Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-07-23
TEACHERS COLUMN
CLAY WOOD, EDITOR.
OTTuMwA, WApELLo Co., J
Iowa. July liz. 1874

uTTUMWA, WAPELL0 Co., }
Iowa. July Is, 1874.
CLAY WooD, ESQ.,: AS the time for
our Normal approaches, I have no
doubt your anxiety for its full success
increases. l think we may be reason
ably sure from the beginning, Of a
profitable session, ii the teachers of
our county respond to your early and
repeated calls in such numbers as thew
ought. The more thoroughly 1 ap-
preciate the frequent inability found
in our profession for its duties, the
more greatly do / wonder that we are
not mole anxious to avail ourselves
Of every opportunity that offers itself,
to better prepare for these duties.
Does 1t not seem to you singular
fact that We have teachers who con-
stantly read Harper's Bazaar, and yet
who seldom see an educational journ-
al? If we could have such an inter.
est awakened in our department of
labor as is seen in the so.called fash
ionable circles oflife, concerning the
latest styles Of dress, results almost
miraculous would come TO the
schools. The trouble is that we false
ly educate, and care for the physical
at the expense of the mental. Young
men are more deeply interested in
taeir tailor than in their books---a pol
ished well fitting boot is frequently
deemed OF more importance than
well furnished and polished mind.
While our millinery shops are ram
sacked several times during the year
for the most perfect love OF bonnet"
and other taking head-dress, our Ii
braries are poorly patronized. Harp.
er's Weekly, Harper's Bazaar, and 9TH
er popular publications are more ex-
tensively read than all our education
al journals combined. 4
No one individual is entirely at
fault for this dcplorable condition Of
public opinion our previous educa.
ton, in many respects, has been per-
versely false, SO that society apparent
ly estimates the man and woman by
the cut the tailor and dressmaker have
given them. What did she wear2 is1
more frequently asked, than how in
diligently did she converse The latest
style of doing the hair is more impor.
tant than hosc wc do the brain. There
is many q half starved and miserably
clothed mind, whose physical being
cuts an elegant figure on our streets
and at An evening party. / have of
ten wished it possible for the mental
life to become visible to the eye in all
its poverty stricken conditions and
utter neglect. / imagine that in such
case the frequent saying: 81 have
nothing to wear" would become too
true. The province of our department
is to labor patiently and avail ourselves
of every opportunity to educate pub
lie opinion to truer estimate Of the
mental as compared with the physical.
! trust these Normals, that are to
be held throughout the State, will do
much to create an increased interest
in all that which pertains to intellect
ual growth. Mind is absolutely king,
while the body should be its obedient
servant How ridiculously absurd it
is that we should allow this servant to
sit at the first table, and to do all the
honors on every occasion. repeat
that we are to educate, and to educate
until every man and women shall be
accurately estimated by the intelli-
gence they possess. our schools are
to greatly assist in Kidding society of
that which is so manifestIy shoddy,
and putting in its place the real.
Mind is bound to triumph over mat
ter. Let us hasten the time when it
shall thus rightfnlly have the ascend
encv. NORMAL.