Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1882-11-23

by giving him something tangible 10 learn
We all have discovered that pupils are
not equally endowed BY nature. Some will
now and forever fail utterly to comprehend
a general truth. An abstraction never pen
etrates their wooden heads. They would
never have been the fathers of inductive
philosophy. If they comprehend anything
il is only the concrete and the pointed state
ments that the textbook furnishes. DO the
best we can with such, and the recitation
will be somewhat parrot-like; but though
the teacher may be discouraged the pupil
will not, for he thinks he has learned some
thing, and BY dlnt Of patient pounding a
few ideas may be driven through the thick
est skull
4. However celebrated the instructor
books have a certain advantage over notes
Charles Lamb SAYS, Writing reads raw '
Now books are printed, and have the advau-
tage over notes Of clearncss and attractive
ness. Notes are taken. except by that
rdra aris, the careful pupil, on loose slips
OF no uniform size Books are bound ~
a result, notes are generally lost. in whole
or IL part books are Kept for present use
and future reference.
And this brings me to nv final classifca-
w.,
but | consider those mentioned as selt-evi-
dent and cardinal. The last to which shall
adyer, is their employment as works Of ref
erenCe.
A perfect textbook should contain ahun-
dant explanation of every point presented,
practical enforcement Of every idea i speak
now Of books for adj, ,anced students). II IS
said that there Is not a single line Of daily
paper that il not read by somebody. and
yet no one of US ever read a daily paper
hrough, trust. In the same way our text
books sometimes seem hardened with use
less matter; but somebody will refer 10 it
II We do not. and We must remember that
these books are the only library many a
poor boy can possess for long and weary
years.
Our unabridged dictionaries contain thous-
and, Of words that We have never even seen,
two-thIrds of which We never shall see, at
least % make their acquaintance. But
would We bc satisfied to have those un-
known, uncommon words expunged from
the next edition.
Thu, one of the grand uses Of text books
Is that they furnish a convenient treasury
OF knowledge for ready reference As occa
sion requires; and though the half may lie
forever unused. We rest content only when
vi know It Is there.
But let lis stou here. and turn for n mo
aren't to perverted uses. The frs, abuse Of
which | Shall sneak /. th. exclusive emuIny-
ment Of question, and answers in conduct
lny recitattons Books ur,yIflet with such
apnurt,parc., ready mad, furnish an iuyii-
,ng a.,lum for the I,zy and ignorant wb,tb-
~ tracbing- ba, ID. IL. anj voulJ favor
the Insertion m books. AT the close of chan
ter, and sections. and HI, ,ray of r,ris,c. OF
prrtIn,pt. rompr,hrgSIyc our.tiop. But
,,,r-,. would indicate ~ ifnIIc, or nara
srau4-, or d, any other device, where the
,n,,,.r.. .c,uid IL, found
Aglu tt, practice. of asking e>trmpo-
raur.,l. o-lr,tIous. avoiding all lmDIlcaiIon
OF ab,t in. answer .bould H. and ,.t max
inr them clear. and ID the notpf / an ex
ce!lent ou, for the feirb,r. Ind viii render
him ault, Soorat!c. But an unyaryIng
adoprInn Of this method will uroduce only a.
one.,lled DEVELOPMENT; the ,,h.,ifr ,ii,o.
should b. drawn put- ana ID secure rhi. end
rh,. toplcal recitation MAY be employ,d
Nor an, l.ctur,, 10 b, de,pis,d even m
school, Of tn. lower yradrs but they .bouId
come a, A r,,l, when NAT eynect.d ,ft,r IA,
.o,-' ~ .NP.''''' ''''' ''''
I'll i'm II D,' ~ = "',',''
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a. '''''' '''' eur
'"''' Y N'"'''''''''N -s.N'"I"'' h''' '''y
''H'' containing answer ny U'a' "oui"
a., aS "'''' '''' use " "1"N' "'''''u' aus ;
i"'S '"'H 'ei'e 10 NIS'"i' ,,H 'H' ''e N''l''"'
az" Pei ip'eN '"e 'e"'"e'' He't Is '">''''
P'''Nui' '"A' 1""''H /" 'ne "ol =" t'e1''
N"T" ~ F'"I 'e'"' mas "''Nc" ms PI"o's'm u,
anu anu "''"'''eu s"' answer /" ''e o""N'
h"t II page ot Ih''''td ana unanswered
Pu@~'e' N'af'S nun ~ ti't iaes ne Is yer!
ny y II ~ a. 'eas' 'ir hAI remain uh'"hS'
htH' t."' 'he ltay "tt must pc considered
me ne j. not hl'ed Tor ms position ne
can ",' ''''e AnN P''"''th i'"'u IN '"t
o""N' u ! one '"'hS |" 90 tniN III liie re-
tirrmen' p ~ study ana another p detect
an er''' ~ ""IH p'tloimeu very HAeiH oH
some ''"tNi u'e'H"1, ""ie hi> ears en-
Hea'"f 10 eoEprehe"d Tue unframed utter
an'e "I Inc performer al 'ht same Time that
he cd>i' about Argus eyes ior lurking mis-
chlet I" obscure places. IL : net the teach
eTs province 10 solve riddles IN the school