Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-09-06
lCONMCNICATED.

ERS.-NeSpected friends, parents OF children
at school, will you allow friendly, word or two
from teacher on subject in which you are
all deeply interested? 1t will at once appear
evident, as soon as it is stated, that the most
friendly relations possible should exist between
all parents and those who train their darling
children for future life. This ought to be the
business in which you are more interested than
all besides. But do you not give the most at
tcntion to that which interests you most? 1t is
but natural to do so. But do you not give time
and attention to the management of everything
else, to the neglect Of the most important inter-
est? When you employ apprentices, clerks,
boUk-kecpers hands or laborcrs to attend to
horses, COWS and stock of all kinds, you go to
see what they are doing; you will not trust your
business nor your animals even, TO those whom
you know quite we'll, without frequently look
ing on aud seeing how they do. But you trust
your own lovely children, with their eternal
interests, in the hands OF others from year to
year, and never once 60 where this work is
done, and often you have never seen these per-
sons, who have such trust repoSed III them
Now 1t Is presumed that We express the hearty
sentiments OF every true teacher, when We say
all parents would be welcome to visit their
children school, at any time, and see them at
work. At least, the writer wishes all parents Of
his pupils to know that any OF them would be
welcome Visitor, not to the reception room or
parlOr merely, but right into the class rooms
and studying rooms, at any tune. IN school
hours. Yes We desire some of you to step in
every day and see us at work We need your
cooperation; the teacher needs it, and the pu-
pills need it. We do not ask you to come to
tell Us how to teach or how to govern your
children: but to see how it is done. and to show
your loved ones that you are as much interest
ed IN their education as you are in evely thing
else. Do not say, 'Oh We pay you to take
this trouble off our hands, and now, if I've got
to be running to the school every week or two
to see alter them, why | will send them to
some one who will not ask me TO leave business
aud see after my children" Do not say when
little Auna, or Leonora, or Jennie comes home
at noon or night, aud asks you for information
on some practical matter of life; don't say, "Oh
20 along aud don t bother me haven't time
10 help teach you" Pay some attention to
their questions, and encourage them. | know
you must attend to business. but this is bust
ness; yes, and the most we gh.y business you
have in the word You understand loss and
gain. Oh yes Vol, had you not better loose
few dollars once in a while. and have your
child we'll educated in all her three-fold nature,
than to save few Sordd dollars, and by so
doing neglect the very point that would turn
the scale Of her whole life ? Some persons tell
NE that the teachers would be embarrassed BY
an unexpected or even by Looked for visit
from parents. Others say it would confuse the
pupils. Now, while | admit that many Of
them. both of teachers aud pupils would be
quite surprised at such an event, yet am not
willing to believe that any teacher would be at
all troubled BY such occasional calls. But you
say you are not used to such practice. Yes,
that is proverbially true. So much so that
teachers have 10 take one fourth OF your chill
drens precious time TO prepare them to go 90
showing exhibition in order to get you, the
parents Of the children, to come, once year,
to see what they are doing And what do you
see when you go to the show? Why, of course,
only what you know has been gotten up for the
occasion. aud that at great expense OF time and
money la visiting manufacturing towns, We
frequently see 10 large letters over the doors,
prccauton visitors often intrude themselves.
But | think if they would put, in large letters
over the doors of such establishments, School,
Institute, Seminary, College," or some such
title, the inmates would never be troubled by
visitors would like to have my school walls
transparent from without and opaque from
within We firmly believe, if parents would
give this subject sufficient thought, they would
call once in while and see their childrens
school at work. Then the waste for commence
mentS, exhibitions, &C., would not be neces-
sary. J. LITTLE.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, Sept f.
THE CROPS. The wheat crop of the north
west will be full average, although in central
Missouri and southern Kansas it is almost
total failure The great wheat belt Of the
north, beginning with western New York and