Mr. Putney lived long but never grew old. Perhaps because of his very a.s.sociation with the young, he tasted the fountain of perpetual youth.
How valuable and how prized was the gift which he imparted, is best known to those who best knew the man himself. No pupil of his seems to think of him primarily as a teacher, but as a wise and kindly friend, whom to know was, somehow, to become one"s self wiser and of a more human spirit.
And yet he was a superb teacher.
It is simply that this phase of him is lost in the totality of the man.
One thinks instinctively of a phrase of Cicero"s--Cicero whose orations Mr. Putney taught for so many years--"Vir amplissimus." It means something much more, something quite other than simply "Great man." It means one adequate for the occasion, whatever that occasion might be.
That is the final verdict to be p.r.o.nounced, as it is the highest praise to be bestowed. From whatever angle Mr. Putney was regarded, and to whatever test he was brought, he measured up; he sufficed.
JOHN E. COLBURN.
When Mr. Putney died, we could not at first realize our loss.
He had been so much a part of the school life that it seemed hardly possible that, while that life went on, he could be away.
We all loved and admired him, but we seldom stopped to measure him. We accepted him, like any other accustomed gift, without realizing quite fully how much he meant to us.
As we remember him now, what impresses us most strongly is the thought how little in him we could have wished to change--how extraordinarily well he measured up as a man.
There was a fine serenity about him, and a kind of soundness and sweetness of character like the autumnal ripeness of a perfect apple.
It was tonic and wholesome to be under his influence.
There have been great teachers who could not teach. Nevertheless they were great teachers because a virtue went out from them which touched the lives of their pupils and was better than all instruction.
There have been great instructors who could not be respected, because along with intellectual brilliancy and clearness went a narrow, or a low, or a selfish outlook on life.
Mr. Putney measured up in both respects--he was a large-minded man, he was a great teacher.
The very nature of his profession precluded any wide or ringing fame.
His work was done quietly, un.o.btrusively, one might almost say, obscurely. A teacher"s work is always so.
His memory rests with us who knew him, but with us it is very secure.
It is the memory of a man whom we could respect without coldness, and love without making allowances.--_Burlington High School Register._
In these days when the so-called practical side of life has seemed to crowd out the humanities, so that in many schools Latin and Greek are not included in the curriculum, Mr. Putney has held high the torch of cla.s.sical learning. To him much credit should be given for keeping alive a real interest in Greek, and for giving thorough and inspiring work in Latin.
Moreover, in all school relations Mr. Putney has been not only ready but glad to co-operate. Whether for a social gathering of the teachers requiring a tax, for tickets to the many ball games, or for Thanksgiving baskets to be filled, Mr. Putney"s purse was always open. Not many, indeed, know how often he overpaid his subscription so as to be sure to do his part.
But, of course, it is the personality of Mr. Putney, so elusive and yet so real, that has impressed us all. In the hurry and rush of modern days, he never failed to be truly kind, to be warmly sympathetic, and at all times to be wholly unselfish. So with the poet we say,
"And thus he bore without abuse The grand old name of gentleman."
EFFIE MOORE.
The thing which impressed me the most about Mr. Putney was the way he saluted the flag in a.s.sembly every morning.
One could tell by his manner in saluting that he loved the flag and would fight for it again, anywhere, any time.
I. A.
Mr. Putney was a man who always found the best in every one; who proved himself such a sympathetic teacher that he inspired all to try to please him.
His name will always bring to mind most tender remembrances.
L. B.
Mr. Putney has always been to his students the highest ideal of man and of teacher. He has been a true friend. His generosity to faults and the encouragement he has given us all to live better lives will bear fruit.
He had a whole-hearted smile which none of us will ever forget. He is, and always will be, the outstanding figure in my school life.
E. C.
With the pa.s.sing away of this most venerable character Burlington High School has lost a shining star,--a star that shone in the hearts of all his students and of all of those who knew him. He was a friend of all creeds and was always ready to lend a willing hand to them. Religious to the utmost and a real American in the full sense of the word,--such is the character of the soul which will no longer cheer us in our daily tasks, but which will remain in our memories forever.
A. F.
Of all Mr. Putney"s most striking attributes, his smile always impressed me greatly. Every time he smiled we looked up and just naturally smiled, too. And when he laughed it was contagious--a ripple of happiness sounded through the cla.s.s. His smile always drove away the blues and encouraged us; not only in our Latin lessons, but in every way it made life brighter.
E. L.
Mr. Putney"s love and friendship for the pupils and the respect which they had for him stand out most strongly in my mind. Never did he hesitate when asked to help some of his pupils out of hours. Never did a cross word pa.s.s his lips, and a nod was all that was needed to stop any disturbance in the hall or room.
He will be missed as the most loved, most able, and most respected teacher and companion that ever entered "Old Edmunds."