The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-09-26
Our Schools.

Every morn, noon, and evening we
meet squads of little people ofboth sex
es, who seem to be hurrying along
somewhere with the seeming eagerness
of a person who has a railroad train to
overtake. There are a few who do not
partake of the hurry-who seem to
trudge along unwillingly-who have
stolid or mischievous faces, and seem
to act as if they would gladly play tru-
ant if there were not a rod impending
over them at one end ofthe route or the
Iother. Some of them have the mark of
thorough comport in sheir tasteful at
tire, and show the last finishing touch
which a kind, managing hand had sup
piled to hair or collar the moment they
had lett home. Almost all have clean
washed faces, and show some attempt
at being neatly gotten up for the day.
Some are on the verge of adult life,
with the budding hopes of the woman
but a little way off from the earnest
eyes of the girl, or the rough cares of
manhood already prophesied in the
eager orbs of the youth. Some are such
little hootsy tootsy things that they
create q suspicion of having been sent
away to secure greater comfort at home.
These are the school c~hildren-the
younger generation who r o to
take the place of the elders, who now
nearly run oyer them in their fury
and the school to which they are eager
ly fastening, or idly lounging, is the
place of probationary training, on the
excellence of which will very much de-
pend whether they go into the, busy
world with minds properly trained and
regular, or ignorant, vicious and half
ruined. 1t is well understood to be a
matter of great consequence whether
the school, in which these children are
trained, happens to be well or ill-con-
Quoted, and yet it is a lamentable fact
that too many parents really know very
little about the schools. They arrange
for sending their little ones to school in
the morning-listen to their complaints
when they think themselves ill-used by
the teachers or playmates, and some
times show little sympathy when they
come home with full delight owe a pro-
motion or certificate, but beyond this
they seldom go. They do not visit the
schools, OF take half as much interest
about what is really being done inside
of the building where their little i'm
mortals are training, as they do for the
same details of a church festival. They
know that the city has a system of free
schools; they hear of the election of
the School Board periodically, and have
some idea that ther business is to look
after the educational interests of the
city, and probably realize by degrees
that their boy has learned to read more
iuently than he did a year ago, or the
maiden does not write so erimped a
hand as when she first learned the mys-
terry of ~pot-books and fragments. We
say to the parents of Eaton, visit your
schools oftener, give your children
more encouragement, and stand up for
the Superintendent and teachers with
little more zeal and irmness. By so
doing, in the course of time, you can
have the satisfaction of seeing your city
make a stride onward and upward to-
ward intelligence, refinement, socia-
bility, prosperity, wealth, influence and
honor. Who, among the parents of Ea-
ton will not visit the schools?