The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-02-12

" A''o" S'Siy thHS iuteSu ssuSaS
seems be kindred between tho words,
professor and pretender. There is GER
tainly similarity in tho effect produced
Ia the minds Of his patrons, as 20 the two
characters. He has to be very courteous
how he corrccts errors in grammar, spell
ling or pronunciation, lest he seem to re-
buke and ridcule these errors, which the
children have learned from these parents,
aud which he is to unlnarn re is pre-
sumed at the outset, to be a designing aud
evil.minded person, aud this presumption.
he has to rebut, despite tho greatest, and
constant difficulties. u st itf 81
Over all these, and despite all these
he has to acquire an influence over his
scholars. How, impossible the task
Yet hc r,ust do it or bo considered a
failure, humbug. es a4pat
How heroic, how selfsacrificiug is his
field of labor. How many hero aud
heroine, have exhibited in this sphere,
qualities of greatness, in the highest aud
noblcst sense s
"lIonor and fame from no condition rise
Act we'll your part there all tho honor lies"
Small insignificant, vexed with its petty
annoyanccs the office Of teacher may bs
magnificd; indeed it is the n.nlest and
highest on earth. In the days of
Grecian sy.npathy for learning and let
tiers, no Office was deemed noblcr than
that of 'instructcr of youth" How
this treatment and estimation of the po-
sition of teacher, shows like an iufallible
index the deterioration Of our taste for
learning; and our low estimate of the
value Of education.
Yet, there are SOME who have By the
heroic and devoted discharge of duty in
this most vexing. most ungrateful field
of labor, won fur themselves, the plaudit
Of "well done" extortcd even from those
who thus have piled the way with diff
cultics, and whispered by the Silly voice
|
en- "A
! We remember the sch ,olmastcr of the
Deserted Village" of whom the poet
with All exquisite touch of m,turc, says
.'And still they gazcd, and still the wonder
That one small head could carry all he
knew"
This was one of those who hal gone
through the lifelong ordeal of most vex-
ing trial, and now in triumph, con.
queror in his old days, was dcemed an
oracle, wonder
+ There are hundreds OF young nleu
through our country to-day, earning u
pittancc, and leading dull, hard iio Of
monotony and trial, who arc the noblcst
and best Of our sons.
How many of our lawyers, poets and
writer's have had to pass through this or
deal and how terrible an account of
their difficulties could some of them tell
For these, reader, would We speak
word of sympathy.
Most of them are Strangers away from
home and its influence and sympathy,
out in contact with the worlds hardest
and most rugged difficulties, and they need
your kindest and most delicate sympathy
They need the sympathy of your heart,
and with bright encouragement which
Kindness can prompt for the stranger,
and Que whose duties are 81 annoying,
and whose difficulties SO great, those diff
fcultics will be removed, and their du-
! ties better, and more happily discharged.
Particularly with us at the South, at this
period in our history, should profound
sympathy for the cause of education be
felt and extended to its humblest worker.
We must admit that in years past we
have not taken that keen interest in the
development of literature aud in the cause
OF education as is exhibited in the East
ern States.
And this sketch of the treatment of
the country school master is good text,
upon which TO found moral essay,
whose subject is the neglect of education
at the South. Say you, that the coun-
try school master is generally well paid
for what he does? Whose fault Is il |?
Would any one so to teaching through
tho country, putting up with the hard
ships of the life, and receiving the pit
tance of pay, if he could do anything
else? The people should want their
teachers to do more, but they should ro-
ceive more. The position of teacher