The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-09-30
I.etter from Boston Schools Again.
/ Correspondence of the Richmond Dspatch.l
Z BosToN. Sent 18th 1870.

letter frOm hDStOn- s7GeaO0tS Again.
| correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.l
/ BosToN, Sept. 10th, 1870.
find myself more and more interested
in this kindergarten method. 1t seems
that the principle has been good deal dis
graccd by peoples advertising their little
a be schools as Kindergartens, quite in
ignorance Of the real thing, but with the
| idea that q child's school, with good deal
of dancing, and gymnastics, and object les
| sons. is Kindergarten! --
My friend, of whom / spoke in my last,
ever since her return from Germany, mas
been engaged in the endeavor to rectlty TINS
mistake. She brought with her from a
Kindergarten in Dresden great quantity
of beautiful work, done by children he
tween three and seven years of age. This
| she displayed. and explained how, 1t was
done, to serve the end of educating the
children to real artistic ability during the
wears they are. generally wearying them
selves and others with aimless activity, that
INJURIES their tempers and makes it very
very hard to manage them without pun
ishment. With this work and her eXpla-
nations Of it, she succeeded in producing
such IN impression on the Boston School
Committee that they ordered Kindergar-
ten in the public system, which began on
the 10Th of September. under an able
teacher. especially trained in FrobetS
method.
Nv friend told me that Madame Mas
ouadt, Of Dresden, from whom she houeht
/! the work she brought home, said that the
sight Of it by Il commission OF Russian gen.
t}emen, who were in Germanyto explore
methods, had produced on their minds such
an impression of the value of this method
to the arts that they had engaged her to
take twenty Russian girls the ensuing
winter TO train them for Kindergartens III
Russia. They saw how delicate manlpnla-
tion. which is so hard TO teach after the
fingers become stiff, could he made quite
perfect before seven years OF age, II begun
at three; and that this, besides making the
little creatures busy and. happy instead OF
restless and miSchievous, was great eco
nomy. 1t was this, as she said. rather than
the .hiph. moral effect of kindergarten,
which touched them. Speaking of Russia
reminds me of what was going to say about
Princess Helena in my last letter. she
wishes to establish kindergarten training
school in St. PeterSburgh, and wanted Il
certain lazy to do it, offering large pay,
who is q very great expert and adept, ana
who has taught it long time in England
and Prussia, and speaks Rnglish perfectly.
But this lady has great desire to come 10
America. because she thinks that III Tree
America the system Of Froebel Will save It's
frcest and fullest flower and fruits, and be-
cause il had been told her that one OF the
Congressional Committee on Education pro-
posed to get up private fund to ESTABLISH
| a national training school, which would ne
offered to her. She refused the !rlncess
Helena, and holds herself III readiness 10
come to this country as soon rs called. Inc
private fund is not yet made up, but | have
a plan of having her go to Richmond. There
| the salary to he given her will prove very
much better living than in the expensive
district, and there southern ladies' Will nnd
| il much cheaper TO board and more plea
SAINT to 60 to learn of her. 1t seems That
what is first necessary Is hlndergarten,
| which this lady will organize and teach !
| and the ladies who learn the method will
come in and observe. and ultimately help
for practice, and she will give lessons in the
theory to them at different hour. AS the
Kindergarten should not keep more than
three or three and half hours. the children
being so young, the normal class can have
| their lesson in the afternoon or evening
three times a week.
| Now, I think children for this Kindergar-
| ten can be gathered from the cultivated
| families of Richmond, and we may nave the
| great benefit of her being located there.
Il
makes a beautiful occupation for ladies,
who need lucrative employment then it is
the most perfect finish for the education OF
| mother. ~. ~. .... .
This project of mine may seem to some
rather romantic, hut if such an enterprise
is contemplated for the benefit of the South
also. why should not an effort be made to
secure the location of this institution at
Richmond? Perhaps the donors of the
fund will insist on locating it elsewhere
But believe, when they shall take all things
into consideration, they may decide that
Richmond is the best place.
| I learn from my friend that the idea OIL
the Kindergarten is spreading in the West
and there are other indications that it viii
become the characteristic Of the new Ameri
can system.
| | have something to write about physi
cal education, which is receiving great ut
tention In the private as we'll as the public
schools; and here must add that neither
the public schools nor the munilicently en-
lowed institutions for the free education
girls diminish in the least the patronage o
the best private schools. <.