Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-01-31
EDUCATION.
A TEACHERS VIEW OF "SoLo.
MONS PANACEA."
Essay Read Before the Teachers Institute Of
Whining on, by Miss M A, Newlin.

In these days OF wonderful improvement
physical intellectual and moral when the eyee
Of mankind, or rather those of womankind, have
hecome no sbarpened TO the sense of beauty,
that they have discovered the line of beauty
upon a camel's back, and have successfully imi-
tAted the graceful proportions Of the "Ship of
the Desert" in their own peraOns when the
intellect of man, has been developed TO such a
degree that it has discovered the possibility of
floating through space like bird, and invented
wings for that purpose, ChOugh to be sure
the attempt to use the wings ended rather in
gloriousy for instead OF proudly waiting the
happy possessor, over the heads of the awe
stricken behoders. they safely deposit him a.
their feet); when morals have 80 far advanced
with tho general march of civilization, that crime
is no more known but general prevalence Of
insanity has taken its place, for which the aict-
ed one cannot be expected to be responsible
surely when the world has arrived at such
a state OF perfection as this, there must have
been vast improvement in no important
work as the training and education of children
Indeed, some theorists seem to think that
Solomon was not quite 30 wise man, az he has
been reputed, and would have us believe, that
through successive generations Of education and
cultivation, the happy time has at last arrived
and no doubt, to a certain degree 1t has-when
rods are no longer necessary, to drive rebelling
children up the hill of knowledge, but, that they
may be 30 gently led, or coaxed up the said hill,
that they will entirely forget the steep ascent,
and rugged path in their interest and eagerness
the - Golden Age" Of teachers has come.
But alas theee same theorists forget that
mother Eve stole the apple and generously i'll
sisted upon sharing 1t with Adam. They forget
that by that one small feast evil becomes 10
closely and euriousy interviewer with every good
impulse of the human race, that it has been
only by constant watchfuness battling, and very
often through severe suffering, the evil has been
prevented from warpipg, and overwhelming, all
that is purest and best.
We all know that in the natural world young
plants not only need gentle training but fire.
| quently require severe pruning, in order that
| they may grow straight and strong and fruitful.
| II Eve had contented herself with admiring the
| outside OF that same fascinating apple and had
not gratifed her insane desire for tasting its
| good qualities, no doubt, all kinds of plants, both
natural and human, nourirhed by the fragrant
dews, and balmy airs OF the garden OF Eden,
| would have expanded gloriously, without spot or
| blemsh, into the gran1est and most beautiful
forms, until in full perfection they reared their
/ kingly heads, rejoicing with unconscious inno-
/ cence, in their blooming sunlit home forever
more, and rods and pruning knives would never
| have been known.
But, unluckily for mankind in general and
| teachers in particular, as the curiosity OF our
great Mother, aggravated by the continued pres
ence of mystery, which she dared not solve.
did oyerleap every consideration and face death
| itself: as she did stretch forth her hand pluck
| the forbidden fruit and bring ruin upon her un-
| happy family, our human plants require consid-
cradle looping of Of evil sprouts, before they
| can be sent into the world, perfect men and wo-
| mon. True it is, there few children, and
for this few we feel properly grateful, who seem
| to require ne punishment whatever; whose IN
teutiOns and impulses are naturally inclined II
the right direction.
There is another class, by far the most numer-
ous, bright enough, but mischieyous, whose
motto seems to be we will rule, or be ruled
If Rley succeed in ruling, what tyrannical little
masters they prove to be, with an unheard OF
capacity for inventing tortures, for their nominal
governors. On this class of children the PROMISE
OF rewards seems to act like a charm, and aftei
the first trial OF wills is over, and they find thai
of tdeir teacher stronger than their own they
submit with good grace to being ruled, and be
come orderly and very often the most ambitious
pupils The most OF this class stand in whole
some awe Of the rod, and some OF them, bu
very few, occasionally require slight applica
tion of the same, though seldom.
But in every school, there is a certain number
a small number we are happy to say, in whom
the old Adam is 80 strong, that teachers, books
aud discipline are regarded by them as 80 man.
| personal enemies These are the troublesome
ones, and it seems almost impossible to rous
ambition, or instll love Of knowledge or appro
baton into their minds. For such - boys the
generally are-but one course remains. Solo
mons Panacea is as eilicacious now, as 1t wa
centuries ago.
We do dot wish to be ranked with the unen
| yiably notorious Squeers, who considered tn
rod q cure lOf every eNn unuol luo huiit ahu
II az vent for malice and spite. Indeed
should never be used in anger and we thin
there il no teacher in these times, who does nc
consider it the most disagreeable duty he or sh
D has to perform. But the fact remains the same
| those who mill not climb the hill OF knowledg
!. of their own accord, and cannot be coaxed
climb IT, must be driven up, even though it b
by that little instrument, wkich fairies are sal
, | to use under the name OF wand5.
q No one in the world can stand still. IL on
| 4. t,nffr fprtx "A Opa
is better 10 push a child forward by any mean.
than let it lag on behind, with the whole worl
l of children in advance
, There are those, who entirely disapproye
corporal punishment, but we think nearly a
teachers Of Primary Schools will maintain thI
it il sometimes necessary. We all know IL
words of solomon, and We are told that Wis.,
than he has never lived and will never live agal
Nearly all medicine is disagreeable and bite
but the majority of people in the world are pas
ably healthy, and require but little OF 1t, thong
there are few who do not need i sometimes.
l. il only the diseased who find Unnecessary to tai
m many of the bitter doses.
- If we look into the history Of the world, do v
find the offspring of those, who, when duty r
= duired spared not the rod on their own ohidre
but used it according to their stern unyieldil
10 consciences, do we lind them a shame and di
grace to their parentsY
- Never since the world began, has there been
n grander sterner company OF men and wome
than the early Puritans Brave, courageous, OF
~, during, they suffered all the pangs OF horrib
~ ~ DEATH rather than yield one iota in matter
OF conscience Interpreting the scriptures literal
o. literally applying them in their own lives tn
'k brought up their ,ohildren, according to tn
es grand but gloomy faith, ,sparing them not, thou
IN their own hearts might be wrung with angris
These children when grown to manhood a
al womanhood, did not dshonor their trainir
a Brave energetic anterpnsing, so imbued wi
1g the love of liberty, that it seemed almost
breath Of life, they became the very corner stoI
- tl,a graudaat and freest nation unleI the 81