The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-04-24
For the NOn-Members of the
Hill Country Club.


who have joined take a recess. The
responses thus far received to our invi-
tation of two weeks ago indicate the
diversity of tastes and opinions that is
everywhere to be found The first one
says, " l am very fond of reading his
tory" We are glad to know this. We
know of many boys and girls who are
fond of the same thing and perhaps
they would like to talk little with Guy
through these columns. Suppose Guy
were to send the Scribe the names of
the histories he has found most inter-
esting and some of the historical per-
sons he has most enjoyed reading about;
or let him ask concerning any that he
would like to know more about; and
perhaps some will answer, and the in
terchange of thought and opinions will
be pleasant on both sides. And we
shall be glad to count Guy as one of
our club, if he does not object, for his
tory is one form of literature.
The next communication from d"
contains the following among other
suggestions; 1t does not stand to
reason that young people, or even older
people, are more interested in the
Elizabethan Period than our present
day, or that many ten-year-olds will
be much interested in the Danes or
Picts. Now if our young people are to
have a part and interest in this club,
why not write about things of later
day so they would better understand
and show more interest in them? Would
they not like better to learn more of
our American authors and their writ
ings, or the work of congress, the
president and his officers, than to wan
der back over the track of time to the
conquests of Normandy, the Britons
and Welshmen?'
Passing over the facts which the
writer of the above seems to have over
looked-that we have made only brief
illusions to the Britons or Welshmen,
and to the conquest of Normandy
(Which was not the Norman conquesO,
and that we have hardly more than
mentioned the Danes and Picts, but
have confined ourselves closely to our
own ancestral line-we will say that
our first proposition was to spend only
three months on the entire subject of
English literature. Then, if the inter-
est shown seemed to warrant it, we in
tended to take up American authors.
1t was only because of the unlooked-for
expressions of interest in our introduce
tory studies, that we fingered over
them so long.
That there is reason for this interest
may be seen in the fact that this gen.
eral subject of English language and
literature is receiving more attention
in schools now than ever before; so
much more that a well known educa-
tional publication has recently offered a
prize for paper that shall contain the
best plan for teaching these subjects to
the pupils of the grammar school
grades. And in regard to the impor-
lance of boys and girls being informed
on things past as we'll as present, we
find this in an article in the March
number of The american Teacher, on
" History in the Lower Grades" In
nation where each citizen does his
part toward making its history, every
one should know something of history.
The present is inexplicable without a
knowledge of the past. We are what
we are because of what has gone before.
All the great deeds of the good and
noble, all the steps by which civiliza-
ton goes forward, are some of the vital
lessons of history" The writer goes
on to suggest how the esprit of his
tory' may be impaired to children by
stories, and adds: "Subjects from our
own history that would be appropriate
for stories will readily suggest them
selves. But we should not give the
impression that there are no stories to
be told about other nations. Give them
an account of Alfred the Great, of
Cromwell, of Napoleon, with his sue
cesses and his ignominious end, of
John Howard, of Elizabeth Fry. Tell
them of Queen Elizabeth before we
talk to them of Raleigh and Virginia. -
What would our friend cd" think
of the questions that the Chautauqua
Young Folks Reading Union are study
ing this year in Mahometan History
Here are some specimens taken from
the twenty questions in the April num-
Der of Wide-AaOake: "By which of the
Ahasside Caliphs was Bagdad made the
Aoslem capital?" "What Caliph placed
Christian at the head of a college at
DamascusP' "What Egyptian dynasty
was overthrown by Saladin in HIP"
Yet the Scribe is eyewitness to the
ant hnt hnr l.. Al =