St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-04-07
School Exhibition.

n. On Saturday evening the Goth, the
District School, which has been under
the care Of NJ, r. NOEL, gave public cx-
hibition. Many ofthe pupils acquitted
themselves well; but many had their pei
ees imperfectly committed;~ and all the
"Original Compositions" were spoiled in
the reading apparently for want Of proper
light. So . ...'
One error We noticed which is too com.
mon in School Exhibitions, and this is,
Original Compositions, which many Of
the hearers have read in print some twon-
~ years before. Young folks ought to be
taught At school that it is highly dishon.
or.ble to offer any thing IS an Original
Composition which they have copied and
altered = little to suit their purpose. s:.>xs
We have, in our life, heard as much as
fifty Original Compositions read in School
Exhibitions, and not more than five Of
them that was not perfectly familiar. Z.
OF the boy pupils, S. LILLY did his
part the best; but he is the only child of
an intelligent mother, and pattern Of
home education. *
The little girls all did we'll for their op-
portanities; but we have never seen the
line Of homc training 50 distinctly marked
for instance, the OWEN children, the PAT
KICKS, Ruth Brown and +. G. CLARK
far excelled others equal'- 80, :, =, -
ture. '>.-% ':*- 4--~.'-I5 O."
The performance Of all the larger schol-
ars was deficient in life and energy, and
distinct enunciation, while throag hout the
entire exercises protruded every here and
there gross blunder in pronunciation
1t is objectionable in set Of school Di-
rectors to engage teacher who does not
pronounce correctly. Things we "hev
hearn" and "heu" seen are quite out Of
place in an English school. / -~...'
AS general rule Shakespeare should
not be brought into District School Ex-
hibitions; and to see and hear boobyish
boy Of seventeen and Miss of fifteen
smirking and mumbling through Shakes
pearean scene Of love making and betroth-
al is beyond the limits Of human endur-
ance. ... +. r.. J ....:,. .. nj
We were sorry to hear "Fdward and
Warrick'' announced by the teacher as we
supposed it too was from Shakespeare, and
another mispronunciatiou; but We see that
in the programme he has distinctly writ
ten it-so; and our reading does not furnish
us clue to the author. 1t was evidently
intended as ain imitation Of the scene Of
Warwich's interview with Edward III at
the time Of his arrest; but We are glad it
was not the veritable old king-maker him
self, who informed his sovereign that he
had stuck" advantage "uv" him, s.cause.
Egg" in winning the fair ELlzABErn's
love. We were the sorrier to: hear these.
gross blunders because the. young folks
any Of them, exhibited reasonable degree
Of talent, while 'n:::a:y Of them have minds
Of a nigh polish. y: ,..~y:-. 90:
The parents who permit their: children
to acquire slang pronunciation do them
an ireparablc injury. The fault is not
confined to any locality for we doubt if
any other language is so nearly" univer-
sally murdered as our mother English;
but all school boards should make apointoff
having it spoken as nearly pure Is posi-
bic in the institutions under their charge
and the School Committee of St.. Cloud
should pay attention to it,. 42;: Y,Hor q
Willie PH1LL1ps; who was not pupil
rectited SHAKEspEARE's Seven Ages, Of
Man; and We think his parents ought to
be arrested and made to give bail chat h.
shall not grow up in ignorance. He is
seven years old, and has not read Virgil
Or Homer in the original; and there arc
several English works in St. Cloud that
he has not yet perused. He surely has
been grossly neglected Seriously wennust
take this occasion to plead Tor W1LLIE,
for we never did see child Who needed
50 much letting alone; and if!e docs. not
get ,uore Of it than he has had bis head
rill Re under the daisies before r he is
twenty. ~ 's 80. %3.>. >'2'@ w. II
he needs fifty bushels .: - clean san, N in
The corner Of lot,.a tin cup al:d little
wooden paddle, with plenty Of room, teen