, 1876-02-25
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SYNOPSIS of Discourse by Rev. ]. Rea Of
this town.

/ get wisdom; and with ali my getting get un-
drrsfanding. ."-PRoVERBs tv. 1.
Concluded from last week..
/ Eyep if there were no outside world
with which to contrast ourselves, If our
/ town were the very hub nj the universe.
j. will this help our children to the degree Of
scIf-royernmemt they will require by the
fine they will he needed as the mothers
and fathers here. as city and county Oiii-
GERS. school-teachers and ministers of the
gospel? What premium have we put upon
ourselves? At what rate are we advancing:
What is the actual amount of sincere help
our growing youths and maidcnS are get
ting toward an intelligent apprehension
of n noble life? We say we do not want
TO be at the fac end-the ragged end-of
cur national life, but we act as though we
we're determined to assure ourselves OF that
position, and when comparisons are made
we blame the poor school, 1t is so easy to
find fault with the public schools, yet
wOnld we only find a little more fault with
our own private schools and with the great
school of the street, there would be more
hope. These are the colleges the big boys
and girls attend; they are open night ana
day; there are many teachers and all take
their pay in some way, while society grows
weaker every year. All it comes 100
near home. We do not like to hear about
it. We say we want good teachers! let
us be good then. We say we want ad-
vancement! let us encourage progress
and not forever be found either holding
back or kicking over the traces. We say
we want good schools let us look to our
homes, for all the teachers i'm the world
will not alter a mothers influence, or give
to n weak, passionate father control, or
avert the effect of perniciOus home drill
morning, noon and night.
There is no such thing as an Isolated in
terest here nor an Isolated question. We
only club together to pay men to do that
part of the work we all cannot well do; TO
give these youthful, growing minds a reg
ular, systematic, progressive training.
The character is doubtless influenced by
the teacher but it is made by those who are
the natural teachers, whose duty it is TO
mod it, to restrain or evoke its traits, to
choose its surroundings, its good or Ill, and
to explain the reasons and illustrate the
meanings Of truths. And so, amid all
these influences, day by day, line upon
line, precept upon precept, the mind comes
from creeping to walking upright, from
feebleness to ability to meet serious ques-
tions as they begin to press upon the life.
How soon life must stand alone and either
be true in its integrity or fall, forever to
lie crippled in the background.
The moral principles involved in any
true drill or system of training are absO-
lutely necessary to its completeness, and
the universal court OF appeal even in a
child is its moral nature.
Men graft and prune the natural tree
and train the vine and dig the soil 10 bring
growth to Il standard Of excellence other
wise unattainable. The Bible standard of
wisdom is the purest Known, and even in
fldels and blasphemers agree that If the
precepts Of Divine truth were carried out
they would bless the earth-that tempta-
tions which lead to misery would be re-
moved, that virtue would be honored,
honesty confirmed and brOtherly love and
good citizenship be the result. Now, we
1 HPe trying TO take hold of such effects as
these by putting our hands upon the
causes. Are we doing all we can?
Habits are only things OF the mind, train
ing gives us control to do duty is in the
mind, so is the impulse to take interest In
a good cause, or any other characteristic
Of the man; and under all ordinary cir
yOd C5n Judge the root by the
fruit the fountain by the stream which
continuously flows from It. have said
that there is some anxiety felt over the
fact that our children are not receiving an
education. There ought TO be far More
over the fact that they are. What Is a
true education? Commonly considered.
"an education" consists Of three things:
First, the instruction and drill of the un-
tutored mind, which comprehends the
formation OF its method Of going to work
on given question, the regulation OF Its
natural characteristics and the establish
ment OF right moral principles; Second,
the accumulation Of knowledge, the grasp
OF facts of all sorts with discernment as to
causes and effects, and the starting of an
effort for better things as the true work of
life; Third, good breeding, which is the
oil of life, which makes society pleasant,
and gives to knowledge and experience,
and training just what the mint gives to
the gold-its current stamp and rank.
The first and second begin in childhood,
but are never completed while the mind
continues to grow ; the third can only be
truly attained In childhood, and may be
as perfect then as ever in life, all after
acquired attainments coming gracefully to
a gentle bearing.
Now 1t Is easy to see how small seq
ment Of this great circle OF life is filled by
the public school-teacher. All good
schools won't save us; our teachers may
be learned, discreet, conscientious, pains
taking but the children are six hours in
school and eighteen out Of 1t, and you can
count it up for yourselves. Our children
arc three times as fair exponents of the
homes and the streets OF our town as of the
schools. The school may not be much
better than the street, but home ought to
be; the teachers character may not be
strong or good but yours ought to be, for
you are with the children three hours to
his one; his method Of govefnment may
not be perfect, but in six cases out
Of seven in which he may undertake the
reformation of deformed moral charae-
ter in child he will be balked By outside
Influences, and If be attempts 1t Ditch,
will have to give an Exhibitionn at the
end of the term to make general peace ere
he steps ont to let somebody else try his
1 hand the associations 81 the School may
not be what you might desire, but what &
/ the state OF the home atmospheie
1t is always worse In vacations than In
school terms, because then the home In
fiuence and the street school have it all
their own way. Look to II friends, for It
Is trnel have not thoughtit worth while
to discuss the subject Of the power Of edu-
catlon-hoW It follows men, guides and
cOntroiS rncm even To- the eilu. lSnOrance
has is rules and methods, and they be-
come habits with almost fatal facility.
They grow! Cut your name In the ten
der bark Of "a tree; at first the cash may
scarcely be visible, but look at It year ar
lterward and you will find tile marks wider
and uglier. The tree IS defaced for life.
In youth bad habits are hard to escape
fthey are arsily contracted, they grow with
growth, become parts Of character and
! damage a man for time and eternity.
What charge, therefore, to guard, to
purify, TO educate youth 50 that it viii not
grow up into deiormed and slckly ma
! turity-a curse 70 itself and the world.
As a friend of the children and Of the