Through interlibrary loan, I received Thomas McCulloch ’s The Stepsure Letters. Published in the New Canadian Library series by McLelland and Stewart in 1960. It contains eighteen letters written by McCulloch to the Editor, Acadian Recorder in 1821-22. The letters were originally published under title The Letters of Mephibosheth Stepsure.
In the New Canadian edition, there is an Introduction by Northrop Frye.
”McCulloch is the founder of genuine Canadian humour: that is, of a humour which is based on a vision of society and is not merely a series of wisecracks on a single theme.” p. ix.
In the words of John A. Irving,
”When he died in 1843, Nova Scotia lost its ablest and most persistent champion of liberal education.” p.153.
“Long before Joseph Howe began his work, McCulloch was teaching the people of Nova Scotia the new ideas which were ultimately to change the whole system of government. Howe himself used to say that he learned the principles of responsible government from a man in Pictou.” p.156.
This weekend, I found in the New Glasgow library, Monica Graham ’s book Cradle of Knowledge, Pictou Academy 1816-2016.
McCulloch’s Dream p.1
”Rev Dr. Thomas McCulloch stepped ashore in Pictou in 1803 with a globe mapping the earth tucked under one arm. Under the other arm, he carried a second globe mapping the stars.”
p5.
“A liberal education involves training and study that develops students’ intellectual abilities, piques their curiosity about the world and teaches them how to learn, rather than instructing them in specific professional or manual skills. The term is not a political label.”
p.12.
”Also about 1824-25 Academy supporters and its liberally-educated graduates became increasingly outspoken against the oligarchic political system that saw the province governed by a wealthy minority of Halifax Anglicans. Pictou’s rebelliousness gained the town a reputation as the provincial centre of reform politics.”
When I visited the MacDonald Museum last Tuesday, I found a second-hand copy of Joshua Slocum ’Sailing Alone around the World’.
It starts:
“In the fair land of Nova Scotia, a maritime province, there is a ridge called North Mountain, overlooking the Bay of Fundy on one side and the fertile Annapolis Valley on the other. On the northern slope of the range grows the hardy spruce-tree, well adapted for ship-timbers, of which many vessels of all classes have been built”.
Slocum was born in Mount Hanley.
What are the lessons ?
Over two hundred years ago, McCulloch was championing liberal education. We need McCulloch today to challenge our educational institutions, to provide genuine Canadian humour. Perhaps, too, we need more Joshua Slocums from rural Nova Scotia.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Library staff for access to these books. Edward added the graphics. Heather joined me on the trip to New Glasgow.
References
Thomas McCulloch, 1960, The Stepsure Letters, McClelland and Sewart.
Monica Graham, 2015, Cradle of Knowledge, Pictou Academy 1816-2016, Pictou Academy Educational Foundation.
Capt. Joshua Slocum, 1999, Sailing Alone around the World, Reprinted Sheridan House.
Ernest Blair Experiment 
Bob, have you discovered the used book store in Coldbrook? I’m still enjoying, slowly, Waterlog. Jane B
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