River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-02
Morals and Manners.
BY MARY POSTLETHwAITE.


If you cannot trust him to write his
lesson without fear of his copying others
Iabors, then oral work, and let him feel
then that you cannot trust him. If you
have inspired him with respect for and
interest in you before this, now you VIII
conquer him through his grief over loss
of your confidence.
And the second virtue, Honesty, fol
lows in the wake. 1t is so necessary that
the teachers table, every childs dish,
their written work as well as their private
property even, each child's hook in the
cloak-roon should be sacredly inviolate
l need not enlarge upon this. 1t means
so much more than l could even hint.
And Humility-Docility =! How are
we to get on with these high-headed lit
tie upstairs, whose heads, many times,
ride so high because there is so little in
them to hold down? The child must be
most emphatically enlightened upon one
point-that there is absolutely nothing
for him to do and consequently no room
for him amongst a company of knowledge
seekers. He is occupying space needed
by some humble learner. This is some
times the parents fault but oftener the
fault of the spoiled child himself. Once
allow him to dictate to you and the mis-
chief is almost iTeparable. What does
it result in as a citizen in after years?
The man who knows more about the
GOV eminent than the president does and
all congress-to say nothing of the Justice
of the peace"-have you ever met such
an one? Self-conceit is one of the great
est drawbacks to the acquisition of knowl-
edge. We must feel a need or teacher
is needless. | need not prescribe set of
ulres for such cases-I could not if |
would. Every separate soul, with all its
fairness and frailties, must meet with its
especial training. Each child is a dis
tinct study. Here is where the young
teacher finds it so hard because those
| who have had so much experience are
so sparing of their how, how often, where,
| when-when asked for the best way TO
govern a school. But here is where
| faith in God is the teachers stronghold.
| If YOU believe His word-"Let him that
acketh wisdom" etc, and are willing to
learn of Him in His own way-you have
something to meet every case. What
will he help me so I'll never have any
| trouble? Mol did not say that He
will teach you what is best for the gov
erned as well as the governor, and that
may mean pain to you-but is it not the
child's moral welfare you seek?
What is my duty 0 God and o child,
are the two questions that must begin
our work. Tate says: Cultivate venera-
ton and faith. Children can better COM
prehend the idea of the Creator than the
hardened skeptic. Begone with your
tape-lines and scissors. We do not want
morality doled out to us by the measure.
Base your work ON religion" Page says:
THE school is Nc place for man without
principle" any one who ever read his
burning words on the responsibility of
the teacher, physically, mentally, and no
less morally, can never forget them The
KEY to Pages theory was his practice.
Tie result of his labors was perfected
" ork in devoted men and women to con-
ii lue his practice. No one else
P,ge Rut LET - - can be a
- follow on so near as
nay be. Many ones theory maps out
m, re work than their practice realizes.
Blu it is in this way we reach out and up
and beyond.
Now do not expect too much of the
children. Their conscience is something
that must grow-it must be educated 70
discern between right and wrong, virtue
and vice. OF course this conscience edu-
cation ought 70 begin at home but often it
does not. This you must find out. And
remember, if the teacher is not morally
true, morally pure in body, soul, habit Of
life hiBaself-woe unto the school-blind
leader Of the blind. He must study-not
think about it--sudy, night and day, to
be able to place a correct idea Of the ne
cessity Of certain duties before tie school
inspiring each child with the knowl-
edge that he, alone, can make or mar the