The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-11-02


intellectual education of his children.
John is now Il man, he has learned to
read badly and write still worse, his geog-
raphy is something less accurate than that
of Maury, his knowledge Of English con-
ssts in a complete familiarity with all the
slang in use. At profanity he is a master
and vulgarity is to him as his mother
tongue, he is good shot and finds no de-
light equal to that of wandering over the
country with his gun; pretty sure sign
of decentralization anywhere. Hunters and
trappers have their place in the economy
of the world; but that place is in the will
derness not in civilized communities
When l see a boy who ought to be at
school, with gun on his shoulder and a
dog at his heels, the conclusion is not capa-
BILE of being resisted, that he is never going
to be much in the world, for his tastes are
already hopelessly depraved. John too,
plays on the first nine in the base ball
club; just now Satan's most popular school,
but he laughs at the lyceum or public
library as place where old fogies assem-
ble His teachers have given him up as
incorrigible; he has got to big to whip, but
not big enough to behave himself. He
goes to school when he pleases, gets into
all sorts of scrapes and at last is sent home
in disgrace. His father prays in bitterness
that he may be converted and saved from
{hn fn hat I'm
laughs at as they have no meaning to him.
1t would be an interesting subject for some
theologian to elucidate-the use of praying
without making some effort to secure the
object of those prayers. Still the method
of an old lady of my acquaintance to secure
religious teachings cannot recommend.
Her two boys never knew their lessons, and
1 could never get any reason why. One
evening called on the family and found
the two boys intently engaged over the
catechism with the wagon whip lying on
the table between them. Picking up the
book, l began to read a lot Of stuff about
the real presence, penance, etc. that was
to me about as easily understood as Hebrew
grammar. In reply to question the moth
err told me that they were to be admitted
to the church in the spring, and she was
anxious that they should pass agood exam
nation. Assent without investigation be-
ing the creed of the church she was right;
it is much easier to learn things than to
explain them. cannot say what sort of
an examination they passed. l can say
that there are few worse boys in the neigh
borhood in which they live.
John is at last a man and fast one, the
neighbors all wonder how such a pious
father could have such son. He marries
after awhile, perhaps gets converted once
in a while, but his character is fixed and
at 35 he is drunkard, fairly on the way
to ruin, while in all probability a family
mourns hopelessly over his faults.
His is a representative case. We can all
call to mind many such in our acquaint-
ance. They are what they are not through
any fault of their own, but that Of the par
ents, and our iails and penitentiaries are
full of just such cases.
l have stated the case, few words as to
the remedy. Education to be effective
must begin in the cradle, SO that the whole
after life may be controlled by early teach
ings. No teacher, no matter how able, or
conscientious, can do the parents work.
Make books attractive to the child; do not
give them as task against which the
growing mind rebels. Any intelligent faith
er, able to read and write, and no others
should be fathers. ought to be ashamed TO
send his child to school to learn the alphabet.
What million of American homes need
to-day is that the fathers should sometimes
be found at home to direct the studies of
their children. The young are naturally
curious, and it is just as easy to train that
curiosity to the acquisition of knowledge
as of badness: place books in their way
and nine out of ten will be anxious to learn
to read them. If at six years of age the
child cannot read, depend upon it, that it
will know some mischief instead. What
the parents must do is to give taste for
books; if this can be done they will learn
themselves, then when the child goes to
school all the teacher has to do is to carry on
the work already begun. Still even then
the parent and teacher must work in con-
cert, not like a pair Of stubborn oren pulling
AGAINST each other. l do not mean that the
teacher should dodge his duty by sending
l.. o1xy
too much of this is done, but l do mean
that with the efforts Of the teacher, the
father must DO able to sympathize. In
stead of a dog and gun give him Robinson
Crusoe or Dickens; if he goes to Sunday
school do not compel him to learn the cate
chism, but get him interested in the story
of Samuel, David or Jesus. Instead of
whipping him for slight fault show him
the consequences of it. Ifhe wants to read
the newspapers encourage him to do so. l
have no liking for the New York Ledger,
but if you take it don't hide it from the
children as have known fathers to do;
even if they read the "Ar1bian Nights
and believe it all, they will learn better
after awhile. Few early memories are
more vivid to me than lying by the fire.
light reading with an avidty that few
books ever claimed from me, Bunyan's Pill
grim's Progress until his giants and demons
became as tangible as my boyish compan-
ions. I have since learned that the record
of Christians journey is fiction, but the
story told by the converted tinker will be
one Of the last will ever forget.
My idea is not to prescribe any positive
course of reading, or of study, but to try to
give the child taste for reading and he
will soon learn to select for himself. To
sum up then. my idea is that home educa-
ton should consist not so much in any ser
les of lessons given as task and learned
by compulsion, as in a whole course of
training to self culture and self reliance.
Get the child interested in his books, make
home attractive: do not drive him to school
as soon as the lao aeiU dlloao to get rid Of him.
Teach him something at home to counter
act the mischief he will learn of himself,