New-York tribune., 1881-12-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
GARFIELD THE TEACHER,

Hiram CNudSt i~'A"' III
AZ. u,noJala has in this small volume presented
the portrait Of q man manly above MS leIo"'' III
81, 81 rteIleetnal possessions. IN moral lorce anu
:, the generous warmth of nature when = HAo
sunshipe strengthening. inspiring aud deveIop'nE
IN ,hat is under its udnenee The persistent
aloost oos.,onate, desire for knowledge wheh
,ossossed .he awkward pOvertystreken young
fellow of twenty at Hiram remained one ol tie
strongest forces OF his life; and IN proportion Is NC
acquired he gave of his wealth. to Others. "h'V-
ever he undertook he was determined to MASTER
Sitting ON a log in the edge OF the Hiram woods
one day. long after ne had entered Congress he
said TO the companion Of his walk
Ibava made a painful discovery. have found
that INV mind needs interest IN subject 10 lhc't ~
10 coufir nous action The Ot er day tired 10 read
through sOng bill in which l had no hter1St II
,vandered thus revealing a defect III nv traihlng'
IL cannot otherwise overcome ths defeci, 3e sI',
81 will give up my work, renouhce puplc hiS, Eo
10 Gcrnsnv and lake a full course IN one Gi the
universities. must be full master OF NY powers "t
any cost"
He had the Ango-SaxOn ohstinacy that would nov
accept failure whetc another had found success Ho
once said: If ct any time began to nag IN my
effort to master subject as working ont q pfoo-
lem. | was stimulated to further effort Dy the
thought. Some other fellow in the class will prob
ably master it," This persistence, this Keen en-
ployment of every available energy he carried into
his work as a teacher. Concerning his early ex-
peiiences he once told this story:
"When | first taught a district school formed
and carried out this plan After bad gone to 1eu
at night threw back the bedclothes from one s','p
of the bed. Then | smOothed ont the sheet WIN
INV hand Next, 1 mentally constructed on tIlS t4
smooth surface my sChOOrOom; Ffst are" tnc
aisles; here put the stove; there the teacher
desk: in this place the waterman anu 0up,
in that the open space & az a9 snets "ea and placed
The scholafs upon them IN their proper Oruer.
j SAID, Here is John, with samuel Dy . uls
side; there Jane and Eliza; and so on, untl t4cy
were an placed Then took them up IN order,
beginning rext my desk, in this manner: Tins is
Io6nnv Smith What kind of boy he Z What is
hi. n,'nd and what his temper' How is he dong
What is lie compared with week ago
Can do anything more for him ANA so i MiGnI
on FROM seat to seat and from pupil TO pupIi uhtli
had made the circuit of the room. l iouhd thlS
study and review of my pupils OF great oehenI 20
them and to Besides my ideal construction InaGe
on the bedsheet in the dark, aided me materially III
the work"
As principal of Hiram College, in his early man
hood he took more interest in some studies than III
Others but it was hard to see that he did not teach
eoually well all the studIes under his personal
direction:
At some time all the studies taught in colleges
aud more besides. engaged his particular attention,
and aroused his special enthusiasm, IL lhtroaueeu
Shaws English Literature ana hamess lie
ments of Criticism ana awak9nGu , % ai spT,'Et W En M
lish analysis. This study was special laForIie
with him. and nowhere else did he more SHINE as q
teacher. Through this class most OF the peI'eI
scholars at some time passed, even II thcy con
sidered themselves thorough in 1t before. HIS
geology class that rected at O'clock IN the
fnoTning cannot be forgotten by a single surviving
member His method of teaching combined the
technical 0ues ion the general question: the tOpc,
and the teachers own discussion OF the question IN
hand critic might have said that lhe last eIe-
,nant was Too monument that he did too much hnl-
self that he did not much excel as arm master
and a dsciplinaIIan: but II frult Is the test OF
method. it would be hard to sustain the criticism.
He strove to awaken the students faculties ne
sought to energize vitalize hun. lie revealed
tile world to the student and the student TO hln.
self He stimulated thought created the haDlt OF
observation and reflection, aroused COURAGE, wld-
ened the field Of mental vision, and inFhlsheu III
spiration in unlimited measures III his regimen
was somewhat deficient IN the forces that pRsa the
student it was strong in the forces that ddW Ln.
Ills associate teachers had more than ordinary
ability. and were thoroughly respected by the
school but those scholars who had reached DIS
zone always made effort ii necessary, to be IN at
President Everest of Butler University sets these
down as Garields striking characteristics as
teacher: ,,.
40 He impressed the main things. but passed
perhaps too lightly over the subordinate portions.
- lie had rare ability 1t illustration.
~ He gave more attention to the boy than 10
the book. lie strove TO develop the student, not
the lesson or science.
"5. He abundant III praise OIL success tut
&. lie inspired his students with spirit of in
=. BY frequent and rapid reviews he kept the
II whole work in hand, ana gave 1t completeness.
Principal GarielLs chapel lectures were great
source of instruction and influence. vi these he
gave many hundreds, ranging over educallon,
te1chng studies, books methods OF study and read
ing physical geography geology, history, the Bible.
morals current topics, and lie questions; These
lectures were full of fresh facts, new thonghtS'
striking illustrations and were warm with tho
glow of his own life. His sermons added
much to hls influence over his ;sfs students;
lnanliness courage. reverence, ana trnth Were
constantly kept IN view; " hat ATnou ol
ing love OF truth and practical love oil gGouhessIJ
was made prominent. Charles Kingsley ana
Thomas Hughes were great ceal read IN iilIan III
those days. and the Hiram type OF Christianity be-
came somewhat muscular" Withal, such of the
students as could receive 1t were filled with the
Principals own largeness OF nature
Mr. Hinsdale adds that, strong as was Garhelds
intellectual sde his moral side even stronger.
He was full of appreciation and generosity. He
was keenly alive to the rights of men, even the
lowest and the least worthy. His sense of justice
to Others was keen. no matter whether he always
insisted upon its being rendered to himself or not
II hurt him to hurt others. He interested himself
in the young and in the weak
He often joined tue boys in their sports on the
campus Once two of his special friends were
choosing sides" tor the game. Two small boys
appeared and asked to be chosen. The choosers
objected 10 them that they were small ana woulu
spoil the play. " II they cannot play, will not"
said Garfield. They were chosen, ana the play
went :. General Garfield once tod some some
Urar. stude,Is tuat man Is ever loved slmpy
because he has a great or brilliant mind. lie may
be mucn respected, or greatly admired, but not
loved The intellectual ray is powerful, but also
fe rce aud pitiless. 1t is not until the heart ray
blends with the mental and tempers it, as the heat
ray the light ray OF the sunbeam, that the emotive
nature is touched. Feeling lies deeper than logic
can penetrate Only the heart can speak TO the
heart. La harmony with this law, 50 beautifully
formnlated the students respected and admired his
ability; but the force that won them was the heart
force He called ont the demonstTa,Iveness and
affections of men in a way almost unprecedented
His heart none but the utterly obdurate could