Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-01-20
Letter From a Teacher.

Mr.. EDIToR:-Inasmuch as I
promised to do so, and as | have no
desire to shirk my duty-if such it
isl will make an effort to write
something for the Teachers Col
umn, hoping that those to whom
writing for the public is pleasure,
rather than a task, will Judge char
itably.
There are various subjects per
tanning to school government and
teaching, on which, if l had the
ability, | would like to write; but
tonight being in something of a
tender mood, and weary of the de-
ception and want of virtue and hon
or which are so prevalent, l would
like to gather about me host of
youths and little ones, whose hearts
though far from sinless, are yet SO
easily impressed, that if rightly
taught, they will learn to love and
do the right.
would like to teach them what
right is, and that by always doing
what they know is right they may
be happy. would teach them-for
| fully believe it-that every right
act, no matter how tritiing it may
seem, is rewarded by a degree of
happiness which is greater or less,
according to the self-deniai required
on the part OF him who practices it.
And Oh, how earnestly would | try
to pursuade them never to do any
thing that they would not want
their dearest earthly friend to know.
| would tell them-and experience
has taught me this-that every time
a wrong deed is committed, sinful
thought INDUCED, or an unkind
word spoken, the ability to do right
is lessened. and the temptation to
do wrong increased, and just so
surely as every good deed brings
Il degree of pleasure, unhappiness
must follow every evil one. | wo'd
ask them to pattern after all that is
truly virtuous, generous and noble,
and to remember that though there
are perhaps none who have no good
qualities, there are also none who
have not some faults which they
should avoid. | sometimes wonder
if in these days of liberty loving
and liberty giving, that word has
not been so abused and its meaning
so perverted as to make it practic-
ALLYN some respects-iice"se to
those who are so inclined, to bid
defiance to law and order, and fol-
low at pleasure their evil inclina-
tIonS unmoleSted.
OF the many moral and social
evils which now exist, Of their con
Eliminating effects upon the children,
and Of the great and apparently
growing lack of parental discipline,
the evidences are painfully album
dant.
Parents, you who love your lisp
ing little ones, do you know that
they are God-given treasure for
whose moral training you are more
accountable than any one else? And,
Knowing this, can you lend your in
tiuence to assist in teaching them
those tollies and vices which they
vii, only be to apt to learn without
your he,',r?
And, tea,.hers, because many
parents, and othe."s who stand in
high pieces, are welding their
powerful influence III favoruH wrong,
shall we hold our peace and make
no effort to counterfeit the mighty
current of evil influences which is
running both mind and body Of so
many thousands Of our youth?
Our influence is a positive one.
Do we care in what direction it is
exerted? If so, it is well, but if not
we fear that the time will come when
we shall tremble at the remem-
brance of our abused opportunities.
2. ID.