Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-09-23
[From the N. II. Journal of Education.
Home aud school.
By ". c. sTEDBISs.


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By ". c. sTEDBISs.
That beautiful rose-plant which re.
wards your care and watchfulncss by
the chcerfulness and fragrance that it
imparts, arraying itself. each month,
with new blossoms. owes its thrift,
not merely to the hours in which you
are tending, watering and pruning it
The healthful, vigorous growth of that
shrub, It's rich mantle of green, and its
self-renewing beauty. are largely de-
pendent upon the numerous conditions
which make up the habitudc of its ex-
istence. its continued life. There
must be mellow earth enough, around
and beneath its roots, to absorb into
retentive pores the moisture which you
bestow only once or twice in the course
OF a day; this supply Of liquid must he
gradually and continuously impaired
that there may be no sudden alterna
tions of drenching and drought. The
surrounding atmosphere. too. must be
secured against the extremes of tenn
perature. Unless you were able TO de-
pend upon the proper production OF
these essential conditions, when your
own attention could not be devoted to
it. you would have very little expecta-
tion that the plant would long contin-
Tie to thrive. The attention and labor
which you arc required to bcstow. sus-
tain to the rosc-plant. a relation very
similar to that which the efforts of a
teacher in public school bear to the
success. the healthful improvement OF
each one Of his pupils; while the infiu-
ences which surround them at home
are the conditions and elements OF the
soil, and the temperature OF the envel-
oping air. For this reason, faithful
teacher often laboys, week in and week
out, month after month, over scholars
who are not deficient in natural abili-
ties, and vet is unable to discern any
evidence Of progress. unless he resorts
to some special contrivances for meas
uring exceedingly small distances. II
is as il one should carefully watch and
nurse the tender house plant, for six
hours Of the day, while another, during
the remaining eighteen, should expose
it, unprotected. to the untempcred
winds and frosts. n teacher may
work never so faithfully. and interest
himself never SO zealously. and, at the
end of term, be able to gather no
more gratifying rccompcnsc FOR his
special toll and zeal than the irrcsisti-
bic conviction, that, all this time, he
has been pouring water into sieve, OF
putting coins into bag with holes.
This is not an cxtravagant rcprescn-
lation Of the controlling effect of home
influences upon the success Of schol-
ar. But, when such results are OBJ.
scrvablc. it would lie unjust. in many
instances, to infer that the parents are,
at heart, indifferent respecting the i'm
provemcnt Of their children; it is be-
cause they do not enough interest them
selves in the matter; do not take time
and bestow thought enough to occasion
the truth to gain convincing hold
upon their minds, and, with clearncss,
reveal to them their own position OF
influence and necessary responsibility
Such parents scarcely have better
reason to expect that their children
will make commendable progress at
school, than the farmer has to suppose
that his corn will be unmolested, when
it is growing, unfencc'l and unguarded,
bv the roadside where cattle are fire.
qucntly wandering.