West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1885-09-16

they are anxious TO use bnem III ZIG
right direction. Activity is the
child's first nature. We hear from
mothers and children how helpful
thew are at home. Each one be-
comes anxious to be of use.
IT BLEssEs THE COMMUNITY.
What is the result in the commu-
nifty? Children come to US full of
bad habits, which by the skill and
loving attention of the Kindergart-
ner can be corrected. They come
with the beginnings of evil, which,
if allowed to 60 on, must bring them
to our prisons. They come with
no object in life, and before they
leave US have knowledge of their
power and a true tendency to the
mechanical arts. 1t saves the chill
dren from harm in preventing
crime. How better to prevent crime
than to try to cure it. How much
wiser to save the criminal in the
child than to pay for his support
in our penitentiary! As l have in
timated before, the building,invent
ing and constructing gives deci-
ded tendency for the mechanical
arts. l. takes children from the
gutter, where they would grow up
with no object in life, incapable Of
caring for themselves, to fill our
almshouses. 1t takes them and
lays in them the foundation for
good, law-abiding citizens. Every
dollar thus invested is equal to ten
dollars invested in prisons and In
almshouses. When the children
are properly trained, there will be
no need for the latter. This fact
has been recognized in SanFrancis-
co, where the liberal donations and
generous support of the merchants
prove that they know best how
to save their community from
crime.
How do our kindergarten chill
dren compare with other children
when they go to school? ?. They are
brighter, more intelligent, and
learn more readily, because they
have learned to think for them
selves. The publicsschools of Wash
ington give very favorable accounts
of those coming to them from our
gardens.
THIS TRAINING NEEDED FOR ALL.
My talk has been chiefly in rela-
ton to charity Kindergartens and
the children brought into them
but then this training is needed
just as much for the children of the
most wealthy and cultured, as for
our neglected little ones. Every
child needs to be developed, and |
this culture develops it naturally.
1t adapts itself to the child instead |
of making the child adapt itself to
the culture. Every child will be
better and happier for having been
in kindergarten.
1t is utterly impossible to give
all the possibilities of this system
in one talk. To fully understand |
it you must see it in operation, look |
into it, study it; and 1 know that
any one who looks into it earnestly
and deeply, will find life's duties
and responsibilities, widening and !
developing thereby.
l beg of you not to put this away
as the thing of the hour, but to give
it prayer and earnest thought. See
if there is not something you can
do for the little ones living all
around you. These little flowers
are our Fathers, but He has given
you the care of them. Will you
tend them so that at the last day
they may be fit to be placed in His
Garland? My constant prayer is:
God save the chSldrenI
HOW TO ORGANIZE.
How are we to organize free Kin
dergartens? First, get a thorough
ly trained Kindergarten. This
thought must be emphasized. If
your delicately fashioned watch
needed regulating, you would not
think of taking it to some one who
knew nothing of its mechanism.
How much more important the reg
ulating of the children's' lives! It
takes study to be able to lead the
oh lid ,,roparlu Nat orJu ,,o,,,4 ~