Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-03-07
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And perhaps he will cite some one as an
example, who by superior diligence has sue
cecded in redeeming considerable amount
! OF lost time. But it needs no argument to
prove that such examples must Of nocessi-
ty be very rare besides, such energy is
sufficient 10 overcome all ara tauyg. as well
as many extraordinary obstacles that lie in
the way OF a regular attendance at school
And the truth that time once lost is lost
forever, IS well worth remembering in this
connection. Or is time Of so little vaIup
or education Of such minor Importance that
we can afford to waste the one or NEGLECT
the other: But it is not only single les
son, or the instruction Of any one day that
IS lost by days absence from school: both
preceding and succeeding lessons are af-
locted to Il greater or less extent, because
, there IS such I'll intimate coulecti0u-suc
d gradual advance from the more easy to
the more difticuit-that the latter cannot
be thoroughly understood without the for
mer. The pupil, toe, having his mind pre-
occupied with SO much else, cannot apply
himself with due diligence, even when he
might. Nor can his loss be measured hv
the loss OF lessons; by falling behind those
with whom lie shouII keep pace. he IS dis
couragcd in his pursuit OF knowledge, To-
ses confidence in himself, and fails to &C
quire = love Of school OF the labors Of the
schoolroom.
But not only Is it Sc much lost to the pu-
Njl-So much subtracted from the sum Of
lte-short enough at best, and badly i'm
i,rDvad T4p1ar tho s,,0c+
stances; but more it entails on him habits
OF ldleness and carelessness never thor
oughly eradicated in after life. lie be-
comes accustomed to do business Of what
ever kind IN just the same style in which
he attended school, thus doing injury
through him, to all who become dependent
upon him. For, remember, as the twig is
bent the tree inclines.'
IRd further, The mischief does not stop
with the scholar himself, however much he
may suffer. The schooi as whole depends
not only upon the teacher but upon each
and all Of the pupils for its interest and
general Improvement Children are not
mere machines which can be worked at
pleasure, nor are they such cold calculating
beings as to rise superior to their surround
ingsj but they are social creatures depend
cnt upon their companions for the spirit
with which they prosecute their studies
In proof of this, we need only refer you to
the everyday working of any school in the
land.
the teacher, too, is brought under the
influence of the powerful spell. He, too,
is so much the creature of habit that the
frequent, perhaps daily variations of bis
school are constantly interfering with his
calculations of the kind and amount of
mental labor necessary to be expended, to
say nothing Of the more apparent altera-
tions in his programme Of exercises These
last are so obvious to al who know any
thing about teaching that they need not be
enumerated.
Now, having attempted to set forth IT.
regnIaJ' attea9uace in its true proportions,
and to show you some Of its results, let US
inquire into some Of It's causes with view
Of finding out remedy First in order
may be mentioned sickness. Fer this
there IS perhaps no adequate remedy;
though we think some Of the ills which af-
iict the juvenile portion Of the communi-
ty, are owing to inconvenient and in some
instances dilapidated school houses Next
may be noticed the great distance many
have to GO This will ever be a difficulty
while the country Is so sparsely settled and
school houses are SO { few and far between
But we think that oftentimes children
could be provided with conyeyances when
the roads are bad or the weather is incem-
ent We know that this is done by some
parents who are really in earnest about the
education Of their little ones.
However, it is Z remarkable fact, but
none the less true, that the most distant
are often the most regular and the most
punctual in their attendance. Is this then
the principal reason of scholars being de-
tanned at home? We think not
4 careful examination of the subject
will reveal the fact that many parents are
very listless in regard to the education of
their children They esteem it Of little
importance whether they 90 to school or
not, or if they think some schooling neces-
sary, they are too easily satisfied with the !
amount Besides, in some cases the child !
ren are left to exercise their own discre- !
tlon in this matter and as a consequence, /
usually consult their own ease instead OF
their advantage. As long as in the esti-
nation of parents the petty services of
their children, though not worth dime
per day, or their love OF present comfort,
or their prejudices against the teacher or .
the officers of the school board, or forsooth .
their total absorption in business to the ne
gleet of their families,-as long as any of
these things are of more weight than edu-
cation, just so long will the standard Of at
tendance be as low as it is.
How then can this be remedied? We
think something may be done by the teach
er. True, he has no authority to compel