Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1869-03-25

| ava meeting OF Tic AttS1 LSdtCHSlS
Association, held at London on the
6thinst., the following essay was read
by Mrs. c. B. Mckenzie, and copy
requested for publication;
LIES CROSSES.
Ever since our first parents, through
disobedience, fell from their original
purity, crosses have been the common
heritage of mankind. Doubtless many
of life's crosses arc imaginary ones /;
and much of the weight of those that
are real, depends upon the spirit with
which they are borne. Yet, with all
the patience and fortitude we can
summons, we almost daily find crosses
that are hard TO bear.
Tit true that some of these, viewed
singly, appear very trivial-sO much
so, that we are almost ashamed to des-
ignate them as such yet we often find
them harder to take up, with an un-
complaining spirit, that those that at
first thought seem much heavier. /
believe it is the experience of nearly
all, that the little, everyday crosses,
that come to us all, are those from
which we most shrink, and which too
often ruff1e the temper, furrOw the
brow, and blanch the cheek, while
the ROSES of youth should still be
blooming there.
I have often thought that one reason
those seem so heavy, is their apparent
lightness. No one appreciates them /;
and we soon come to think there is no
virtue or merit in bearing such insig-
nifcant burdens; and many bend be-
meath their weight, that under some
great calamity will march with firm
step and upright form, evincing a
calmness and fortitude that amount to
heroism. Doubtless this is partly ow-
ing to the stronger effort put forth by
the one thus visited by misfortune.
But is not this manifestation of
strength in a great degree attributable
to the appreciation and sympathy of
friends? We are all so constituted
that we desire sympathy. tits one of
the strongest cords that bind society
together; and is the very warp into
which the silken threads are woven to
form the beautiful and enduring web
of true friendship. Why then is this
precious balm for Iife's SORROWS so of
ten Withheld? Surely is costs the dom
or nothing; and yet it frequently
brings him a sweet reward.
But, while all occupations and con-
ditions of life bring their own peculiar
crosses, few are more heavily laiden
with them than the teachers voca-
ton. Though his work is truly no.
BILE one, and in the aggregate very
pleasant; yet in almost every school
he teaches he must contend with stu
pidity, mischieviousness, indOlence,
and obstinacy. He is expected to inn
part docility to the stupid, energy to
the indolent, and gentleness to the
wayward. And he is expected to do
this, too, by the mildest means, and to
keep the whole machinery of school
government in noisless motion by that
all-powerful though gentle agent
moraI-suasiOn. And if he succeeds in
having all move on thus harmonious
ly, (which all that have ever tried it
know is impossible there are outside
influences with which he must con-
tend that are much harder to over
come, because they are in a measure
beyond his reach.
Many of these remarkable little ones
have equally remarkable parents, who,
in their own estimation, are wonder
fully endowed with the faculty, of
school government, and believe them
selves especially commissioned to in
struct young teachers in their myste-
riOus art. If the teacher wholly dis
regards this advice 80 generously Civ
en-, of course he is guilty of the gros-
sest ingratitude and should he be so
unwise as to follow it, he will soon
find himself fettered with bonds not
easily severed.
| In almost every district we find
these self-appointed assistants; and l
wonder if teacher ever taught his
first term through without being thus
kindly advised.
But in addition to these we often
find parents who wish us to pursue a
different course with their children
from what we do with the rest be-
cause they are very peculiar children
always have been little out of the
common Order-and the probability is
if this popularity is properly treated,
they will in time become perfect ge-
ailtSeS.
Now, if there is anything in teach
ing perfectly detestable, it is the man
agement of one of these anomiIies !;
and III nine cases out of ten this pecu-
liarity is downright 1aziness; and the
more 1t IS petted, the faster it will de-
velop, until the little prodigy of his
fond parents becomes a mental imbe-
cile.
| Unfortunately we find instances in
almost every community of these nat
ural geniuses grown to maturity, and
this popularity of childhood still
clings to them, and they now evince
no greater love for physical labor than
they did in younger days for mental
eXeTtioU.
Bnt the teachers crosses are so nu-
merous and varied that but few of
them can be mentioned. One of the
hardest of these, perhaps, is having
his language miseonstrued, his mo-
tivps D1iSiodped 0Ud hiD1spff hrOuJbt +