Dickens, the "Master", has gone, but, among the many tributes that are paid to his power as a writer, let this little tale of the Western camp be added, to illustrate the universal nature of his influence.
DOST THOU LOOK BACK ON WHAT HATH BEEN
(Fourth Reader, page 289)
PREPARATION
This lesson should be preceded by a suitable preparatory lesson on the life of some man, for example, Peel, Disraeli, or Lincoln, who, in spite of all obstacles, rose to eminence in the nation and lived "To mould a mighty state's decrees".
INTRODUCTION
Tennyson and Arthur Hallam, as young men at college, were great friends. The bond of affection between them was probably as strong as it was possible for friendship between two men to be. When Hallam died in 1833, at twenty-two years of age, Tennyson said of him: "He was as near perfection as a mortal man could be". From time to time during the next seventeen years, Tennyson wrote short poems on themes which occurred to him in connection with his thoughts of Hallam. These he finally collected and published in one volume, called In Memoriam.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this lesson should be in harmony with the purpose of In Memoriam. It should, therefore, be a study of life within the comprehension of the pupils. The lesson should aid in securing the development of character and an appreciation of worthy ambition and enduring friendship.