Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-12-25
Written FOR the CorRIEs.
MORAL ANN INTELLECTUAL KOt'
CATION AT HONE.

lglttit HUME iEtNC WhNh ''E |
folks are bound to respect. Among
these are life, liberty, (morc or less OF
it, and the pursuit of fun. They have
also natural, inslienable right to
good, sound, moral and intellectual
training. and they have a right 10 eN.
pect this from their parents or guar
dams; but very seldom geti,. My in |
terest in the children and the safety Of
the future society which the children
of o-day will soon constitute, is my
excuse for asking you for a little
space.
Do not think intend to trouble you
with composition" on education in
the old, abstract style-proving that
| education is a glorious something that
everybody ought 10 have, that knowl-
edge is power, etc., for all this was
long ago admitted by everybody whose
opinion is worth anything, but l wish
to speak Of education in practical
way; of the education Of the mind Of
the young child by the parent or guar
dian of home education; of the duty
| and privilege of the parent to train
| the mind of the child at home. This
| should be done in school studies as far
as able, and in matters Of general in
tclligence.
! To educate literally means to 'lead
out:" and in early childhood the pa
u ,,1 h. 10
child's mind By instructive converse
ton, by questions, by answers, and by
explanations. He should understand
that the growth of the young mind
committed to his care depends upon
its own activity; that its best good is
promoted by its own independent ac-
| ton, and he should carefully lead it
towards that Independent action.
without doubt the mind increases its
Town growth and power by use just as
the arm becomes larger and more
powerful by handling the Ak or the
sledge.
On account Of carelessness, or lazi-
ness, or too much business, or all these
combined, the whole mental training
is left, in many cases, to the sole man
agement OF the teacher and thus the
best part of the childs education is
ost. Many parents think ii their
| lhildrcn are only kept in school from
the age Of five to sixteen or eighteen
their knowledge boxes will be stuffed
with sufficient meutal pabulum to last
them life time. II lie true much
: ought to be accomplished in that time
liz The teacher docs his duty, but how
!, much more if the parent would assist
F.. the teacher by preparing the mind fol
the work.
i Reading aud spelling may be nc.
i quired mainly by memory, aud while
acquiring these the child should be
prepared for something higher by be.
, ing made to understand that he il an
: tindividnality, that he has mind of hii
own. He should be taught the use Of
this mind by being made to think and
reason. This is an easy matter where
/, the parent is willing and capable--and
! most parents are capable-fOr the mind
3 of the child is naturally inquisitive
: Let The parent answer, il possible, al
!. proper questions, and, by drawing on
the why's and wherefores, proceed
Icsrefully with the unfolding Of hi
! faculties. But right here lies the diff
t ficulty. There is no lack of activity
( no lack Of questions, but the paren
o fails in hes duty; for instance, the boy
+ has heard or read something new, ant
fgoing to the parent, who is busy, ask
. three questions in one breath, and tn,
. parent answers: "Oh John, don't asl
|" so many foolish questions. do wisl
] school would keep from sunrise til
q dark" A few such rebufis make
johnny understand that he can get n,
help from that person from whom b.
: has right most to expect it. Tha
4 keen activity becomes dulled aud tn,
t boys mind falls into a listless, dont-car,
(; state in regard to learning anything
Y useful, which the teacher must wOrl
4 hard to break up or be blamed by tina
same parent for not doing his duty to
wards that boy. Never should tn
= parent, in any manner, discourage tn
: child in his efforts to obtain new idea
!. on any subject which may be useful 4
: him. A good child's paper should b
= put into the hands of every child. l
= will pay its cost hundred fold il
: supplying the child with mental foot
something about which to think ant
t study and ash questions. 1t begets [
i desire to read intellectual activity i
@ excited, and the mind garners up idea
r. for future use.
II am convinced that there is on
/ thing absolutely necessary to the &C
g curing of a thorough education, an,
a think that some teachers as well as
great many parents, fail to realize i,
viz: real. solid, mental work. Thi
9 idea must be infused into the mind o
y the child, and it must be we'll ground
|. ed there, or the after work upon tn,
o child's education will be halt lost
:. But if he recognize this fact, and ha
8 willingness to work, the battle is hal
: gained. With a good teacher, he mus
: in time become a thorough scholar
Otherwise, If the first steps in his
training have been neglected; if this
d fact be not admitted or understood, and
l he have not the willingness to work
. the teacher finds obstacles in his path
7 his best efforts often fail in accom-.
t plishing his work, and always will fail
: until he shalt have done the work
which ie the parents ought to have done
| In the meantime the time of the pupil
and labor of the teacher is half lost
Of course the teacher sadly fails in his
uuSy II oc ucE lcCt su1n uTdWluE OuL VI
{ the mind, and this infusing of the idea
!. Of hard work, but when he is CON-
: PEELED to do the work of both parent
) and teacher, the advancement of the
Q pupil is retarded and his education
s less thorough. If parcnts would but
8 realize their duty in this respect, and
J. act accordingly, the education Of the
J, children would be Of far more lasting
( benefit to each individual and the race.
Il And here I would suggest that often
the difference in the advancement OF
! scholars arises more from the early
t training of the mind than from natural
$ ability. It is not denied that one child
! may be superior to another in his sus.
!, ceptibility to receive and retain ideas
but the best brain in the world can
accomplish but little without almost
: constant activity to develop its re.
I sources and expand its powers. To
illustrate, take two pupils, one OF
whom has been trained as explained,
the other has not. Let them take up
3 .