Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-05-28
Of pupils who
aud reasons,
etc

cause NUM-
number Of
he full mum.
...u cause. As this last seems
90 imply disposition to cheat on the part
cf the teacher a further development Of
The system would naturally suggest a. the
NIX que ton. how much of the schoo. prop
orty have you stolen during the month and
cause
But, seriously, is it any wonder that our
methods Of teaching arc commonplace and
mccbanical--tha the liie-blood is slowly
ooziug cut of teachers, crushed under the
rcmorsolcss wheels Of SO much machinery
or course an useful records are to be
kept; but there is a class Of people in.cvory
community who have perfect passion for
statistics, whose eyes dance at sight Of
column Of figures, and whose estimate Of
the worlds best work is quickly given you
after little adding, substracting, multiply
ing and dividing. Such people are in clover
when they get hold Of our schools never
WIS lairer field 10 which to revcl, never a
fre' chance for computing per centagc, sum
totals and averages.
Now, many OF our teachers are enthusi-
as.ic lovers Of their tue work, and delight
iu it with all their heart. Nearly all of
them have a higher ideal than they ever ex.
pcct to realize, aud the perpetual presence
of this ideal is ever stimulating them TO
better work. They know their own faults
better than any one else knows them, and
tho pleasure Of past success is quickly Az
ished by the pain Of conscious imperlcction
But what can they do about it? The abcst
Of them all cannot put more than twenty
four hours into the day, nor into one day
more than the work Of two. Any Que who
has ever tried it knows that five hours of
thorough teaching are enough to exhaust
the nervous energy Of any ordinary person.
Add to these the sixth, which is the last
straw then add a long evening Of labor,
proiracled far into the night-labor, too,
most Of H. on The mere machinery Of the
school continue this, week after week aud
year after year, until all the vitality is sap
ped cut Of the teacher then take him
some morning, as he is about to enter school,
weariod with past labor and hurdened with
o sense Of his uuiiincss for the work that
ought 10 be done, and tell him, out Of some
Teachers Manual, that cheoriulness and
enthusiasm are essential to success, and he
viii recall, with grim smile, the famous
advice to the dyspeptic, to cat his food with
hilarity, no matter what happens
He may, By sheer strength Of will, galya-
nize himself into show Of life for awhile
but the laws Of nature will have their way
he will surely fall back into the lifeless
routine of the tread.mill, and in time will
verify the truth Of the old adagc, "All
work and no play makes Jack dull boy"
Nothing can keep him out Of the ruts ex-
cept vigorous mental growth, and he cannot
grow under such conditions
Aud she cannot grow, for though we
use the masculine pronoun, out of defer.
enco to the grammar, yet we all know that
what has been said Of men, applies with more
force to women, because their power Of en-.
durance is less, and because they have most
Of thom left school with an education far
inferior to mans, and so with far less ft-
ness for their work mere girls, who yet
have very strong aspirations for the highest
excellence
Now where lies the remedy for all these
defects We can only hint at it. The
school is but a reflection Of the community
where it exists; so long as people like
this snowy mechanism Of our schools, so
long they will have it; and the school, in
turn, will foster in the community this love
ofshow aud this strange coniounding Of the
scmblance and the reality Of true progress.
The iibres that bind together school aud
family and church aud state, are living it's.
sues, and the same liie-bood flows in them
all. And who shall say how much Of the
shameful corruption, so prevalent in high
places is only the natural fruit Of that old
preaching, Go TO school, boys; be dill
igent and study hard, for other boys who
have been faithful and industrious are now
in Congress and the White House !" Let
boy but fix his heart upon some object as
the end Of all his efforts, let him be taught
to consider honesty and fidelity but as
means to the end, and ne will speedily lose
sight Of the means he will find others
quicker aud surer, and the end he will OBJ.
tain at whatever cost. But VIC must change
all this. Christian parents must consecrate
themselves and their children with more
singleness Of aim and earnestness of pur.
pose to the highest ends Of human living.
The boy and girl must be taught at home
that the school stands, and their part in it
stands, for ends not less grand than do the
sun and moon and stars, for the developing
and perlecting Of man and woman after
the largest, noblest pattern Then we shall
be likely to see fewer men Of mature age
and lne intellect so pleased with the rattle
OF popular applause, so tickled with the
straw Of presidential office. Let Christian
people everywhere cultivate with more dill.
igence true Christian simplicity-a sim
pllcity which is perfectly consistent with the
most complex forms of civilization, for its
source is not in outward things; but spring.
ing from profound love of truth, it moulds
and fashions all its surroundings in accord
ance with the hidden harmonies of its own
wondrous beauty. Then let them clear away
from our schools this clumsy machinery
that has been built up round them, and give
the teacher more time for selfculture.
more freedom for growth, more scope for
enthusiasm.
Then shall our boys and girls, catching
the inspiration Of parents and teachers
grow up silently aud steadily, with nc
stroke OF hammer or noise Of machinery
into beautiful, living temples, whose found,
ations shall stand forever, and whose in.
dwelling glory shall be the Lord our God