ON THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF 
 
 THOMAS SHERWIN, 
 
 BY R C. WATERSTON, 
 
 16, 1 8 7 O , 
 
 BEFORE THE 
 
 ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION, 
 
 of 
 
 AND TEACHERS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF BOSTON. 
 
 BOSTON : 
 
 ALFRED MUDGE & SON, PRINTERS, 34 SCHOOL STREET. 
 1870.

 
 CITY OF BOSTON. 
 
 In School Committee, March 8, 1870. 
 
 Ordered, That twelve hundred copies of Mr. Waterston's Eulogy 
 ou Thomas Sherwin, late head-master of the English High School, 
 delivered before the English High School Association, be printed 
 for the use of this Board, and for distribution among the teachers 
 of the High and Grammar Schools. 
 
 Attest : 
 
 BARNARD CAPEN, 
 
 Secretary. 
 
 ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION. 
 
 , Resolved, That the thanks of the English High School 
 Association be hereby tendered by the government to the 
 Rev. R. C. Waterston for his able and eloquent address on the 
 life and character of Thomas Sherwin, in the beauty and truth 
 of which we shall always recognize the most valued memorial of 
 our departed teacher. 
 
 Resolved, That a copy of the address be requested for publica- 
 tion. 
 
 WM. H. MORIARTY, 
 
 Secretary. 
 .March 9, 1870. 
 
 %* A paper was also received requesting that the Address 
 should be printed, signed by the Masters of the High and Grammar 
 Schools of the city, dated March 7 1870.
 
 of 
 
 THE GRADUATES 
 OF THE HIGH SCHOOL; 
 
 AJfD 
 
 INSTRUCTORS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF BOSTON 
 THIS RECORD 
 
 OF 
 
 A BELOVED AND FAITHFUL TEACHER 
 is 
 
 KE SPECTFULLY 
 DEDICATED.
 
 THE following address, prepared at the request of the English 
 High School Association, was delivered in the Horticultural Hall, 
 on the evening of the 16th of February, 1870, before a large audi- 
 ence, among whom were the members of the School Committee and 
 both branches of the City Government, the teachers of the public 
 schools of Boston, and a large number of the past graduates of the 
 English High School. The platform was adorned with azaleas and 
 other plants, generously contributed by Mr. Sherwin's early friend, 
 Marshall P. Wilder. A fine portrait of Mr. Sherwin was also 
 beautifully decorated with flowers. On the platform around the 
 speaker were his Excellency Governor Claflin, his Honor Mayor 
 Shurtleff, the Hon. Charles Francis Adams, the Hon. Marshall P. 
 Wilder, George B. Emerson, John D. Philbrick, a number of the 
 college classmates of Mr. Sherwin, and other distinguished men. 
 Mr. Gaffield, the President of the English High School Associa- 
 tion, presided, and opened the meeting with appropriate remarks. 
 Prayer was offered by the Rev. S. K. Lothrop, D. D. 
 
 A quartette and chorus from Mendelssohn "Ye Sons of Israel," 
 and the "Chorus of Angels," from Costa's oratorio of "Eli" 
 were sung during the services by a number of the young ladies 
 from the Girls' High and Normal School, under the direction of 
 Julius Eichberg. Both of the selections were peculiarly appropri- 
 ate to the occasion, and were rendered with great taste and 
 accuracy. The services were closed by a Benediction. 
 
 A portion of the address, as now printed, was necessarily omitted 
 in the delivery.
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 
 
 BY 
 
 THOMAS GAFFIELD, 
 
 President of the English High School Association. 
 
 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND FELLOW-MEMBERS OF THE 
 ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION : 
 
 We have assembled on no ordinary occasion. For the 
 first time in the history of our city, do we behold His Excel- 
 lency the Governor, His Honor the Mayor, the members of 
 the government, and the school committee, the able teachers 
 of our public schools, and many of our most distinguished cit- 
 izens, uniting with aged classmates and early and later pupils 
 in a tribute of respect to the memory of a beloved and hon- 
 ored schoolmaster. As one of those pupils of thirty years 
 ago, may I be permitted in a word to say, that, modest and 
 unassuming as he was, he yet realized the dignity and honor 
 of his profession, and forty years and more of faithful and 
 devoted service in educating the youth of Boston at the En- 
 glish High School, and in moulding the characters of men, 
 who, in almost every land on earth, have become distin- 
 guished in mercantile, professional or political life, entitle
 
 8 
 
 him to the gratitude of all our fellow-citizens. His was that 
 rare combination of the Christian gentleman and teacher, 
 which not only educated the minds of his pupils, and made 
 them scholars, but warmed their hearts and made them men. 
 
 It was this, my fellow-schoolmates, which made the fond- 
 ness of school-boy days ripen into the friendship and love of 
 manhood, and gave us such delight whenever we took his 
 hand, or heard his words, or beheld his beautiful face, which 
 grew more and more into a benediction, as he advanced in 
 wisdom and goodness and years. 
 
 Shall we not appropriately honor his blessed memory, as 
 the memorial committee have decided to do, by embodying 
 in marble those strong, yet loving features, and placing them 
 within the walls of the old school-house, or the new one, 
 which ought soon to be built, with a tablet inscribed with 
 some simple story of his virtues, to be an inspiration to duty 
 and fidelity to teachers and pupils in all coming time. Shall 
 we not equally honor him, as we intend to do, by raising 
 a fund to establish a Sherwin scholarship in the Institute of 
 Technology, in whose foundation he took the warmest inter- 
 est, and for whose subsequent and remarkably successful 
 growth he labored to the end of his days. 
 
 It is most fitting that the young ladies of the Girls' High 
 and Normal School, who themselves have mourned the de- 
 parture of an honored teacher, should come this evening, as 
 it were, to shed a tear and chant a requiem over the fresher 
 grave of our sainted friend. 
 
 And it is well that we should all, honored rulers and mer-
 
 9 
 
 chants, teachers and pupils, fellow-townsmen and friends, 
 spend together a quiet evening hour in listening to the story 
 of an earthly life, which began in cheerful industry, continued 
 for threescore years and ten in active Christian usefulness, 
 and then as we all remember, at the close of a lovely sum- 
 mer day, when the sun was sinking beneath the horizon, and 
 casting its glorious light behind passed on, gently and 
 peacefully blending with the life of the angels above, to send 
 back to the eye of spiritual vision, from day to day, its 
 radiance of heavenly beauty for countless years to come. 
 That we may have a fitting memorial of such a life, your 
 committee have invited to address us this evening one of 
 the most accomplished graduates of our school, one who 
 truly loved Mr. Sherwin, as we all loved him, and who 
 has poured his whole soul into his tribute of reverence 
 and affection. How well he knew him, how much he 
 loved him, and how much his love and reverence were deep- 
 ened by the study of the early and later life of our honored 
 teacher, we shall all realize when we listen to his words, 
 from which I will no longer detain you. I have the pleasure 
 of introducing to you the Rev. R. C. Waterston, a member 
 of the graduating class of 1828.
 
 ADDRESS. 
 
 the teachers of New England, probably no 
 one was more truly beloved and honored than Thomas 
 Sherwin. This was not owing to any effort on his 
 part to attract observation, for, in the most unobtru- 
 sive manner, he devoted himself to his special duties ; 
 neither was it the result of any one quality, developed 
 in an inordinate degree; rather did it proceed from 
 that remarkable completeness of character, and that 
 well-adjusted balance of all his powers, which gave 
 symmetry and beauty to his whole moral and intel- 
 lectual nature; combined with which, he united widely 
 gathered knowledge, a thorough mastery of whatever 
 subject he had investigated, and the conscientious use 
 of all he was, and all he knew, for the advantage of 
 others. These traits, with his unselfish disposition 
 and genial spirit, won for him universal regard, and 
 made him, as competent judges on every side agreed, 
 one of the leading educators of his time, a worthy 
 model for the encouragement and emulation of all 
 progressive minds. 
 
 Natural it is that every teacher should feel an hon-
 
 12 
 
 est pride in the thought of him. Such a man enno- 
 bles and elevates the profession to which he belongs. 
 The whole community of which he is a part is a 
 sharer in his acquirements. Justice demands that 
 we should give expression to the respect we cherish. 
 The places which once knew him, know him no 
 more; yet will his memory give new sanctity to 
 those duties to which he consecrated his life. ~Not 
 to eulogize with exaggerated praise, but to consider 
 the simple truth, have we come together. A life like 
 his needs only to be seen as it really was. A career 
 so identified with quiet duty, cannot, in the nature of 
 things, present startling facts; yet events, however 
 unpretending, and though in some degree familiar, 
 will not be wholly devoid of interest, associated as 
 they are with the history and development of such a 
 character. 
 
 Thomas Sherwin was born on the 26th of March, 
 1799, at "Westmoreland, a lovely region on the banks 
 of the Connecticut, where the hills of New Hamp- 
 shire recognize, over the placid river, the distant 
 mountains of Vermont. He was the only son of 
 David and Hannah Sherwin; (his mother's maiden 
 name was Pritchard), they were both natives of Box- 
 ford, Massachusetts. His father was originally a 
 farmer; later in life he commenced business, but
 
 13 
 
 through the dishonesty of his partner he was soon 
 left with but slight means for the support of his 
 family. 
 
 Before Thomas was four years of age, his parents 
 removed to New Ipswich, and soon after to the ad- 
 joining town of Temple. At the age of seven and a 
 half, he had the misfortune to lose his mother, who 
 died of consumption. In March, 1807, he went to 
 reside with his relative, Dr. James Crombie, a man 
 of professional skill, and highly respected. 
 
 At that time, boys were required to make them- 
 selves useful. Thomas did this by working in the 
 garden, taking care of the farm stock, sometimes 
 going in search of cattle who had strayed far into the 
 woods, where, in that part of the country, it was 
 then not unfrequent to encounter bears and other 
 wild beasts, whose acquaintance boys generally 
 would not be over-pleased to make under such cir- 
 cumstances. He frequently accompanied the doctor 
 on his round of professional visits, and must have 
 gathered some knowledge of medicine and surgery. 
 Dr. Crombie was a practitioner of more than ordi- 
 nary ability. Mention is made of his success in the 
 difficult ligature of an artery, considered at that time 
 remarkable. On one occasion, a man was brought to 
 the house with a dislocated arm; the doctor being
 
 14: 
 
 absent, Thomas, then quite a youth, put the arm in 
 its place. Through after life, Mr. Sherwin, in a play- 
 ful way, would smilingly recall this fact as an evi- 
 dence of early professional skill ! He remained with 
 Dr. Crombie six years, from the age of eight to 
 fourteen, generally going to the district school 
 through several weeks of the winter, attending, one 
 season, a school taught by his sister. For a short 
 period, he also received instruction at the house of 
 the Rev. JSToah Miles, minister of Temple, from the 
 clergyman's son, Solomon P. Miles, then a student 
 at Dartmouth, absent from college on account of ill 
 health. It is interesting to recall the youthful in- 
 structor and his young pupil, and to remember that 
 both were to be identified, through after years, with 
 the best days in the history of the English High 
 School. "What a gratification it would have been 
 to that student from Dartmouth,* could he have an- 
 ticipated the events of the future, and have known 
 how widely useful the lad before him was destined 
 to become. But, though he could not foresee what 
 we now know, it is a pleasant glimpse which is given 
 to us of the young teacher during that college vaca- 
 tion, and the lad coming from the village physician, 
 
 * Mr. Miles, though at that time connected with Dartmouth, afterwards 
 "Hered Harvard College, from which he graduated with honor, in 1819.
 
 15 
 
 to pick up what little instruction he might find. 
 Seeds were then scattered from which would even- 
 tually spring a prolific harvest. 
 
 My mind goes back forty years, to the time when 
 I was a pupil in the English High School, under 
 Mr. Miles. The thought of his attractive aspect, 
 refined and gentlemanly manners, and thorough 
 scholarship, all of which won the honor and love 
 of those who enjoyed the privilege of his instruc- 
 tions, awaken the conviction that even the brief 
 period that Thomas Sherwin was under his influence, 
 in the town of Temple, probably produced a lasting 
 impression upon his whole after career. 
 
 But it was .not chiefly what was learned at school 
 that constituted the proper education of this part of 
 Thomas Sherwin's experience. 
 
 Practical life, with all its activities, was to him 
 education. Working in the garden, upon the farm, 
 taking care of the cattle, carrying messages, attend- 
 ing to matters of business in the workshop and mar- 
 ket, compounding medicines, and dealing them out 
 from the doctor's office; at other times in the sad- 
 dle, riding over the circuit of towns, collecting debts, 
 all this, in a thousand ways, expanded the youthful 
 powers, enlarged his stock of knowledge, and gave 
 an ability to use, to the best advantage, whatever
 
 16 
 
 information was acquired. Actual life was a school 
 for him. The characters of the young and the old 
 were to him a study. Work had a meaning. Spright- 
 ly and vigorous, he was ready for any duty. 
 
 Added to this, he was in the midst of Nature, 
 open fields, meadows, and hills; the brook and the 
 river; the forest, and the over-arching heavens; with 
 all the phenomena of day and night, and changing 
 seasons, these were a perpetual resource, demand- 
 ing of him observation and study. The brown thrush, 
 the blue jay, the red-breasted robin, each had some 
 story for him. The scarlet tanager he would watch, 
 in the month of May, glancing like a flash of light 
 through the forest. For his eye, the oriole hung her 
 nest, and the gossiping bobolink filled the summer 
 air with its merry warblings. All their habits and 
 customs became familiar, while they were dear to his 
 heart as cherished friends. So, also, for him, through 
 the whole vegetable world, every leaf and plant won 
 his notice, from the blue gentian and delicate anem- 
 one of spring, to the cardinal flower, like a floating 
 flame, and the aster, and the golden rod of autumn. 
 The thin-leafed willow, the twisted oak, and the tower- 
 ing pine, with their varied characteristics, appealed not 
 in vain to his observant eye. Natural science, not 
 in books, but as God made it, he saw and studied.
 
 17 
 
 Follow him in thought through the lonely pasture 
 and over the open hill. See him threading the b anks 
 of the stream, or standing under the shadow of 
 o'er-spreading trees. All these objects, with their 
 marvellous revelations and hidden mysteries, their 
 developments and laws, offered unnumbered sugges- 
 tions to his thoughtful mind. 
 
 So, also, with this rural life was connected simplic- 
 ity of living, hardy habits, self-reliance, and frugality. 
 Can we say how much of that sturdy vigor and 
 manly perseverance which distinguished his after life 
 had here their origin? How much that love for every 
 created thing from the smallest atom to the rolling 
 spheres here dawned into being? How many of 
 those beautiful tastes, pure affections, and heavenly 
 aspirations of his soul were here kindled ? Certain 
 it is that, to his latest moment, he was partial to a 
 country life; and natural science, which to him pre- 
 sented always the most powerful attractions, was 
 identified, to a great degree, with the actual objects 
 he had loved to observe and study from his youth. 
 
 Doubtless the larger culture which he observed in 
 Dr. Crombie, compared with the average information 
 possessed by the people around, impressed the idea 
 of that mental superiority which comes with knowl- 
 edge. The very fact that he was in the presence of
 
 18 
 
 a more commanding intellect, caused him to be 
 dissatisfied with whatever was narrow and superfi- 
 cial. He, also, must acquire. "What barrier should 
 be strong enough inexorably to prevent his progress ? 
 And yet there were impediments. How could the 
 requisite opportunities come to him? Alas, impossi- 
 ble ! so it naturally appeared. 
 
 After he left Dr. Crombie's, the father, to satisfy 
 this strong desire for knowledge on the part of his 
 son, sent him to the Ipswich Academy, the same 
 institution which has since been endowed by the 
 Appleton family, and which now bears their name. 
 As might be expected, he went to his studies with 
 a hearty will; but, while the formal routine of those 
 days did not answer the demands of his nature, yet 
 even that he could not long continue to enjoy. Press- 
 ing need called for practical labor. Gladly would 
 the father have offered his son every possible advan- 
 tage ; but his little property had been swept away, 
 there were five daughters to be cared for, and the son 
 must work. Feeling that this was right, with a 
 cheerful heart he entered upon his task. 
 
 At Groton, in September, 1813, he was apprenticed 
 to the clothier's trade. The country was at war 
 with Great Britain, and hence the usual supply of 
 foreign cloths was cut off. Woollen mills, as they
 
 19 
 
 now exist,were unknown on this side of the Atlantic, 
 fabrics were made at the domestic loom; after which 
 they were sent elsewhere for fulling, dyeing, and 
 dressing. Thomas was expected to prepare the dye- 
 stuffs, keep up the fires, watch the machinery, a con- 
 stant and laborious work. He speaks of it as " cloth- 
 dressing, wool-carding, etc., with Messrs. Samuel & 
 Sewell Kockwood." I quote from a manuscript in 
 his own handwriting : " Working intensely in the 
 autumn and winter, moderately in summer, and at- 
 tending school for about two months annually in 
 spring." 
 
 Unwillingness to toil was no part of his nature. 
 Manual labor, pursued with a right spirit, was to him 
 no degradation. That was honorable which subserved 
 high ends. Usefulness to others and self-indepen- 
 dence were to him worthy objects. Whatever tended 
 to develop the great industrial resources of a country 
 was always, to his mind, a matter of real interest, and 
 the part which any individual took in it was to that 
 degree praiseworthy. These feelings never forsook 
 him. Laboring men, in proportion to their integrity, 
 were always sure of his regard. Labor to him was 
 never drudgery, for he united with it intellect. He 
 was all observation; means and methods, cause and 
 effect, materials, tissues, fabrics, growth and develop-
 
 20 
 
 ment, all these, with quick intelligence, became sub- 
 jects of thought. This, also, was education, direct 
 and practical ; and, beyond doubt, not tune wasted, 
 but through life to be of the greatest advantage. 
 
 Is it not possible that many may undervalue the 
 uses of practical labor in connection with the process 
 of education? It w r as the custom among the ancient 
 Hebrews to teach all boys a trade; each one who 
 received Rabbinical culture, in conjunction with his 
 other studies, was obliged to learn some handicraft. 
 Thus bodily exercise was combined with mental effort, 
 and the means of an honorable independence secured. 
 The Jews habitually trained their sons to some use- 
 ful employment as an indispensable part of their 
 education. In the Talmud it is written, " The wise 
 practice some of the arts, lest they should become 
 dependent upon the charities of others." Rabbi Ju- 
 dah saith: "He that teacheth not his son a trade, 
 doth the same as if he taught him to be a thief." 
 Thus Paul himself was taught; and at Corinth, the 
 most luxurious city of Greece, the Apostle, as we well 
 know, continued for a year and a half laboring at his 
 trade. So far from being ashamed of such toil, he 
 gloried in it. He felt that this work was in him as 
 honorable as preaching upon Mars Hill, or writing 
 epistles to the churches.
 
 21 
 
 It may be questioned whether great advantage 
 might not result if some participation in useful labor 
 were combined with intellectual studies; if, in our 
 schools and colleges, there were opportunities for in- 
 dustrial employments which would develop the phys- 
 ical powers, call forth inventive genius, and give a 
 healthy discipline to both body and mind. It was a 
 wise Spartan precept that " the child should be in- 
 structed in the arts which will be useful to the man." 
 And Milton said, " I call that a complete and gener- 
 ous education which fits a man to perform justly, 
 skilfully, and magnanimously all the offices, private 
 and public, of peace and war." 
 
 Such was the education, not in the school, but out 
 of it, that Providence provided for Thomas Sherwin. 
 By it he gained an experience he could never have 
 extracted from books. Nothing effeminate, but a 
 strong, courageous manliness was to come from 
 such discipline. 
 
 I have made inquiries of those who knew him at 
 this period, and will offer extracts from one or two 
 communications. 
 
 The first is a letter from Groton, by Mrs. Eliza 
 Green, the honored mother of our respected towns- 
 man, Dr. Samuel A. Green. She says: "He was re- 
 fined in all his tastes, and never spent an idle moment.
 
 22 
 
 He often worked at the mill until after ten o'clock at 
 night, and would then read and study for an hour 
 or two. He was always at church, to which he walked 
 three miles." 
 
 The following extract is from a letter addressed to 
 me by Capt. Rockwood, a brother of the Rockwoods 
 with whom he served his time. He says: "After 
 the lapse of over half a century, and at my advanced 
 age, many things respecting Thomas Sherwin may 
 have escaped my recollection, but some things I re- 
 member perfectly well. His father came with him 
 to have him apprenticed until he should arrive at the 
 age of twenty-one years. He desired to get an edu- 
 cation; but his father told him all he could do for 
 him was to give him a trade, and he submitted with- 
 out a murmur. An apprentice at that time was to be 
 taught all parts belonging to the trade ; in this case, 
 to take a piece of raw cloth from the loom, color 
 and dress it ready for the market. His work was 
 quite varied, as there were many parts belonging to 
 the trade. He was to have a certain amount of 
 schooling, and be taught in arithmetic as far as the 
 rule of three, if he should be capable of learning so 
 far! He was to have his board and clothing, which, 
 with his trade, would be all he would receive. With 
 a judgment far superior to those of his years, he
 
 23 
 
 soon gained the esteem of his employers, and was 
 looked upon with perfect confidence, which he never 
 betrayed. 
 
 " There was no boy about him, he was a MAN. 
 He was of a contemplative mind, exercising his 
 own judgment, and was never indolent. His idol, if 
 he had one, was his Book. He always had some 
 volume in his pocket, or where he could lay his hand 
 upon it. But, though interested in books, he never 
 neglected his work. While engaged with the ma- 
 chinery, he would sometimes have a few moments to 
 himself, which he always improved in study. In 
 this way he mastered the Latin grammar. Fre- 
 quently he kept a fellow apprentice awake to hear 
 him recite. He usually had to work until ten or 
 eleven o'clock in the winter evenings, and after 
 going to bed he would study an hour or two. In 
 this way he acquired much of his education. 
 
 u Being a good penman, he was frequently em- 
 ployed to copy records and other instruments ; in this 
 way he obtained, from time to time, a little money, 
 which he would lay out in books. He set a high stan- 
 dard for himself; how far he attained it his life shows. 
 
 " Perhaps you may say I have given a partial view 
 of his character, that there might have been traits not 
 so lovely. I was most intimately acquainted with
 
 24 
 
 him, both in the family and the shop ; and during our 
 acquaintance, I never heard him slander any one, or 
 use a profane word, or tell an untruth." 
 
 I have received another communication from a 
 cousin of the Rockwoods, who remembers distinctly 
 his life at that time. 
 
 "I recollect," she says, "on visiting the family in 
 August, I was asked to go out and see Thomas's gar- 
 den. He had selected a position the best adapted 
 for the purpose, and had worked extra hours upon it. 
 His vegetables were abundant, and of the best qual- 
 ity. He sold nothing, and all he raised he gave 
 away. 
 
 " The District school was taught by the Rev. Mr. 
 Farnsworth, who told me that Sherwin was marked 
 out for a scholar. "When he was visiting in the fam- 
 ily, allusion was made to Mr. Cummings, who went 
 from the Clothiers Mill to College.* Thomas was 
 much excited, and asked all manner of questions re- 
 lating to Cummings and his course. Mr. Farnsworth 
 said, ' Tom Sherwin, will go there too ! ' ; 
 
 These statements plainly show his characteristics 
 at that time; industry, love of knowledge, and 
 
 * Mr. Cummings was a graduate from Cambridge in 1801, and after- 
 wards became an extensive publisher, of the well-known firm of Messrs. 
 Cummings & Hilliard.
 
 25 
 
 reverence for truth. In spite of every obstacle, 
 he was always pre-eminent, often putting questions 
 which the teachers could not answer, and puzzling his 
 way in advance of their knowledge. 
 
 s 
 
 It required no superhuman power to predict that 
 such a mind would triumph over every impediment. 
 
 Aspirations for a collegiate education grew more 
 and more strong, until his determination became 
 an absorbing motive. He had commenced his ap- 
 prenticeship at Groton, in 1813. He continued at his 
 employment six years, when, in his twentieth year, 
 another person took his place in the mill ; from which 
 period he devoted his whole time to study. " My 
 father," he says, " proposed to assist me according to 
 his means; but as he had a sufficiently hard task to 
 support his daughters, I chose to work through my 
 apprenticeship, and rely upon my own efforts for an 
 education. This resolution I have never regretted." 
 
 During the winter of 1819, he taught a district 
 school in Harvard; in April 1820, he entered the acad- 
 emy at Groton. " The folio wing March" (he says, in a 
 manuscript from which I quote),"! went to New Ipswich 
 academy, where I continued until I entered college, 
 in 1821. I thus had fifteen or sixteen months for pre- 
 paratory study. Within that time, I lost six or eight 
 weeks by a fever, and taught the Central School in
 
 26 
 
 Groton for three months. It is needless to say," he 
 modestly adds, " that my qualifications for college were 
 quite meagre, especially as my teachers were unable 
 to render any efficient aid in case of difficulty." In 
 1821, he passed honorably his examination, and be- 
 came a member of Harvard University. While an 
 undergraduate, to defray his expenses, he taught 
 school one winter in Groton, one in Leominster, and 
 in 1825 he took charge of the academy in Lexington. 
 Thus was he unconsciously preparing himself, in the 
 best possible manner, for the work in which, through 
 after life, he was to become distinguished. The same 
 characteristics which were perceptible afterwards 
 were noticeable here; fertile in expedients, in one 
 instance, wishing to teach astronomy, he constructed 
 with his own hands a globe. During this time, as 
 subsequently, he drew the young about him with 
 aifection, and was remembered by them ever after 
 with lasting gratitude. 
 
 I have a letter from Mr. A. F. Lawrence, of Gro- 
 ton, who knew him at the mill and in college. I will 
 extract but one paragraph. He says: " Our acquain- 
 tance ripened into lasting friendship. While at the 
 academy, he and I constituted a class (if two may be 
 called a class) in natural philosophy, geometry, 
 trigonometry, surveying, and astronomy. We were
 
 27 
 
 much together in the social circle and elsewhere. 
 His tastes, habits, and principles, in boyhood and 
 early manhood, were the prototype of his future life 
 and character." 
 
 At college, in a class which included men of 
 marked ability, among whom were Rev. Francis Cun- 
 ningham, the Hon. Charles Francis Adams, Admiral 
 Davis, Rev. Dr. Hedge, Rev. Dr. Lothrop, Dr. Augus- 
 tus A. Gould, Allen Putnam, C. K. Dilloway, and 
 Judge Ames, it was something that he could sustain 
 himself, with the credit which he did, and that he ac- 
 tually graduated among the ten best scholars of his 
 class. Mr. Sherwin was a room-mate with Augustus 
 A. Gould, afterwards so widely known both as a 
 Physician and Naturalist, and their friendship 
 continued through life. They both came from 
 New Ipswich, country boys, simple and unso- 
 phisticated, with a determination to acquire the 
 knowledge for which they came. Sherwin, to help 
 himself in his way through college, held the position 
 of what was then known as " Regent's Freshman." 
 Among the services required of him was ringing the 
 college bell for morning and evening prayers, with 
 other duties of a similar character. 
 
 During his college course* he had a severe illness, 
 from which his classmates never expected him to
 
 28 
 
 recover. His friend, Allen Putnam, watched by his 
 bedside day and night, leaving nothing undone in 
 his ministrations of love; and perhaps we all owe to 
 that tender care the years of usefulness which have 
 followed. Mr. Sherwin never ceased to remember 
 with gratitude that watchfulness, and their con- 
 tinued friendship was one of the treasured facts of 
 his life. On the most critical night, when the dis- 
 ease was at its height, Putnam was watching by his 
 side, with eyes fixed upon his friend. "Why do 
 you look so earnestly at me" said Sherwin; "do 
 you fear that I shall not recover? Perhaps I shall 
 not; but, either way " (he continued, with perfect 
 tranquillity), " it will be all right." 
 
 I have received a communication from his class- 
 mate, C. K. Dilloway, from which I gladly extract 
 the following: 
 
 " Sherwin entered college older than the rest of us, 
 and had all the characteristics of mature life. He 
 went there to gain an education by hard study, and 
 nobly did he do it. As a mathematical scholar, he 
 had no superior in the class. In the classics, though 
 laboring under the disadvantage of a brief and im- 
 perfect preparation for college, he managed to keep 
 himself among the foremost scholars; and this in a 
 class somewhat distinguished for mathematical and
 
 29 
 
 classical proficiency. His social qualities were such 
 as would naturally make him popular and respected. 
 He was independent in the expression of his opin- 
 ions, and firm in his opposition to anything like a 
 violation of college discipline. Our class had its full 
 share of young men of mischievous tendency, whose 
 influence, even over well-disposed members, was 
 great. Sherwin turned from these, and cautioned 
 us against them. His prudent counsels saved 
 us from many a foolish enterprise and its con- 
 sequent penalties. He was one of the most indus- 
 trious men in the class, and had as little unemployed 
 time as any man I ever knew. He worked, on an 
 average, sixteen hours out of the twenty-four. Sher- 
 win was then, as he was always after, a progressive 
 man, each year of his life seeming better than its 
 predecessor." 
 
 This testimony of his college-days is in harmony 
 with all I have been able to gather from his various 
 classmates now living, and all who knew him. We 
 see the same solid sense and sterling integrity. He 
 was, throughout, methodical and persevering, pos- 
 sessing a character of such lucid purity that in h\m 
 there was actually nothing one would wish to forget. 
 It is stated by those who knew him during his col- 
 lege studies, as well as in his earlier days and through
 
 30 
 
 after years, that they never heard him use an epithet 
 or repeat a story which could suggest an unworthy 
 thought. 
 
 He graduated with honor in 1825. The college 
 government, in 1827, gave proof of the high estima- 
 tion in which he was held by appointing him tutor 
 of mathematics. This office he filled acceptably for 
 one year; when, though urged to retain it, he relin- 
 quished it for other pursuits. 
 
 A quarter of a century after, each member of the 
 class to which he belonged gave an account in writ- 
 ing of what he had been doing in that time. These 
 papers were read at the class-meeting, July, 1850. 
 
 The manuscript, written by Mr. Sherwin, is before 
 me, and I quote his own words : " The year subse- 
 quent to leaving college, I taught the academy at 
 Lexington, and the next year officiated as tutor in 
 mathematics at our Alma Mater. My design at that 
 time was to become a lawyer, and for that end I 
 read Blackstone and part of Coke, with Elias Phin- 
 ney, of Charlestown; but the prospect appearing 
 rather barren for me, I then chose engineering, 
 which I commenced, in 1827, with Col. Loammi 
 Baldwin, under whom I was employed on the dry- 
 dock and other works, at Charles town and at Ports- 
 mouth. In September, 1827, I commenced a survey
 
 31 
 
 with Mr. James Hay ward, for the Boston and 
 Providence railroad; but having advanced as far as 
 Sharon, I was attacked by a fever, which left me 
 with pulmonary affections, and obliged me to relin- 
 quish the business. In December, 1828, I opened a 
 private school for boys, in Boston, which, with toler- 
 able success, I continued for one year; at the expi- 
 ration of which I was elected sub-master of the 
 English High School." 
 
 Thus, at the age of twenty-eight, we find him 
 still contending with, and overcoming difficulties. 
 Suddenly, the acute attack of fever threatened to 
 bring his career to a speedy termination. But, as 
 we have seen, he was not a person to be easily 
 discouraged. And now that we can look back upon 
 the space of forty years, crowded with usefulness, do 
 we not see the hand of Providence directing him 
 into the path he was to follow ? 
 
 It is worthy of observation how much he accom- 
 plished by reasonable out-of-door exercise, and a 
 thoughtful adaptation to physical laws. The con- 
 finement of a school-room, with its multifarious obli- 
 gations, combined with the sedentary tendencies of 
 a student's life, would not seem conducive to con- 
 tinued robust health to one with decided pulmonary 
 symptoms ; yet, by his wise course of life, he gained
 
 32 
 
 the advantages of a vigorous constitution, enjoying, 
 in full measure, almost uninterrupted health through 
 nearly half a century. 
 
 "When Mr. Sherwin, in 1828, was elected sub-mas- 
 ter of the High School, that institution was under the 
 charge of S. P. Miles. He, who taught the country- 
 boy at the parsonage, who had been his mathematical 
 teacher while in College, was still to be his friend 
 and associate. Through nine years there was be- 
 tween these two an unbroken friendship. 
 
 They were men of a kindred spirit, cheerful and 
 conscientious ; thorough scholars, and wise disciplina- 
 rians. The High School has been greatly favored in 
 having been under the guidance of two such men. 
 Indeed, the three head masters of the English High 
 School George B. Emerson, Solomon P. Miles and 
 Thomas Sherwin were all teachers of the highest or- 
 der. They were all brought up in the country, where 
 they were familiar with farming and rural pursuits. 
 They were alike teachers of district schools and acad- 
 emies before and after their college course. They each 
 officiated, for a time, as tutors of mathematics and 
 natural philosophy in the University, while Mr. 
 Sherwin had the additional advantage of learning a 
 trade before he entered College, and, at least for a 
 brief season, of acting as a civil and naval engineer
 
 33 
 
 afterwards. Multitudes of graduates throughout the 
 country recall with joy and gratitude the influence 
 received from these three admirable men. 
 
 Mr. Miles resigned his office as principal in 1837, 
 when Mr. Sherwin was unanimously elected to fill 
 the place. 
 
 Mr. Sherwin was married, June 10th, 1836, to Mary 
 King Gibbons, daughter of Daniel L. and Mary Gib- 
 bons, of Boston, and it was the general remark that 
 a more beautiful couple were not to be seen in the 
 whole Commonwealth. Certain it is that a truer de- 
 votion on the part of both to the best interest and 
 highest happiness of each could not be found. Gen- 
 tle, considerate, and thoughtful, his excellences in 
 her were more mildly reflected ; while, with this, there 
 was united all of his truthfulness, aspiration, and 
 goodness. Happy in themselves, they helped to 
 make all around them happy, and their home be- 
 came the centre of Christian charities, as it was truly 
 the abode of every Christian grace. 
 
 For some thirty years his residence was in the 
 country, where his pleasant home, surrounded by an 
 acre or two of ground, cultivated by his own hand, 
 gave him refreshment and vigor before and after the 
 duties connected with his school. Working in the 
 field and garden was always a delight to him.
 
 34 
 
 "With his love of Nature, doubly endeared by 
 early associations, the country was an unfailing re- 
 source. There he found a healing quiet which existed 
 nowhere else. Never were his duties in the city 
 neglected or abridged to the slightest degree, rather 
 were they pursued with more hearty alacrity. 
 
 As proof of his resolute determination, and the 
 fact that living in the country could not keep him 
 from his duty, I will mention the circumstance that 
 on a winter's morning, after one of those old- 
 fashioned snow storms which thoroughly block up 
 every avenue, railroads were useless, and no vehi- 
 cle, of any description, could be obtained to bring 
 him to the city. He was ten miles distant, but, 
 unintimidated, he started on foot, beating his way 
 through almost impassable snow-drifts, walking at 
 times upon the top of stone walls, till at length he 
 conquered every difficulty, and was welcomed with 
 enthusiasm in the midst of his boys. 
 
 The ability which distinguished Mr. Sherwin as a 
 teacher from the beginning, and which suggested his 
 appointment to this eminent position, was manifested 
 by that increasing success which more than justified 
 the most sanguine expectation of his friends. It 
 was the estimate of Mr. Tillinghast, Principal of the 
 Normal School, at Bridgewater, that, next to the
 
 35 
 
 thoroughness of West Point, the Boston High 
 School, beyond question, ranked first in the country. 
 This commendation was corroborated by the impar- 
 tial testimony of Mr. Fraser, who was appointed in 
 England to visit the schools of this country and re- 
 port to the British Parliament. In his official state- 
 ment, he says : " Taking it for all in all, and as 
 accomplishing the end at which it professes to aim, 
 the English High School struck me as the model 
 school of the United States. I wish," he emphati- 
 cally adds, " we had a hundred such in England." 
 
 These expressions are in conformity with the 
 public verdict. 
 
 But Mr. Sherwin's influence was never limited to 
 the school-room. There was a breadth of purpose, 
 as well as of view, which always characterized him. 
 His interest in and influence over other teachers was 
 remarkable. Desiring, in every possible way, to pro- 
 mote their welfare, he was prompt to engage in any 
 duty which would diffuse light. Thus was he con- 
 stantly rendering valuable service to the cause of 
 education. He was one of the originators, in 1830, 
 of the American Institute of Instruction. In 1853-4 
 he was its President. At various times he de- 
 livered able addresses, and presented important 
 papers, while for thirty years he was one of its most
 
 36 
 
 efficient working officers. So also in the organization 
 of the Massachusetts State Teachers' Association, 
 he was one of the leading minds and most active 
 workers; being its earliest Vice-President, and its 
 third President. He read, on successive years, in- 
 structive lectures, and was always ready to perform 
 needed service. 
 
 In 1847, he helped to establish " the Massachusetts 
 Teacher," as an educational journal for the advance- 
 ment of sound learning and the extension of the best 
 methods of promoting the cause of education. He 
 was an active member of the publishing committee, 
 was one of the original editors, and for a long time 
 had charge of its mathematical department. 
 
 For the benefit of teachers, there was no labor he 
 was not willing to perform. " The legitimate object 
 of a teacher's exertions," he would say, " is to make 
 mankind wiser, purer, truer, holier. To feel that we 
 have rescued one individual from a life of ignorance 
 and vice, is more true and lasting glory than to have 
 worn a crown." 
 
 This was to him no mere sound of words. It was 
 the faith which bound him to his profession, and 
 which powerfully attracted him to the whole company 
 of teachers who were engaged in the same calling. 
 " There exists between us," he would say, " a bond
 
 3T 
 
 of sympathy stronger than friendship; we are en- 
 gaged in a common cause ; a cause second to none in 
 importance, inferior to none in its bearing ,upon the 
 destinies of the world." 
 
 "No one who is not willing," he said to a company 
 of instructors, " no one who is not willing to labor 
 perseveringly, and with his whole might, should ever 
 desecrate the business of teaching. The great work 
 of education is a stern reality. It admits of no com- 
 promise with evil, and no sacrifice of duty. It is 
 sublime and boundless as human capabilities. It is 
 well, therefore, that we strive to improve ourselves in 
 all that embellishes and strengthens, in all that puri- 
 fies and extends, the sway we may exert." 
 
 Few could know better than he did, how arduous 
 and wearing are the duties of a faithful teacher; the 
 unremitting exertion, the frequent perplexity, and the 
 exhausting care to which he must be subjected; but 
 he knew, also, that the desired result is worth it all; 
 that there can be no field of duty bearing more di- 
 rectly in its consequences upon the public welfare, 
 and that with proper methods and a right spirit, the 
 burdens of the teacher's toil will be lightened, and his 
 mind cheered, while he will have the unspeakable sat- 
 isfaction of feeling that he is fulfilling the will of God, 
 and becoming, in the truest sense, a benefactor of 
 mankind.
 
 38 
 
 In the language of Mr. Sherwin, " It is a great mis- 
 take to suppose, because we know more than time, 
 opportunity, and the capacity of our scholars will 
 enable us to impart, that therefore our usefulness is 
 not augmented by increasing our attainments. Every 
 accession of knowledge will give the teacher increased 
 skill and facility in imparting information." 
 
 His acquired resources, "he must remould to his 
 own mind, adapting them to his special wants and 
 opportunities; endeavoring to make them productive 
 of the greatest good in his particular sphere of use- 
 fulness." 
 
 Deeply interested in children, and truly loving his 
 work, " he should take pleasure in earnest endeavors 
 to do good, although the immediate fruit may not fully 
 answer his expectations. He should be delighted by 
 the new acquisitions which his pupils make, rather than 
 become disheartened by their comparative ignorance; 
 he must rejoice at the development of the true and 
 the good in their characters, rather than be discour- 
 aged by manifestations of evil; and at the close of 
 each day's labor, he should be able to console himself 
 for having accomplished so little, by the conscious- 
 ness that he has endeavored to do his best; feeling 
 confident that the minutest seed which he has caused 
 to germinate may yet grow up into a noble tree."
 
 39 
 
 " The teacher," he says, " without losing a conscious- 
 ness of his own superiority, should aim to throw him- 
 self as much as possible into the mind of the child, to 
 sympathize with him in his emotions and his difficul- 
 ties." He calls upon the teacher "to gather fresh im- 
 pulses to duty, new vigor and alacrity; to gain added 
 materials for illustration, and stronger motives for 
 exertion. He who goes abroad with his powers of 
 observation awake and active, will derive much from 
 what he sees and hears that will be of advantage in 
 the instruction of others." All this, he maintains, 
 "will impart to the teacher new happiness, and es- 
 pecially enlarge his power of usefulness." 
 
 To enforce the importance of a continued youthful 
 vivacity on the part of an instructor, he says that " a 
 peach-tree at Montreuil, in France, was in full bear- 
 ing at the age of fifty years, and capable of produ- 
 cing annually ten or twelve bushels of fruit. This 
 great degree of vigor and longevity was effected, 
 he adds, by pruning away the barren and cumbrous 
 parts, and growing, in their stead, new and fertile 
 shoots ; in fact, the whole secret consisted in keeping 
 the tree constantly young. May not a teacher, he 
 asks, do something analogous; keeping himself con- 
 stantly young, and in a fruit-bearing condition?" To 
 this inquiry, Mr. Sherwin's own life is at once the 
 most convincing answer and happy illustration.
 
 40 
 
 " The influence we may and must exert," he writes, 
 " either for good or evil, is such as to demand all 
 possible exertion to qualify ourselves for the faithful 
 and successful performance of our duties. The ripple 
 marks of the antediluvian waves, the impress of rain- 
 drops which fell prior to the existence of man, even 
 the foot-prints of the wind, that swept over the face 
 of the uninhabited waste, remain stamped in the ada- 
 mantine rock, and present a meteorological journal 
 almost as accurate as that traced by the pen of the 
 philosopher within the current year. So the impress 
 of our exertions, what we teach, whether by precept 
 or example, our successes and our failures, w T ill be 
 transmitted to generations, thousands of years hence, 
 and remain indelibly inscribed upon the various strata 
 of human life." 
 
 Such were his views of the teacher's work. A call- 
 ing which, as he contemplated it, was full of grandeur. 
 "No minister of the Gospel was more absolutely an 
 ambassador of heaven, and the stateliest cathedral in 
 Europe was not more truly a temple of God, than the 
 school-room in which he taught. His work to him 
 was a sacred ministry. He commenced his labors each 
 morning in the school-room with extemporaneous 
 prayer, and entered upon all his labors as one bap- 
 tized in the pure fountain of eternal love.
 
 41 
 
 " Seneca, Socrates, Plato," he said, " were teach- 
 ers; yes, and our Lord and Saviour was the Great 
 Teacher." 
 
 As an expression of some of his general views, I 
 quote from a letter I received from him, dated April, 
 1865: 
 
 " "We spend too much time on vehicles of knowl- 
 edge, to have sufficient time for knowledge itself. 
 This is the great defect in the education of Eng- 
 land. The same evil has been fostered among us. 
 The opposite error is to make Education wholly 
 subservient to what is called business, as if it 
 were more important to insure success in the af- 
 fairs of life, than to make true men and women. 
 Language, the artificial and somewhat arbitrary con- 
 trivance of man, should, by no means, be neglected. 
 But who can, with truth, say that the great book of 
 nature, bearing the impress of infinite power, wis- 
 dom, and goodness is of secondary importance? A 
 teacher should know every thing and be everything 
 that is good. But as these are rather high quali- 
 fications, we must be content with only moderate ap- 
 proximations. Deficiency in the knowledge of 
 natural science is too common among teachers. 
 I trust we are taking the initial steps to remedy
 
 42 
 
 this deficiency. I have often thought that a good 
 knowledge of chemistry, geology, zoology, and 
 botany is a better qualification for a teacher in the 
 school under my charge, than perfect familiarity with 
 all the Latin and Greek that was ever written. t In 
 modo is much, but in re is vastly more.' ' 
 
 His love for nature and the natural sciences gained 
 strength through advancing years. " Education 
 must be changed," he would say, " to correspond with 
 the progress of society." 
 
 " The great book of nature, glowing all over with 
 characters of living light, affords arguments inex- 
 haustible, and illustrations without number. No 
 one who has made the natural sciences a study, can 
 fail to perceive the moral and religious instruction 
 they afford. The question is whether we should not 
 take more pains to show the young what God has 
 done for them, in this beautiful world of ours." 
 
 In a letter I received from Mr. Sherwin's son, he 
 says : 
 
 " Every insect, leaf, and flower was to him 
 an illustration of the omnipotence and wisdom of 
 the Almighty. There was no creature so small, or 
 so despised, that he was not ready to find a claim 
 for its existence. Had leisure been granted, from 
 the earnest work in which his life was spent, he
 
 43 
 
 would have been an ardent naturalist. He was a 
 religious man, not only from faith, but through 
 processes of intellectual thought. If he had been 
 debarred from every study but his favorite one of 
 mathematics, the pursuit of that alone, and the 
 great and, to him, divine laws which govern the 
 exact sciences, would have led him to a belief in 
 God. In the acquisition of knowledge, he sought 
 to apply the principles already mastered to the 
 great problems of nature, science, and philosophy, 
 to which all study leads, as the movements of a 
 single planet are but in obedience to, and part of, 
 the great plan of the universe; so he regarded every 
 branch of study as part of that grand inquiry for 
 truth which ends only with the Infinite." 
 
 In 1854, at the opening of the American Institute 
 of Instruction, of which Mr. Sherwin was president, 
 he said: " The lapse of twenty-five years, since we 
 commenced, has blanched the locks of many among 
 us, but we trust it has not deadened our zeal, nor 
 abated our interest in the holy cause of education." 
 
 "We may be sure that time had produced no such 
 influence upon him; his character during a quarter 
 of a century had but grown more mellow, and his 
 zeal more strong.
 
 44 
 
 In May, 1836, he was elected a member of the 
 American Academy of Arts and Sciences; in which 
 Society, for more than thirty years, he continued an 
 active interest. In February, 1868, he was chosen 
 a member of the ISTew England Historic Genealogical 
 Society. And from the first organization of the 
 Institute of Technology, he was a director; for the 
 past ten years, attending its evening meetings, 
 and faithfully laboring for its advancement. 
 
 In addition to communications and lectures, read 
 and printed through successive years, he published 
 two works on Algebra which are the best text-books 
 upon this subject used in our schools. For clearness 
 of thought and conciseness of expression, for judi- 
 cious selection and wise adaptation to the mind of 
 the learner, they are not surpassed by any school- 
 books ever written. 
 
 Horace Mann, when Secretary of the Board of 
 Education, stated that attention was given to Alge- 
 bra in less than one hundred towns of the State ; in 
 not one half of the seventy-eight incorporated acad- 
 emies was Algebra studied, and in those instances 
 only by a few scholars. "When we consider that this 
 study has now become nearly universal, and that Mr. 
 Sherwin's book has been adopted, almost without 
 exception, as the standard authority, we have reason
 
 45 
 
 to infer that the author has greatly helped to extend 
 an important branch of education; and that, by what 
 he has thus done, he has rendered a public service. 
 
 In addition to his partiality for the natural sci- 
 ences and for mathematics, Mr. Sherwin had a decided 
 fondness for languages. He spoke and read French 
 fluently, and was well versed in French literature. 
 He understood and could teach Spanish. He had 
 knowledge of German, and read Latin with ease. 
 Livy and Cicero were favorite authors, while Horace 
 often gained a share of his more leisure hours. 
 
 Mr. G. H. Lodge, for many years his intimate 
 friend, writes as follows: "Mr. Sherwin was an 
 industrious student, an honest thinker, a calm rea- 
 soner, mild and tolerant. Through a series of years, 
 we met on successive weeks at each other's rooms. 
 We studied German, French, and Spanish together. 
 "We played duets on the flute. We discussed ques- 
 tions on the arts, grammar, etc. Our intercourse was 
 very happy, and I think the better of myself for 
 having been the friend of Thomas Sherwin." 
 
 Mr. Sherwin's reading took a wide range. He 
 was familiar with all the standard histories and most 
 of the English classics. He had read the older
 
 46 
 
 French authors and dramatists, as well as all the 
 works upon mathematics which could be obtained, 
 many of the latter so abstruse and difficult that few 
 men in the country would think of taking them up, 
 yet he read them for amusement and relaxation. He 
 was a great admirer of Shakspeare and Milton. The 
 works of Prescott, Macaulay, and Motley he knew 
 intimately, and fully kept up to the times on all 
 topics of thought and inquiry . He read with interest 
 the writings of Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens, 
 though he felt a little annoyed that in delineating 
 the character of the Teacher, they had both done 
 something to bring the profession he himself so hon- 
 ored into ridicule and disrepute. The leading peri- 
 odicals, American, English and French, which 
 he thought well-informed men should be acquainted 
 with, he read quite extensively. 
 
 Such were his scholarly tastes and habits. 
 
 There were but few objects upon which he did not 
 make himself intelligently conversant. He was ac- 
 quainted with practical Farming, knew the character- 
 istics and capabilities of different soils, the proper 
 succession of crops, the chemical properties of the 
 atmosphere and the earth. He had read the best 
 works on agriculture, and had gained much informa-
 
 47 
 
 tion on the same subject, both from personal experi- 
 ence and intercourse with others. In Architecture he 
 felt keenly sensitive to any defects, and an appreci- 
 ative admiration for all that was good. His mathe- 
 matical knowledge ministered to his artistic tastes. 
 Upon the subject of Music he professed much infor- 
 mation; without pretending to profound scientific 
 knowledge, he had a correct ear and cultivated taste, 
 while compositions of the highest order he could both 
 analyze and enjoy.* 
 
 Indeed, his ever-active mind lost no reasonable 
 opportunity of gaining knowledge, while all that he 
 acquired was made subservient to the interests of ed- 
 ucation. He would often say, " I can make this of 
 service to my boys." 
 
 Thus was there a constant self-culture and growth. 
 His pupils often felt, as many others did also, that he 
 was an encyclopedia of information. No opportunity 
 with him, either of gaining or imparting, was ne- 
 glected. When the drawing master came to teach 
 
 * As an indication of the versatility of his gifts, and that he had in his 
 nature the poetic element combined with a flue sense of wit and humor, 
 it may be mentioned that about two years since he prepared for a meeting 
 of his college classmates a poem of nearly one hundred and fifty lines, 
 into which he most ingeniously introduced the name of every member of 
 the class, with graphic descriptions and amusing characteristics, " which 
 kept," to use the language of one present, " the whole company in a roar 
 of laughter."
 
 48 
 
 the classes, he would take a seat with the boys, and 
 draw by their side. "When Professor Munroe went 
 through the vocal exercises, and gymnastic drill, he 
 would gladly participate. He never became too old to 
 learn, or lost his enthusiasm for improvement. So 
 affairs went on prosperously in the history of the 
 school. The path of duty quietly pursued, and 
 always with continued progress. 
 
 But at length a great change came over the whole 
 country. An ominous cloud spread its tempestuous 
 shadow! Many were appalled by dark forebodings. 
 Treacherous and malignant hands threatened the very 
 life of the nation. The slave oligarchy, filled with 
 insane ambition, laid its plans deeply, and with a 
 crafty cunning. Thoroughly loyal himself, what he 
 saw filled him with indignation and grief. Every 
 act of perfidy and treason roused him the more. The 
 outbreak of hostilities, the cruelty to our men, all 
 stirred his heart. What would he not do for his 
 country? He attended public meetings, encouraged 
 effort, and liberally contributed money, to the full ex- 
 tent of his means. He rejoiced as he heard of past 
 graduates of the school, springing, on every side, 
 to the aid of the national government. By word, 
 look, and deed, he helped the good cause. With him
 
 49 
 
 there was no lukewarmness. The cause of our armies 
 was the cause of humanity and of God. 
 
 He was deeply interested in the formation of the 
 first colored regiment (the 54th Massachusetts) , and 
 raised a large sum for its equipment. 
 
 But more than this. Providence had blessed him 
 with three sons, all the children he had, and these 
 three manly young men, which of them could he 
 give to this great cause? He gave them all. Yes, 
 from that pleasant, peaceful home, three courageous, 
 patriotic men went forth, ready, if need be, to die. 
 Two entered the navy, and did their work there, fear- 
 lessly and well. And one joined the volunteers of 
 the United States Army, going out as an officer in 
 the 22d Massachusetts. For three years, serving in 
 the army of the Potomac, he was in more than 
 twenty battles, and, after being wounded in the ser- 
 vice, he again returned to his regiment. He rose to 
 be Lieutenant-Colonel, and was afterwards brevetted 
 Brigadier General. 
 
 Among the honored men who did service to the 
 country through that trying period, and whose cour- 
 age and fidelity helped to crown our cause with 
 success, should ever be remembered with gratitude, 
 General Thomas Sherwin.
 
 50 
 
 When at length, through the devoted heroism of 
 our soldiery, the skill of our commanders, and the 
 wisdom of the executive, victory, by a kind Provi- 
 dence, with succeeding peace and prosperity, were 
 granted to the nation, Mr. Sherwin found himself, 
 thank Heaven, reunited to his three sons. "While 
 thousands had fallen, they had been preserved. Tow 
 the country was safe. The integrity of the national 
 government had been vindicated. A colossal evil, 
 the root of all our woe, existed no longer; and a 
 glorious future was opening before us. Mr. Sherwin 
 felt the weight of anxiety lifted from his mind. His 
 natural cheerfulness returned to him, and he seemed, 
 as he indeed was, one of the happiest of men. 
 
 In the midst of all this tranquillity, with joy and 
 peace around him, a cherished dream of his life 
 seemed about to be realized. The thought of a visit 
 to Europe had naturally floated before him. The 
 scenes associated so intimately with his reading and 
 study; interwoven with history, science and art ; the 
 monuments of past ages, the footprints of civiliza- 
 tion, even a hasty glance at these would not only 
 be a great personal gratification, but would aid him 
 in the education of others. 
 
 What fresh illustrations it would furnish ! What 
 added power it might impart ! Thirty years of in-
 
 51 
 
 cessant labor was beginning to wear upon him ; a few 
 months' absence might invigorate both body and 
 mind. The committee granted leave of absence, 
 and everything seemed auspicious. 
 
 As an indication of his feelings, I read the follow- 
 ing words, which I received in a note written by him 
 at that time : 
 
 " The English High School," he says, " is, after my 
 own family, my great, almost my only object of in- 
 terest in this life. I shall leave it, even for a short 
 time, with feelings of reluctance. I hope and trust, 
 however, that it will not suffer by my absence, and 
 that on my return, it may be benefitted by the knowl- 
 edge obtained from a wider observation of the world 
 than I have hitherto enjoyed." 
 
 Such were his views and feelings. Arrangements 
 were nearly completed; he was to accompany his 
 friend and relative, the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder. 
 The passage was engaged; when, a few days before 
 the steamer was to leave, a sudden impediment pre- 
 sented itself. A newly appointed teacher had found 
 difficulty in the management of his charge. The boys 
 refused to be controlled. The teacher had lost con- 
 fidence, and was overpowered. Mr. Sherwin called
 
 52 
 
 at my house. I said, "I am rejoiced to see you.'' 
 He replied, " You will not be, when you know why 
 I am here." ""What, then," I said, "is the occa- 
 sion? " He replied, " Trouble." He stated the par- 
 ticulars, adding, "What am I to do? My plans 
 are laid, my passage taken, but I cannot go. It will 
 not answer. Am I right? " 
 
 There he stood, true to his duty, true to himself. 
 The thought of Europe, with all its attractions, just 
 within his reach, the cherished dream of his life 
 about to be realized. Could he leave his school, even 
 if one department was in a state of insubordination? 
 Not for a moment could he hesitate. His duty was 
 here. Every plan was instantly changed; and 
 from that hour he continued at his post. 
 
 This was a simple, natural, truthful illustration of 
 the man. It was in harmony with his course through 
 forty years. His whole soul was in his work; and in 
 this instance, great as the disappointment was, he 
 would hardly allow himself to call it disappointment 
 while duty demanded him here. 
 
 He thought then it was possible he might go 
 abroad at some future time; but that time never came. 
 Cheerfully he gave himself to his accustomed labors. 
 Harmony was at once restored, and the whole school 
 displayed a proficiency and progress which had not 
 been surpassed.
 
 53 
 
 The English High School, whose origin had formed 
 an era in the educational history of the city, was in- 
 tended to afford the very best practical education 
 which could possibly be obtained. Mr. Sherwin's 
 strenuous purpose, from the beginning, was to make 
 this school, in every particular, all that it professed 
 to be; and not only so, but to carry it forward to yet 
 higher attainments, embracing whatever was most 
 valuable in the advancing tendencies of the times. 
 
 For three grand results this school, under the 
 guidance of Mr. Sherwin, became justly distin- 
 guished. 
 
 First. For thoroughness. "Whatever was acquired, 
 was understood. Every principle involved was ren- 
 dered so clear that it could not but be comprehended. 
 Nothing essential was slighted; nothing superficial 
 was tolerated. A tutor in Harvard University in- 
 formed me that he could readily designate the grad- 
 uates of this school, from any other students in the 
 college, by the accuracy of their acquirements, and 
 by their complete mastery of whatever studies they 
 had pursued. 
 
 Second. The development of mental power. Mr. 
 Sherwin taught his pupils to think for themselves. 
 Not contented with imparting information, he quick- 
 ened and unfolded the faculties, arousing the whole
 
 54 
 
 intellect into healthy and vigorous activity. Teach- 
 ing every capacity not only to work, but how to work 
 to the best possible advantage. 
 
 Third. Manliness of character. Integrity of 
 thought; self-reliance, and self-respect; the best type 
 of a noble Manhood. Principle, not blind impulse or 
 a temporizing policy, but a deep-rooted love for the 
 right, the true, and the good. No amount of knowl- 
 edge, without these, could satisfy Mr. Sherwin; they 
 were to him the consummation to which all education 
 should tend. 
 
 It was the power which Mr. Sherwin possessed to 
 inspire this spirit and secure these results, which led 
 so many of the young men to become heartily at- 
 tached to him while under his care, and to pursue, 
 through after years, a career of undeviating useful- 
 ness. In professional life, in mercantile business, 
 and amid the wearing pursuits of daily toil, they 
 proved themselves, in the best sense, honorable citi- 
 zens, and in many instances became widely recog- 
 nized as benefactors of society. 
 
 Teachers and graduates, shall we step, for an in- 
 stant, into the school-room, and glance at the method 
 of teaching which left such results?
 
 55 
 
 How striking is that presence! The calm and in- 
 tellectual expression; those finely chiselled features; 
 the firm decision of the mouth; the quiet yet com- 
 manding deportment; unaffected dignity, blended 
 with manly grace. 
 
 It is the hour of recitation. We hear not the for- 
 mal interchange of questions and answers, mechanic- 
 ally repeated from a text-book, far different; how 
 natural the unfolding of the subject, how animated 
 the thought, with illustrations from nature and from 
 life, awakening in each mind the interest of personal 
 discovery ! 
 
 When the teacher speaks, how marked is his brev- 
 ity! Every expression exactly to the point, with 
 never a syllable too little or too much. Good Saxon 
 words, and of those the shortest and simplest. Like 
 Porson, he condescends to call a spade a spade, and 
 not a horticultural implement. How often, with one 
 sentence, he sends a blaze of light over the whole 
 subject, making its meaning clear as day. Old 
 Chaucer described him, five centuries ago, when, in 
 his Canterbury Pilgrim, he says : 
 
 " Not a word spake he, more than was need; 
 And that was said in form and reverence, 
 And short and quick, and full of high sentence : 
 Sounding in moral virtue was his speech, 
 And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach."
 
 56 
 
 In mathematics, navigation, astronomy, mechanics, 
 the black-board is constantly in requisition. Each 
 proposition is demonstrated in every part, and this 
 not by four or five of the brightest boys, but by 
 every boy in the class. Nothing is taken for 
 granted, and nothing is left unillustrated or un- 
 explained. 
 
 Beyond the regular instruction, observe from time 
 to time, and always at the right instant, what wise 
 counsel and pithy advice, not prosaic moralizing, 
 but a concise and happy statement, graphic as Frank- 
 lin's, full of that shrewdness and sound sense 
 which gains for it a cordial welcome, and causes it 
 to bear fruit through after years. 
 
 Numerous instances might be mentioned of the 
 felicitous manner in which items of practical advice 
 were given, to be of service in the future experience 
 of actual life. Our friend and associate, Mr. Charles 
 F. "Wyman, recalls the manner in which he urged 
 the habit of keeping a strict account of personal ex- 
 penses. " Some of you," said Mr. Sherwin, " may 
 have little, if any, spending-money; others maybe 
 more favored; but be the amount less or more, you 
 will do well to keep an account-book. Not that I 
 would have you become mean or selfish by such a 
 course ; but you will probably thus secure to your-
 
 57 
 
 selves habits of order and proper economy. But 
 I recommend this plan especially because most of 
 you will be engaged in mercantile pursuits, and if 
 you learn to take care of your own money, you will 
 thus save yourselves much labor and temptation in 
 the care you have over the property of your employ- 
 ers." There were young men in that class who cor- 
 dially received that wise suggestion, and have faith- 
 fully acted upon it from that day, and who have 
 found its value increase with every year. It was 
 probably not so much what was said, as the man- 
 ner in which it was said, which gave to this simple 
 and timely advice such an enduring influence. 
 
 So also Mr. Simpson recalls the fact that one 
 morning during the war, the pupils and teacher were 
 much excited over the news of battles just fought, in 
 which near relatives of those present were doubtless 
 engaged, when suddenly Mr. Sherwin exclaimed, 
 kindly yet emphatically, " Well, boys, the army will 
 attend to its duty there, our duty lies here" That 
 expression, so given, the pupils declare, always 
 recurs to their minds when they are tempted at any 
 time to neglect the duty immediately before them. 
 Those words seem still audible: " Our duty lies 
 here." 
 
 Mr. Moriarty, the faithful secretary of the High
 
 58 
 
 School Association, recalls another impressive inci- 
 dent. One morning, Mr. Sherwin's manner was 
 unusually solemn. After the opening morning exer- 
 cise, he addressed the class. " My young friends," 
 he said, " you are in the morning of life, and have, 
 before you, I trust, many years of prosperity. I am 
 in the evening of my days, and know not how many 
 years Providence may have in store for me. But 
 whatever these years might be, I would gladly relin- 
 quish them all, if, by so doing, I could render ser- 
 vice to my country. "Were a gulf to open at my feet, 
 filled with blazing fire, and I knew that by plunging 
 into it, I could spare my country the ordeal through 
 which she is passing, I would not hesitate to 
 do so." 
 
 His earnest expression of countenance, the im- 
 pressive tones of his voice, showed how deeply he 
 felt all he said; and every boy there knew that he 
 would, in very truth, have done this and more, if, by 
 so doing, he could, in that trying hour, have bene- 
 fitted his country. 
 
 With Mr. Sherwin no fraction of the day was mis- 
 spent. He did not waste three-fourths of his time in 
 striving to ascertain how he should dispose of the 
 other fourth to advantage. ]STo one knew better than 
 he did how to make the utmost of each moment as it
 
 59 
 
 came. No slight proportion of his power came from 
 his promptitude. 
 
 So also with regard to discipline, his thoughtful 
 consideration prevented the necessity of severe meas- 
 ures. For more than twenty years, not a blow had 
 been struck. Courtesy and kindness led to obe- 
 dience and respect; and this was secured by per- 
 sonal dignity and weight of character. In a note I 
 received from him upon this subject, he says: "Inter- 
 est a scholar in what is useful, purifying, elevating, 
 and you acquire almost necessarily a sufficient con- 
 trol over him." "If," he adds, "a scholar realizes that 
 the teacher is deeply interested in his welfare, that 
 good order and the scrupulous observance of rules 
 are essential to that welfare, and if with this knowl- 
 edge, the pupil is kept fully employed, he will 
 rarely prove troublesome." He endeavored to place 
 a boy where his antagonistic feelings would not be- 
 come excited; to work with his nature rather than 
 against it. Sir "Walter Scott once said that if he knew 
 a man had several pounds of gunpowder in his 
 pocket, he did not precisely understand why he need 
 insist upon that man's taking his seat next to the 
 fire. When Mr. Sherwin knew that a lad was com- 
 posed of combustible material, he placed him where 
 the least harm might be anticipated. He knew how to
 
 60 
 
 avoid evil, by putting out of the way the causes 
 which lead to it; and he knew how to encourage 
 and strengthen what was good, by establishing all 
 those conditions which tend thither. He pre-occu- 
 pied the mind by what was right; and kindled within 
 it such true purposes, that all its interests and ten- 
 dencies turned instinctively in that direction. 
 
 If any wrong disposition was discovered, he had 
 his own way of meeting it, seldom administering 
 rebuke before others, in a manner to create bitterness 
 of feeling. His method, in each instance, was individ- 
 ual, and adapted to the particular circumstances. It 
 might be difficult to describe such a case, it depended 
 so greatly upon his own peculiar manner. 
 
 A lad was guilty of falsehood. Mr. Sherwin called 
 him up, but instead of punishment, or even direct re- 
 proof, he broke forth into an enthusiastic exposition 
 of truth, the value of truth, the beauty of truth, the 
 majesty of truth. His mind kindled with his theme, 
 and this boy, standing there, without one syllable of 
 censure, seemed as if in the midst of a consuming fire. 
 Remorse seized upon him, and he burst into a flood 
 of tears. His companions declare that from that hour 
 they never knew him to be guilty of an untruth. 
 
 Mr. Sherwin was quick to discern and appreciate 
 every honest effort; and such was his evident sympa-
 
 61 
 
 thy with his pupils, that he readily commanded their 
 confidence. They did not need to be told that he 
 cared for them, every look and word proved it. He 
 never despaired of a boy, or gave one up as hopeless. 
 "Can we not do something with him?" was the ques- 
 tion he asked; and when some latent faculty was dis- 
 covered, or some motive of action to which an effective 
 appeal could be made, with what sincere gratification 
 would he lead the boy on from one field of inquiry 
 and another, feeling amply rewarded for every effort 
 if he could thus secure all the improvement which the 
 nature of the case rendered possible. 
 
 Boys who become disheartened and discouraged 
 under the charge of other teachers, by such judicious 
 treatment went through an intellectual regeneration. 
 Many a pupil, by his care, has experienced the most 
 wonderful transformation, and acknowledged in after 
 years, with tears of gratitude, the deep indebtedness 
 due to him. 
 
 There was an entire absence of partiality. Favor- 
 itism in his presence was a thing unthought of; ab- 
 solute justice was extended to all. The truest wel- 
 fare of every one, they knew, he had at heart. A lad 
 who was a cripple, exclaimed : "He is the best man I 
 ever knew." A colored young man, who received a 
 medal for excellency in declamation, and a diploma for
 
 62 
 
 honorable proficiency in his studies, said to me : " He 
 treats us all with equal kindness, and a generous care 
 which knows no bounds." 
 
 In order to adapt himself the better to the wants 
 of each individual, he took pains to acquaint himself 
 with the antecedents of all, their history, home, and 
 social surroundings. If they were ill, he would visit 
 them. If they were destitute, in the most delicate 
 way he would minister to their necessities. 
 
 "When they were about to leave his more immediate 
 care, he would endeavor to gain for them desirable 
 places. Hundreds through him have secured advan- 
 tageous positions; and even after this he kept him- 
 self acquainted with their plans and prospects. Such 
 was the confidence in his judgment, that business 
 houses would consult him, making application for 
 young men. And those who had been under his 
 care, after they had entered into business relations, 
 would still come to him for advice and to express 
 their gratitude. 
 
 Well did President Wayland affirm that the work 
 of education " presents subjects vast enough, and in- 
 terests grave enough, to task the highest efforts of 
 the most gifted intellect, in the full vigor of its pow- 
 ers." Such were Mr. Sherwin's views of education. 
 In this spirit he entered upon his duties, and with 
 the same spirit he continued to the end.
 
 63 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Lothrop, Mr. Sherwin's college 
 classmate and friend, the efficient chairman of the 
 committee on the English High School, and whose 
 important services in behalf of education are well 
 known, writes to me as follows : " For the last 
 twenty years, my personal and official relations with 
 Mr. Sherwin have been most intimate, and always 
 the great feature I have noticed was growth. Every 
 year he was a better, broader, more tolerant and schol- 
 arly man. There was a reality about him, a freedom 
 from arrogance and pretence, show and routine, 
 rarely found in a man who has devoted forty years to 
 the profession of teaching. He taught in a variety 
 of departments, yet in every one he was in advance 
 of the text-books, and no new discovery in science 
 or inventive art, was made, but he got hold of it, knew 
 all about it, and communicated the facts orally to his 
 pupils 3 long before it could otherwise come to them. 
 This gave a freshness and reality to his teaching alike 
 interesting and useful to his pupils. He never did a 
 nobler or grander work than during his last year." 
 
 Mr. Sherwin was connected with the English High 
 School from 1828 to 1869, a period of forty-one years, 
 during thirty of which he had the supreme charge. 
 
 Within this time, three thousand nine hundred and 
 thirty-seven boys were enrolled as pupils of the
 
 64 
 
 school. Nearly four thousand young men thus came 
 under his directing and moulding power. "Who can 
 describe the effect of such instruction and discipline 
 upon so many destined to take active part in the 
 practical labors and duties of life ? 
 
 The last graduating class which had the privilege 
 of Mr. Sherwin's care, numbered forty-four. The 
 closing exhibition took place, Saturday, July 17. 
 Mr. Sherwin conducted the exercises. Nine pupils 
 received Franklin medals. It was the declaration of 
 Mr. Philbrick, that "this year of school-service was 
 the most completely successful of any of the forty 
 years of his connection with the school; which, he 
 adds, " is the highest eulogy that can be pronounced 
 upon any teacher." 
 
 The School Festival took place at the Music Hall, 
 July 20th, at which Mr. Sherwin was present, in ex- 
 cellent spirits. I had, on that day, a most pleasant 
 conversation with him, which will ever remain as a 
 sacred remembrance. 
 
 On July 21 and 22, the examination of candi- 
 dates for admission to the High School took place. 
 There were two hundred and twenty-seven appli- 
 cants examined, of whom one hundred and sixty-two 
 were admitted. Mr. Sherwin conducted the exami- 
 nations on both days, in apparently perfect health.
 
 65 
 
 On the day following, being at his house in the 
 country, he accompanied his son to the railroad sta- 
 tion, stating, as they parted, " I shall call to consult 
 with the physician, as I do not feel exactly right." 
 
 This was the first intimation given to any one re- 
 specting indisposition. During the consultation, he 
 spoke of an intermittent motion of the pulse. " You 
 have observed that? " said the physician. He replied, 
 " I have." 
 
 He saw that the trouble was serious. The signal 
 for departure had sounded, and he might be called at 
 any moment. He continued calm and undisturbed; 
 so much so that, shortly after, the physician happen- 
 ing to overtake him on his way towards home, over- 
 heard him singing to himself a pleasant tune. Thus 
 Bunyan's Pilgrim, at the window which opened 
 towards the rising sun, when he thought of the Celes- 
 tial City and the shining ones, awoke and sang ! 
 so little did apprehension cast its shadow over the 
 natural serenity of his mind. After this, he united in 
 pleasant conversation with his family, walked in the 
 garden, went to his room, took a book, and in a mo- 
 ment, without a sign or struggle, passed from this 
 life to another. 
 
 In conversation with a friend, not long before, he 
 
 9
 
 66 
 
 had said, "When I depart, I hope it will be suddenly, 
 like the going out of a candle." He went in accord- 
 ance with his wish. 
 
 " It will make but little difference," he said to his 
 friend, " when we go, if we are only prepared." His 
 whole life was a preparation. He adored the wis- 
 dom and goodness of God, through his word and his 
 works ; and glorious to him was the prospect of 
 that immortality, in which he should behold yet more 
 fully the ways of Jehovah. 
 
 Nay, so truly did he revere his calling, that he be- 
 lieved he should still be engaged much in the same 
 way, studying truth and imparting it. " If God," he 
 would say, " has given me such duties here, and en- 
 dowed me with a capacity for them, why may there 
 not be similar duties in a higher sphere? " Sublime 
 and inspiring faith ! True through life to the highest 
 purpose and the divinest thought, with the same un- 
 extinguishable love of goodness and truth, his soul 
 desired to carry even into heaven its work of useful- 
 ness! 
 
 It was in July when the last service took place. 
 The multitude of mourners that assembled, neighbors 
 and friends, old and young, teachers and taught, at- 
 tested to the wide sense of private and public loss, 
 and to that heartfelt reverence and love in which he 
 was universally held.
 
 67 
 
 A more faithful and useful teacher had probably 
 not lived, from the time of Roger Ascham, to Dr. 
 Arnold, of Rugby. 
 
 Indeed, between Mr. Sherwin and Dr. Arnold there 
 were striking resemblances. In the character of 
 each a strong natural capacity was united to in- 
 dustry, constant and unabating. Both had a sympa- 
 thy for young people, with a real pleasure in the 
 work of instruction, and an interest in that work 
 which only increased with advancing age. 
 
 Both united firmness with tenderness, and modesty 
 with true self-respect and personal independence. 
 
 " I hold," said Dr. Arnold, " that a man is only fit 
 to teach so long as he is himself learning daily." 
 ~No words could express more exactly the principle 
 and practice of Mr. Sherwin. 
 
 Both were impatient of mere routine, and carried 
 into all their labors a spirit of Life, giving freshness 
 and flexibility to all they undertook. 
 
 They mutually discarded from the school-room, 
 artifice and dogmatism; treating all with courtesy 
 and kindness, and gaining in return confidence and 
 friendship. 
 
 Both acted upon the principle that more should be 
 done by the boys, than for them; and that the most
 
 68 
 
 desirable thing to teach them, was the use of their 
 own faculties. 
 
 Both introduced into the school-room the highest 
 principles of action, and carried the same principles 
 fully out in their intercourse with mankind. 
 
 Neither could be narrowed down into the mere 
 pedagogue, but stood up in the full stature of many- 
 sided and complete manhood; fulfilling various 
 duties for the public welfare, and striving at all times 
 to promote the best interests of society. 
 
 They alike cultivated the habit of " doing what 
 was right, speaking what was true, and thinking 
 what was good." 
 
 It was not a little remarkable that while there was 
 such a resemblance in character, there should have 
 been so many corresponding circumstances in their 
 external life; and that at length both should have 
 been taken away with the same instantaneous sud- 
 denness from the midst of active duty. Within eight 
 or ten years, the attendance at the English High 
 School had doubled ; the number of pupils at Rugby 
 had rapidly increased in the same manner. In 
 each school, the term had just drawn to a close, 
 and the graduating class had passed through their 
 public day of valedictory exercises. The examina- 
 tion of the new class had taken place, when both
 
 69 
 
 Teachers, in the midst of apparent health, and in the 
 full exercise of every faculty, were, by a disease of the 
 heart, taken at once from this life into the realities of 
 eternity. 
 
 There was throughout, an Individuality in the life 
 we have been considering; a vital unity; an inner 
 law of growth, which, from the beginning, developed 
 itself, persistently to the end. Few persons ever 
 carried out more fully that favorite sentence of Mar- 
 cus Aurelius : " Let nothing be done without a pur- 
 pose." To educate himself thoroughly, perfectly, in 
 every faculty and power, might with him have been 
 called a pervading passion; and the knowledge he 
 craved for himself, with the truest liberality he wished 
 all others to enjoy. With such views of life and 
 education (on every side broad and far-reaching), his 
 interest could never falter. The desire to teach had 
 been the ambition of his younger days; it was the 
 delight of his maturer life, and it continued the ab- 
 sorbing enjoyment of his riper age; while, through 
 all, he became daily more learned, more wise, more 
 capable, retaining to the last the cheerfulness, the 
 elasticity, and the freshness of youth. 
 
 Of those teachers who were most intimately asso-
 
 70 
 
 ciated with Mr. Sherwin in his direct labors, not a 
 few had been with him ten, fifteen, and twenty years. 
 Teachers of the English High School, do I not ex- 
 press the sentiment of your hearts when I say, that 
 nothing can surpass the strength of your attachment, 
 or the profoundness of that homage which you cher- 
 ish for his memory? 
 
 With the most thoughtful kindness and true liber- 
 ality, he always left you, as you will gladly testify, to 
 accomplish requisite results by your own methods ; 
 encouraging you ever to cherish ideas of your own ; 
 securing through this means the individuality of all, 
 while at the same time, he could hardly fail to gain 
 your added confidence and respect by that large and 
 pleasant freedom you were allowed to enjoy in the 
 discharge of your several duties. 
 
 His name will forever be honorably identified with 
 the school over which he presided so long and so well. 
 May his mantle, like that of the prophet Elijah, fall 
 upon his successors, and may the school itself not 
 only maintain its present high standard of excellence, 
 but prove, by continued progress, its capability of 
 meeting the enlarged demands of the coming time. 
 
 I see before me not only those who were with- 
 him in his school, but a large representation of the
 
 71 
 
 teachers of Boston, who were all bound to him by 
 ties of personal friendship. 
 
 Teachers of Boston, natural it was that you should 
 feel proud of such an associate. For forty years he 
 had labored among you, with unceasing assiduity, 
 never limiting his sympathies to his own school, but 
 embracing in his affection the whole educational in- 
 terests of the community. How could you do other- 
 wise than honor and love him? 
 
 "When I think of the five-and-thirty thousand chil- 
 dren entrusted to your daily care ; when 1 recall the 
 fact that at least one hundred and twenty-five thou- 
 sand pupils have received instruction in the public 
 schools of Boston since Mr. Sherwin entered upon 
 his duties as teacher; and that the whole of this vast 
 number have been affected for evil or for good, by 
 your fidelity or remissness, I am more impressed 
 than ever by the momentous character of your work, 
 and feel that Mr. Sherwin was right in the high esti- 
 mate he put upon it. 
 
 Is there not much in the life we have been con- 
 templating to stimulate and inspire every teacher? 
 Mr. Philbrick, the superintendent of schools, has af- 
 firmed that " no one among us has occupied so im- 
 portant a position in the public service for so long 
 a period, with such uniform and eminent success."
 
 72 
 
 Many there are, I know, of rare acquirement and ex- 
 alted virtue; I feel it as I look upon those who are 
 gathered around me here. But, Teachers, where 
 shall we look to find all the qualifications requisite 
 for a superior teacher existing in so high a degree? 
 Where shall we find another mind in which all the 
 moral and intellectual qualities abound in such 
 perfect and beautiful harmony? 
 
 May his memory throw a new sanctity over the 
 teacher's office, and the thought of what he was, 
 and what he did, give fresh impulse to the cause of 
 education, both here and throughout the land. 
 
 Mr. President and officers of the High School Asso- 
 ciation, who among the four thousand scholars whose 
 names have been enrolled as pupils of the High School 
 since Mr. Sherwin first became connected with it, 
 will not gladly cherish his memory? From that four 
 thousand have gone forth men to occupy every walk 
 of life, many of whom have risen to eminent positions 
 in industrial pursuits, and in the public service ; the 
 city, the state, the nation, have recognized their just 
 claims to honor. Among all those graduates there is 
 probably not one whose heart will not throb with last- 
 ing gratitude to Mr. Sherwin ; not one who will not 
 gladly unite in the memorial which is now proposed 
 as a fitting tribute to his memory.
 
 73 
 
 We have traced Mr. Sherwin's career from his child- 
 hood to his mature age; have seen him as a lad, at 
 Westmoreland and at Temple, have followed him 
 in his apprenticeship, as he fulfilled his daily task" 
 studying his book while he worked at the loom ; have 
 witnessed him, in the face of every obstacle, fitting 
 himself for college ; and, having finished his academic 
 course with honor, we have seen him appointed tutor 
 in the University; and afterwards, for forty years, 
 becoming identified with all that was best in the 
 educational interests of the city. 
 
 There might, perhaps, have been a portion of this 
 period when his character appeared too austere; if 
 any one ever thought so, they would have seen that 
 character, with advancing age, rounding into beau- 
 tiful harmony. As he grew older, he became 
 younger. The cares and anxieties, which pressed 
 upon him in his earlier days, passed away, and the 
 more genial element shone forth with unclouded 
 brightness. 
 
 " Be" sure," said Southey, " no man was ever dis- 
 contented with the world who did his duty in it." 
 Mr. Sherwin, by his very fidelity to duty, became not 
 only himself more cheerful, but imparted, beyond 
 
 question, increased happiness to others. 
 10
 
 74 
 
 And while zealously fulfilling his various duties, 
 with Faith he embraced joyfully the great Future. 
 Earth became associated with Heaven, and the light 
 of revelation shed its beams over the whole of exis- 
 tence. He recognized God through all nature, and 
 Providence through all history. These convictions 
 were an indissoluble part of his life, an essential 
 essence of his being, illuminating every thought, and 
 sending the radiance of immortal promise into bound- 
 less eternity. 
 
 Teachers of Boston, honor forever the associate 
 who so loved the duties to which you are devoted. 
 
 Graduates of the High School, hold in grateful 
 remembrance the teacher who so endeared himself 
 to every generous heart. 
 
 Citizens and friends, one who stood in the fore- 
 most rank of representative men has passed away, 
 but his influence will remain as long as his memory 
 endures, and his memory will live while there are 
 minds to appreciate real worth. 
 
 In the language of the ancient Scripture, " Light, 
 and understanding, and wisdom, and knowledge, 
 and an excellent spirit, were found in him." May 
 the same spirit animate us all to emulate an example 
 so noble.
 
 DATE DUE 
 
 PltlNTCOINU.S.A.