The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-14
TEACHERS DEPARTME NJ.
c. ". WELCN. :. n. EDITOR.
OE" esrea: :G"r;:..


The cry that South Carolina IS AT
impoverished State has been coAtin
uous during twenty years. Many oI
our most Thoughtful! citizens see little
progress among the great mass o! orl
people. And many more claim that
year by year, the times are 'gro"in2
harder" and they look in vain ior the
end of the long series Of hardsh!ps
We are decidedly optimistic. and we
believe the State has begun Il course
Of great prosperity; but we believe
further that, as this generation is
|, wing the stage of action. only the
vanguard Of q glorious triumph will
| be Sc. :. in the dim distance by Us.
One reason of our slow progress,
as measured by that Of other sec
tions of the Union, is our compare
tive poverty. Another is owing to
the fact that we are but slowly pass.
ing from ante Jcllnn? to post tettuH'
customs. But chief among the OBJ
stacles to our rapid and sure progress,
is the dearth Of education. Until We
become an educated people. VIC can
not hope to become . great people,
The only way to become educated is
to think. The only way to think is
to read and observe. But TO be I
reader and an observer requires that
one begin to acquire these habits in
early life. If You want 4 man to
read much and think more. he must
have begun when child. We often
wonder how it is possible that any
one should waste so many golden
moments in idleness, when good
books are so cheap and numerous.
1t is, however, for the same reason
that the savage prefers the rude state
Of nature to the refined comforts of
civilized life. The savage knows 10
better; the man WHO neglects to read,
knows nothing whatever Of the pleas
ure and the profit Of such work.
Our great need is education. How
are we to obtain it? We are quite
certain that man who cannot read
and write, will soon become & curl.
osltv, if we teach our children in
early life to form the habit Of read
ing and observing. In every book
store Of the land is found counter
or a shelf. than which is no greater
factor in our civilization. That coun-
ter or shelf is the one containing
juvenile books. What IN extensive
industry has the making Of books ior
children become. The extensive
ness Of the industry las grown with
the demand for books for young folks;
and the greater the sale OF such
books, the more hopeful may we he
of our State. AS soon as your child
is old enough to observe. buy it Z
picture book. As soon as it can
read. keep it supplied with books
suitable to its age. Subscribe to
some suitable weekly or mOmt:!ly pc
riodical. Let the child once realize
that books are our best friends and
not our worst enemies, and YOU have
accomplished great things for your
child. DO you say that YOU are not
able to buy books? Then: quit using
tobacco, quit drinking whiskcy, save
the money that you would otherwise
spend foolishly, and buy good books
for your family to read. FRY tlis a few
years and see what 4 very rcspecta-
BILE nucleus for small library you
may have.
Ifyou fail to provide intellectual
food for your children, remember, If
you please. how greatly you CIR.
Consider how immense the RESPONSE
bility you carry, and surely YOU will
act at once.
In all such matters, the teachers Of
our common schools may do much
by stimulating in their pupils de-
sire to read. No more potent fa@t""
can be at work ii a schoo. room than
the desire to read healthy literature.