The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-05-21
Judgment and FOrethOught In
the Education of ChiIdren.

Judgment and FOrethOught In
the Education of Children.
In very thoughtful and sugges-
tive inquiry as to the reasons why
promising" children so seldom turn
out as parents and friends anticipate,
the Philadelphia Public Ledger dis
covers potent cause of failure in
the man which parents will find
worthy of serious consideration. Af-
ter speaking of the more familiar
ways of spelling children by unwise
management or improper training,
the Ledger says:
The truth is, we need more fore
thought and less selc-indulgence in
the training of our youth. We please
ourselves too much, and study their
future too little. 1t is so easy and
| pleasant to crafty our own vanity
or ambition by stimulating and ex
hibiting them in points where they
excel; it is SO hard and comparative.
| ly tame to exercise them in what
! they are deficient and to foster their
most meager abilities. Yet, until
educators acquire the necessary self
control and patience to do the latter;
until they can work quietly and
steadfastly without display, and fix
their aim on future results instead of
present glitter, the most promising
children will continue to sink down
into inferior men and women.
The qualities that are the most at
tractive in childhood are not by any
| means the most valuable in maturi-
ty We look for determination, will.
decision of character, firmness in the
man, and refuse him our respect if
he have them not. But when the
child exhibits these qualities, even
in their incipient stages, we are an
moved, and, perhaps repulsed. In
stead of rejoicing in his strength of
will and guiding it into right chan
nels, we lament it as a grievous fault
in him and a misfortune to u.s. Tt
is the meek and yielding child who
cares not to decide any thing for
himself, in whom we delight, and
whose feeble will we make still
feebler by denying it any exercise.
Yet, when he grows up and enters
the world and yields to temptation,
and, perhaps, disgraces himself and
his family, we look at him in imbe-
cile wonder that SO good child
should have turned out to be so bad
man, when, in truth, his course
has only been the natural outcome
of his past life and training. The
power of standing firm and going
alone we know to be desirable in
the adult, but the child seems more
lovable who is utterly dependent
upon us, and we therefore strive to
cherish this dependent shutting
our eyes to the fact that we are thus
actually uniting him for the life
that awaits him. Concentration,
too, is quality that we admire in
The adult, but greatly undervalue
in the child. We prefer that he
may be easily drawn away from
what he is engaged in, and quickly
turned from one thing to another at
our pleasure; and while we praise
him for his ready obedience, or re-
buke him for seeming absorbed, we
are really breaking down the power
of concentration, and depriving him
of its invaluable results.
1t is true that many things are suit
able for manhood that are not for
childhood, but this is not the case
with mental and moral qualities. If
it were there could be no much
thing as consistent preparation for
a good and useful life. Every quail
ity that the man or woman needs is
incipient in the child, and needs de-
velopnent and exercise. Our part
in his training is not to cherish in
him simply what is most attractive
to ourselves, or what feeds our own
and his vanity, but rather to study
his future needs, and to keep him
to supply what is most lacking. 1t
is where he is deficient, not where
he excels, that our earnest efforts
are demanded Not until parents
and teachers realize this SO fully as
to identify with it their highest in
terest and pleasure in their charges,
will promising children fulfill their
promises, and the question no longer
be asked, "Wh hat has become of
| tba,1, -