Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/248

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��S. Paul's School.

��any mte. The fourth form, therefore, is perhaps the most importaut, as here the choice is made for the future whether a boy shall prepare for pro- fessional life, or mainly for business or scientific study. If either of the latter choices are made, the time pre- viously devoted to the classical lan- o;uao;es is o;iven over to an increased amount of mathematics, science, and English. Those who have passed the examinations at the close of the fifth form receive certificates which show that the school deems them prepared to enter for their college examina- tions. Those unsuccessful in obtain- in": these may of course try such ex- aminations, but the school cannot be held responsible for any possible fail- ure. The sixth is an intermediate step between school and college life. Its members are allowed certain priv- ileges not conceded to the other bovs. They are " out of study," that is, they study in their rooms, and, under cer- tain limitations, control their own hours of work and recreation. This is now the case with a large number of the fifth, and, notwithstanding some objectionable features, it is cer- tainly beneficial in lessening the dan- ger consequent upon the sudden let- down from the necessary restraint of the school-room to the all but un- bounded freedom of the college un- dergraduate. The sixth form is vir- tually made up of two divisions : those in the higher take a full classi- cal course in order to enter college as sophomores ; those in the lower de- sire to have another year at the school before going into business, or to review and improve their prepara- tion before entering college as fresh- men.

��To encourage an interest in sub- jects not directly connected with the prescribed course of study, there are various incentives. The Botanical Society has catalogued between three and four hundred specimens of the fiora in the immediate vicinity of the school. It affords a regular course of talks or lectures, and is always ready to assist those who are work- ing for the annual flower and fern prizes.

The Scientific Association provides lectures on other scientific subjects than botany, takes off parties for mineralogical expeditions, and en- courages competitors for the school mineral prize. In the annual state- ment the sul)jects are announced for the composition and English prizes at the close of the year following. Thus a course of reading may be easi- ly laid out for the summer and win- ter holidays bearing upon these sub- jects. What is knovvn as the P^nglish prize is for the best written examina- tion in English literature, and for a number of years the special subject has been one of Shakespeare's plays. It is the rare good fortune of the compctit(M's to liave the questions set and their i)apers examined by one who has done more to make that poet known to American readers than any other man living. The last two IM'izes referred to are given by ahim- ni ; another gives one for the best P^nglish declamation, the contest for which, open to the whole school, takes place the '* last night." Still another alumnus gives to that boy of the third form who passes the best special examination in the Latin, Greek, and mathematics of the previ- ous year a prize of $500, which cov-

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