Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-12-12
TO INSTITUTE ATTENDANTS.

BE- prompt. 1t is Of the greatest
Importance to yourself. And further,
you have no right to come into the
.recItation-room tardy, to the annoy
ance ofthe instructor and class mates.
The Institutes are rare, the value of
which could not be greatly increased
If all would be prompt.
Do not be a mere hanger-on.
Be a worker. At every institute
there are some who do not dare, or
who viii not condescend, to join the
ranks outright, and yet who desire
the credit, but rarely the profit, of at
tending the institute. Sometimes
they sit On a side bench; sometimes,
with a little more assurance, they
venture to take q chair on the plat
form, or where visitors usually sit.
They manage to smile at the proper
time, to look wise, and probably are
wise, in e.entertaining a willful still
ness" They might be called ssgen-
-tlGnaQin waiting" only they are no.
allTgentiehQen; or may be. s.visiting,
statesmen. resy are there to see
how things are done; BrtS they must
not be called upon to DIP anything
Oh, no. Not they. They YgEefer to
listen. Sometimes they are old
teachers who are falling to the rear,
as they are conscious, and yet who
have not the good n to step
boldly into the ranks and keep abreast
by emulation and effort. Sometimes
they are young high school or col
lege graduates, Who scorn to allow
their s'higher education to suffer the
reproach of being ON a level and in
fellowship with common country
teachers. Neither class is worthy of
much respect, and yet we commend
them to the tender graces of instruc-
tors and pupils.
III we could reach them we would
Ike to say to such persons: Drop
your false dignity and mock wisdom.
Take The position of a worker in the
institute. If you are really superior,
stand up and show it. Scorn the
strategy which saves your credit at
the expense of your candor. Go to
work with a Will and become what
you would like to be thought, a wide
awake teacher and if you have hith-
erto borne that character, you may
rest assured that you cannot keep it.
unless you are willing to make some
sacrifices of your Ease and comfort
to Keep abreast of the advanced
thought In your profession.
60 determined to subscribe, be.
fore you leave, for some educational
.onrnaL- This you ought to do even
on the low selfish ground that it will
be a good business investment. From
your journal you. get items of profess
ional new and interest which enable
you to be more intelligent, and to
seem SO, not only to your fellow
teachers, but also to members of the
Board Of Education, and to the com.
munity generally. This helps yor
in getting q position as a teacher ant
In holding it. But on the higheI
ground of profit and assistance t.
yourself as a teacher you ought to d,
1T. We would as lief employ a car
penter who had no grindstone, as
teacher who takes no educational pa
per. The carpenter might get alon,
by working constantly with dull tool
Or occasionally getting the use of
neighbours grindstone. So a teache
Doubtless can get along some how o
other without'any professional paper
But she is no credit to the profession
nor to herself. (The feminine pre-
noun is used because it represents til
majority I; not because the masculin
has any right to exemption.) Hal
times and low wages are not adequat
excuses. 1t is only a question I,
three dollars a year at the utmost
We are not speaking in the intere!
of any particular paper, bnt in the il
terest Of good education, when v
say that no teacher in this day
worthy the name who does not tai
some educational paper, and who
not willing to work faithfully in Il
Institutes.