Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-09-13

should study, not the history of
Greece or Rome. but the history of
our own country and the principle
of our civil government. Says Ba-
con: "iistory makes.men wise; po-
cts, witty; natural philosophy,
deep; the mathematics, subtle;
moral philosophy grave; logic and
rhetoric, able to contend" The same
great philosopher and essayist says,
"Reading makes full man; CONVEX
sation ready man; and writing
makes an exact man; and therefore,
il man write little, he had need
have great memory; if he talk lit
tie, he need have present wit; and
if he reads little, he need have much
cunning to seem to know that which
he doth not"
At the very threshold of their work,
teachers are compelled to answer
these twin questions: What shall be
taught, and what arc the methods !?
In determining answers, they must
understand the nature of the knowl-
edge they communicate, the nature
of the mind that is to receive that
knowledge, and how it can be applied
by the recipient to the needs of, life.
Our common school system pro-
vides only for the diffusion Of elemen-
tary education. Anything higher
than this must be sought for in the
special school, the college or the uni
versity. The wealth Of the state is
taxed to educate the children o. the
state, "for the reason that if certain
duties are to be performed on the one
part, certain benefits must be granted
on the other, and that the amount ex-
pended for educational purposes will
add to the financial strength of the
state" But perhaps stronger reason
is the matter of sclf-protection.-
There is logical connection between
illiteracy and crime; between litter.
acy and pauperism between illitera.
cy and anarchy. AS q preventive
of crime, pauperism and anarchy, the
state lays tribute on its wealth and
dishurses Its generous thousands
None are so INDECENT, none so remote
none so obscure, as not to be reached
by the beneficent operations of our
' public school system.
Teachers, while we tremblc in con
:, temptation of the momentous respon
sibilities which rest upon you; Will
= we are led to exclaim, in view of tn
y almost infinite possibilities of tina
y mind confided to your training, "wh
~ is sufficient for these things?" yet w
. prefer to take another and bette
e view of the work before you.
= Listen to the words Of the grea
e and noble Horace Mann: "If yc
u work in wood, it will decay; if yo,
u hammer the iron it will corrode i
: rust; if you work in marble, it will
!. crumble to earth; but if you work O
: the mind, eternity will not be lon
:, enough to obliterate your inpre,
IL sions."
What a work this is, teacher! We
q, might Hamlet exclaim, "Whata piet
ID of workmanship is man! how nobl
IN in reason; how infinite in faculty
Q. in form and moving how EXPIRE!
Id and admirable; in actions how iii
e. an angel; in apprehension how iii
ut god! the beauty of the world, Il
r paragon of animals"
IN What vocation more honorab
nc than the teachers vocation! What |
a. potent for good Atlas bore up Il
n solid earth on his ample shoulder
Sc In more than NEUROLOGICAL sens
is may we say that the rising world
q. humanity rests on the teacher.
~ faithful to your trust, if diligent
q. preparation, if earnest and honest
he your endeavors to educate, althoue
I'd you may not in this forgetful worl
ed 'drink every cup of fame" yet aft
in you have taken your place in the {
ct lent chamber Of the dead, the gene
ng alton for which you have LAHORE
In will rise up and call you blesse
he while the intelligerc !, purity and pa
m, riOtism of this great people, shall
yet to you an everlasting memorial.
Id CLAY WooD.