Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-12-06
sELF-REPoRTING IN SCHOOLS.
BY MRS. Sc. HENsHAw.

feel confident that mothers will
agree with me in this The delicate
task Of dealing with the forming
conscience generally falls to them
They know what q difference there
is IN children, and how the conscience
has TO grow by small degrees, tram
meled by q weak reason on the one
hand and strong will on the other.
The selt-reporting system would
never have originated with mothers.
They have too often taken their chill
dren alone and labored long to make
them see even one fault, explaining,
demonstrating, weeping perhaps and
praylng-to be willing TO trust those
children to such hasty, hap-hazard
system.
know Of two teachers, husband
and wife, teaching together, writing
school books together, true yoke
fellows, equally Jealous, talented,
and admired in their profession
The husband believes in the self-re-
porting system, but said he, II never
could get my wife to approve of it"
No. Her womanly instinct is truer
than his reason
1t IS her keen insight into these
early stages and formative processes
OF character, which is Sophie Mays
charm and secret, making her Dottys
and Prudys the delight not only of
children but of philosophers. Here
is her picture of a first attempt to
teach child the sin Of falsehood, and
every mother knows that the same
difficulty waits upon the same teach
ings in proportion to the temper
ment, age, and development Of the
child. The little one has been shut
up for punishment, and fills up the
time by eating some jelly that chances
to stand in the closet. The opening
door reveals the little face covered
with mixture of naughtiness, jelly,
and fright"
81 hasn't been a touchin' your
serves gamma" said she.
Mrs. Parin really did you know
what to do. Flyaway's conscience
was SO little and folded away in SO
many thicknesses like a tiny pearl in
whole box of cotton wood. How
could anybody get at it?
Gamma, ! hasn't been a-touchin'
your Serves" repeated the little
thief
"Ah, don't tell me that" said
grandma, sadly, 81 see it in your
eye"
"What, gamma, the serves in my
eye p said Flyaway, putting up her
finger to find out for herself. cause
put EN- in my moaf, L did,
Mrs. Parlin washed the little pill
ferer's face and hands, took her in
her lap, and tried TO feel her way
through the cotton wool to the tiny
conscience.
The child looked up and listened
to all the good words, and when
they had been spoken over and over,
this was what she said
80 gamma, you'd got such pity
little wrinkles p
But really flour "veteran teacher
makes the best plea that can be
made for this system, we who do not
believe in it find our convictions
strengthened by his argument.
For it amounts to this: God
places before us good and evil. We
had best do the same with children.
They are tempted on all hands
therefore we had better tempt them
still! further. This system does
tempt them. Temptation may
strengthen them. 1t will if they are
strong-if they are weak there will
be sad falls and delinquencies, but
such is life"
Does this really need a reply p
God reserves to Himself the right to
humble us, and try us, and prove
what is in our hearts. This lie does
by his varied providences as He in
His tender love perceives we are able
! to bear it. But as for ourselves in
our dealings with each other how
are we warned against leading each
other into sin Woe unto him that
giveth his neighbor drink cursed be
he that maketh the blind to wander
out Of the way better a milestone
about the neck than to offend, OF
cause to offend one Of these little
ones. l will eat no meat while the
world standeth lest | make my broth.
er to offend let no man put STUN.
bling-block or an occasion to fall in
his brothers way it is good neither
to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor
any thing whereby thy brother stun
bleth, or is offended or is made weak
What use to multiply questions
In Gods name let us have done
with trying and tempting the pur-
blind, half-tormed consclences of ouI
little ones Let US give those con,
sciences time and opportunity to at
tain little strength and clearnes:
before we put them to the severest
test known to human nature. Al
present we treat them much as {
child does plant, pulling it up every
day TO see if it has taken root. 81
would the self-reporting system as
certain whether truth has struck in
to the soil of the heart.
There are people who plunge their
newborn infants into the snow
The strong live through the ordeal
the weak are never heard OF again
But there the parallel fails. ON
weak ones are heard of in after life
We hear of dishonest clerks. OF fraud
ulent officials, of false returns, OF de-
ceitful bookkeeping, of systematic
stealing, of long-concealed hypocrisy
lin short, of a self reporting system
before which we shudder. Did il
begin far back in the schools ?-Th'
AdUance.