The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-12-14
For The Cecil Wing
PRINCrPIo FURNACE, Md,
Decpmher 18th 1872.

PRINCfPIO FURNACE, Md,
| December 9Th, 1872.
| EDITOR CECIL WHIG-Dear Sir:-In
respondents taking my name in vain, and
with your consent would like to offer few
comments, rather in endorsement than
attack on the views of A. A. c. When i
introduced "John" to the 'sTeachers' $
Association, had no idea that he would
get into print, but since he has. Judging
from the criticisms | have received, am
somewhat in the position Of the fellow who
said he woke up one morning and found
himself famous, although infamous, per-
haps, is nearer the truth.
|, like A. A. c., would be glad to see
some attention paid to the literature Of
our mother tongue in our schools did we
not have so many lessons already. Your
editorial criticism on the many lessons
scholars are required to study, being about
the truth Half of the books, well used
would be much more to the purpose. The
best remedy see for the lack of literature,
is to try to form, if possible, a taste for
reading. This the teacher may do if he
will but try, and the parents will second
his efforts. To introduce it as Il school
study would be to add another to the pile
of books scholars carry home under their
arms. / often think such already, have
much more under their arms than they
vii nat inf bai
pie are awfully afraid of novels, Dickens,
Read, or Collins, they think commissarieS
of Satan; but they are ready to cry over
some ridiculous story about some boy with
4 Ratchet, as mythical as Hercules club
The idea Of printing school books in this
nineteenth century with those foolish stor
ies-lies would he as near the truth-about
Washington and his Ratchet. or Smith and
Pocahontas, can only be justified on the
ground that the press is free. In our mod
ern Sunday school story books, good chill
dren usually die young. it is strange G. W.
lived to grow up. just get some story
into history and it will live, no matter how
foolish. Witness the story Of the Ratchet
or the geese that saved the Roman citadel.
Well we have another such affair on hand,
ourselves; a century from now the story of
Mrs. O'Leary's COW will be told and as i'm
plicitly believed as that of Washington and
his Ratchet. l have no objection to fiction,
but give it to us as fiction. Do not parade
the deeds of Mark Tapleys or Eugene
Burns as the actions Of real flesh and blood
characters.
l have tried to watch our politics closely
for the last ten years: but if Miss C
can tell me what the " Credit Mobier is, !
admit her superiority. can't. believe
I could tell who ,crote the " Battle of Wat
erloo;" but how many Cecil teachers can
tell who fought it? Well, we have Onder-
donk's History now, possibly after awhile
we will learn something about history and
"literature' as well. What we need is
that the average library should consist of
something more than the Bible, the Alma
nae, and County paper, and they never
read.
Miss c. has much more faith in the
educational powers Of her "true, noble
women" than l have. If she believes that !
the drunken young rough tried to draw
can be reformed by marrying him she is at
liberty to try it, but have no faith in her
success. We that would succeed as sol |
der "in the worlds broad field Of battle
in the bivouac of life" must lay a founda |
ton for success in early life. Ii is useless |
to give thirty years of life to the cause of
Satan, and expect to win the appreciation |
of the world afterwards. Still as l have |
had to face the charge Of being the origi |
nal of John, as it is my own name, L will |
drop him for the present. l am willing to
yield to no one in my high estimate of
American womanhood. but when | see the |
suffering families. children in want of food
and clothes, wives not knowing where to
turn for supply of their daily wants, all
because boy did not have the right home
training, | think that the worst blunder
God ever made with a single exception,
was when he created Eve, bnt the eXcep-
ton was the creation of Adam. Next |
am facing the whole problem of evil, and
am ready to exclaim that creation is a
failure; but God is good and slowly, surely
the problem of nature is working out its
own solution. Our world is better than it
once was the rays of dawn may be seen
and the good time to come is not SO far Off
after all.
Readers of Tile Wig, I would like an
occasional talk with you, if the Editor will
consent, but assure you l have positive
opinions that will often differ widely with
yours, but while We differ we need not
quarrel. May A. A. c. long favor you
with her opinions, and all of us in our var
led avocations try to be the noblest work
of God-trne men and women.
Yours most respectfully,