The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-02-18
The College to the Common
School.


We have fonnd, in an old Educational Jour
nal the following quaint message, and we
Recommend its spirit to our readers:
THE COLLEGE TO THE COMMON SCHOOL SEND
ETH GREETING
1thath often occurred to me, my much es-
teemed yoke-fellow in the cause ofeducation,
to say few words to thee respecting grave
error which | have long observed in thee and
which have long desired to bring in friend
ly way to thy notice.
To open the subject before thee, let me en-
treat thy attention to the instruction con-
tanned in the First Corinthians chapter
twelve, wherein the apostle setteth forth that
every part of this, our natural body, hath its
separate endowment and it's diverse office,
and in humble and contented discharge of
its own duties, each part contributors best to
the decency and succor of the whole body.
Now, as the Apostle applieth this truth to
the spiritual body, which is the Church, so
we may, in humble imitation of his wisdom,
apply it to the body scholastic, whereunto al
so it hath very instructive analogies. God
hath given thee thy work, and he hath given
me mine. Why doth thou so incline to neglect
thine oaUn a0ork, and to NEEDLE aUuh mine? If
thou thinkest thy work is not as honorable
to thee as mine would be, that because thou
art the foot, so to speak, thou hast less honor
than the hand, beseech thee to enquire
whether thy conceit of thyself is not a very
weak and childish one. At any rate if thou
thinkest to advance thine honor by scorning
thine own work, and going about to do what
thou vast not fitted for, what doest thou but
essay to do with the feet what was intended
for the hands, and SO make myself laughing
stock? Thy true honor is shown in this, that
|, whose work thou thinkest above thine, am
so entirely dependent on thee that I can do
nothing without thee, as indeed am forward
to confess at all times and eEerywhere. O But
to be plain with thee, my fellow laborer, in
stead of the honor which thou mightest pur-,
chase to myself by faithful discharge of
thine own duties, Idaily hear much reproach
cast upon thee for thy short-comings-nay,
more, l cannot but join in it myself, when |
see how unwisely thou demeanest myself
Canst thou not teach spelling and writing and
grammar? Very many of the youth who
come to me from thee cannot spell the whole
of single line fairly and properly, nor write
as becometh those whose knuckles thou hast
had for years within reach Of thy ferule nor
construe plain sentence in the vernacular
tongue. What must l do? Must 90 on to
Instruct these youth in the intricate doctrines
ofGreek Syniak, and guide them in the knowl-
edge of Science and Philosophy. when they
know not thy rudimentary table that begin
meth with "Baker~ Or shall I put aside
my own work, for which / have too little
time, at the best, and begin to teach them to
spell, to write, and to do plain English gram
mar? I do this, be it known to thee, with
every new band of youth that thou sendest |
me, being forced thereto by thy folly. but
verify, [ think some bitter thoughts of thee,
which desbelieve to be justifable. -
like not the comparative estimate which
thou settest upon the various objects of study
that thou commendest to the youth who re-
sort to thee. 1t seemeth to me that thou art
privileged to confer the greatest of all bless
ings i'll the gift of our craft, when thou i'm
partest the wonderful power to read the
thoughts of Others and to write ones own
thoughts for others reading. What a vast
continent of knowledge hast thou thus
opened before those young mindsl No sub
sequent acquisition, in thy gift or mine, is to
be compared with this in magnitude and val
re. Thou hast made them free subjects of
the realm of thought. Henceforth the whole
boundiess universe is open to- their adyentur-
Gus journegings, if they have heart thereto. |
Canst thou not see that in teaching wen
that which is thy chief glory, thou gettest
most honor to thyself? Dost thou not think
it better for these youth, and therefore more
ereditable to thee, that they learn to read
well, and to spell always correctly, and to |
write gracefully. than, at the expense of
learning these poorly, that they learn some
thing of Algebra and Physiology, and that
also poorly?
Thou dost not bestow thy honors as do the
public, whose servant thou art. Send one of
thy younglings into the city to find employ
ment, or bid him go fo- any purpose to any
spot where sensible men will help him to
measure himself wisely. Thou hast instruct
ed him to say in commentator of himself, |
u have surveyed the greater part of the |