The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-05-23

Erratio Replies That Indicate . Defect In
Theory and Practice.

Theory and Practice.
.''Do you consider teaching your vo-
cationp" II have been asked that
question many times" said she,
suddenly thoughtful. ',and / have
always evaded direct answer, for l
have never yet been able TO settle the
point to my own satisfaction. Some
times. when find my class apparently
hanging on my words, SO to speak.
and every face sparkling with interest,
II not with intellect inwardly smile
and write success upon my mental
tablet An hour or so later. when /
return to my sheep. metaphorically,
and attempt to draw out few OF the
facts am so sure OF having implanted.
I am often almost paralyzed by the
results.
Imagine yourself spending period
on the subject of coral and volcanic
islands and then having one OF your
brightest pupils inform you that "a
volcanic island is one where the natives
carry the volcano across the land to the
sea in order that it may deposit its lava
and give them more territoryw What
could have said to havo produced such
nightmare OF thought in that inno-
cent mindP And, once having produced
1t, can ever effectually eiface it?
Then again" continued the teach
or, warming to her subject, having
labored for weeks on practical hygiene,
| am informed that the stomach Is
twelve feet long and made up Of innu-
merable small bones and many large
ones that often make us feel very un-
comfortable, or that the best way to
stop an artery from bleeding is to tie a
rag around 1t and hold it for half an
hour; il 1t does not then stop bleeding,
send for "a doctor or try some other
way or that all the left side OF the
body contains good blood, and the
right bad blood and have the bright
pupil cite as proof the fact that the
chart is red on one side and blue en-
the other; that there are two kinds Of
perspiration, proper, or invisible, and
improper or vulgar, called sweat
Shall I go on and tell you now they
have imbibed historic facts, such as
Jefferson's having bought Alaska from
the Indians for $24 for the sake Of fish
and ice; or that the parties to the
French and Indian war were the French
and Canadian Indians, and that they
neither won nor lost; that Great Brit
ain helped us to gain our indepen-
donce;' that the republic on the west
ern coast of Africa Is the Congo free
| otota 6iccnvarad IN, Sto pln, 10 N bnpna
| for destitute and prosecuted mem that
our constitution was adopted in Paris
in 1776;' that George Washington mar
ried q. blushing damsel named Martha
| Custard;' that the three forms OF gov
eminent in the United States are the
| aristocratic, the democratic and the
republican, being always republican,
l suppose, when the democrats are
knocked out of Office, which is not
| often.
Theory is all very fine, but prac-
tice, to my mind, is much finer. Though
we have all the pedagogies OF the past
and present crammed into our era.
NUNS, a term, nay, even n months
actual service is of much more prac-
tical value. have now taught many
years and have seen many a medal
graduate driven from her class by
some fifty little hoodlums who looked
like sainted cherubs when their own
teacher was present. Still, in spite OF
erratic answers to still more erratic
questions, and the absurd results often
obtained in some quarters from con-
scientious labor. / am often compli-
mented upon my progression. But, in
my secret heart judging the result in
proportion to the time and labor ex-
pended, think myself lamentable
failure"