The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-04-04
WRITTEN BY FRANCIS uEoK, L. s.

Our schools will not be able to achiev
the best results possible till the public TAX,
deeper interest in them than they ye
have. Where the public manifests tn,
deepest interest In popular education ther,
are to be found the best teachers, the bes
work and the biggest pay. The bes
teacher will do indifferent work in districts
where parents take no more interest in tn,
schools than to see that their children ar,
there occasionally. II is wonderful stim
ulus to teacher where his patrons take al
intelligent interest in his work but With
out this stimulus the teacher becomes a,
reckless as the public. In order to inter
est them in our work we must enlighter
them on the systems of instruction pur
sued In our schools, and believe that the
public can be interested In these matters
II they be presented in the right way. The
best way, however, not to interest them
would be to discuss these things as they
are presented in Mental Philosophy. Teach
ers themselves, find, as rule, take lit
tie interest in such discussions We must
then, present our methods of teaching tc
teachers and the public 10 lines of though,
to which all are accustomed. | believe
that every system of Instruction should be
based on a knowledge of the development,
OF the mind, its functions aud Its phenom-
ena, just as much as believe that every
system of farming should be based on a
knowledge of all the means used In farm.
ing but from study of the mind and ex.
periencc have learned that there are very
few who have the ability or the inclna.
tion to appreciate or follow out the long
concatenation of arguments necessary in
psychological discussion, unless they
have had a more than ordinary opportuni.
ty for the accumulation of knowledge or
mental training. would not be under.
stood to say that the public does not know
enough to understand these things, but
that the public are too practical to be in
terested in psychology. If our teachers
were as practical as the public, it would be
all the better for our schools. Our sys.
TENS of teaching should be practical and
should be explained in language and argu-
ments that are understood by practical
people. Therefore, if were asked for ad-
vice l would say to all who have anything
to say on teaching: aim your fowling
pieces low. You will be the surer to hit
the teachers, and you may set the public
probing for shot, In the absence and by
the request of the county superintendent,
conducted a district institute for him in
jackson township. After conducting an
exercise in rapid adding, presented to
the assemblage, in very informal manner,
the method used by me in the Academy to
teach arithmetic, and l was more than
gratified to observe the interest it elected
What there said in regard to arithmetic l
shall in this paper apply to all branches.
No one taught so plainly as did Christ in
his parallels. The parable succeeds in
aronsing an interest where all other
methods have failed. Since l have such
an illustrious precedent and because
know of no parable or fable to fit the case
in hand, shall make one, for which bold
attempt feel that you will pardon me.
With this explanation before the curtains
we come to our story.
THE STORY OF oPrIMUs ARcHITECrUs.
In the year of our blessed Saviour $40.
on the calends of March, in the reign of
the peaceful Gratianus, in the province of
Gallia Transpadana, in the city of Medic
lanum (Mlan), was born our hero, Opt.
mus Archtectus, known in the Levant as
Aristos Architekton. 1t is related that at
his birth occurred prodigies as remarkable
as those which alarmed the folks at Mecca
when the prophet of Ali was born. All
dilapidated and ugly structures were top
pied from their bases. The child which
was then born was destined to rear struc-
lures which should surpass even those of
the Imperial City in beauty, grandeur and
symmetry. Many of the old men in whose
minds lurked traces of the ancient Polythe-
ism believed that Apollo visited the earth
IN the body of Optimus. While yet babe
his fond parents marked that he was
charmed by the beautiful and symmetrical,
while the ugly and unsymmetrical set him
to crying. When yet in frocks he out
stripped all of twice his age in the con-
struction of playhouses of mud and stones.
He, It is said, would make the air ring
with shouts Of derision at the uncouth
domes OF his playmates. Everything he
touched, even, in these juvenal games, he
decorated with charm for much older
persons. His soul loved harmony and his
hands could produce harmony. As his
strength increased to enable him to handle
tools, he was constantly engaged in whit
ting, carving, chiseling, planning ard ham,
mering; and the productions of his hands,
at this time, were marvellous for their beau
ty. Many OF these small images were pre-
served in one of the churches of Mediola-
mum, and had Optimus executed nothing
else he would have been famous all over
Dolh Empires. These, and his future
works, were all that the stranger who Wis.
tied Mediolanum could talk about. They,
alas, were carried off with all the treas
ures OF the city, when it was sacked by the
Barbarians under Attila, and II is said that
these Barbarans not only cherished these
little images more than the treasures of
gold and silver but actually worshipped
them as the handiwork of one of their
6ods-a fact that proves that not only mu-
sic, but the beautiful, "hath charms to
soothe the savage breast" Optimus was
at an early age taken into the service of
the youthful Valentinianus, successor to
Gratianus. Let us notice, right here, that
Mediolanum, the "Athens OF the West"
or Little Rome" which Islands In a sea
OF green trees, US Venice stands in sea of
green waters" and which reached its
zenith during the lifetime of our hero, was
for one hundred years (4th century, the
capital OF the Roman Empire. | have
sometimes thought that whoever it was
that wrote the wonderful stories of Aaron,
or Haroun AL Raschid, such as Aladdin
and his lantern, must have had in mind
this period of the history of Mediolanum;
Tor II is related that several wealthy fam
lies having spent the summer at Naples
ana Puteoli and upon returning to their
native CITY and hping unohla to rooox,;,,