The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-10-07
THE eaar or GENIUS.
a Mt otAdyleo to Pnoue Who navo Pc.
cuIlhrly Gifted Children.
rl.-.-.. II.-.Ial ~

III OF Advice 20 Parnutl Who laV0 PO.
cuIihrly Gifted Children.
passn Herald.
On getting home from thn summer
vacation more troublesome problem
confrunls many sensible parent than
the one Of ad usting himself again to
his business complications. 1t is the
problem Of the eternal boy or girl aud
what to DO about tier education. Once
this matter WIS plain sailing All that
It was necessary 10 DO was 70 subject
the child toes regulation podagoguO aud
have him faithfully whipped through a
prestrllel roursa ijut this antiguatei
idea is exploited now The child is
father Of the man, and the inverted
scriptural text, parents, obey yous chill
dren, is acce ted in such a split OF ro-
ligious resignation on the part Of many
fathers and mothers that their only
privilege in matters Of education Is 70.
dueed TO the one Of duly paying the
bills.
The average boy Of Il OF iS-and tho
girls arc fully up q Tho same idua-
litAinl Ne l,lol DO matter Of
l'educiEon ite 3 y ga i5etscdt 81 his
Illustration Of it, boas not the silver
brook pursue tho easiett course 1t eau
select, mcaudering III happy curves
through tho meadow, gently turning
every ogstacle OF rock or hill, and 50
winding its way sueccssfallyto tho open
ocean. Yes, my son, the duly impressed
father ventures mildly interpos0, but,
to change the figure q little, how does
tho untutOrel colt learn at last to
meander his way to the distant market
town, pulling stontly up bill and hold.
iDg Luck hard down hill, on keeping
so steadily on the road as never once to
tiltthe wagon over into q ditch Does
he not at rrst relcnt and UhatC--naY,
Kick, at the sug ,csLion Of bit aud roin5
and breeghing.
But illustrations Of tho kind pro G
unsaSory to tho enanopated boy. He
is the child OF freedom, aud under.
stands perfectly his own peculiar genius.
Nature has endowed HIN with no turn
for mathematics, so ho would drop that;
or tor language, so ho would drop that
or for composition, SO it is only wasteof
ink TO bother with it. ihc thing is for
each one to follow the bont Of bis own
genius, and see the ioliy OF every az
temptt train ducks for waking match,
or guinea fowls for sopranos, tr fish .or
I climbing trees. Now, the first sensible
thing in dealing with many boy is to
make him feel that you mean to cot the
bent Of his genius out OF him. In
manners or morals this peculiar bent Of
! genius may run in the line of dirty
hands and uncomlOd hair, or playing
truant and telling lies. He has no nat.
ural turn for soap and water or plOd.
ding rUciitndo Of speech SO ho would
drop these, and, like the happy, smil.
lug brook, gracefully slide round every
stubborn boulder OF truth and leap
every dam OF restraint.
OF course, oven the least rejecting
parents SEQ that an absolutely free
choice OF electives will never do here.
But in purely intellectual matters, what
more does the average boy know Of
wlat Is best for him than hc did onco
OF soup AMI truth.tei!ing in the days
when Che bent OF his genius lay tho
other way ALL tho better Is Il for
him that he does not like certain I'D.
les, and thinks them utterly useless. lie
is on the way 10 finding out something
new At any rats, ho is learning to do
whnt he dislIkos doing--o sort Of thing
be will find he has a great deal Of to do
as he gets along in lie No one is gooi
for anything who does not know how to
drudge as well as to ~, and the oiuca.
ton Is poor ani aD3rtiVe Que hat docs
not strengthen tho weak parts of tho
mind as well as develop the strong.
But every one hates by nature oger.
cising his leobler powers The whole
bOnt OF his genius, it may he, is against
aiding up u column correctly, or using
choice md varied language, or writing
out his thoughts int5lIigibly. cry we'll,
be will 10 tripped all through lie By
ust this thing, il no does not gCs
the better OF it. une use Of parents,
in the oil fashioned days, used to con.
sist in remedyug in season this threat.
eaing evil. High time is it the breed
OF such parents were renewed Is it
I yhn 5ntfrlt in hon, tl.F ,l l.,gt go ,.,y,