Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-29

He knew twas . pEosy one, but he would
txy to make it not %, and he believed it
would not be 90, for he was speaking
to those Who would in the future be
teachers of the rising generation :;
and he would also be brief. Brevity has
the most followers in our age, he thought,
particularly among the ladies at least he
found it SO in his pastoral duties and in
the performance Of the marriage ceremO-
ny, for '' the less said the better they
liked it. In looking over the history Of
the schools of the last century, it would
seem that their object had not been to
mould them SO as to fit the pupils for the
life before them. but the masters Of those
days rather said Here is scientiti +,
knowledge, take it and put it in proper
form and We will place it in the schools -
He would have occasion to use the term
"boy" frequently in his remarks, but
would do 50 in a general sense in this
he was reminded of q minister who
once in addressing his congregation
as "brethren Informed them that
"ihe brethren were supposed to
embrace the sisters - so as gen.
eral term he would apply it. The
studies of our common schools were not
all arranged to suit their purposes. Gram
mar was never in proper shape until Lind
ley Murray wrote his book, and as to OrthOg-
raphy he would rather that We spell As the
words are pronounced, but We must spell
as the world spells. Many spell glibly
with the tongue, but badly with the pen.
What the boy needed was his "mOther
tongue" to make him thoughtfnlly under
stand wha. he studied, and he would have
it put in its simplest form. Many were
apt to say, however, "neter mind that,
boy, it develops his mind"' This
doctrine will not hold, unless you
take studies fitted to him. Is it true
that ian ignorant man succeeds
where . learned one does nOt?" No {!
When we perpetrate joke We are apt to
attribute them to the Irish, the Dutch, or
other race of supposed lesser intelligence,
and when We use q learned sentence We
credit it to scholar. SchOlasticus was a
learned man, but his knowledge was not
a full one, such as is needed for the battle
of life. Ignorance is not therefore the
road to success, but learning is. Instead
Of having our teachers look at the boy and
then at the text book, he would have them
look at the boy. and then look beyond the
walls of tho school room into the world
beyond. He would have them take the
text books and chip and hew to suit the
boy. The school room should be the
mimic stage Of their future world. Gram
mar gives method to expression. and the
form of a sentence rather than it's analysis
should gain our attention. He would
make boy a reader and a speller by
making him love grammar. 1mbue a boy
with love Of classic literature and you
make him reader with soul in his read
ing. Are We even now at that stage
where We mould the school room to suit
the world beyond? He judged not. Bring
into the school room that which will be
needed in after life and give the boy such
knowledge and experience as will fit him
for that life. Mr.. Edgar is a minister OF
the Presbyterian church, and was, some
dozen years ago, in charge Of the church
Of Mt. Joy, this county. He has pleas
ing address, but failed to divest his de
livery of a somewhat "sermOn-like -
style.
Music-Piano and organ duet, ''Au-
dante" {Kalliwoda), by Mrs. Brooks and
Miss Brooks.
The secretary then called on members OF
the society for tho reading of "senti-
ments," and received responses from Miss
Carrie Myers, Mr.. j. NJ. Roberts, Miss
Mary Green. Mr. G. E. Breckous, Miss
Carrie Custer, Mr.. NJ. Cocklin. Miss Anna
L. LambOrn, Mr.. Lewis, Mr.. l.. F. Byers.
Miss L. WhetmOre. Mr. II. E. Randall.
Miss Jennie Boyd, Mr.. w. a. Kuhn. Miss
Flora Brooks, Prof. J. w. Westlakc, Mr..
A. d. Steckel and DR.. Edw. Brooks the
responses embracing both the humorous
and sentimental.
Music-Quartet, "GOod Might" C. A..
White-by Misses Clements and Jenkins
and Messrs. Lansinger and Elliot.
The rendition of this quartet ended the
twenty-fOurth anniversary Of the Normal
literary society, on the whole most sue
cessful and pleasant entertainment, but
like all literary anniversaries, though they
are looked forward to by the adherents of
organizations and their friends, they are, rs
Il rule, apt to grow tiresome, and it is with
a certain degree Of relief that the average
scholar and the spectator witnesses the
adjournment" of such entertainments.
Addendum to this fact, we might say that
the large chapel room last even
ing, was imperfectly heated owing
perhaps to the difficulty Of heating
it on account of its extent and the
height Of the ceiling. Those near the reg
lister were too warm, and those remote
therefrom felt the cold chills run up
the back" Especially conducive to this
latter condition was the. atmosphere of the
corner allotted to the representatives of
the press.