Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-01-09
NJ | S c Z L / 4 n Y.
VERMONT EDUCATION.

Published Under the sanction Of the State
Teachers Committee.
There is story in one of the old school books,
which was somewhat in this way. A lark had
her nest in the wheat field. While SHE was gone
one day, the young larks card the farmer tell
ing his son TO 20 and invite his friends to come
and help cut the wheat. At night the young
larks began with all haste to tell their mother
what had happened but she babe them be quiet,
and so on from day TO day til, at last, the far
mer was heard to say, " We will reap the wheat
ourselves" when the old lark too thought it was
time to be going. Much to the same purpose is
this old proverb, " If you wish a thing done, 60,
if not, send"
Scarce anything is oftener said in Vermont,
than that our schools are in deplorable condi-
ton scarce any wish is oftcner expressed, than
that they should be elevated. Bnt how is this
to be brought about? Who will initiate the
measures by which they shall be raised 20 as to
meet our wants Arc We TO wait for some grand
development OF the age, or some splendid scheme
to be operated by law TO improve them? So we
have waited for the last ten years, and with just
this result, that some hundred thousand young
persons have been sent out into the wide world,
not half 20 well fitted for its responsibilities as
they ought to he, and might have been; and SO
il will be for the next ten years, if we stay wait
ing
The common school is for the people and is
what the people make il to be- If the people so
will the common schools OF Vermont can be made
one hundred per cent better this winter than ev-
er before. Let us see how.
1t is too late to build new school houses, but
il is not too late TO look to the old ones We
can examine the house that we have and if it is
filthy we can cleanse it if the windows are brok-
en-, we can repair them if there are cracks in
the wall we can stop them ;iG the stove is broken
and the pipe rusted out, we can get new stove
and new pipe il there is no wood, or but green
wood, we ran get dry wood and enough of il
Is there not many a school in Vermont which
needs these very things done, and can we not
do themf Are we too poor 10 wash a school
hou.e, TOO poor to mend window or stop a crack
too poor even 10 get stove aud few loads OF
dry wood And shall we be too careless to do
i'll II children were compelled TO sit shivrrlns
in kitchen all day, except that once in half an
hour they might just scorch themselves at the
fire and then 90 back and shiver again, would
you not think it sheer cruelty! And is it worse
in kitchen than in school house
Can you read your Newspaper or even a let
ter from your friend when your teeth almost
chatter with cold, and can your child get les
son under the same circumstances Much OF
your happiness depends on the temper of your
children. Will it tend TO make them cheerful
and ohliging, 10 be made uncomfortable al school
all day, or will it make them freiul and cross
Probably your teacher is hired and examined
: before this, yet you can do much even now to
secure good teacher. Just consider that your
teacher is TO have many difficult problems come
before him this winter, some difficult in them
: selves, many more, difficult because they are to
be presented to unframed minds, and ask your
sell II the memories of last fall or last winter will