The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1857-11-26

Ill. vi the ITGdis and Discourage
nicnts. which you will have to meet with.
These are many and great. | am not ig-
J norant of them. 1t is ncedful for yeu to
; know them and to know them as fully
as possible. Had the allies at Sebastopol
: understood well the exact situation of
5 that stronghold, its earth-workS, and
5 stone-works, its mines and magazines and
surprising strength and, moreover, had
; they well understood the sulien. logged
powers of resistance Of the Russians,
whom they affected to despisc, do you
!, suppose that they would not sooner have
: gained the victory in the Cr!mea? So of
} you. | would not have you ignorant Of
single difficulty to be overcome, or Of q
single hardship or discouragcment you
Will have to meet this winter, or anytime
as Teachers. Let me speak of some of
these more fully.
lst. Lgaoroncc IS one Of these. 1t is a
real mountain Of difficulty in the way of
the Teacher. The more enlightened the
community and the better the home in
struction of children is, the easier and
more delightful is the work of teaching
them. But our communities in Potter
county, and in Pennsylvania generally,
as we all know, are not as enlightened rs
they should be. They are not SO as yet
anywhere The homes Of children are
not by any means what they ought to be-
And your experience will be different
from mine, if You do net find your chief
est trouble and anxiety from these very
families whose ignorance is mostappalling
Some really most uupromising child OF
the worst parents in al your neighbor-
hood, will iequire most of your labor, and
! patience, and energy, ard Of all your vir-
tues as good Teacher; while the task in
regard to the ninety-and- who DO not
thus go astray, will be comparatively easy
a head-strong, wilful, selfish man or wo-
man, is despisable anywhere. A child Of
that disposition is hardly less SO. And
am much mistaken if you do not find
many such.
End. Prejudice, IS the source Of much
trouble to the Teacher. This is the off
spring of ignorance to be sure. But it is
more aggressive 1t is not confined to
the old, nor to the young. Both have it.
This viii lead some of your pupils and
their parents to array themselves against
!; you, and annoy you, and do you mischief,
if they can. They will wish to interfere
with your plans and government Of the
School, and will always take up hostilitjes
against you. 1t will be sufficient that
you wish for thing, to have them strong
ly opposed to it. Right or wrong, they
will do it. They will hurt your feelings
very much They delight in it. 1t suits
their uncouth and unhallOwed natures to
be stubborn and contrary and unyielding.
If / mistake not, there is altogether too
much of this offspring of ignorance here
and among us as there is, | know, In all
parts of the world which have ever seen.
There is too much prejudice, and too lit
tie gentleness here. Gee to it, Teachers,
that you are not in fault yourselves. Lop
off the horns of prejudice.
! 3rd .Selfshness IS also a foe to the
Teochcr. Your work, like mine, IS one
of benevolence, of philanthropy, of prin-
, ciple, of duty and high and holy privi-
lege. Selfishness is sin. 1t is mean, and
low and degrading. 1t never looks at the
welfare of another 1t never thinks OF
. the feeble, the neglected, the outcast, the
forsaken. There is no love for the neigh
| Dor in it. 1t says: "Bless me and my
) wife; my son John and his wife: US four,
and no more, forever and ever. Amen.
This is the selfish mans prayer. Every
: child in your School, and every parent III
: the district, and every one in your neigh
: borhood should have this selfishness en-
5 tirely rooted out Of him. All this IS a
S hard, hard, lifelong labor, for Teacher,
+ and Parent, and Preacher. 1t is your
/ duty, O Teachers, to endeaYor to Go this
e as far as you can. 1t will be task fol
i you, however, / can assure you, or your
: experience will differ from mine aud from
5 that of all your predecessors. Most ot
r the quarrels, and disturbances, aud Sian.
t ders, and wrongs, in all our neighbor
o hoods, are the result of this sin.
t 4th. | heard the other day of man
entering a school-house in this county
d and threatening the Teacher that ht
r would deluge the floor in blood, if thing:
t did not go to suit him. Bratolity, Ill
h manners and top senSudtity and rtcc, are
II among the trials aud encouragement!
o which you will have to meet with IN pa
t rents and children. Ill-manners are ;
/ crying evil. Young Amerieals rampant
t. And he is not to be confined to the city
} alone. He lives in the villages and in th'
u country. "Yes," .no," and what" ar
/ constantly in his mouth. He never take
If his hat off except when he goes to bed
+ and he never bows to anybody, God, MAJ
r or the devil. l fear, however he is a faith
u ful servant of the later and that old folk
n as well as young will come in for shan
d of the guilt of this service. ra
If This sounds very plain / confess; per
l5 haps some may think it coarse and vulgar