Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-06

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ton, and plans for next years work, claim at
tention. AT recent meeting of the soldiers
memorial society the question Discontinued work
for southern schools was thoroughly dis
cussed. This society founded the schools at
Richmond, under the superintendent OF Mr.
Andrew Washburn, and those at Wilmington,
n. c., under the charge of Miss Amy Bradley
These schools have been carefully and system
atically taught, have steadily increased in num-
beers, character, and influence, and have at last
been taken by the state, and become
free public schools. The question now
comes, "Is there any farther need for north
ern work, or shall the southern aid societies
disband and leave the south to manage its own
educational mattersp The answer given here
is decided. There never was greater
need Of northern work and influence;
never greater opportunity for north
ern liberality. The immediate work
now is the establishment of normal schools.
Every argument that was used for their estab-
lishment here, applies more forcibly to the
south. AS the southern states assume the
CHARGE of the primary and grammar schools
which the north founded, and as schools of the
lower grade rapidly increase, the demand for
teachers increases, and southern teachers are
naturally preferred. This demand would be
supplied by normal schools; trained teachers
would find employment as fast as they could be
prepared for it; the influence of teachers taught
in these schools is all on the side of loyalty and
civilization; more than this, they are not only
sought for as teachers in schools, but for all
offices of trust which they can fill. Every nor
NAL school at the south will educate and send all
over the country men and women who will
exert powerful political influence; who see
and know the causes of the horrible quarrel be-
tween carpetbag governments and kukluX ruff
fans Il must stop to protest against the names.
believe we should be more impressed with the
importance of the struggle, lift were not bettled
by these offensive terms) and who will set their
faces against the greed, dishonesty and injustice
of the one, as well as against the brutality ard
Internal meanness of the other. The soldiers
memorial society proposes to continue its work
for another year, and to do all it can TO help
this final and important step in education. As
soon as the south feels the value of normal
schools, already established, it will assume the
charge of them, as it has of the lower grades,
but il would be a long while before they were
established without northern help. The normal
school work in Richmond will be continued. A
school will be established in Wilmington, under
Miss Bradley's care, and teachers will be sent
to ida, where there is large field for work.
The usefulness in every way of Gen. Arm
strong's institute, at Hampton, Va, cannot be
overstated, and his personal influence and en-
thusasm give fresh impetus to education all
through the south, and TO the interest of the
wise people at the north, who, having put their
hand to the plough, will not turn back till the
work is thoroughly done, and the fields are
white with harvest of peace and prosperity.
This was not intended as an appeal for the
soldiers memorial society, but merely TO give
the results of an exceedingly interesting meet
ing; yet, if it should induce any body to help in
this normal school work, the memorial society
will be very glad of the money.
The exhibition of drawings by pupils in the
public schools here, has excited establishment
and admiration. Drawing has been taught a
little more than a year, and the progress made
in that time is wonderful There are specimens
from all the schools. and of every style of draw.
ing, from marks which show a praiseworthy but
not quite successful attempt at straightness, up
to bold and accurate drawing of elaborate ma
chinery. The subjects are geometrical, anatom-
ical, architectural, botanical - indeed, every
thing that one can think of. There are some
beautiful specimens of free-hand drawing, and
of copies from casts. The exhibition shows
fairly what the pupils can do; it is not selec-
ton of the best drawings but great collection
of all kinds; every pupil in the Shurtleff school
is represented; and from other schools there
will be dozen copies, perhaps, of the same
subject, a kitchen table, wooden pail and
cover, bit of architectural ornament, some
part of the chemical apparatus of the school; the
quaint drawing on an old tile, piece of machine
ry, graceful bunch Of leaves, or a single rose
bud. For three days Horticultural hall has
been filed with visitors, and probably every one
of them received positive pleasure from the ex-
hibition, and went away glad that drawing
was taught in the schools. The success of
this experiment, and the evident interest of the
pupils in this branch of education, will convince
the community of the advantage to be derived
from study of fine models, and knowledge of
art, and in that way will help the art museum,
which, now that the French fair is over, is the
popular project here. The building will be on
Huntingdon avenue, one of the new streets
leading from Boylston; the architects are
Messrs. Sturgis & Brigham, and the public are
not allowed to forget that large and numerous
contributions are necessary before actual work
can be begun.
| Another system of education which grows in
favor as it becomes known is the kindergarten
There are several Furnishing schools of tina
kind now in existence in this city. Madame
Kriege is distinguished for following the methoC
of Froebel, the inventor of the system, and fo
her success in training teachers. To-day tn
graduating class of twelve gave an exhibition o
their work, and read essays on the peculiar ad
vantages of this mode of educating children
They are certainly taught to do beautiful ant
curious things, and their achievements in fold
ing paper into fantastic forms, in pricking Out
lines of graceful figures, IN making effectiv
| patterns by braiding narrow strips of differen
colored paper, and in making clay models G
simple objects, show a skillful, intelligent, &C
curate and ingenious use of fingers, that mus
| be an admirable foundation for good work b,
and by.
The May festivals are over. The sales 0
fancy articles were less profitable than usual
probably the great fair had exhausted the en-
ergy and the money of so many charitable per
sons that the smaller fairs suffered, although
they fingered through Monday and Tuesday
The annual May party of the Warren stree
chapel closed the celebrations in honor of til,
month, and was the liveliest of them. 1t wa.
held in Music hall, where the guests were dr.,
and comfortable, safe from the raw east wind
the dreary rain and the mud outside; the hal
was crowded to the upper balcony; the music
was good; the children danced till six O'Clock
then were all taken home and the grown peopl
danced in the evening. The scene was pretty pleas
ant and gay, and might be described in tn
words of an DID ballad called the "Milkmaid'
Life" printed in 1880:
| Upon the first OF May.
| With garlsnds fresh and gay,
With mirth and musick sweet,
For such q season meet,
They paSse the time away;