The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1858-01-14


tionate to its capacity. BY symbolizing
sciences, truths that were seen, like remote
stars, hut dimly scintillating, are upon ap.
Proclamation more fully realized. Oral Lee
lures and instructive symbols enter largely
into my views of the best plan of instruct.
ing. To this end, school apparatus IS Of
importance My experience has been, that
irregularity ofattendance at school initiates
against the adoption of any system SO ma.
terially rs almost to defeat the end aimed
at. Systematic training is all important.
Daily, not tri-weekly or weekly attendance,
may profit with systematic exercises FIVE
months of regular attendance is better than
two years Of irregular attendance. / have
no faith in any system that works by fits
and starts. cannot do justice to my pu.
pills unless they are regular in attendance.
1t would be doing positive justice to pa.
rents, and great good to such pupils, to
sever their connection with the school. Tn
no business, commercial or mechanical, or
otherwise, would irregularity of attendance
by apprentices be tolerated. 1t ought no;
to be in this case. When one enters bis
son, he becomes as virtually bound to
send him regularly as If he had expressly
stipulated to do so. All obligations be-
tween teacher and parent are reciprocal.
Contract ceases to be contract so soon as il
becomes one sided contract; connected
with irregularity, and forming a part of il
are three other causes, which disarrange the
pupils studies, and entirely Illustrate the
teachers plans. First, the demands of home
service, solicited by the child and acquiesced
in by the parent. Time once lost in any
business is forever lost. The second is the
| thermometrical state Of the weather. At
tendance is regulated too much by this
cause. The language that forms the apollo
gies for absence is was 100 rainy, or cloudy
or windy, or cold or hot" These apologies
serve very well rs excuses for pupulistic de.
linquencies, but are quite negatory and un
) acceptable, il urged bv the teacher as a Jus,
cause of backwardness in learning. In cal
culating progress, the thermometer is all i'm
portant. The third is functional disorders
of some sort. Languor and listlessness, which
supervene after the excesses Of party for a
single night, form a chain of apologies, en-.
bracing rs many and varied excuses as
there are links in the chain or organs in the
BODY. The excitement in anticipation for a
week before, the excuses INDUCED or the
occasion, the consequent languor, feebleness
headache, eatarrh and stomach diseases
which supervene, will disarrange the boys
studies, and disorder the whole machinery
Of my school government. And yet, unfair
as it is, these truths weigh nothing at all in
calculating scholastic progress. Boys, whilst
at school, have no business at parties, fol
they cannot serve their books and parties
These 60 under the euphonous name o
holiday, alias holy days. There are two
classes of these days, such as have birth by
accident. and such as patriotism would re
spect. do not recognize those by accident
The 4th of July is neutrality-suspicious.
prompts us TO respect and note it. Days Q
Executive appointment for public purposes O
gratitude are proper and just occasions to b,
observed. All other secular days belong to Ia
Dor. IL we take out the Sabbaths Of the year
and the days have just men toned, and sub
tract them from the minuend of 365 days
the remainder justly and legally belong tc
service. Candor compels me to say it,
This rule applies to farming, mechanical
and mercantile engagement, and why mo-
TO teaching as well as to them and the pro
fessions. Six days shalt thou labor" is a,
much the command Of God as Remetnbe
The Sabbath to keep it holy" Saturday j.
one Of the six days of labor, yet it is nov
one Of the school Sabbatbs. To be engae
ed but five days in the week in labor is a.
much violation Of the six-day rule as di
rect labor is a violation of the Sabbath. Il
was Pagan custom that first introduced
the elision Of Saturday from the six day la
Dor rule. If teachers give an inch, they
will have to give an ell so il has been with
teachers. and especially parents, who. hav
ing given an inch, Saturday. are now com
PEELED to more than an ell, viz: half of ev.
cry day in the week, and the ive.day rule
is narrowed down to half days, making ac.
tually but two and half days to the old
original number of six. do not mean BY
this TO reflect on the teachers of our State
but ] do mean to square this matter by
truth ard Justice. Now. il we add up the
number Of home service and thermometer.
cal days, and also the days lost by party
nonsense, and stomach-hurting seasons, and
substract them from the five days reduced
TO half days, il is very clear that school
management is rapidly assuming the shape
and outline Of q glaring humbug. All such
proceedings is indirect partiaIity to that
daily and systematic training on which the
educational interests of boys depends, And
whilst the rights of parepts on the one