The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-09-08
Children's Rights.

that other catalogue SO sadly neglected
and abused, their rights from the State,
| proceed at once to glance at that
which more nearly concerns US profess
sionally-their rights in the schoolroom
due them from us teachers.
A little fellow gets his twenty mar
bles, his first stock and in his first
pocket. He can no more keep his
hands from that pocket, ladies, than
you could avoid peep in your mirror
the morning y GU don your first sealskin
cloak or your spring bonnet. Ho! his
hand comes in contact with those little
spheres so smooth and beautiful. What
kind of one is it, he wonders, red or
blueP He must see, and not skilled in
the art of pocket-using, out come a
half-dozen and upon the floor they 90.
His little heart beats like a trip ham,
mer, for he fears their loss. "Bring
me those marbles-give me all you
have" 0! what trial. ALI? why they
are his fortune. their value cannot be
told, but there is no appeal; no matter
how tenderly the little fingers linger
over the last, which he is sorely tempted
to lie about and save. He knows he
ought not to have dropped them, but
how incommensurate the fault to the
penalty. Why, they are his property,
and later in life he will fight. gun IN
hand, and the law viii protect him in
it, for things of less value to him. His
sense of justice is keenIy wounded, and
he will never have quite right feeling
towards you, and many hours will be
lost brooding over the loss. I have
heard OF boy who in a similar case
rushed home to his father with urgent
request for him to get a policeman imme-
diately to 60 and recover his property.
But shall we not take away playthings
ii used in school to the injury of order?
Yes, in proper way. Tell the little
heart kindly that as he has come to
school to study and not to play, you will
keep them for him-not take them away
from him-until he goes home; or, if you
fear this will not be effectual, send
them by a schoolnaate or carry them
yourself to the father or mother.
know order must be kept, but better
your patience tried a little than the
seeds of injustice planted IN the fertile
soil of the boys heart. I have a right
to deprive the boy in kindly way of
the knife that would mar the desk, but
not to keep it over night if it is posi-
BILE for me to return it. I fear tho
practice is quite general of thus keep
ing articles which seem trivial to the
teacher, with scarcely thought of the
child's rights in the matter.
The children have right to pune
tual observance of school hours. l have
no right to minute that properly be-
longs to school time, nor have / a right
to keep them one minute after they
should be dismissed, for any conyen-
fence of mine. How do we feel on
hot Sunday if long-winded minister
keeps us until ten minutes past twelve
for his sixthly and scventhly? doubt
the profit of ever keeping a scholar
after school hours to learn a lesson.
Who can learn while in sour, discon-
tented frame. or if he does get snat.
terlng OF the subject so as to blunder
through it and go grumbling home, will
he do as much work next day for itp I |
will not entirely Danish this as a means
OF punishment, but would make it rare
occurrence.
The children have right to be COM |
Portable. | have known a teacher keen
q class standing with toes on crack
for twenty minutes. heads upright.
hands by sides or folded calmly over
the chest, Try it yourself, my dear
friend, If you who have done this are
here, and see how you like it yourself.
l say. let them be as comfortable as nos
slble consistent with healthful attitudes
OF body. They have a right to fire.
quent change. Did you ever try to be
Niobe or Cleopatra in tableau. or sit
Tor your picturep If so, you have
learned to dread the former and to bless
The instantaneous process of the latter:
and don't make classic tableaux of your
scholars and think you are keeping sDlen-
did order. I tell you it is splendid tor.
lure. They have right to be treated
IS ladies and gentlemen, to Just the
same courtesy and politeness you would
exact from them or expect from your
EQUALS in society. They have right
% their own self-respect, and to treat
nent from us which will not take this
away or detract from the respect of their
mates. In years and in knowledge thew
IRE our interiors, but this gives us no
light to insult them, tyrannize over
hem or neglect them. In innocence.
n earnestness. in native ability. in
promise OF usefulness, they may be far
.ur superiors, and by and by some of
hem may soar far above us in the wheel.
In case of accusation they have right
q fair and impartial hearing. do
ot suppose we can all, for lack of time
nd perhaps other reasons, ALWAYS re-
ort to Bronson Alcott's trial by 4 iurv
1 the peers of the accused, but he has
n undeniable right to be heard in his
efense, and to offer any proper testi-
lony in his case. o, well do / remem- .
er these words of doom: ST don't .
'ant to hear one word Il know Won are :
ullty," and then the rattan. How LA
lie we all are to allow our FEELINGS ne
ne momens to carry us away, to think :
nder the irritation caused by the pres !
ut offense. Why, am constantly !
nnoyed by this fellow; he must be made
example Of" Last April I heard the !;
anerable and respected Francis Cocgs- !
ell, Superintendent of the Cambridge.
ass, schools, tell this: He was Ia the :
lbit OF OF keeping - black book, in
hlch he recorded the offense of each :
lpiI giving q page to each. At the s
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