to  seek  first 
the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  to  do  this  with  daily  persistence  and 
growing  zeal.'    '  The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed.'—  Prov.  10  :  7. 

Thus  has  the  patient,  earnest  worker  been  crowned 
on  earth.  As  '*  they  had  finished  his  crown  in  glory, 
he  could  not  stay  away  from  the  coronation,' '  and  so 
has  passed  up  to  hear,  **  Well  done,  good  and  faithful 
servant,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  " 


APPENDIX. 


A  BEREAVED  MOTHER. 

*'  I  LOOK  upon  your  sons,  sir, 

And  your  daughters,  fair  and  gay, 
And  I  ask  myself  this  question — 

'  Would  I  change  with  him  to-day — 
I,  who  laid  my  household  darlings 

'Neath  the  emerald  sod  to  rest  ? ' 
And  my  heart  instinctive  answers, 

That  '  whatever  is,  is  best.' 

"  I  shall  never  feel  the  pride,  sir, 

It  is  true,  that  stirs  your  soul. 
When  you  see  your  sons  promoted, 

And  their  names  on  honor's  roll ! 
When  you  see  your  daughters  courted 

For  their  elegance  and  grace. 
Making  home  a  '  bower  of  beauty,' 

And  a  real  resting  place  ! 

*    But  I  have  the  sweet  assurance,  sir — 

A  sealed  book  to  you — 
That  my  dear  ones  'scaped  all  trial, 

With  their  years  so  bright  and  few  ; 
That  my  boys  have  been  promoted, 

And  my  girls  learned  grace  and  love, 
Through  the  teachings  of  the  angels 

In  the  '  better  land '  above. 

*'  And  I  have  the  sweet  assurance 
That  temptation  ne'er  can  come 

To  the  tender,  untried  spirits 
Of  my  children  in  their  home. 

♦This  chapter  was  written  by  Mrs.  Kemper. 


454  APPENDIX. 

No,  I  would  not  call  them  back,  sir, 

Even  could  they  come  to  me  ; 
Yet  I  hope,  by  grace,  to  dwell  with  them 

Through  bright  Eternity." 

Lewis  Taylor,  our  first-born,  on  whom  our  affec- 
tions and  hopes  were  so  strongly  centred,  was  taken 
from  us  at  the  interesting  age  of  six  years,  six 
months,  and  six  days. 

He  was  born  in  Hinsdale,  N.  H.,  among  the  gran- 
ite hills,  at  the  home  of  my  own  childhood,  and 
was  six  weeks  old  before  his  father  saw  him.  He 
was  thought,  when  an  infant,  strikingly  like  his 
father,  and  through  his  brief  life  seemed  anxious  to 
copy  him  in  habits  and  appearance.  He  would  often 
tell  me  that  strangers  would  say  they  knew  whose 
boy  he  was,  he  looked  so  much  like  his  father  ;  but 
he  was  very  apt  to  add,  "  Father  thinks  I  will  be  a 
taller  man  than  he  is,  and  will  know  how  to  ride 
horseback  better  than  he  does.'' 

At  the  age  of  three  months  we  took  him  to  his 
Grandma  Kemper's,  in  Madison  County,  Virginia, 
and  thence  to  our  home  in  Fulton,  Missouri.  Al- 
though the  weather  was  very  warm,  he  gave  us  but 
little  trouble,  and  seemed  to  improve  in  his  health. 
Soon  after,  our  arrival  in  Fulton,  at  the  age  of  five 
months,  he  was  consecrated  to  God  in  baptism.  The 
Rev.  W.  W.  Robertson  officiated,  who  remarked  at 
the  time,  as  did  several  others,  how  thoughtful  and 
attentive  he  seemed  to  be,  as  though  he  understood 
the  meaning  of  the  ceremony. 

When  seven  months  of  age  his  nurse  let  him  fall 
against  the  stove,  and  he  was  so  badly  burned  that 
for   several  weeks   he   required   sleepless  attention. 


A   BEREAVED  MOTHER.  455 

We  sometimes  thought  he  was  less  patient  and  ami- 
able through  life  on  account  of  this  severe  burn. 
Quite  a  scar  remained  under  his  left  jaw;  but  he 
often  said,  "  When  I  am  a  man  as  large  as  my  father, 
my  whiskers  will  hide  this  scar." 

Before  he  was  two  years  of  age  his  brother  Eugene 
was  born.  The  two  boys,  though  differing  widely  in 
disposition  and  looks,  we  fondly  hoped  might  be 
reared  and  educated  together.  But  God's  ways  are 
not  our  ways,  and  we  know  they  are  better  taught 
in  the  school  of  Christ,  and  happier,  than  we,  with 
all  our  love  and  tenderness,  could  possibly  make 
them. 

Once,  as  their  father  had  them  encircled  by  his 
arms,  one  upon  each  knee,  he  said,  ^'  Eugene  is  a 
sweet,  happy  boy  ;  I  seem  to  have  no  fears  about  his 
future  life.  He  will  be  contented,  happy,  and  use- 
ful in  any  situation  in  which  he  may  be  placed.  But 
Lewis  is  less  happily  constituted.  He  will  require 
careful  training  and  unremitting  watchfulness  over 
his  earlier  years,  or  he  will  fail  of  accomplishing  the 
good  he  might  do,  and  of  securing  his  own  highest 
happiness.  I  am  always  feeling  anxious  about 
Lewis,,  but  Eugene  is  ever  a  sunbeam.  I  can  see  no 
clouds  upon  his  pathway." 

A  few  weeks  afterward,  when  our  dear  Eugene  was 
transplanted  to  a  fairer  clime,  I  regarded  his  father's 
words  as  prophetic,  little  dreaming  that,  after  the 
discipline  of  a  few  years,  and  when  he  was  becoming 
to  us  all  that  our  fondest  hopes  could  wish,  Lewis 
too,  our  first-born  and  first  loved,  would  join  his 
brother  and  two  little  sisters  in  a  world  of  unfading 
beauty. 


45  6  APPENDIX. 

When  Eugene  died  Lewis  was  quite  unwell,  hav- 
ing a  difficulty  with  his  throat  that  bore  some  resem- 
blance to  that  fatal  disease,  diphtheria.  He  was  not, 
therefore,  permitted  to  attend  the  burial,  so  that  his 
brother's  death  made  but  little  impression  on  his 
mind,  although  he  talked  a  great  deal  about  his 
brother  in  heaven,  and  and  "  brother  Genie's"  playful 
remarks  and  cunning  ways  were  often  the  subject  of 
his  conversation. 

In  the  month  of  March,  1861,  I  came  to  our  farm 
in  Cooper  County  with  my  two  children,  Lewis  and 
Ida,  leaving  my  husband  in  Fulton.  There  Lewis 
had  great  enjoyment,  and  rapidly  developed  into  a 
strong  active  boy,  fond  of  noise  and  boyish  sports, 
and  anxious  to  learn  to  ride  horseback  and  drive  the 
wagon.  He  also  had  a  strong,  unyielding  will  of  his 
own,  and  sometimes  required  severe  punishment  to 
make  him  understand  that  he  must  obey  without  ques- 
tioning my  authority.  Once,  when  I  told  him  that 
he  must  not  dispute  his  mother's  word,  he  replied, 
"  But,  mother,  you  'pute  me."  This  greatly  amused 
his  father.  Gradually  however,  that  self-will  disap- 
peared, and  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  seemed 
anxious  to  do  exactly  what  he  knew  would  please 
his  parents. 

When  four  years  of  age  he  learned  his  letters  in  a 
few  days,  but  was  so  much  interested  in  farming 
operations  he  soon  lost  his  interest  in  learning,  and 
did  not  enter  school  until  past  five  years  of  age. 

In  the  fall  of  1861  we  returned  to  our  old  home 
in  Boonville,  and  his  father  appropriated  one  hun- 
dred dollars  (which  his  Grandfather  Taylor  had  sent 
for  his  name)  to  buying  him  a  pony,  and,  when  he 


A   BEREAVED  MOTHER.  ■     457 

could  ride  well,  a  saddle  and  bridle.  At  first  he  rode 
behind  his  father,  as  his  pony  was  quite  wild.  But 
very  soon  he  ventured  alone,  and,  although  it  ran 
away  with  him  several  times,  he  manifested  no  fear, 
but  guided  it  with  all  the  skill  of  an  experienced 
horseman. 

Once  he  was  on  his  pony's  back,  while  it  was 
walking  about  the  yard  eating  grass.  I  happened  to 
be  standing  near  him,  with  my  baby  Julia  in  my 
arms,  when  Ambler  (the  pony)  walked  under  the 
clothes-line  and  caught  Lewis  by  the  neck.  I  seized 
the  bridle  to  turn  him  back,  but  he  had  taken  but  one 
or  two  steps  backward,  when  to  my  horror  I  discov- 
ered my  little  Ida  had  followed  me,  and  was  so  near 
the  pony  that  another  step  in  that  direction  would 
trample  her  under  his  heels.  In  my  fright  I  dropped 
the  bridle,  and  committing  my  little  ones  to  our 
Heavenly  Father,  I  closed  my  ^yes  for  a  moment  that 
I  might  not  witness  the  inevitable  death,  as  it  seemed, 
of  one  of  my  children.  But  not  another  step  back- 
ward, and  dear  Ida  was  safe.  Then  whirling  around 
toward  the  only  side  where  he  would  not  get  en- 
tangled in  the  clothes-line,  at  the  first  bound  he 
threw  Lewis  on  the  ground.  I  picked  up  the  dear 
boy,  badly  frightened,  but,  with  the  exception  of  a 
bruised  and  bleeding  neck,  unhurt. 

He  met  with  so  many  narrow  escapes  from  death 
that  I  began  to  lose  my  anxious  fears  for  his  safety, 
and  to  feel  as  though  I  had  assurance  from  my 
Heavenly  Father  that  he  would  not  come  to  his  end 
by  accident.  But  perhaps  I  felt  equally  certain  that 
he  would  long  survive  both  of  his  parents. 

A  sensitive,   retiring  boy,  who  scarcely  dared,  to 


45  8  APPENDIX. 

look  toward  or  speak  to  a  stranger,  yet  he  was  pos- 
sessed of  true  courage,  as  the  following  incident  will 
show.  We  had  occasion  to  send  him  with  a  package 
of  letters  to  an  opposite  part  of  the  town.  He  rode 
his  pony,  and  fastened  it  outside  of  the  yard,  taking 
his  riding  whip  in  his  hand.  As  he  opened  the  gate, 
two  fierce  dogs  rushed  out  toward  him,  barking  furi- 
ously. But  he  never  quailed  before  them.  For  fix- 
ing his  eyes  upon  them  and  brandishing  his  riding 
whip  before  him,  he  walked  resolutely  forward. 
Some  young  ladies  from  an  upper  story  were  watch- 
ing him,  and  knowing  that  the  dogs  were  really 
dangerous,  rushed  down  the  steps  to  his  rescue  and 
met  him  at  the  door.  His  pallid  face  and  tremulous 
voice  told  them  too  well  that  he  himself  realized  he 
had  been  in  great  danger.  One  of  the  ladies,  in  tell- 
ing me  of  it,  pronounced  it  an  exhibition  of  true 
heroism. 

Lewis  witnessed  the  death  and  burial  of  his  two 
little  sisters,  and  a  dread  of  the  grave  and  of  dying 
seems  never  to  have  been  effaced  from  his  mind.  To 
me  it  has  always  been  a  source  of  sorrowful  regrets 
that  I  did  not  labor  to  remove  that  dread.  He  would 
sometimes  say,  "  Mother,  would  you  feel  very  bad  if 
I  should  die  ?"  After  assuring  him  that  I  "would  be 
greatly  distressed,  I  would  turn  his  thoughts  from 
such  subjects  by  saying,  "  I  think  the  Lord  will  spare 
your  life,  and  you  will  grow  up  to  be  a  man." 

Lewis  entered  the  Sabbath-school  as  one  of  my 
pupils,  committing  to  memory  every  week  one  verse 
from  the  Bible.  He  also  studied  Scripture  history, 
and  manifested  much  interest  in  this  exercise.  'He 
could  not  be  called  a  child  of  religious  sensibilities,. 


A   BEREAVED  MOTHER.  459 

but  he  was  capable  of  deep  emotions,  as  this  incident 
will  show.  He  had  committed  some  offence  that 
called  for  punishment.  His  father  took  him  into 
another  room  for  correction.  When  he  returned  Jiis 
face  expressed  an  agony  I  had  never  witnessed 
before,  and  throwing  himself  into  my  arms,  he  wept 
aloud.  It  was  some  time  before  he  could  speak,  and 
his  first  words  were,  "  Father  didn't  whip  me,  but  he 
prayed  with  me;"  and  he  then  burst  into  a  fresh 
torrent  of  tears.  I  could  with  difficulty  soothe  or  quiet 
him.  Long  after  his  eyes  were  closed  in  sleep,  he 
continued  to  sob  and  moan. 

In  the  fall  of  1862  he  entered  school,  and  had  then 
forgotten  his  alphabet.  But  he  made  very  satisfac- 
tory progress ;  and,  although  exhibiting  no  pre- 
cocity of  intellect,  we  could  thank  God  that  he  had  a 
sound  mind  and  a  vigorous,  well-developed  body, 
and  had  high  hopes  of  his  future.  The  employment 
of  his  time  in  school  and  the  development  of  his 
reasoning  powers  combined  to  render  him  much 
more  tractable  and  sweet-tempered  than  he  had  been 
in  former  years.  When  consulting  him  in  regard  to 
his  wishes  or  employments  for  a  leisure  hour,  his 
usual  reply  was,  "  I  will  do  anything  you  wish  me, 
mother,"  or,  "  I  will  do  what  you  think  is  best  for 
me." 

During  the  vacation  of  1863  another  child  was 
born,  and  Lewis  became  the  constant  companion 
of  his  father,  accompanying  him  in  all  his  rides  and 
walks,  and  a  portion  of  the  day  sitting  by  his  side  and 
reading  from  some  new  books  his  father  had  pro- 
cured for  him  from  St.  Louis.  He  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  objects   that  few  children  of  his  age 


460  APPENDIX. 

possess ;  for  in  his  rides  with  his  father  he  learned 
the  botanical  names  of  plants,  the  names  of  trees  and 
uses  of  their  wood,  and  observed  the  clouds  and  the 
stars. 

At  that  time  my  baby  was  so  delicate  that  my 
time  and  thoughts  were  constantly  occupied,  and  I 
had  little  care  of  Lewis.  He  entered  upon  his  second 
school  year  the  middle  of  September,  and  seemed  to 
be  interested  in  his  studies  and  making  commendable 
progress.  But  he  did  not  like  mental  arithmetic,  and 
I  was  soon  satisfied  that  it  was  not  best  to  pursue  that 
study,  and  persuaded  his  father  and  teacher  to  let 
him  drop  it  until  he  was  older.  At  this  time  he  made 
frequent  complaints  of  a  pain  in  his  bowels.  At 
first  I  feared  it  was  an  excuse  to  get  rid  of  school 
duties,  but  after  watching  his  case  I  was  satisfied  there 
was  some  serious  cause  of  complaint.  I  consulted 
a  physician,  who  seemed  not  to  know  what  could 
cause  these  sudden  attacks  of  pain.  As  he  was  well 
enough  to  go  about  and  play  all  the  time,  and  had  a 
good  appetite,  I  soon  ceased  to  be  uneasy  about  his 
case. 

In  October,  when  Shelby's  raid  was  made  into  the 
State,  his  pony  and  new  bridle  were  taken.  It  seemed 
a  crushing  weight  of  sorrow  to  him.  But  it  was  only 
a  short  time  longer  that  he  needed  any  of  the  objects 
that  afforded  pleasure  in  this  life,  for  his  brief  day  of 
earthly  existence  was  drawing  to  a  close. 

About  the  first  of  November  one  of  our  boarders 
was  taken  sick  with  what  the  doctor  called  an  ulcer- 
ated sore  throat.  Mary,  a  little  black  child  about 
ten  years  of  age,  was  often  in  this  boy's  room  as  a 
waiter.     On  the  loth  of  November  she  was  taken  ill 


A   BEREAVED  MOTHER.  461 

with  what  we  supposed  was  a  chill.  Lewis  was  in 
the  room  where  she  was  taken  sick  one  or  two  hours 
that  first  day.  The  next  morning  I  found  Mary  in  a 
dying  condition,  and  was  with  her  so  constantly  all 
day  that  I  scarcely  saw  Lewis.  But  in  the  evening, 
while  Mary  was  dying,  Lewis  walked  in  with  his 
books,  and  said,  "Mother,  I  was  sick,  and  asked 
cousin  William  to  excuse  me.  My  throat  hurts  me 
right  here  ;"  and  he  put  up  his  hands  on  both  sides  of 
his  neck. 

I  was  alarmed,  shocked,  and  it  seemed  as  though  a 
mountain  load  of  calamities  was  coming  upon  me. 
Although  poor  Mary  was  so  near  her  end,  I  could 
not  stay,  but  took  my  dear  boy  by  the  hand,  and  told 
him  we  would  go  to  the  doctor.  When  I  reached  the 
office  I  found  the  doctor  had  moved  to  another  part 
of  the  town.  As  I  was  carelessly  dressed,  I  began  to 
reason  in  this  manner:  "I  am  too  easily  alarmed; 
Lewis  has  never  been  sick,  and  there  is  no  particular 
disease  prevailing  in  the  community.  Mary's  disease 
was  congestive  chill,  and  she  had  no  trouble  with  the 
throat.  Lewis  talked  so  sweetly  as  I  was  leading  him 
down  the  street ;  he  is  not  very  sick,  and  the  doctor 
might  laugh  at  my  foolish  anxiety  if  I  should  go  to 
him.  So  I  will  return  home,  and  if  my  boy  is  sick  in 
the  morning,  I  can  then  send  for  a  physician." 

Upon  our  arrival  home  Mary  had  ceased  to  breathe, 
Lewis  seemed  very  comfortable,  so  that  he  ate  a  light 
supper  of  crackers  and  tea.  I  bathed  his  feet  and  put 
him  in  bed.  But  I  soon  perceived  that  his  face  was 
very  red,  and  during  the  night  he  had  a  burning  fever^ 
so  that  he  scarcely  slept  at  all.  In  the  morning  he 
was  more  comfortable,  so  that  I  did  not  send  for  a 


462  APPENDIX. 

doctor  until  after  dinner.  In  the  mean  time  some  of 
the  family  said  there  were  several  cases  of  scarlet 
fever  in  town,  and  suggested  that  Lewis  might  have 
that  disease.  But  I  was  still  so  confident  that  my  first- 
born, ever  so  vigorous  and  active,  could  not  have  any 
alarming  sickness,  that  I  treated  the  suggestion  with 
contempt. 

After  the  doctor  examined  him  carefully,  he  turned 
to  me  and  inquired  if  I  had  noticed  the  eruption  upon 
his  chest.  I  replied,  ''Yes,  and  I  supposed  it  was  a 
favorable  indication."  He  shook  his  head  and  said, 
"He  has  scarlet  fever."  The  announcement  over- 
whelmed me  for  a  moment,  and  I  said,  "  Oh,  doctor, 
how  can  I  bear  it!"  Lewis  noticed  my  troubled 
face,  and,  as  soon  as  the  doctor  left,  inquired  the 
name  of  his  disease.  I  had  no  hesitation  in  telling 
him,  for  he  had  never  heard  of  it  before.  He  then 
asked, '' What  did  you  cry  for,  mother?"  I  replied, 
"  I  was  so  distressed  that  my  dear  boy  was  so  sick." 
He  then  said,  "  Won't  you  pray  for  me  ?"  and  a  few 
minutes  afterward,  "  If  I  die,  I  hope  God  will  take 
me  to  heaven." 

He  had  medicine  to  take  often,  and  some  of  it  was 
very  bitter.  When  his  fever  was  raging  high  he 
would  refuse  to  take  it.  Several  times  he  was  held 
while  it  was  poured  down.  I  have  always  regretted 
this  course ;  for  whenever  I  would  take  time  to 
reason  with  him,  he  would  act  nobly  and  take  it 
cheerfully. 

The  second  night  he  said,  "I'm  going  to  heaven. 
It's  all  bright  there.  I  see  so  many  pretty  birds." 
His  fever  was  so  high  I  do  not  know  that  he  realized 
what  he  was  saying.     A  few  weeks  before  his  illness 


A    BEREAVED  MOTHER.  463 

'  he  had  thoroughly  committed  to  memory  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  having  been  taught  it  by  his  father.  I  was 
greatly  comforted  to"  hear  him  repeat  it  often,  with 
his  eyes  closed,  not  knowing  that  any  one  was  listen- 
ing. Verses  of  Scripture  and  a  little  speech  called 
*' The  Boy  and  Lark"  were  frequently  repeated. 
Once  he  said  to  me,  "I  wouldn't  tell  a  lie,  not  for 
all  the  world."  One  day  his  father  said  to  him,  '*  My 
poor  boy !  how  gladly  would  I  take  your  place  and 
suffer  for  you  and  let  you  run  about  ;"  when  he 
meekly  answered,  "I  rather  it  was  me."  When  we 
would  tell  him  we  were  sorry  for  him,  he  would  say, 
"  I  am  sorry  for  you,  too." 

When  he  had  been  ill  about  a  week  we  thought  there 
were  signs  of  improvement,  and  for  one  day  we  con- 
sidered him  better.  But  during  the  night  the  pain  in 
his  bowels  returned,  and  the  next  day  there  was  par- 
tial paralysis  of  one  half  of  his  body.  They  called  it 
inflammatory  rheumatism.  He  seemed  in  so  much 
distress  that  his  frequent  exclamations  were,  "  Oh, 
mother,  I'm  so  sick  !  Oh  mercy,  oh  mercy  !' '  One  day 
when  I  had  labored  in  vain  to  relieve  him  of  pain, 
and  he  saw  how  distressed  I  was,  he  turned  to  me  and 
said,  "  I  love  you  so  much,  mother  ;  and  I  love  father 
too  ;"  and  then  added,  "  If  I  die,  won't  you  pray  for 
me  .?" 

At  four  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning,  Nov.  22, 1863, 
his  stomach  rejected  the  medicine  he  was  taking. 
I  was  startled  at  this  symptom,  and  then  listened  at- 
tentively to  his  breathing.  I  soon  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  our  darling  boy  would  not  remain  with 
us  long.  It  was  the  first  time  in  all  his  life  that  I 
had  a  serious  thought  of    losing  him.     The    agony 


464  APPENDIX, 

that  was  crowded  into  those  few  hours  of  watching 
his  every  look  and  movement  can  never  be  described. 
Why  had  I  been  so  blinded  as  to  think  that  disease 
and  death  were  many  years  distant  from  a  body  so 
strong  and  vigorous,  and  a  spirit  that  had  known  no 
sorrow  or  sadness?  Oh,  how  bitterly  I  thought  of 
many  neglected  opportunities  of  instructing  him 
about  heavenly  things!  But  God  was  good  to  me, 
far  beyond  my  deserts,  in  giving  me  some  comfort- 
ing testimony,  that  his  lone  passage  through  the 
dark  valley  was  cheered  by  a  Saviour's  forgiveness 
and  smiles. 

About  eight  o'clock  he  seemed  to  awake  from  a 
sleep,  and  said,  "  Some  one  is  knocking  at  the  door." 
I  replied,  "  No,  my    son,  you  were  dreaming ;"  but 
his  father  sorrowfully  added,  "  Yes,  death  is  knock- 
ing for  our  boy."     He  then  asked  to  have  his  face 
turned  to  the  wall,  and  pointing  up  said,  "  O  look 
there,  see,  see !    It's  all  bright  there  ;  don't  you  see  V 
and  we  could  only  hope  that    he   had   glimpses   of 
heaven.     For  a  few  minutes   he  lay  perfectly  quiet, 
and  then  said,  with  great  clearness  in  his  tones,  "  I'm 
going   to  die  to-night  ;"    but  turning  to  me,  with  a 
distressed  face,  added,  "  It's  all  dark  in  the  ground." 
I  tried  to  explain  to  him  that  he  would  not  be  in  the 
ground,  and  that  heaven  was  all  bright  and  beautiful. 
He  then  asked,  "  Will  you  die,  mother  ?"     On  being 
answered  in   the   affirmative,   he  said,  "  Will  father 
die,  too.^"     Our  neighbors,  Mr.  and   Mrs.   Lawson, 
were  there,  and  he  asked,  **  Will  Mr.  Lawson  die? 
Will  Mrs.  Lawson  die?    Must  all  our  boarders  die?" 
After  telling  him  that  every  one  must  die  before  they 
could  go  to  that  beautiful  world  where  God  lives,  he 
expressed  a  desire  not  to  be  separated  from  his  father 


A    BEKEAVED  MOTHER,  465 

and  mother,  and  that  they  might  go  with  him  to 
heaven.  Soon  after  he  uttered  this  remarkable 
prayer,  "  Lord,  forgive  me  for  Jesus.''  As  this  was  not 
a  portion  of  any  of  tlie  prayers  he  had  been  accustom- 
ed to  repeat,  we  regarded  it  as  an  offering  of  saving 
faith,  and  could  almost  imagine  the  reply  of  our  Sav- 
iour to  be,  "This  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  para- 
dise.'/ 

His  stomach  now  rejected  the  cold  water  that  was 
so  grateful  to  him.  In  unspeakable  agony  we  were 
compelled  to  listen  to  his  cries,  **  I'm  so  thirsty  ; 
wouldn't  water  white  as  snow  do  me  good  ?  I'm  so 
cold,  can't  you  warm  me  at  the  fire  V  I  could  only 
reply,  "  My  precious  child,  we  cannot  help  you,  but 
will  pray  to  God  to  take  you  soon  to  that  bright 
world,  where  you  will  never  be  thirsty  or  cold  any 
more."  His  consciousness  was  perfect  to  the  last  ; 
for  when  asked  who  was  giving  him  wine  in  a  spoon, 
he  looked  up  and  feebly  said,  "Aunt  Bessie."  As 
he  looked  around  upon  the  boys,  his  father  asked 
him  who  it  was  at  the  foot  of  his  bed  and  in  a  voice 
still  strong  but  expressing  intense  suffering,  he 
answered,  "Richard  Gentry."  He  then  closed  his 
eyes,  and,  after  a  few  gentle  breathings,  at  about 
two  o'clock,  p.  M.,  without  a  quivering  muscle  or 
a  sigh,  our  darling  first-born  passed  away  from  earth. 

"  Our  embraces  will  be  sweet 
At  the  dear  Redeemer's  feet." 

Eugene  Allison,  our  second  child,  was  born  in  Ful- 
ton, Mo.  At  his  birth  he  was  called  a  beautiful, 
happy-looking  boy,  and  throughout  his  brief  life 
retained  that  joyous  disposition  that  endeared  him  to 


466  APPENDIX. 

his  parents  and  interested  all  who  saw  him.  At  the 
age  of  five  months  he  was  consecrated  to  God  in 
baptism.  The  minister,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robertson, 
was  much  affected  during  the  ceremony;  for,  as  he 
raised  his  hands  to  implore  the  divine  blessing  upon 
the  consecrated  little  one,  the  dear  child  reached  out 
both  hands,  and  clasping  a  finger  of  the  minister  in 
each  little  hand,  he  firmly  retained  his  grasp  and 
gazed  into  his  face  until  the  prayer  was  ended.  Mr. 
R.'seyes  were  filled  with  tears  as  he  spoke  to  me  and 
said,  "  Your  child  has  deeply  interested  me." 

When  one  year  of  age  he  was  very  ill  with  pneu- 
monia, and  for  several  weeks  we  considered  him  on 
the  verge  of  the  grave.  But  he  seemed  to  perfectly 
recover  his  health,  although  quite  delicate  during 
the  heat  of  summer. 

He  seemed  by  nature  to  be  a  devotional  child,  for 
among  his  earliest  plays  was  an  imitation  of  his 
father's  singing,  reading,  and  praying  at  family  wor- 
ship. When  a  blessing  was  asked  at  the  table,  he 
placed  his  hands  upon  his  plate  and  bowed  his  head 
reverently  upon  them,  and  without  ever  being  taught 
to  do  so.  The  first  time  he  saw  his  brotlier  Lewis 
kneel  to  repeat  his  evening  prayer,  he  came  also  to 
kneel  by  his  father.  Although  this  was  long  before 
he  could  talk  at  all,  he  never  failed  after  this  to 
kneel  down  silently,  while  his  father  repeated  his 
evening  prayer.  Some  time  before  his  death  he  was 
able  to  repeat  his  prayer  himself. 

His  gladsome  nature  bound  him  with  strong  ties 
to  his  father's  heart.  Several  times  I  heard  him  say, 
"  Eugene  has  such  a  joyous  nature,  he  will  be  happy 
an yvviicre.      I  seem  to  liavc  no  fears  about  liis  future.'  * 


./    BEREAVED  MOTHER.  467 

After  his  second  summer  he  developed  rapidly,  talk- 
ed very  distinctly,  and  grew  fleshy  and  rosy  with 
health.  A  short  time  before  Christmas  his  father 
bought  him  a  pair  of  little  boots.  These  greatly  de- 
lighted him,  and  seemed  to  inspire  him  with  such  a 
feeling  of  manliness  that  he  wished  to  walk  out  alone  j 
and  when  he  fell  down  he  would  not  cry  nor  ask 
for  help. 

At  the  comencement  of  the  year  1861  a  deep  snow 
had  fallen,  followed  by  warm  and  melting  weather. 
Eugene  could  with  difficulty  be  kept  in  the  house. 
Thinking  his  boots  a  good  protection,  I  allowed  him 
to  run  out,  and  the  wet  snow  and  damp  atmosphere 
implanted  a  disease  that  quickly  ended  his  life.  One 
night  I  was  awakened  by  a  peculiar  cough,  which 
corresponded  with  the  description  given  me  of  the 
croup.  In  alarm  I  got  a  light,  but  found  him  sleep- 
ing soundly.  As  he  did  not  cough  again,  I  supposed 
there  was  no  danger.  The  next  morning  he  was 
playful  and  apparently  well.  As  the  snow  was  all 
gone  and  it  was  a  bright  day,  I  took  him  by  the  hand 
and  walked  in  the  grove  close  by  the  house,  he  all 
the  time  prattling  sweetly  about  the  trees  and  the 
bright  sunlight. 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath.  He  was  still  hoarse, 
but  was  very  quiet,  and  seemed  to  wish  to  sleep  in 
my  arms.  During  the  night  there  was  considerable 
difficulty  of  breathing.  The  next  morning  I  sent  for 
a  doctor,  who  looked  at  him  anxiously  and  shook  his 
head  as  he  said,  "  It  is  a  bad  case  of  croup."  This  dis- 
ease was  entirely  new  to  me.  He  seemed  so  comfort- 
able I  felt  no  alarm  until  evening,  when  his  breath- 
ing became  very  labored.    About  ten  o'  clock,  as  I  gave 


4^8  APPENDIX. 

him  a  drink  of  cold  water,  he  could  scarcely  swallow 
it  at  all,  and  I  was  convinced  he  must  soon  leave  us. 
His  father  and  myself  watched  alone  with  him  all 
night.  Every  hour  we  expected  his  struggles  and  suf- 
ferings would  end,  but  toward  morning  he  became 
easier,  and  slept  sweetly  for  several  hours.  About  ten 
o'clock  his  dying  struggles  commenced,  and  his 
father  held  him  in  his  arms  until  twelve  o'clock.  Jan- 
uary 15,  1861,  his  little  spirit  returned  to  its  home  in 
the  skies. 

"  God  gave — He  took— He  will  restore — 

He  doeth  all  things  well." 

Ida  Webster,  our  third  child,  was  born  at  Hook 
Nook  farm,  Cooper  County.  A  few  weeks  after  her 
birth  she  became  so  delicate  for  want  of  proper  nour- 
ishment that  I  weaned  her  from  the  breast  and  fed  her 
with  cow's  milk.  This  kept  her  quite  delicate  in  her 
early  infancy  ;  but  before  she  was  a  year  old  she  had 
become  quite  a  healthy,  fleshy  child.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  months  another  daughter  was  born.  From 
that  time  the  sisters  were  so  blended  in  their  lives 
and  death  that  their  history  will  be  related  together. 

Julia  Strong  was  born  in  Boonville,  and  was  a 
fine-looking,  healthy  baby,  and  during  her  brief  life  of 
nine  and  a  half  months  was  a  happy,  beautiful  child. 

Dear  Ida  was  so  grieved  to  be  turned  off  to  a  nurse, 
who  had  known  her  but  a  few  weeks,  that  my  affec- 
tions seemed  called  forth  with  double  strength 
toward  her.  To  this  day,  I  do  not  think  aiiv  one  of 
my  children  seemed  dearer  to  me. 

After  the  Christmas  holidays  one  of  our  boys  re- 
turned with  the  measles,  and  exposed  our  entire  fain- 


A    BEREAVED  MOTHER.  469 

ily  to  this  disease,  which  at  that  time  was  prevailing 
with  fatal  results.  Ida  was  the  first  one  to  take  it ; 
and  having  a  cold  and  cough  at  the  time,  pneumonia 
and  measles  were  combined.  The  doctor  pronounced 
her  very  ill  the  first  time  he  saw  her,  and  for  some 
time  we  thought  her  recovery  doubtful.  Julia  did 
not  take  the  measles,  but  she  never  seemed  quite  well 
after  her  vaccination. 

As  the  spring  came  on,  I  began  to  feel  that  my 
troubles  were  past,  for  my  children  seemed  to  be 
doing  well  and  daily  developing  in  interest.  Our 
sweet  little  Ida  won  all  hearts  by  her  joyous  prattle 
and  affectionate  disposition.  As  I  turned  her  off  for 
attentions  to  my  baby,  she  clung  with  double  affec- 
tion to  her  father.  He  never  entered  the  room  with- 
out her  watching  him  closely,  to  see  if  he  would 
notice  her.  If  he  seemed  so  occupied  that  he  was 
about  to  pass  her  by,  she  would  call  out  gently, 
"  Papa,"  and  continue  calling  in  louder  tones  until 
she  received  a  kiss,  or  caress,  or  ride  in  his  arms. 
She  often  took  a  horseback  ride  with  her  father,  and 
whenever  she  saw  him  on  his  horse,  she  would  clap 
her  hands  with  delight  and  say,  ''There's  papa! 
there's  the  popo"  (meaning  pony),  and  call  for  her 
bonnet  for  a  ride. 

At  the  age  of  seven  months  she  was  baptized  in 
Fulton  by  the  Rev.  S.  A.  Mutchmore,  and  although 
her  earthly  stay  was  as  long  as  Eugene's  (they  each 
lacked  but  a  few  days  of  being  two  years  old),  I  have 
no  recollection  of  the  development  of  her  religious 
nature.  Having  turned  her  off  for  the  care  of  my 
baby  before  she  could  talk,  I  do  not  remember  that 
she  was  taught  to  pray,  or  was  instructed  in  many 


47  o  APPENDIX. 

things  that  might  have  developed  her  moral  and  re- 
ligious nature.  But  as  she  was  less  than  two  years 
of  age  when  her  brief  earthly  pilgrimage  closed,  I 
have  every  hope  and  belief  that  she  was  gathered  into 
the  fold  of  the  blessed  Saviour,  and,  with  the  lambs 
of  His  flock,  roams  in  the  delightful  fields  and  gathers 
bright-hued"  flowers  upon  the  banks  of  the  river  of 
eternal  life. 

When  the  warm  summer  weather  came  on  in  June, 
Ida  was  violently  attacked  with  dysentery,  and  every 
remedy  was  unavailing  to  check  it.  I  then  gave  up 
Julia  to  the  nurse  and  devoted  my  entire  time  to  Ida. 
As  I  was  aware  that  she  was  very  ill,  I  watched  over 
her  untiringly.  After  several  days  the  nurse  told  me 
that  she  thought  Julia  was  sick  also.  But  she  looked 
so  well  I  could  not  realize  it,  and  not  until  she  re- 
jected all  food  did  I  obtain  medical  aid.  She  was 
pronounced  a  very  sick  child,  having  the  same  dis- 
ease as  her  sister,  with  the  brain  also  involved. 

This  was  Friday  morning.  She  lay  in  her  crib  most 
of  the  day  in  a  quiet  sleeg,  and  the  next  day  slept 
most  of  the  time,  with  very  little  appearance  of  pain. 
Sunday  morning  she  had  an  alarming  spasm,  but 
the  rest  of  the  day  and  that  night  still  continued  to 
sleep.  Early  Monday  morning  she  passed  into 
another  spasm,  and  remained  in  an  almost  insensible 
condition  until  two  o'clock  of  the  same  day,  when 
the  distorted  features  became  still  and  smiling  in 
the  sleep  of  death. 

She  had  never  been  consecrated  to  God  in  baptism, 
for  we  had  so  much  sickness  in  our  family  after  her 
birth,  there  had  been  no  convenient  opportunity.  I 
did  not    realize  that  she  was  in  a  dying  condition 


A    BEREAVED   MOTHER.      .  471 

uniil  a  few  minutes  before  the  spirit  left  its  house  of 
chiy.  The  sweet  little  one  had  known  no  sin  in  her 
brief  life  of  nine  and  a  half  months  ;  and  amon<r 
the  s[)otless  lambs  who  have  been  tenderly  folded  in 
tlie  bosom  of  the  Saviour,  methinks  we  shall  recog- 
nize our  sweet  Julia  when  with  us  ''  the  toils  of  time 
are  past/' 

At  that  time  I  knew  Ida  was  very  low.  It  has  al- 
ways been  my  conviction  that  if  her  stomach  had 
been  allowed  rest,  instead  of  ice-water,  beef-tea,  and 
gther  drinks,  she  might  have  rallied.  But  God,  the 
wise  disposer  of  all  events,  saw  fit  to  afflict  us  more 
severely,  and  the  mistakes,  if  made,  were  a  part  of 
His  plans. 

At  night  I  laid  down  and  slept  soundly,  in  con- 
fident expectation  that  she  was  better,  and  that  by 
resting  I  could  do  a  better  part  by  her  the  next  day. 
It  was  four  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning  Before  I 
wakened  and  went  to  her  crib.  Her  breathing  was 
greatly  altered,  and  I  then  knew  that  she  too  must 
die.  The  shock  was  great  indeed.  I  had  been  so 
encouraged  to  think  she  was  better,  and  she  seemed 
so  very  dear  to  me,  I  hardly  knew  how  life  could  be 
borne  without  her  sweet  society.  I  walked  the  floor 
in  an  agony  that  could  hardly  be  endured,  and  I  fear 
there  was  no  spirit  of  submission  to  God's  will. 

At  the  time  Julia  died,  on  Monday  evening,  she 
seemed  perfectly  conscious,  knew  all  the  strange  faces 
about  her,  affectionately  kissed  her  father  when  he 
asked  her,  and  was  able  to  say  "Rock  a  tee  top." 
This  was  her  saying  through  her  sickness,  whenever 
she  was  in  much  pain — alluding  to  a  lullaby  song, 
and  meaning  that  she  wished  to  be  rocked  in  her  crib. 


472  APPENDIX. 

But  on  Tuesday  morning  slie  was  past  all  recognition 
of  even  those  most  dear  to  her,  and  in  spasmodic 
struggles  and  labored  breathing  she  lingered  until 
eight  o'clock.  I  was  thankful  at  last  for  her  suffer- 
ings to  be  over,  and  her  wasted  little  form  laid  by 
her  sister. 

They  were  laid  side  by  side  in  the  same  coffin,  form- 
ing a  striking  contn<st :  Julia  in  all  the  fulness  of  form 
and  beauty  of  a  sleeping  infant,  and  dear  Ida  with 
sunken  eyes  and  hollowed  cheeks,  and  upon  every 
wasted  feature  the  imprint  of  intense  suffering.  Rev. 
H.  M.  Painter  officiated  at  their  burial. 

Blessed  babes  !  we  miss  you  sadly,  and  though 

"  We  cannot,  Lord,  Thy  purpose  see. 
Yet  all  is  well,  since  ruled  by  Thee." 

Walter  Edwin,  our  fifth  child,  was  born  August 
15)  1^63.  Although  at  first  a  healthy,  quiet  baby, 
for  want  of  sufficient  nourishment,  or  by  being  fed 
improperly,  he  became  wasted  in  flesh  and  very  fret- 
ful. Then  medicines  were  administered,  and  he  still 
pined  away.  So  I  became  satisfied  that  he  could 
live  but  a  short  time  unless  there  was  some  change. 
He  was  still  in  this  condition,  at  the  age  of  three 
months,  when  Lewis  was  attacked  with  scarlet  fever. 
By  advice  of  the  doctor  I  sent  him  to  his  Aunt  Bes- 
sie, five  miles  in  the  country,  concluding  that  wean- 
ing might  be  of  advantage  to  his  health.  It  was  re- 
ported to  me  that  he  improved  rapidly  on  his  new  diet. 

The  day  after  our  dear  Lewis  was  laid  in  the  grave 
I  hastened  to  my  only  surviving  child,  expecting  to 
find  him  much  improved.  But  he  had  taken  a  seri- 
ous cold,  and  I  found  him  in  an  alarming  condition. 


A    BEREAVED   MOTHER.  473 

I  determined  then  to  put  him  bade  to  the  breast,  and 
he  soon  recovered  from  his  cold.  He  continued 
quite  delicate,  however,  until  six  months  of  age, 
when  he  became  able  to  take  some  solid  food. 

As  spring  dawned  he  took  great  delight  in  being 
out  in  tlie  open  air.  He  learned,  when  his  father 
took  him  in  his  arms  and  approached  the  outside 
door,  to  shout  with  delight  at  the  prospect  of  going 
out  of  doors.  He  early  betrayed  the  propensities  of 
a  boy,  in  his  fondness  for  noise  and  rough  plays. 
The  alarm-clock  in  our  room  interested  him,  and  by 
signs  he  was  constantly  begging  his  father  to  open 
the  clock.  At  its  ringing,  rattling  sound  he  looked 
intently  at  the  clock.  When  it  ceased,  with  an  ex- 
clamation of  delight  he  would  holdout  his  hands  and 
ask  to  have  it  repeated.  Such  sounds  to  either  of 
our  little  daughters  when  of  his  age  would  have 
caused  the  quivering  lip  and  cry  of  distress.  At  such 
an  early  age  in  all  of  oiir  children  were  developed 
the  tastes  and  habits  of  the  different  sexes.  He  was 
inclined  to  be  w^akeful  at  night,  and  he  interested 
himself  greatly  in  the  shadows  on  the  wall,  and 
would  utter  a  cry  of  delight  as  he  reached  out  his 
hands  to  grasp  his  own  shadow. 

The  severe  cold  he  contracted  when  three  months 
of  age  seemed  to  have  w^eakened  his  lungs.  Several 
times  in  the  spring  he  was  strongly  threatened  with 
pneumonia,  but  escaped  serious  attack.  My  feelings 
in  regard  to  the  child  were,  I  will  watch  him  so  care- 
fully and  constantly  that  he  cannot  contract  disease  or 
die.  I  should  rather  have  committed  him  to  the  care 
of  my  Heavenly  Father,  with  the  knowledge  that 
He  only  could  preserve  him  from  danger  and  death. 


474  APPENDIX, 

On  the  first  day  of  May,  1864,  we  took  him  to  the 
church,  and  he  was  consecrated  to  God  in  baptism 
by  the  Rev.  James  Morton.  It  was  a  solemn  occasion 
to  his  parents.  The  recollection  of  our  departed 
ones,  who  had  been  consecrated  in  a  similar  manner, 
was  vivid  in  our  minds.  As  the  earnest  prayer  was 
offered  that  he  might  be  spared  a  blessing  to  us,  and 
grow  up  to  years  of  usefulness,  our  feelings  were,  he 
must  be  spared,  we  cannot  live  without  him. 

On  the  24th  of  May  I  had  been  in  the  house  the 
greater  part  of  the  day,  and  toward  evening  went 
into  the  garden  for  exercise.  The  gardener  had 
brought  home  some  cabbage-plants,  and  feared  he 
had  so  many  that  he  could  not  get  them  out  before 
dark.  I  offered  to  assist,  and  also  proposed  taking 
one  of  the  dining-room  servants.  On  going  to  the 
house  I  found  all  were  busy,  as  it  was  nearly  time 
for  supper.  Mary  Turner,  the  nurse,  who  was  an 
experienced  and  careful  English  woman,  was  prepar- 
ing the  baby's  supper.  I  suggested  that  she  leave 
the  baby  to  play  with  the  black  children  and  attend  to 
the  dining-room.  But  with  my  usual  solicitude,  that 
no  harm  should  come  to  my  only  child,  I  took  him 
from  the  bed  and  placed  him  on  the  floor  with  the 
children,  remarking  at  the  same  time,  "  He  is  safer 
there."  I  turned  to  take  a  parting  look,  and,  with  an 
admonition  to  the  children  to  let  nothing  liarm  him, 
I  gazed  with  fond  pride  upon  his  bright  rosy  coun- 
tenance— alas  !  to  see  him  no  more  until  in  the  ag- 
onies of  death. 

His  position  on  the  floor  was  sucli  that  he  could 
catch  hold  of  his  nurse's  dress  while  she  was  walking 
about  in  the  kitchen,  and  once  as  she  turned  quickly 


A    BEREAVED  MOTHER.  475 

she  pulled  him  over  and  hurt  his  head.  To  quiet  him, 
she  took  him  to  the  dining-room,  placed  him  in  a 
liigh  chair  at  the  table,  and  gave  him  some  plaything. 
Immediately  after  she  took  a  pitcher  of  boiling  water, 
and,  in  her  haste  and  entire  lack  of  thought,  placed 
it  near  him  and  left  the  room.  In  a  moment  more  its 
entire  contents  were  poured  over  his  body.  His  nurse, 
hearing  his  screams,  took  him  to  the  kitchen,  and  the 
cook,  finding  his  clothing  saturated  with  hot  water, 
poured  cold  wafer  over  him  and  then  began  taking 
off  his  clothes. 

I  was  called  from  the  garden,  and  reached  him  before 
the  clothing  was  all  removed.  I  shall  never  forget 
the  look  of  imploring  agony  he  turned  upon  me,  as 
he  heard  my  voice.  But  a  mother's  love  and  her  ef- 
forts to  relieve  the  torture  of  a  hundred  deaths  were 
powerless  now.  As  his  clothing  was  removed,  nearly 
all  of  the  skin  over  his  chest  and  back  also  came  off. 
Even  the  soles  of  his  feet  peeled  off  when  his  shoes 
and  stockings  were  removed.  It  was  probably  two 
hours  after  the  accident  before  the  little  tortured  body 
was  fully  enveloped  in  bandages  of  linseed  oil  and 
lime-water.  He  then  passed  into  a  sleep  from  which 
he  never  woke  again  on  earth. 

He  breathed  all  night  with  closed  eyes  and  motion- 
less form.  As  day  dawned  there  were  a  few  spas- 
modic struggles,  and  our  beautiful,  sunny-haired  boy, 
our  only  child,  had  his  sweet  face  composed  in  the 
sleep  of  death.  Very  lovely  he  was  in  the  robes  of 
death,  for  his  burn  was  entirely  concealed,  and  no 
disease  had  wasted  his  form.  Even  the  fearful  agony 
of  a  few  hours'  duration  had  failed  to  rob  his  face  of 
the  smiling  peace  that  a  ransomed  spirit  imprints 
when  it  leaves  its  abode  of  clay. 


47  6  APPENDIX. 

"  Because  thy  smile  was  fair, 

Thy  lip  and  eye  so  bright ; 
Because  thy  loving  cradle  care 

Was  such  a  dear  delight ; 
Shall  love  with  weak  embrace 

Thy  upward  wing  detain  ? 
No  !  gentle  angel,  seek  thy  place 

Amid  the  cherub  train." 

Theodore,  our  seventh  child,  was  born  June  6, 
1 866,  and  after  a  suffering  life  of  five  months  also 
left  us  for  a  home  in  that  world  where  pain  and 
anguish  are  unknown.  He  was  a  fine,  healthy  babe, 
but  in  my  anxiety  that  he  should  continue  well,  I 
procured  a  nurse  whose  milk  did  not  agree  with  him. 
So  many  changes  were  made  to  add  to  his  comfort, 
that  his  stomach  became  incapable  of  properly  digest- 
ing any  food. 

We  named  him  Theodore  (gift  of  God),  thinking, 
as  so  many  of  our  children  had  been  taken,  that  God 
had  given  this  boy  as  a  special  blessing  and  comfort. 
But  more  appropriately  had  his  name  been  Benoni 
(the  son  of  my  sorrow) ;  for  a  sad,  sad  life  was  mine 
from  the  time  of  his  birth  until  his  wailing  voice  of 
distress  was  hushed  in  death.  I  think  that  I  failed  to 
put  my  trust  in  God,  but  felt  that  this  only  son  mi/st 
be  spared,  and  toiled  for  it  and  tried  expedients,  with- 
out looking  for  help  from  my  Heavenly  Father. 

After  his  death  I  had  very  rebellious  feelings,  and 
thought :  God  has  not  been  a  merciful  Father  in 
sending  this  affliction.  For  here  have  ho-^w  five  7nonihs 
of  my  life — a  period  of  great  bodily  and  mental  suf- 
fering, of  impatience  and  sleepless  anxiety,  of  utter 
neglect  of  my  family  and  family  duties,  of  inability 


A   BEREAVED  MOTHER.  477 

to  assist  my  husband,  .or  to  improve  my  mind  and 
cultivate  my  heart — and  now  the  child  is  gone  ;  the 
brief  life  that  never  knew  any  comfort  or  happiness  in 
earthly  existence  is  prematurely  cut  short — and  what 
does  it  all  avail  ?  I  felt  tempted  to  believe  that  no 
God  of  wisdom  and  love  ruled  such  a  dark,  sin-blight- 
ed earth  as  ours,  and  the  gloom  of  despair  was  set- 
tling down  upon  my  mind. 

But  this  state  of  mind  could  not  last  long,  as  health 
and  reason  would  soon  have  given  way  in  this  resist- 
ance of  God's  sovereignty  and  goodness  too,  in  His 
dealings  with  the  children  of  men.  I  began  to  say, 
Perhaps  God  has  afflicted  me  in  this  way  to  teach  me 
that  I  must  trust  Him  more  fully,  so  that  when  the 
trial  comes  I  can  say,  "Just  and  right  are  all  Thy 
ways,  O  Lord  God  of  Hosts,"  and  ''  Though  He  slay 
me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him,"  knowing  well  that  the 
light  of  eternity  would  make  plain  all  the  mysteries 
and  dark  providences  of  my  earthly  pilgrimage. 

I  hoped  and  believed  that  long  ago  I  had  acquired 
this  childlike  trust  in  my  Heavenly  Father.  But 
when  the  trial  came,  I  found  that  I  had  leaned  upon 
a  broken  reed,  and  there  was  no  peace  to  my  trou- 
bled spirit  until  I  could  say, 

"  Subdued  and  instructed  at  length  to  Thy  will, 
My  hopes  and  my  wishes,  my  all  I  resign  ; 

O  give  me  a  heart  that  can  wait  and  be  still, 
Nor  know  of  a  wish  or  a  pleasure  but  Thine." 

Frederick  William  was  born  September  29,  1869, 
and  died  August  22,  1876. 

Freddy  was  a  delicate  child  from  his  birth,  and 
continued  so  until  past  his  second  summer.     When 


'47  8  APPENDIX. 

just  two  years  old,  as  he  was  getting  quite  strong  and 
healthy,  on  the  last  day  of  October,  his  sister  Stella 
poured  some  poison  in  his  mouth.  He  was  then  so 
near  death  that  his  pulse  and  breath  were  gone. 

He  was  very  affectionate,  but  timid  with  strangers  ; 
happy  in  the  society  of  his  father,  but  when  in  trou- 
ble his  place  of  refuge  was  in  his  mother's  arms.  He 
loved  all  of  his  sisters,  but  especially  Stella.  When 
she  was  away  he  would  seem  lonely  and  lost ;  when 
she  would  return,  he  would  go  into  a  transport  of 
joy. 

He  had  a  soft,  fair  skin,  and  when  two  or  three 
years  old  would  have  made  a  beautiful  picture  with 
his  curling  golden  hair,  fair  complexion,  and  blue 
eyes.  I  was  anxious  to  have  a  portrait  painted  of 
him,  but  his  father  thought  it  would  be  encouraging 
too  much  pride  in  his  looks. 

At  an  early  age  he  developed  a  boy's  nature  in 
love  of  climbing  and  noisy  sports.  He  also  loved 
work,  and  had  a  great  deal  of  system  in  his  habits. 
He  had,  perhaps,  the  most  affectionate  disposition  of 
any  of  our  children.  He  was  fond  of  caresses  and  of 
pets.  When  walking  past  houses  where  there  were 
birds  in  cages,  he  would  stop  to  admire  them  and 
hear  their  songs.  A  dog  was  his  special  delight. 
The  last  six  months  of  his  life,  a  fine  Newfound- 
land that  Mr.  Castleman  gave  him  was  his  constant 
playfellow.  In  being  allowed  to  make  a  selection 
of  toys  for  himself,  he  chose  a  little  jewel  box,  on 
the  top  of  which  was  a  carrier  pigeon,  with  its  pack- 
et tied  around  its  neck  and  its  wings  spread  in  readi- 
ness for  its  long  flight. 

He  dearly  loved  music,  and  could    sing  very  well 


A   BEREAVED  MOTHER.  479 

nearly  all  of  the  Sabbath-school  songs.  In  secular 
music  his  favorites  were  of  a  plaintive,  emotional 
character.  When  Rev.  John  G.  Fackler  was  visit- 
ing us,  he  said,  "  I  can  see  that  boy  has  the  greatest 
amount  of  energy  in  his  composition  just  by  the  way 
he  walks.  He  has  the  regular  Kentucky  stride." 
He  was  easily  aroused  and  thrown  into  a  passion, 
but  was  very  soon  penitent,  and  used  to  say,  ''  I 
would  never  do  wrong,  if  I  could  stop  to  think." 
When  he  was  about  five  years  old,  we  told  our  chil- 
dren that  we  preferred  being  called  "father"  and 
"  mother,"  and  to  the  day  of  his  death  he  used  these 
names,  while  the  older  sisters  could  not  remember. 

He  seldom  neglected  his  morning  prayer.  Indeed, 
whatever  he  made  up  his  mind  to  do,  he  would  sel- 
dom neglect.  He  took  great  interest  in  learning  the 
Child's  Catechism  and  his  Bible  verses,  and  was  very 
thorough.  The  particular  Scripture  texts  I  cannot 
remember,  except  in  a  few  instances  :  Eccles.  9:10; 
Prov.  2 1 :  23  ;  Ps.  1 1 9 :  105  ;  Prov  16:32;  and  James  4  : 
14.  He  had  learned  about  two  thirds  of  the  Catechism. 

During  the  summer  of  1875  I  had  an  irresistible 
desire  to  go  to  the  farm,  and  have  no  one  but  my  own 
family  about  me.  I  longed  for  a  closer  contact  with 
my  children.  While  there,  Freddy  learned  about 
fifteen  verses  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  Matthew,  besides 
single  verses  in  other  places  and  several  hymns. 
While  there,  Thompson  McKenny,  a  Choctaw  youth, 
took  Freddy  with  him  about  a  mile  distant  to  his 
work.  As  I  expected  him  to  be  absent  but  a  short 
time,  I  passed  hours  of  agony,  until  in  the  dim  twi- 
light a  form  was  seen  coming  across  the  field,  and 
Thompson  was  bearing  him  on  his  shoulders.     I  felt 


4^0  APPENDIX. 

like  the  mother  whose  boy  had  been  taken  by  the 
Indian  chief  as  a  pledge  of  confidence,  when  she  saw 
his  return,  laughing  and  toying  with  the  heavy 
plumes  that  drooped  upon  the  chieftain's  brow. 

For  two  weeks  before  the  close  of  the  school  ses- 
sion in  1876  he  was  coughing  quite  hard  at  night, 
but  he  seemed  well  and  active  in  the  daytime.  He 
took  much  interest  in  the  speaking  of  the  schoolboys, 
and  would  go  by  himself  to  repeat  portions  of  their 
speeches.  He  expressed  a  desire  to  speak  before 
the  public,  but  I  told  him  he  was  too  young.  I 
think  he  was  a  natural  orator,  for  he  would  repeat 
all  of  his  Bible  verses  and  hymns  as  a  declamation. 
He  learned  all  of  the  24th  Psalm,  and  his  tones  grew 
eloquent  with  a  full  understanding  of  the  grandeur 
of  the  theme.  I  could  hardly  realize  that  it  was  a 
child's  voice  repeating  the  lofty  strains,  ''  Who  is 
this  King  of  glory?  The  Lord  of  hosts,  He  is  the 
King  of  glory."  Whenever  he  heard  a  poem  that 
pleased  him,  he  would  have  me  to  read  it  over,  one 
verse  at  a  time,  until  he  knew  it  perfectly.  In  this 
way  he  learned,  '^Woodman,  spare  that  tree,"  "  The 
Old  Arm  Chair,"  ''Give  me  three  grains  of  corn, 
mother." 

In  anticipation  of  my  going  east  during  the  vaca- 
tion of  1876,  some  one  of  the  family  said,  "Freddy 
won't  be  satisfied  to  have  you  leave  him,  he  is  such  a 
pet."  Looking  quite  thoughtful,  he  turned  to  me 
saying,  "  Won't  father  be  here  ?"  I  answered  "  Yes," 
and  he  added,  "  Of  course  I  can  stay  here  with 
father."  When  I  told  him  I  should  not  go  until  my 
children  were  well  of  the  whooping-cough,  he  said, 
*'0  you  needn't  stay  for  that,  for  I  won't  giv('  ;inv 
trouble." 


A   BEREAVED  MOTHER.  481 

He  had  contracted  fresh  cold  from  an  exposure  to 
rain  in  one  of  our  trips  to  the  farm,  and  had  been 
weakened  by  bleeding  at  the  nose.  He  did  not  there- 
fore go  to  church  on  Sunday,  June  18,  but  studied 
the  Catechism  and  learned  James  4  :  14.  While  I 
was  resting  to  recover  the  loss  of  sleep  I  had  incur- 
red the  past  few  days  in  nursing  Susie,  Freddy  put 
the  room  in  nice  order,  sweeping  and  dusting  it. 
When  I  awoke  I  complimented  his  neatness,  and  he 
proposed  that  I  should  sit  in  a  low  chair  while  he 
brushed  my  hair.  This  was  his  last  labor  of  love  for 
me  ;  for  on  the  morrow  he  was  laid  upon  a  bed  of 
suffering,  from  which  he  never  arose. 

When  he  first  waked  Monday  morning  his  head 
was  aching.  I  told  him  to  lie  in  bed,  and  I  would 
have  his  breakfast  brought  to  him.  But  with  his 
great  energy  and  love  of  early  rising,  he  dressed  and 
quietly  slipped  out  of  the  room.  At  10  o'clock  he 
came  in  sick,  his  hands  and  feet  quite  cold.  Soon  a 
fever  came  on,  and  he  passed  into  a  quiet  sleep.  He 
roused  partly,  and  went  into  a  severe  convulsion. 
The  next  day  he ,  seemed  to  have  two  chills.  We 
gave  him  a  heavy  sweat  to  prevent  a  third.  This 
weakened  him,  and  that  night  he  was  very  ill,  the 
brain  being  threatened  with  congestion.  His  fever 
continued  until  the  tenth  day.  At  the  end  of  the 
third  week  the  doctor  thought  him  convalescent, 
but  in  danger  of  a  relapse  and  of  serious  trouble 
from  his  bowels,  should  they  become  involved. 

He  was  very  patient,  and  well  pleased  with  the  ladies 
w4io  helped  me  to  nurse  him.  He  was  particularly 
fond  of  Mrs.  Woolfolk.  When,  she  came,  he  would 
tell  me  that  I  might  go  and  rest.     When   there  were 


4^2  APPENDIX. 

watchers  in  whom  he  had  less  confidence,  he  would 
say,  "  You  may  lie  down  on  the  bed  by  me  and 
sleep." 

Once  he  said  to  the  doctor,  ''Do  you  want  to 
know  how  to  make  the  children  good  ?"  When  the 
doctor  assented,  he  replied,  "You  must  keep  them 
off  the  street  and  put  them  to  work." 

He  now  had  two  days  of  comparative  freedom 
from  pain.  On  the  Sabbath  he  sat  up  a  long  time  in 
a  rocking-chair,  listened  with  interest  to  the  reading 
of  the  Bible,  talked  with  his  sisters,  and  in  the  even- 
ing sang  in  a  loud,  clear  voice  with  Stella  and  my- 
self his  favorite  hymns  :  "  There  is  a  land  of  pure 
delight,"  "  Shall  we  gather  at  the  river.?"  "  Let  us 
cross  over  the  river,"  and   "  Jesus  loves  me." 

About  midnight,  however,  his  pain  returned,  and 
before  morning  it  was  evident  that  his  bowels  were 
seriously  deranged.  This  day  was  one  of  great  suf- 
fering, and  that  night  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  could 
not  possibly  recover.  I  felt  a  strong  desire  to  talk 
freely  to  him  of  death  and  the  heavenly  home  dur- 
ing this  weary  week  of  suffering,  but  I  feared  he 
was  too  weak  to  attend  to  any  subject  requiring 
thought.  Very  often,  however,  the  feeling  of  his 
danger  would  so  overpower  me  that  I  would  say, 
"  My  dear  boy,  you  are  so  sick  I  fear  you  can  never 
get  well.  Do  you  feel  willing  to  die,  if  it  is  God's 
will  .'^"  Always  very  clearly  and  calmly,  he  would 
answer,  "Yes."  I  would  then  add  a  hope  that  he 
would  get  well,  and  talk  of  something  he  must  do, 
at  soon  as  he  was  able.  I  took  advantage  of  his 
niost  comfortable  hours  to  rciad  portions  of  God's 
Word,  and  I  would  repeat   verses  that   he  had   com- 


A    BEREAVED   MOTHER.  483 

mitted  to  memory.  He  always  seemed  very  attentive 
and  thoughtful,  but  seldom  made  any  remark.  In- 
deed, he  talked  very  little  during  his  sickness. 

The  fifth  week  wore  away  with  the  same  sad  suffer- 
ing. The  sixth  week  came,  and  we  were  gladdened 
by  the  return  of  Miss  Annie  McCutchen  and  Grace, 
from  Brownsville,  and  it  was  about  the  only  smile 
that  had  been  upon  his  face  when  he  greeted  them. 
Annie  brought  him  some  choice  candy  and  a  ball. 
Mrs.  McCutchen  supplied  him  with  handsome  boxes. 
Aimee  Gauss  gave  him  a  box  of  fancy  crackers. 
All  these  he  arranged  nicely,  and  for  many  days  took 
pleasure  in  looking  them  over.  He  never  asked  to 
taste  of  them.  Mrs.  McCutchen  also  filled  for  him 
and  marked  with  his  name  a  dozen  small  glasses  of 
blackberry  jelly. 

He  had  been  fed  upon  milk,  although  for  some  time 
he  had  craved  solid  food.  The  milk  now  disagreed 
with  him.  In  trying  other  kinds  of  food,  we  did  him 
harm,  and  he  was  growing  worse. 

He  was  very  much  attached  to  Misses  Annie  and 
Maria  McCutchen.  He  was  so  happy  to  have  Miss 
Annie  with  him,  that  he  scarcely  wanted  my  care, 
and  the  dear  girl  will  be  fondly  and  tenderly  associ- 
ated with  all  my  recollections  of  his  brief  life. 

This  week  we  changed  his  room,  which  was  very 
agreeable  to  him.  Mrs.  Bowman,  who  had  had  much 
experience  with  this  kind  of  sickness,  came  to  see  him . 
Her  advice  and  help  gave  me  encouragement.  On 
her  second  visit  she  brought  Freddy  a  tame  pigeon, 
a  pet,  eating  out  of  their  hands'and  perching  on  their 
shoulders.  Being  quite  young,  it  had  not  been  accus- 
tomed to  going  outside  of  the  yard.     The  dear  boy 


484  APPENDIX. 

held  it  in  his  hands,  smoothed  its  soft  plumage,  spoke 
loving  words  to  it,  and  then  asked  me  to  put  it  upon 
the  window-sill,  where  he  could  look  at  it.  The  out- 
side door  was  partly  open,  but  Mrs.  B.  said  there  was 
not  the  slightest  danger  of  its  leaving  the  house. 
For  a  moment  only  it  rested  upon  the  window,  then 
it  flew  out  of  the  open  door  upon  the  roof  of  the 
house,  and  then  away,  away,  we  could  not  tell  in 
what  direction  and  was  never  heard  from  again.  The 
tears  came  into  Freddy's  eyes  as  he  saw  it  leave.  We 
were  so  confident  that  it  would  return  that  Freddy 
crumbled  a  piece  of  bread  to  be  ready  for  it.  But 
when  hours  and  days  passed,  he  began  to  be  re- 
signed, and  we  diverted  his  attention  to  other  things. 
Was  this  an  omen  that  my  loved  one  was  about  to 
plume  the  spirit's  wing  for  a  heavenward  flight? 
He  examined  a  croquet  set,  which  his  father  bought, 
but  I  could  see  that  he  was  losing  his  interest  in  games 
and  sports.  He  could  hear  the  blows  of  the  mallet 
and  his  sisters'  voices,  but  he  expressed  no  desire  to 
be  with  them.  His  dog,  too,  his  special  pet,  he  scarcely 
noticed  now.  But  his  interest  in  everything  con- 
nected with  the  Sabbath-school  did  not  abate.  He 
often  asked  about  the  verses  and  the  catechism,  and 
said  that  his  class  would  be  far  ahead  of  him.  One 
day,  when  suffering  greatly,  hesaid,  "  Mother,  I  know 
you  can't  help  me,  nor  the  doctor,  but  the  Lord  can." 
I  said,  ''  Yes,  for  He  died  to  save  you,"  and  he  added, 
"  I  know  He  did,  'the  painful  and  shameful  death  of 
the  cross.'  "  His  desire  was  very  strong  to  attend 
the  Sabbath-school  picnic,  and  he  even  wanted  to 
walk  there.  But  at  this  time  he  was  wasted  almost 
to  a  skeleton,  and  we  had  to  work  with    him  very 


A    BEREAVED  MOTHER.  485 

carefully  to  avoid  giving  him  pain.  In  thinking  of 
his  extreme  weakness,  he.was  convinced  that  he  could 
not  walk,  and  was  pleased  with  the  suggestion  of  rid- 
ing down  in  his  sisters'  carriage.  When  Wednesday- 
came  he  realized  that  he  could  not  be  out  of  bed,  and 
said,  *'  I  did  not  think  Thursday  would  come  so  soon 
or  I  would  not  have  asked  to  go  to  the  picnic."  I  felt 
thankful  that  a  rain  on  Thursday  caused  a  postpone- 
ment, as  it  lessened  his  disappointment. 

The  seventh  week  he  took  the  silver  coins  we  had 
given  him,  and  put  tliem  in  the  case  of  his  grandfather 
Kemper's  silver  watch,  which  his  father  had  given  to 
him;  I  hung  the  watch  near  his  bed.  But  with  his 
usual  carefulness,  after  a  day  or  two  he  concluded  it 
would  be  easy  for  a  thief  to  steal  his  money,  so  he 
got  Miss  Annie  to  buy  him  a  bank.  One  day,  count- 
ing the  silver  pieces,  he  said,  "  I  am  going  to  use  a 
part  of  this  to  mend  my  valise,  and  take  half  to  the 
Sunday-school."  But  I  said,  ''If  you  should  not  get 
well,  shall  I  send  it  all  for  the  heathen  children  ?" 
He  answered  thoughtfully,  "  Yes."  I  added,"  What 
shall  I  do  with  your  other  things.^"  At  first  he  said, 
*'  I  don't  know,"  but  afterward  added,  ''  Give  my  toys 
to  my  sisters." 

I  had  borrowed  a  half  dollar  of  his  money,  and, 
having  no  silver  to  replace  it,  borrowed  two  quarters 
from  one  of  the  servants.  He  did  not  enjoy  this,  and 
said  those  quarters  were  not  really  his  own.  As  his 
father  did  not  go  to  the  bank  that  day,  he  sent  for 
the  servant,  and  said,  "  Mary,  I  want  you  to  take 
your  money,  for  father  forgets  to  get  any  out  of  the 
bank,  and  I  rather  go  without  any  than  to  have  bor- 
rowed money."  After  this  his  money  was  replaced, 
and  he  was  satisfied. 


486  APPENDIX. 

There  was  little  improvement  the  eighth  week.  As, 
however,  the  doctor  said  he^vas  doing  well,  his  father 
on  Wednesday  went  to  Saline  County.  This  trip  had 
been  delayed  several  weeks  by  his  sickness.  In  a 
day  or  two  he  was  better,  and  had  one  very  comfort- 
able day.  I  noticed,  however,  that  Dr.  McCutchen 
was  watching  him  with  unusual  care.  His  soundest 
sleep  had  usually  been  early  in  the  morning,  but 
now  at  the  earliest  dawn  he  would  awake  and  gaze 
very  thoughtfully  and  quietly  out  of  the  window,  and 
ask  me  to  take  him  up  in  the  rocking-chair.  As  this 
was  the  time  of  the  night  I  slept  most  soundly,  I 
would  only  waken  enough  to  ask  him  if  he  could 
not  wait  a  while.  So  thoughtful  was  he  for  my  com- 
fort that  he  would  remain  perfectly  quiet.  How 
much  I  would  give  now  to  know  what  were  his 
thoughts  in  that  quiet  morning  hour! 

One  evening  this  week  there  was  a  severe  thunder- 
storm and  a  crashing  peal  of  thunder.  This  greatly 
frightened  me,  because  I  thought  it  would  be  a  shock 
to  him  ;  but  he  looked  up  at  me  with  the  greatest 
serenity,  not  speaking,  but  expressing  wonder  that  I 
should  be  afraid.  The  latter  part  of  this  week  our 
German  gardener  stuffed  some  of  Freddy's  old  clothes 
with  hay  to  make  a  scarecrow.  It  was  quite  comical, 
and  would  have  drawn  from  him  a  hearty  laugh  in 
health,  but  when  held  before  him  he  looked  at  it 
quietly,  without  a  smile  or  remark.  The  next  day, 
however,  he  expressed  a  desire  to  see  a  pretty  calf 
that  we  had  at  the  stable. 

The  ninth  week  came  in  its  weary  round.  I  re- 
member very  little  of  this  last  Sabbath.  My  usual 
custom  was  to  read  short  chapters  in  the  Bible,   to 


A    BEREAVED  MOTHER.  487 

repeat  verses  he  had  learned,  and  sometimes  to  sing 
the  songs  he  loved  best.  That  night  I  plainly  saw 
that  he  was  not  so  well.  It  was  due  to  improper 
diet.  I  was  so  troubled  that  a  change  for  the  worse 
should  result  from  neglect  or  improper  nourishment 
that  I  was  obliged  to  go  into  some  place  of  solitude 
to  gain  composure.  I  walked  the  room  in  feverish 
excitement.  But  when  I  knelt  to  pray  for  the  dear 
sufferer,  the  torrent  of  passionate  rebellion  gave  way, 
and  there  followed  a  great  calm.  I  rejoiced  in  a  per- 
fect trust  in  God's  power  to  heal  and  bless.  I  then 
thought  this  peace  was  an  assurance  that  my  boy 
would  get  well.  I  went  back  to  his  room  and  found 
him  quiet  and  serene  under  dear  Annie's  soothing 
attentions.  After  this  I  interested  myself,  for  the 
first  time  since  his  sickness,  in  the  garden  and  in 
seeing  visitors,  to  whom  I  talked  cheerfully  of  Fred- 
dy's recovery.  I  promised  him  that  I  would  take 
him  to  the  country  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  ride. 
He  talked  cheerfully  with  Annie,  who  propped  him 
up  in  bed  that  he  might  cut  out  pictures  from  a 
paper.  He  wished  her  to  make  a  bag  for  his  marbles, 
and  told  her  that  he  could  fan  himself  and  keep  off 
the  flies. 

That  night  he  rested  quite  well  and  at  the  first 
dawn  of  day  he  called  me,  saying,  ''Father  is  com- 
ing home  to-night,  isn't  he?"  I  answered,  ''Yes; 
and  he  will  be  so  disappointed  that  you  are  not  yet 
able  to  ride  out  with  him."  Quite  early  he  asked  to 
sit  up  in  his  chair,  where  he  remained  longer  than 
usual,  looking  thoughtfully  out  of  the  window.  Af- 
ter a  while  he  said  that  he  was  cold,  and  I  put  him 
back  into  bed,  never  dreaming  that  the  chill  of  death 


488  .  APPENDIX. 

was  creeping  over  him,  although  I  knew  there  was 
sometliing  unnatural  in  his  desire  for  hot  drink.  My 
dear  friend,  Mrs.  Judge  Smith,  came  to  see  me,  and  I 
think  she  tried  to  give  me  a  warning.  I  told  her  I 
felt  perfectly  reconciled  to  God's  will,  but  all  thei:ime 
I  felt  that  his  life  must  be  spared. 

About  noon  I  sent  for  the  doctor,  as  his  hands  were 
cramping.     About  two  o'clock  there  was  a  twitching 
of  the  muscles  of  the  mouth  and  a  rolling  of  the  eyes. 
When  I  asked  him    a   question  he  failed  to  reply. 
Then,  for  the  first  time,  I  realized  that  he  would  die, 
and  told  him  so.     But  his  ear  was  already  unconscious 
of  earthly  sounds,  and  his  eyes  had  no  recognition  of 
his  dearest  friends.  I  could  not  look  upon  his  face  now, 
so  I  buried  mine  in  the  pillow  to  hide  from  my  sight 
my  darling's  dying  agony.     Just  then  his  father  enter- 
ed the  room,  expecting  to  greet  his  boy,  greatly  im- 
proved, but  alas,  to  be  met  by  the  mute  circle  of  weej>- 
ing  friends.  The  eye  that  would  have  beamed  so  bright- 
ly, and  the  heart  that  would  have  bounded  joyously 
to  welcome  the  father  he  loved  so  well,  had  now  no 
consciousness  of  his  presence.     I  once  more  tried  to 
gain  his  attention  by  telling  him  his  father  had  come, 
but   it  was  too  late,  and  we  could  do  nothing  but 
w^ait  in  silent  agony  the  slow  hours  of  fading  life. 
He  breathed  quietly  for  an  hour  or  more,  and  then, 
when  the  sultry  August  sun  went  down,  without  a 
quivering  muscle  the  spirit  returned   to    God   who 
gave  it. 

I  could  do  no  more  for  my  precious  darling.  The 
sleepless  nights  and  anxious  days  were  past.  Leav- 
ing many  kisaes  on  the  sealed  lips,  still  warm  with 
departing  life,  I  left  him  for  other  hands  to  compose 


A   BEREAVED  MOTHER.  489 

his  wasted  body  for  the  grave.  An  hour  afterward, 
when  I  looked  at  him,  the  glorified  spirit  had  imprint- 
ed the  smile  of  heaven  on  the  pale  face.  ''Death 
could  not  steal  the  signet  ring  of  heaven/'  On  the 
afternoon  of  the  23rd  of  August  our  kind  friends  as- 
sembled. Rev.  Dr.  Gauss,  who  had  been  the  faithful 
teacher  of  our  dear  boy,  comforted  and  strengthened 
our  hearts  with  precious  promises  of  God's  Word ; 
and  the  hymns,  "One  by  one  we're  crossing  over" 
and  "There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight,"  were  sung. 
Then  the  precious  dust  was  laid  away  until  the  resur- 
rection morn. 

I  feel  that  there  will  be  a  dark  shadow  over  all  the 
rest  of  my  earthly  pilgrimage,  when  I  recall  my  loss 
and  his  great  suffering.  There  will  doubtless  be 
times,  when  I  see  an  aged  father  bowed  down  with 
grief  because  of  a  prodigal  son,  or  a  youth  while  in 
a  career  of  sin,  cut  off  suddenly,  that  I  shall  thank 
my  Heavenly  Father  that  my  boy  went  safely  home 
before  he  knew  but  little  of  earthly  sorrow  or  sin. 

To  Miss  Josie  Pinnell,  his  faithful  Sabbath-school 
teacher,  I  feel  under  a  great  debt  of  obligation,  for 
the  dear  boy's  interest  in  his  hymns  and  verses  was 
chiefly  owing  to  her  happy  manner  of  imparting  in- 
struction. She  also  ministered  to  his  comfort  many 
of  the  weary  days  of  his  sickness.  Mrs.  Woolfolk 
was  with  us  many  nights,  and  he  always  seemed  more 
comfortable  under  her  soothing  attentions.  Mrs. 
Brewster,  Mrs.  Digges,  Miss  Mamie  Brewster,  Miss 
Sallie  Edwards,  Miss  Nannie  Lionberger,  and  others 
are  held  in  grateful  remembrance.  Miss  Birdie 
Brent  made  a  wreath  of  geranium  leaves  and  fragrant 
white  lilies  to   lay   upon   his  coffin.      Miss   Mamie 


490  APPENDIX. 

Brewster  supplied  rare  and  beautiful  flowers  to 
wreathe  his  cold,  pale  brow.  Miss  Helen  Spahr  very- 
kindly  made  a  pin-cushion  for  me  from  the  material 
left  of  his  burial  robe.  God  grant  that  all  these  kind 
friends,  with  the  parents  and  remaining  children, 
may  be  of  the  number  of  whom  it  shall  be  said, 

"  Servant  of  God,  well  done  ; 
Praise  be  thy  new  employ  ; 
And  while  eternal  ages  run, 
Rest  in  thy  Saviour's  joy." 

Lines  written  by  Horace  A.  Hutchison,  Esq.,  one  of 
the  old  pupils  of  the  school,  on  the  occasion  of  Fred- 
dy's death.     They  are  beautiful. 

"LITTLE  FRED. 

ONLY    SON    OF   F.  T.  AND    SUSAN   KEMPER. 
"  IN  MEMORIAM.' 

*'  Let  the  stars  shine  on  his  grave 

In  their  brightness. 
Let  the  lilies  o'er  him  wave 

In  their  whiteness, 
For  the  beauty  of  the  star, 
As  it  glimmers  from  afar, 
Is  not  purer  in  its  light, 
Nor  the  lily  in  its  white, 
Than  the  spirit  of  the  loved  one 
When  from  earth  it  took  its  flight. 

*•  Oft  the  tear  of  grief  will  flow 

When  we're  thinking 
Of  the  bitter  cup  of  woe 

We  are  drinking  ; 
And  we  feel  that  it  is  best 
That  our  little  ones  should  rest 
In  the  loving  arms  of  God, 
While  we  *  pass  beneath  the  rod,* 
Ere  they  feel  the  hand  of  sorrow. 
Or  in  paths  of  sin  have  trod. 


A    BEREAVED  MOTHER.  491 

"  Though  his  voice  we  may  not  hear 

In  its  gladness  ; 
Though  we  weep  beside  his  bier 

In  our  sadness  ; 
Yet  the  tears  of  love  we  shed 
For  the  gentle  spirit  fled 
Will  alight  on  memory's  flowers 
Like  the  dew  upon  the  bowers, 
To  refresh  and  keep  them  blooming 
Through  the  dark  and  lonely  hours. 

"  From  the  weary  world  below 

Early  taken, 
From  the  touch  of  sin  and  woe 

To  awaken, 
Where  the  tear  may  never  start. 
Nor  temptation  try  the  heart  ; 
By  the  shining,  sinless  shore, 
With  the  dear  ones  gone  before, 
He  will  wait  for  other  loved  ones, 
Till  they  cross  the  river  o'er. 

'' Boonville,  Mo.,  Sept.  1876. 

I  These  verses  were  written  by  Mrs.  Alice  M.  Painter, 

the  accomplished  and  excellent  wife  of  the  Rev.  H. 
M.  Painter: 

"  TO  MY  BEREAVED  FRIEND,  MRS.  S.  H.  KEMPER. 

SUGGESTED    ON  SEEING    THREE    LOVELY    SPRING    VIOLETS  ON   THE 
THREE  GRAVES  OF  HER  CHILDREN. 

"*'  I  stood  beside  the  spot  of  earth 
Where  my  heart's  treasures  lie  ; 

I  could  not  keep  the  question  back, 
Why  did  my  darlings  die  ? 

"  I  hushed  it  as  a  feeling  wrong— 

This  tumult  now  within— 
Because  to  murmur,  O  my  God, 

I  felt  't  would  be  a  sin. 


492  APPENDIX. 

** '  God  gave,  He  took,  He  will  restore, 

He  doelh  all  things  well'; 
And  gratitude's  the  feeling  now 

My  stricken  heart  doth  swell. 

•'  Grateful  to  God  that  He  doth  find 

Me  worthy  of  His  love  ; 
That  He  has  called  my  little  ones 

To  dwell  with  Him  above. 

"  Lonely  I  am,  and  often  sad, 

And  sometimes  even  sigh — 
Sigh  to  break  up  this  house  of  clay 

To  go  to  them  on  high. 

"  I  turned  to  go,  I  could  not  stay 

Longer  in  this  loved  spot ; 
Life's  duties  hastened  me  away, 

For  they  are  not  forgot. 

"  Upon  those  tiny  heaps  of  earth,  . 

So  precious  in  my  sight, 
I  found  three  violets  blooming 

To  fill  me  with  delight. 

*'  Part  of  their  precious  dust  they  seemed, 

Fit  emblem  of  the  three  ; 
And  whilst  I  viewed  the  beauteous  flowers. 

Their  forms  I  seemed  to  see. 

"  Bloom  on,  ye  gentle  whisperers,  bloom  ; 

Ye  bring  me  tidings  sweet  ; 
From  out  these  heaps  my  babes  shall  spring  ; 

In  heaven  I  will  them  meet. 

*'  Beside  this  spot  I  watch  and  pray, 
And  hope  and  trust  till  life  is  o'er  ; 

For  well  I  know  that  each  loved  babe 
I'll  meet  where  parting  is  no  more, 

"  May  27,  1864.  A.  M.  Painter. 


370.92  K32  Q1  C.I 

Quarles  #  The  life  of 
Prof.  F.  T.  Kemper,  A,M. 


3  0005  02036704  4 


■1 

376,55 

^" 

K32 

1 

Ql 

1 

Quarles 

1 

The  life  of  Prof.  P.T.  Kemper, 

1 

A.M.,  the  Christian  educator 

1370.92 
:32 

Quarles  - 

The  life  of  Prof.  F.T.  Kemper,  A.M., 
the  Christian  educator