April 1832

Union College Friday April 27, 1832 Very warm and pleasant day. Have been much occupied in putting my furniture in order at my room and getting ready for study next week. But very few students were present at evening prayers. Our Freshmen Class gains strongly both in number and attainment consisting now of fifteen. Last term we had four “Maximums” out of seven then forming our class. The Sophomores have none, the Juniors five and the Seniors six. This merit roll I consider a fine thing especially the having it made public at the end or beginning of every term. It prompts to action and inspires students with ambition not to have their name posted low. The “maximum” value of Attendance, Conduct and Scholarship is marked at one hundred and who gets the highest value on all these is one of the best scholars. The four Maximums in our class are Pollard, Nichols, Searle and myself. I tried not for nor expected the honor, but it so happened that I attained it. I hope that I may not be puffed up, but consider that honor and preferment cometh from the Lord, and that pride always precedes a fall. I would that Christ should have all the honor. Willis came last night from Cherry Valley and slept with me last night. He is a fine, pious young man and calculated to do much good in the world for Christ and his cause. Although his scholarship is not very high I think it is owing more to ill health and sore eyes, than to his natural aptness and ability for learning. His company is very agreeable and often he breaks out in strains of ardent piety and love for souls. I think he is naturally of a serious turn. Attended prayers tonight in an almost empty Chapel where Dr. Nott officiated. I slept in my room tonight which is now a most handsome abode.

Saturday April 28, 1832 The soft air of spring now and then comes over us very pleasantly enlivening and making pleasant our lives of care and weariness; callous must be that heart that will not feel the risings of gratitude toward the Author that giveth these pleasant seasons. Our studies for this term are Sallust, Lysias, Demosthenes, Isocrates and Livy. The more I see the manner of proceeding heretofore at this College without any Freshman class, the more I become pleased with the plan of having one. No one can say but that this college has suffered much because they have had none and perhaps with justice, for I verily believe that a four–year course is decidedly better and that if it is shortened it is at the expense of attainment by the students. Many come prepared to enter in advanced standing from some academy where the incompetency perhaps of the teacher never gave a thorough education but superficial. They enter and when they come to learn from accomplished and critical instructors they see their glaring deficiencies, whereas if he had entered the Freshman Class he would have had a fair opportunity to know double than if he had taken the former course. For these reasons I concede the N.E. students the better scholars, they almost always entering the Freshman Class while here the senior class is not uncommonly entered.

Sunday April 29, 1832 I have a Sunday School Movement Class who are now learning to read but are pretty interesting little fellows. Schools of this kind in the hand of God are going to execute the most powerful and salutary influence of any similar institution in existence. It requires no extraordinary foresight to see its future blessings and prosperity. Mr. Gillet being yet absent to N. York, no preaching was heard at the Baptist Church. In the forenoon I heard a Mr. Henry at the Presbyterian Church whose manner and matter I believe is pretty good although I was not greatly interested with either. Probably the fault was more in myself than in him. From hearing some of Mr. James’ sermons which do not always suit my fancy that Church has become altogether uninviting to me and looks as cold and dreary as the tomb. This perhaps prejudice against the preacher has founded prejudice against the house and may always continue to rankle in my mind against that place, be their ministers ever so good. On the contrary I am well pleased with the Dutch and mainly because the first time that I ever entered that church was at a protracted meeting where strains of eloquence and piety were poured forth which had effect on every heart and when souls flocking to the fold of Christ made glad the city of God.So in numerous ways prejudice blinds our clouded minds, and causes us to believe in what is not well founded and to dislike what we have not good cause to dislike. And if we should look into the plain matter of fact and be guided by the dictates of unerring reason we should not so often be heard to say “I dont like the looks of that man. He appears to me to be proud and unsocial, bigoted and tenacious,” but we never should form our opinion on mere fancy and first sight and much less express it to the prejudice of others. This afternoon I heard Mr. Van Vechten at the Dutch.

Monday April 30, 1832 We shall recite in [to] Dr. Proudfit in Sallust, to Reed in Greek and to Yates in Livy. Dr. Proudfit is a large, corpulent man of full countenance and of rather a common appearance as to his dress and manners but profoundly learned in the Latin & Greek of which he is professor. Brilliant and renowed [sic] talents he possesses not, by which other men make so much show, but whatever acquirements he has he is not greedy of showing unnecessarily, Every class can testify to the criticisms and pointedness of his questions during recitations. He is remarkable for his good nature, sociableness and smoking. Seldom do you go to his house without finding his pipe in his mouth ready lighted and sending forth volumes of smoke. His good nature is eminent in the following slight occurrence. Some student by accident threw a basin of dirty water from his window and drenched the Dr. as he was going outdoors, an occurrence which would have raised the ire of most men, but so far from that was he that when the student apologized for the act he said, “Oh it’s no matter, Sir, there’s no harm done.”