The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-10-22
A School Room Sketch

The teacher believed in drill. She va, said to make hobby of il. Before he sat fifty-six children of the lowest gram mar class. for lesson in geograpt,. Slowly. for months. she had taken ,herl step by step over the preceding page illustrating by globe and blackboard drawings every new subject al the hrst, following it each day with relentless, unentertaining drill. But this was rathel oldfashioned. and she longed to tes, the entertainment and reproductive method alone. and this IS how she did it
 The subject for the days lesson in ge- ography was the plants and animals in different countries. What could be so delightful for a trial? Commencing with the cold climate, she struck an iceberg al the outset without danger, and with all the imagination and facts at her com mand she described the huge Hoatin, mass sailing king-like through northern seas, ofttimes with pinnacles glistenins like icicles in the sunlight. Turning to the blackboard she roughly sketched one scene by herself enc bright morning IT mid-ocean. showing in word pictures the the good ship with its anxious crew. l,s silent captain. watching statue-llke every sign through his glass. the passengers. { little alarmed but wholly enthusiast over this wandering voyager. striking or rainbow hues as he sailed. IL Wa easy to imagine polar bears olamberin, over the marble surface. and to go fre.9 this to the other animals of that reglor and to tell of thclr furry coats and the food. habits. etc. Here was introduced that touching story of the cider duck, maternal devotion in burying her pair green eggs in the warmth of snowy dowr piueked from hr: own breast. each time it was stolen by the hunters. Coming to the inhabited portions, the life and habiie of the people were taken up. Sparse yes etaton was noted and the lesson closed with1S thriliin saccount of conversation the teacher once had with the surviro' of an arctic expedition. How the ohl! dren listened. Big round eyes, which gave back their reflected enjoyment fer she fel, the delicious power of swayln, that little audience. as they bent torward over the seats with bated breath. Really. this was delightful teaching, after all.
 Next day she repeated the experimen; and this ,ime led the curious little itock through the dense forests of the tropics. parting the almost imPenetrable mass oi leaves and climbing vines for them t'- peep through into the Jungles of wild beasts lying stretched out Tn the languor of noontide heat, yet showing through their half closed lids the terrible eyes that become balls of fire m beasts of prey when :ha; huge paw lying so quietly nov unsheaths its catlike claws. With these fascinated children she picked the native fruits, finding in the banana and fgs new flavor O. freshness. Picnicking under the self-made arches of the banana tree. she told them of the food and habits of the natives. as she pointed out the gor- geously plumaged birds and broad lsaved trees. Again the long sigh of de- light at the close of this lesson told ot its success as an entertainment.
 Now for the reproduction. The teacher was sangulne of the result from the very nature of the lessons. The children were of more than average intelligence. with abundant home opportunities for reading, and every advantage for the successful! result of the trial had been theirs from the beginning The final reproduction test was preceded by a spelling lesson of the most difficult words used by the teacher each day. which had been placed upon the blackboard al the close of each days lesson.
 Nex; day came. and with it pencil and paper for each pupil with test question, upon the blackboard. They wrote for an hour. The teacher examined the paper in the quiet of her room in the evening. Could she believe her eyes? Were these the intelligent, absorbed children who had swallowed eveD; word of these two days fancy teaching? 4 heau-sinking came first. then as disaster followed fast and faster" the full significance of the situa- ton burst upon her. and ringing laugh eased the pain of disappointment Only a few of the results can be given here, and it is only fair to say the worst are given. Some were tolerably correct, but mixed understanding of climatic peculiarities was apparent in all.
 Ouestion-Mention some fur-bearing animals. and tell anything you remember about their home.
 Answer-lder duck. bares, and ermin, and they live in gungles.
 A-All fur-baring anemals are called vans. and they grow in hot countries.
 A-Poler- barr. seals and hyener. and lisCiC CiltliC up luC SioC ot A@CoukSS.
 Q-What do the inhabitants of the cold region eat, and why?
 A-They ca, fat meet and breat fruit. because they can't get oranges and bern naners.
 Q-Name some valuable woods tha, grow Tn the hot regions
 A-Banyun trees. parrn trees. and rose wood. This is the hardest wood in the world and i, is ven black" evidently con fused with lignum-yi,e and ebony.) Enough had been given to slow the tumble of the lesson. The reproduction didn't work. because there had been no drill The two days of ,en,ertainmen, teaching. which had allowed all theq ques- ,ions from the children that they chose 10 ask, and which had not neglected to call out their previous information, had them woefully mixed. Their ideas of the two countries were not distinct. They were ,houghtless and childlike-did not stop to reason. The teacher, sadder and