The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-06-20

HoSG duHlid SysteLl VI ~ hp"SeiSS III
aginable. Let no one aspire to teach :
kindergarten who cannot sing, at least toll
erably, for the amusement is all accom-
panied by singing. They play mostly ring
plays, so contrived as thoroughly to exer
else the muscles, to teach grace of motion,
and to prepare the folks for future dane
ing. After half an hours play comes an.
other occupation" Perhaps it is draw
ing. For this purpose they have peculiar
states, grooved into little squares quarter
of an inch each way. This aids them tc
be accurate in their lines. AS they 80 OIL
the states are changed, the grooves becom
ing less and less deep, until at last they
can draw as accurately on plain states as
they could at first ON the grooved ones
Or perhaps they were paper choosing theil
own combinations of color. Or they model
and one little boy had shaped out of clay a
surprisingly good turtle. Their leaf i'm
pressions in clay were extremely delicate
and pretty. All the time their attention is
alert; their habits of close and accurate
observation are forming, and they are SC
interested in what is going on as to know
no WEAKNESS. They wait on themselves,
and put away all their implements as soon
as they have finished using them, with a
careful orderliness which is in itself an
excellent training for the future man or
woman. Theys learn to be independent
and self-helpful.
There is only one public kindergarten at
present in Boston, but there is wide
spread desire that there should be others
enough to accommodate the whole city full
of little folks. The one objection is the
price. 1t is the most expensive of public
schools, because, while one teacher can
and does ordinarily attend to the instruc-
ton of so scholars or more, the utmost
number which can be taught with advan-
tage in single kindergarten is "a. Miss
Garland, in her private school, would not
admit so large number as this; but it
would be the maximum number of the
public Kindergarten. The single public
one already established is at the corner of
Allston and Somerset streets, under the
charge of Miss Symonds, a teacher trained
by Miss Garland. The outlay for the
necessary working apparatus for the first
year is not less than $3.50, and the city
hesitates to pay teacher full teacher S
wage to instruct two dozen babies, and to
add $3.50 more to buy them scientific toys.
But the kindergarten advocates trust to
the success of this one experiment to prove
their system so useful, and indeed SO neces-
sary that the public cannot afford to do
without it.
1t is curious to notice the difference in
condition of the I" human flower" as Froe-
bel loves to call them, in the different
schools already in progress in Boston.
Miss Garland has under her care the pot
house blossoms-the delicate little fairies
who are brought to her by their maids or
their coachmen, and who are clad in pur-
pie and fine linen. The public kindergar-
ten contains good, hardy, native flowers
corresponding with those which grow ont
of doors in our gardens, fed by wholesome
rain and sun and dew. And the two kim
dergartens which the North End Mission
has just added to its already noble work,
are they not full of weeds-poor, little,
vagabond wayside thistles? Miss Garland
says her great difficulty is to interest her
pampered little ones-used to French dolls
and unlimited bon-bons-in the simple
pleasures of the kindergarten. They are
accustomed to so much luxury at home
that the pictures and flowers and little
ornaments which would be vision of i'm
possible loneliness to some stricken child,
seem to them, at first, trivial and of small
account. But, as soon as their intellects
are fully awakened, as soon as they have
tasted the pleasures of observation and
invention, she has no more trouble. Yet
she half seemed to envy the teachers of
children who were not the curled darlings
of fortune. cit would be SO lovely" she
said, to give them their first glimpses of
beauty and order-to open to them the
d
Schools, one of them is taught by Roman
Catholic, the other by Protestant; so
that for little wayfarers of either faith
there is congenial welcome.
One cannot go to kindergarten with
out becoming enthusiastic about the sys-
tenn You see the little creatures so quick,
so observant so inventive, and, above all,
so bright and so happy. elbow do you
punish them ~ l asked, "for of course,
being human children, they are naughty,
"They seldom need any
thing more than the mildest reproof," was
the answer, but when they do, it's quite
sufficient to move the offenders chair away
from the others, and give him little sense
of isolation.
for this system, for every year Miss Gar
land has a class of young ladies in the
afternoons. She carefully instructs them
in her theory and practice; allows them, by
turns, to assist in the exercises of her own
school; and, at the end of year, she will
have abundantly fitted them for their work,
provided always that nature has been
beforehand with her in giving them men,
tai and spiritual adoption to receive her
instructions. For let no one think that to
teach in kindergarten is a simple matter,
requiring little culture and less genius. l
know of no more exacting occupation.
Infinite tact, infinite sweetness, infinite
patience are few of the acquisitions.
Wordsworths perfect woman nobly plan
ned would be none too good for it. But,
given the teacher at once wise and Jealous
and the parent who understands that to
spell words of three letters is not the only
Or the most important knowledge possible
to an infant human being, and we can GER
tainly, by the system of Froebel, make our
children thoughtful, reasoning, inventive,
and orderly; almost from their cradles;
and, above all. we can SO quicken and
awaken their perceptions as to render
them capable of using to the best advant-
age whatever opportunities the future may
offer them.
The general interest in this system is