Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-09-29


learn it too late to repair the injury done
to the school. So the school and the
pubic are made to suffer for their igno-
rance and indiscretion and they them
selves would have been much better off,
had they known what they were doing
when they began. Here we are remind
ed of what may be called one of the
greatest errors of the age; that the
worth Of a human soul, and the value of
days or an hours influence of one soul
upon another are not rightly estimated.
This lies at the root of one difficulty
with our schools. Correct this error by
proclaiming these great truths and max
ing everybody feel them and another
cause of failure in teaching will vanish
s Pass now into the school room itself,
and overlook its exercises for an hour.
Here may be seen faults of teachers, not
more widely injurious indeed than those
we have noticed, but perhaps more glar-
ing and offensive because less concealed.
How many teachers there are whose
method with their pupils is purely me-
chanical whose idea Of performing
school duties seems to be merely, to set
the daily task and hear it recited in the
exact words of the text booki Not a
question is asked save those which stand
out on the margin of the page stark and
formal in the words of the author; not
an explanation is offered :; no interest is
manifested in the theme beyond the inn
parting Of the knowledge which the
teacher is supposed to have of the print
ed page before her And this is the
way she teaches young minds to think
thus she does her part towards develop
ing the faculties of immortal souls !
Oh !! what mockery! Alas! for the poor
little minds that are starved by such
| cruel treatment Alas for the future
of the souls that are dwarfed and stunt
ed by this withholding of their proper
nourishment And yet nine-tenths Of
the schools of Vermont are weighed
down to-day by this monstrous evil
Here is the last and greatest of the
causes of failure in teaching which
proposed to point out in these articles
Much more might be said on this las
point and [ would gladly say more, i
the multiplying of words would aid il
calling the attention of the public t.
the matter; if it would rouse ever,
teacher to a rigid determination, ant
awaken in her heart an earnest desire t
rid herself of the fault, and willing
ness to quit the work of teaching if sh
finds herself unqualified. The people a
lalge are too ignorant and Indifferent
with regard to this thing; teacher
| themselves are too selfish and indolent
The great want of the present age
thinking men and women; and how ar
they to be raised up unless our school
are made fit places for training them
1t would be folly to plant an orange tire
in snow drift, and expect it to gro
and bear fruit And it is no less foo
ish and stupid to submit our rising ger
Grafton to such training as is furnishe
by most of the common schools of Vel
mont, and expect to see them develo
into model men and women. The ne,
generation will probably be very diffe
ent from, and very far below, what
might be if this one fault were correc
ed and we cannot help .exclaimin
What pity! If no better ways Ia
before US than those in which we a
now walking, we might reasonably
contented to remain where we are b,
when such wide doors and such attrac
i've paths of usefulness are thrown OPT
before us, what a pity it is that we,
at least our children, cannot enter al
walk in them with such promis,
land of knowledge and wisdom offer
US, what pity it is that we will not
in and possess it
And now [ close the discussion
this subject with an earnest appeal
every person who reads my words,
take fresh courage and put forth nj
: exertions towards elevating and perfe'
ing our common schools. They are o
of the pillars of our nations strengt
; and if that pillar is left to crumble, t
: national temple will certainly be rui
: ed. NARcIssUs.
The manner of sending messages
telegraph is mystery to a good mai
!; The following explanations by a dark
gives pretty good idea of the mode
telegraphing;
Sam said a darkey to his ebo
!. brother, ''how am it dat dis var tcleg
: carries de news froo dem wires 2" "W,
2 Caesar, now s'pose dar am dog f
. miles long "Nebber was such a
dog; don b'leeb dat p s.You jess W
!, minnlt; Use only illustratin,' you S
! pid niger. Now, dis var dog, you S
90 jess puts his front feets on de Hobel
i sho.' "Yesser.'' "Now, s'pose J
: walk on dis var dogs tail in New Y,
:. -" .sYesser." .He'll bark, won't he
= "Yesser." -s'well, where will