The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-11-14
A p1ALoGuReoN EDUCATION.

eNow, children, you have told me how
MANY members we have in the Legislature,
who presides over each body, how laws
are made, and how often a United States
senator is elected, and in return l will"
had reached this point the other even
| ing when there came a ring at the door
bell, and after a minute l discovered that
Mr.. Old Fogy had decided on another
attack. He meant TO give me fits this
time He brought along two or three
school teachers, and they at once walked
into my school room. did at first have
a sign Of "State Prison" over the door,
so as to make it seem like regular
school house to the pupils, but -as they
insisted upon it as a novelty, removed
the sign.
well, you have been teaching, l see,"
observed Mr.. Old Foggy:
"Yes, six of these children belong in
the neighborhoOd, and do not attend any
regular school,"
Eve don't exactly agree on the school
question, you know" said Mr.. Old Fogy.
"You did rather stump me the other
night, but I'd like TO ask some of those
teachers few questions"
Very we'll: Mr.. Blank, please tell
me how many bushels of wheat in bar
rel of -FOUR"
"Why, that isn't a regular question,
he replied as he looked around.
isn't itg Your arithmetic says that
sixty pounds of wheat make bushel,
and because it does not say how many
bushels make barrel of -four, the farm
er who is figuring on his years supply
must be left in ignorance. Here is Char
lley-only nine years old-he may an
/ swer."
From four and half to Eve bushels, :"
the boy replied.
snow, Mr.. Blank, can you name the
more prominent stars 2"
~ can, SIR
al thought so, but can you tell me how
many spokes there are in the front wheel
of a buggy-can any of you ?"
Il protest." cried Mr.. Old Fogy, but
they didn't answer for all that.
"Well, Mr.. Blank, can you translate
LatIng"
II can, sir"
"No doubt of it; but can you tell me
how to preserve cider"
"Fhere you go againI' cried Mr.. Old
Fogy; bur none of them could tell.
Are you familiar with cube root, Mr..
/ Blank9'
II am"
"But can you tell me the salary of our
governor? W
None of them could.
"Try some of the ladies'" suggested
Mr.. Old FOgy, after few more ques-
tions.
"All right. Miss Blank, are you good
in algebray'
81 think sou
"And can you tell me how many yards
of cotton to buy to make pair of pillow
slips?"
"Why, no."
do you know what will take stains
out of n table-cloth, or grease spots out
of carpetg'
mo, sir"
"Can you direct a cook to make pie
crust, or mix biscuit or bread ~
mo, sir"
DO you know the average length of a
lace curtain ?"
mo, SIR"
"Can you mix a mustard plaster, tell
me ready antidOte for poison, suggest
a family remedy for cold or sore throat,
tell me how many yards in a bunch of
dress braid, the number of yards of tick
| ing to make bed tick, a way to remove
paint from windows or how to make
Cruel for the sick?'
mo, sir"
"What are you driving at ~ indignant
| ly demanded Mr.. Old Fogy.
"I'll let my class go and tell you. Let
| uISL Ictnbfk Ltlub ndfcu-I dShCu
question which these little children here
can't answer. This little girl will
promptly answer everything have ask
ed Miss Blank, and yet she is not ten
years old. A month ago / told her that
alum and brown sugar would relieve
Group. A week ago at dead of night,
reused from sleep by her parents, and
the walls of her sick brother, she pre-
pared the remedy while her father was
after the doctor and her mother was ex-
cited and helpless, and in half an hour
the Group was gone. You ask what
am driving at? Women are called help
less, and we do not look to see them have
presence of mind. Why are they so :
Simply because they know algebra by
heart, and yet don't know what is an anti
dote for almost every poison. They learn
astronomy. and yet don't know what is
good for a burn or how to stop the nose
bleed. They know all about botany,
and yet cannot tell what to do for per
son who has tainted away
"But / am not a housekeeper," pro-
tested Miss Blank.
i No; we'll, every woman looks forward
to marriage. They were born to it. Ev-
cry female expects To marry RICH but
not one in five hundred can SO marry as
TO throw the entire responsibility of her
have q servant but unless the mistress
knows how things should 90. what can
be expected of the girl? While the lady
sits in the parlOr and realizes that she
can draw, play the piano and read
French, the "help" breaks, smashes and
throws away, aud the family arc soon
looking for a cheaper house. Miss Blank
here may marry and never lift hand,
out il she knew every duiy-if she knew
remedies and receipts-wouldn'L she
have more selfreliance, and be better
prepared for her responsibilities
u "Can you name one married lady in
Detroit who makes use of algebra? Can
You hume one who is ever Inconvenience
for the want of geometry2 Do you know
Of one who wouldn't trade her OFF all her
Latin for a cure for cOrnsy''
Mr.. Old Fogy said he thought it look
ed Rs if we wOulu have snow storm.
"Phen take the other side We do not
teach our boys to be observing and
then we turn around and call them
heedless. We pass the things of every
day life and let them grasp at the theo-
reflcal. Thus they become helpless.
They can name the planets, but they can
not give the length and width of brick
They can name every ancient philoso-
pher, but they can't put up a stovepipe
they can figure in cube root, but they can't
tell all wool cloth from all cotton. We
) let them go to school for years and then
discover that they can't tell why hickory
wood will burn longer than pine, and
we hear somebody say of them: "He
has n fine education but no horse sense y
Mr.. Old Fogy suggested that it was
getting late.
Now, then, some of you tell me about