Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-03-10
HINTS TO TEACHERS.

HIN L ~ LhSIIIIhS
LYING ScHooLs.-Haye we such schools?
We have, indeed too many of them. He or
she who doubts it, may, with very little
trouble, find them in successful operation
around many domestic hearth. Lucy"
says choleric mother, whilst she holds The
rod lhreateningly over the head Of the trem-
bling girl. ''did you spill that oil on the car
pet in the front parlorr' Now, ifthe little
culprit shoulc dare to speah the truth, down
would come the whip, with all the biting
force which the first impulse Of passion is
wont to impart to those love-inspring in
s,ruments Of moral reform. What shall
she do? She looks up askance at the i'm
pending reward of veracity; then into the
glowing countenanc~ Of her infatuated pa
rent; and she hesitates no longer: ''No,
ma'am," she whispers; and the lie procurcs
her respite, till the mothers wrath has
time 10 cool. A subsequent investigation
proves that the accident occurred to the
child accused, but that she had found i, abb
solulely necessary to commit The crime Of
lying, to escape punishment for that which
was not crime. To the lie thus extorled
| from the child, the mother adds another, by
assuring her that she will punish her
severely if she ever catches her in another
lie. These lies Of the parent soon become
familiar 10 the child; and it knows that
she will punish for truth, bu, viii not pun
ish for falsehood.
Unfortunately for the morals Of the ri
sing generation. these family lying schools
are not the only ones we have. Ii is to he
hoped that the practice is ~. general, but
there is ut leas: one school within the com
pass Of the writer's pen, in which lying Is
taught by novel system. Whispering in
school is made criminal offence, and is
punished by OBTAINING offenders during the
pleasure Of the teaches, after all the others
are permitted TO go out. Conviction or
acqHital, in these cases, depends upon the
veracity ofdelinquen,s. '.All who have
not whispered may now 60 out'' cries the
saPlent Pedagoguue. Those who have
whispered, remain" They sta,t. Chilly,
didn't you whisper?" "No, sir" George,
didn't yon?" '.No, SIR" "Ellcn, didn't
youw 81 only just asked Susan how to
pronounce GOETHE" Go along back and
take your seat-how dare you attempt to
60 out, after having whispered?" Ellen
returns 10 her seat and sobs out a half hour
Of penanco for having told the truth, willis,
all The others every one Of whom is equally
guilty, are set at liberty. The teacher
who thus Furnishes truth and encourages
faIsehood and dishonesty, knows if his
brains are worth keeping within his CRAM.
UNI, tina, there is not child wi hin the
United States that ever sits three hours in
school without whispering; excepting, as ,
matter of q course, those who are educated
IN the Asylum for the Deaf and Dnmb.--
IL is lamentable fact, that, the most nee
essary qualification in common school
teacher is usually, if not universally, over
looked by our examining committees. One
will examine the applicant with the kcenes
inspection, touching his knowledge Of gram
MARI another will probe him deepely or
mathematics; third will lead him through
to mazes of a geographical dance all ovel
the face of Terra; but never is there one
TO enquire whether he has or has not com
mon sense! Is not this a deplorable state
of things? Does it not call with imperative
voice for reformation? VIVA, say you rea
der?-Bufalo Economist.