Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-08-22
PER CENT OF ATTENDANCE DY TERMS

Average attendance for the year, 50 per
cent. The above may be taken as fair ba-
sis in comparing the general interest and
advancement in the several schools No
schools suffer more from this irregularity
than the Higher Departments Fickleness
of purpose on the part of few scholars,
4 renders them annoyances to their teachers,
''drags" On their classes, calumniators of
their school records, and furnishes very
small returns for the public treasure and
the parental solicitude expended on their
education. Many pupils and some parents
seem to think that going to school is like
hunting squirrels, or making tatting, to be
attended to when there is nothing else to
do. They never seem to look upon the
school as an aggregate of individuals, where
each must ell his place or disarrange the
whole. These desultory students remind
one of the traveller who slept in the car un-
til after breakfast, and then attempted to
make up meal from the apples and GIN
ger-cakes at the way stations. There is
very little hope of informing such parents,
or Of reforming such pupils, for neither
seem to have any definite object to which
the young man or woman should attain
1t is said that short persons stretch" and
very tall ones wear low heelcd shoes, en-
deavOring to make their physique approx
mate the most approved standard of size;
but how few inquire, what is the proper
mental stature of man" or what mental
regimen will induce the proper growth.
AlmlesSneSs characterizes the pupillagc
of multitudes. In country where all are
expected to do something, where very few
look forward to inherited estates, the in
terests of which shall secure them against
almshOuses, should they grow up, dolts, it
would seem that parents should carefully
look forward to some substantial occupa-
ticn for their children Unless driven to
it to procure their bread, comparatively
few minors choose profession, while null
titudes enter upon legal manhood with
scarcely bias towards amy occupation but
idleness. Is not even that system which
deyOteS the first son to the homestead, the
middle ones to professionS and the young
est to the army, to be preferred to this
freedom from parental guidance? The best
worldly inheritance a young man can have
is something lcorthy to do, and the reqaii-
site knoOledg; to do it .ceH 1t is not to
be expected that all our youth should be
literary prodigies. A generation of savans
might prove a seourge TO the race. but
how much greater the scourge of a genera
ton of ignoramuses. The early predilec-
tions of children may often be studied by
the parent, and the right direction given
to future occupation. Where there is
not discoverablc prcdilection, We hold it
to be the duty of the parent to create that
prediction, as we would give direction to
stagnant watcr--by opening the way
This must often be done at the sacrifice of
a foolish prejudice against labor. A dwarf
is the utmost that can be expected from
natural farmer into pulpit
Or from putting a native orat or into stiff
collar behind the counter. Our glorious
system Of PUBLIC Schools profer to every
child, rich or poor, the elementary training