Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-04
KINDsRGARTENS.
A DAY SPENT In ONE BY J0A.
QUIN MILLER.
tions Lying at the Basis of Our
National Intelligence.

lions Lying at the Basis of Our
National Intelligence.
Joaquin Miller IN the Pacific Rural Press
kindergarten? You ask what it is.
You ask, above all things, what in the
world l want to take mp this sort Of work
fol You refuse to follow me to one of
these little Babels for babes? | admit it
is not quite as ponderous a subject as
brain of Moltke or a Grant might be
amused with; but still 1t is matter that
lies mighty close to the nourishing roots of
this nation. 1t is the father of the father
less; it is the great big broom that sweeps
the streets of its motheriess and unclaimed
children; to the great comfort of the chill
dren and to the prodigious advantage of
the street.
Less than century ago German, a
queer-looking man, with long hair parted
in the middle, most kindly-looking man,
began to teach babes. He was the first
man, it seems to me, who took to his noble
heart and tried TO teach the simple and
sublime lesson of the lowly Nazarine:
"Sulfer little children to come unto me-"
| spent the best portion of to-day in the
Silver-street kindergarten, and | am a
better man for it. | think if | were Il
woman, and had no work nearer home, and
wanted to do some solid good, would 60
and teach in one Of these lowly little
schools for babes.
This is the largest Of the many full
schools of this kind in California Yet in
the center of the wide and roomy hall
known as the Croker Class-because the
building is owned, and the school endowed
and supported mainly by Miss Croker, of
CALIFORNIAN the center Of this room, |
was going on to say, stood pretty hobby
horse, all saddled and ready for the rider.
Over yonder in big box was big heap
sand for children to play with. Flowers
all about the walls; humble walls, mind
you, a humble place indeed, the piteous
signs of poverty all around. And yet
cheer, content, comfort, even hilarious
hobby-horse with tow-tail to the breeze
and wooden nose high in the air, as if
ready for the gayest of gallops out over the
blossomed hills. The hundreds of little
people here are not much more than knee
high; some of the little men in petit
coats; some sweet little ladies might be
still at the breast in their mothers arms, if
mothers they ever had.
The admission for all these little folk is
free. found twelve young teachers here,
only two of whom draw any salary. They
are strong, healthful and happy young
women; and strange to tell, eleven Of the
twelve are, and each one after her fashion,
singularly beautiful. | think | never in
my life saw so many pretty women engaged
IN humble Fundamentally speaking
Improbable work, in any one city before
And even the one who, at first glance,
seemed the least beautiful of the twelve,
was so kind, so patient and so attentive to
the little weary, sleepy and slipshod waits
before her, that ere | came away she began
to blossom out and shine forth as the fair
est of the whole fair flock of twelve pretty
little missionaries.
Each child has seat to itself, with a
common little table running along before
the children. On this low little table
with its continuous rows of checkerboards,
for blocks, the babies play, or work, or rest
their hands or heads when weary: and
NOW anu lUtIl llllit u6stNl SILKS lower
and lower till finally it lies quite still
And then some sweet woman, whom God
has made childless, that these babes may
call her mother, comes forward, lifts the
little one out from behind the low checker
board table, carries it away and lays it to
sleep on sofa along with others that may
have been oyertaken by sleep at times be-
fore.
And what is the first lesson at kinder
garten? Well, must tell you in the first
place, there are no books. And, indeed,
there are no lessons. The duties, or rather
the objects to be studied, are called gifts"
That is, child is given some sort Of tov
or present. And this gift" or toy, or
present, is used as an object of instruction.
For example, the first thing given child
is a little red ball of yarn. This teaches
1t color, texture, motion, many things.
After this first little red ball of yarn comes
little ball or globe of wood. Now comes
a square block of wood Then little bricks
of wood, and with these the children build
and build, and build on the little checker
board tables before them, till they tran
GULLY drop to sleep from their pleasant
and instructive toll.
At this kindergarten there is no COM
pulsion. There is no thought of harshness
or hardness anywhere, or in anything here
And what Il curious mixture of little
humanity to be sure The tow-hcaded
little Saxon, and the black-eyed little
Italian, the Kanaka, and the Mexican
And yet kindness to, and from, all, as if
the gentlest blood of the land flowed in
the veins of these little waits that have
been thrown up on our shores here by the
four winds of stormy world.
This little man comes five miles every
morning." said the motherly but young
and pretty principal, as she laid her
kindly hand on the black, matted hair of
strange and half-wild little creature;
"his father is a bootblack, who works near
here and brings the boy when he comes to
his work"
I spoke to the little lad in Italian, for
they told me he had not yet learned to
speak English, and he clutched at my
hand when he heard his mother tongue,
and wanted to follow me about and stay
with me. His great black eyes were full
of tears, but he said no word at all.
These little people are not left long at
their blocks or at any other of the many
and always instructive gifts" They are
called to their feet every sixty minutes or
SO and then marched out into the yard to
the sound of cheerful music Here their
teachers are still with them, directing
their plays, and picking up the little men
or little women as they fall asleep in their
first little battle of this life
To see this Lilliputian army march out,
or march in from their recreation to the
sound of music led BY their drum major in
petticoats and wearing big red paper
cap, would make you laugh and shout with
delight; so digniied is the drum-major
so certain are these hundreds of little peo-
pie of their Importance And you are
glad, glad to the heart. The step is
long one above the gutter; and from the
pride, the JOY, the exultation which they
feel as they march in and around, and
take their places like little soldiers, you
are certain they will not easily let 60 and
recede 10 the low walks to which so many
OF them were unhapily born.
Games thav hove FOO a,,or,. L.. ol.,.a..