The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1867-07-02

Our hero. as We have said. lived and
died not long ago. and the follies tha,
he battled and oyercame more than any
one man, are TO relayent 70 those Of the
present time 70 escape comparison. We
have tho same follies in our schools to-
day. that were in existence one-fourth
of century ago, Scholars have the
same remarkable tact for studying hard
and learning nothing that they bad
one fourth Of century ago. Minds Of
the same ealibre guide the great ship
OF common education that were on
board one fourth Of century ago, and
the broad sea of folly is nearly as wide
for unrestricted sailing In aword, our
school houses, school teachers and
school supporters are wrong in the same
respects they were one fourth Of cen
tury ago. Imagine little square coop
with low ceilings, and jail-hke windows
dc stitute of half their panes, situated
Fhpon ground miserably selected, (gen-
q ally a rock as near the middle of the
highway as possible, unhealthy and
uninviting in it's appearance, without
shade or shadow, save the clouds Of dust
raised by the passing teams, and you
have fair sample of these lovely places
Of early instruction. One from abroad
would think that we had superstition
that some overwhelming evil would be-
fall us, should we commit the unpar-
donable sin Of erecting second school
house, till the old one falls down. The
old settler must remain, and crumble
honorably away, with no assistance ex-
cept that of some wretch of-a-boy who
now and then gives it boost with his
jack. knife. And these old tenements
of fDrsakenness stand ornamenting our
wealthy towns with their spiritual pres
enc,e, (for there certainly is no body
too bleak for the dwelling of the solita-
ry CIVIL, too desolate for the home of the
lonely pelican. Men ride by the miser-
able shanties where their children sit
clot he'd only for the warm rooms Of
their homes, shiyering before the blasts
of winter that sweep in and out the
window panes, and yet observe nothing
,crt1pg. This is not because they are
brutal fathers, but because the old
wreck Of u building is a familiar object
Scholars have lived the winters through
in This place for thirty or forty years,
and why shouldn't they for thirty or
forty years to come. When will vener-
alton for these temples of baroness
cease? When shall we loose this spirit
Of pagan alteration? For those who
cry for lodge in some vast wilder
nes s. these buildings would perhaps
be satisfactory; but for comfortable
stu dy rooms for our children, they are,
to say the least, sadly inappropriate.
And. now let us look at those who engi-
nee these delicate machines. AS soon
as young person with rather a go
abe ad temperament, has finished his
geo graphy, arithmetic and spelling
book, he is ready for teacher. He
knows nothing of the laws of health,
ha had no instruction in philosophy or
M rails, is little ahead of his scholars,
an just wiggles through his term, and
til at is all. Parents mostly are well sat
Isl led and what is the difference. Peo-
Pile seem to have an idea that almost
an y body can teach children, and almost
an ybody does; but that they should be
ia ught by the Uery FIRST order Of genius,
CT N be proved to any reasonable mind.
r eading, spelling and arithmetic, are
bl 1t small share of what should be
ia ught in district schools.
These are the places to learn 10 iiUe,
learn habits Of health, industry and
] ectitude. No one has a right to as
ume the position of instructor of chill
{ lren, unless he possesses a thorough
knowledge not only Of books, but Of
principles outside A perfect teacher
should be a philanthropist; but this we
cannot expect Labor must be paid
for. Very opposite characters from
philanthropists are the bulk OF our
teachers.
School teaching is becoming Just lu-
crative enough, as well as Luciferative,
to attract to its open market, hard up
aspirants after every imaginable end.
Many of our winter teachers are max
ing their way to college, to the gold
diggings, or to some other diggings
where money is the one thing needful,
and are where they are because it is a
very easy place, (according to the COM
mon method Of teaching) to make flew
dollars. Enough is paid to attract
these destitute specimens, but not
enough to obtain teachers Of the first
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