Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-02-23
The Girl With a New Gospel.


A ten-year old lad who is diligently
hunting wisdom in the Des Moines pub-
lie schools, told his father, in great sur
prise, few days ago: "Why, papa, our
new teacher has tin cups to show us what
measures are, and weights to show us
bow weighing is done, and pieces of
many kinds of wood to show us how
different kinds of wood look. 1t seemed
funny to us at first, and we all laughed
at 1t. But as soon as we saw it helped
us to understand these things better than
words could, we all got so we liked il
very much" What do You mean by
tin cups?" asked the father. ..Wby.
she shows by them," the youth replied.
the difference between pints, quarts and
gallons. and now we understand that a
good deal better than we did before ',
''What does she do with the pieces Of
wood" was the next question. 20, she
shows us how the split wood, as well as
the bark. tells us the difference between
woods-or how oak may be told from
walnut, and maple from pine. and so on.
She also tells us which are the best woods
for certain things, and shows us how
much stronger oak is than pine, and why
it is used to bear heavy weights, and
points out whaspretty wood walnut is,
and why it is so valuable for making
pretty furniture. She told us more in an
hour about woods than we all knew
before and more than the books could
have made us understand in year. She
says If she were a man and understood it
herself. she would show us how carpen-
tiers work in these woods, how cabinet
makers make them beautiful, and that
she wished schools We're made so that
boys, besides getting good education,
could be taught in the schools to use
tools enough TO know at least which trade
they would like best to work at when
they got to be men. She saws it is lust
as important that boys should be taught
how 10 make living, as to have fine
education. You ought to have seen how
all the children listened to her."
WELL" said the surprised parent,
brusquely, ''you have ut last found a
sensible school teacher" and he fell into
reflective train of thought as the child
Went on chattering about other things
He thought how happy and fortunate
Iowa would be if it had ten thousand such
school teachers. Faithfully aud with
genuine skill the great corps of teachers
in Iowa are training the children OF the
State in the way of theoretical educa-
ton, and in equipment for the profes-
sions. But how much better would it
be for the Commonwealth and its people
of the next decade or two if they should
train the children in practical things, as
this modest but intelligent girl surprised
the other day this school-room of girls
and boys given to her charge She gave,
as her young scholar told it, but a few
suggestions, so easy to be given by any
one, and it was a plain and simple les
son she taught. But how it interested
the children, and how it wakened them
to thoughts of the practical world. They
could see in this little lesson what all the
things they had been taught about were
really for in the every day world, and
what an important part they played.
How easily any teacher might take
other practical things to school, such as
a bit of iron and steel to explain the diff
ference between them, and thousands of
other things, and give with them to their
pupils a practical lesson which they
would never forget. Why should it not
be done?
As the young teacher told her schol-
ars, it is as important for boy or girl
to know how to earn a living as it is to
have good education. She also re-
vealed, in a very modest way, another
wise chapter in the dawning gospel of
practical instruction in the public
schools, when she said that the schools
ought to teach at least enough of the
different trades to enable a boy to tell
which trade he would probably like best.
1t is very wise head this young girl
carries on her slender shoulders.
''How old is your new teacher"
asked the father of this urchin who was
so surprised at finding that the things he
had been studying about so much in
school in vague way had an actual form
and aspractical use. %, she doesn't
look as old as she talks. She's just a
young lady," replied the boy, meaning
by lust young lady" girl just old
enough to be young lady. Well, bless
ings on the head of the ''girl just old
enough to be young lady" who goes to
teaching school in this way, says the
Register, and may she be given strength
and courage to 90 ahead in her good
work in this new path, and be the evan
gel of the better and more useful school,
and win to the new form of better in
struction thousand of other teachers. =
IOtCd State Register.