Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-07-09
EDUCATION IN TIE COUNTRY.
TDwns Need Manual Training and Cook
ing Schools AS Well rs Cities.

TDuns Need Manual Training and Cook
ing Schools AS Well rs Cities.
Practical education is needed in the
country as well as in the city. There
has been too much brain culture in the
past, with too little sense development
and mind training With all opportuni-
ties for objective teaching and manual
training, but little of it has come to the
country, and yet the boys and girls there
need this training as much as children
in crowded city tenements Successful
experiments in these directions are be-
ing made in many country neighbor-
hoods. Groups of ladies are inaugural
ing cooking, carpentry, and clay model
ing classes and sending to the cities for
teachers.
In these neighborhoods boys who ex-
pected to become clerks, and in conse-
qPence to leave their homes for city
boarding houses, are becoming impressed
with the interest as well as value of
tools. Girls are enjoying lessons in
hygiene and the chemistry of food, as
well as practical demonstrations Of cook
ing Sewin; is also growing moro and
more interesting. aal the yoSag girls
appreciate G.ing with the learning.
Take, foc exanr!-. two ueighbor-
hoods on the Hudson. near New York.
In one library ai.J,!Ir."a was started
few years ago by Hoii:e ladies' There
seemed but few ~ Il. a.n@ad who
could or would rtiliZa ii !i3g,,;y or read
ing room, bat soou Ical.y men and boys
gathered nightly. ! s"wing scAool was
started for Saturdays HpOn strict bust
ness principles, and within month was
overcrowded. 1t WAS hard 10 tell where
the hundred or more girls came from,
but there they were, eager to learn. A
boys class for modelling and carpentry
started, then a cooking class for girls,
and all were successful. Monthly enter
tainments were held, when an admission
fee of ten cents was charged, and the
rooms were crowded.
In the other neighborhood practical
classes have also started and are all
crowded. In this small settlement are
now being held three weekly cooking
classes for different groups of girls, two
large sewing classes, dressmaking
course and boys carpentry classes.
Village bands and choruses are valu-
able In one place large group of boys
are kept interested by their weekly band
practice. A right feeling of pride is
aroused when they are called upon to
lead local professions, to play at enter
tainments, etc. Here, also, the teacher
of the village school has started a gym
nahum, and is training boys and girls
alike in the Swedish movements. Coun-
try children need to be physically devel-
oped by training, and taught graceful
movements as well as city children.
Village volunteer companies of boys can
be organized and made power by fur
nishing practical outlets to energies,
physical as we'll as mental.
Interest in surroundings should be
reused. The country, with its woods,
rocks, trees and plants, should bestudied;
intimacy with the beautiful variety of
animal and insect life should be en-
couraged. Through such channels homes
will be made brighter. Happiness means
contentment, and contentment comes
from health, occupation and interest.
Country contentment will be the result
when young people become stronger,
keep brain as well as hand busy, and are
interested in others. s.-Grace Dodge in
Lippincott's,