The Forrest City times., 1891-12-04

the seed. are ready to be directed and cuu- trolled almost at will. E As ee can tain mn to a graceful maturity the young plant. which. If neglected. would have prov. fl unsi. i.htly and sterile, Sn can we train up the child who. if left to himself, would have been vicious aud ignorant.
 Educated in one sense thr child will be if not for veal. Tor wee. Shall We net consider, then, the esIucaiion of OUT ehild- ren the most important of all puklic in terests? The proudest nation whnse con- quering eagle has marched o'er fields of victory will pass away; tbessnajestie river will cease Co flow: the mad cataract of Niagara will hush its rOaiing; but the child eDshrines within it's bosom spirit that will live throughout the countless ages of eternlIy-willl live in happiness or misery-wll live to become a saint or A deyil-may live like Moses, David or Paul. Hannibal. Washington or Lincoln, Zeno- 3ia. Joan of Arc or Florence Nightingale, that the world may never tire of it's his- tory, or it may be hated and despIsed by all mankind.
 The child comes into this world amid good and evil mysteriously combined. The spirit of good and the spirit of evil strug- gle for the mastery. Every good impulse draws lt toward the right and every temp tatiou toward the wTous. When the child begins the earnest battle of life 1t is unable to choose between good and evil It must be guided. If properly trained 1t grows up an honor and blessing to th.. community, loved while living. and after life's iitful fever is Ger. remembered for the good its has done. To the child this world is all mighty maze without plan He is a stranger alike to hiruself, the uni verse and to God Daily his faculties open. His intellectual eye turns tos ard the light of truth, as ki> organic eye turiis toward the sunbeam that falls across his chamber window. Through the Iivelong day he is busy seeking or receiving new accessions Of truth. Though no book opens its mysterious light uron his understand lnZ, no living voice pOurs into his ear tha fruits of anotheT's experience and knowl- edge, he is still for himself learner. No one recognized this fact more than our beloved Whittier:
 Blessings on the l.ttle5rran.
 Barefoot boy with check 0f tan.
 With thy turucd-uD uaaf1iOouS
 And thy merry whisile,i tunes;
 With the sunshine on thy faee
 Meath tay torn hrirns I-urty grace,
 And thy red lips. re'ilHr still.
 Kissed t-y strawbcTr's's .o hill.
 From ny heart give rhee joy.
 l was once q barefoot boy.
 Oh. for boy hoods painless rlav,
 Sleep thai wakes iu tEul.hing day:
 Health that Uocks the q, ctcr'- e lsi.
 Know lei xe never lea ned Ht school
 tt the wild bees mJTqi1g chas,
 ct the ,.llC flowers tIpt eHd kiac,.
 FiiS.t few and he 1ituds
 CT me .t 1ant. oi the aOnd.
 How ttz tortoise bears h's shell
 Hos the Soe febuek d'ss aIs eel
 ErW fh- u f rrlrfie 4.I
 ICw the til fset' hac 1eag.
 How the o~iole's neat i- hung
 Where the whitesf lillee Glos
 Where he freshc-t berries grow
 Where the ground-nu' trails ,ts yina
 Where the wood-graPe's clusters shine.
 or the black wasp's cunning way,
 IasOn.Of his walls of clay.
 Such' progress, however, is only in- stinctiye and spontaneous. and will soon reach it3 limit if left to himself. Guid- ance is therefore sssary, for without the uneultured mind becomes crowded with errors. and prejudices. The intellect must be so unfolded. directed and strengthened. that it shall be through all future course a jealous seeker after truth. Thessenses must be trained to observe &C., ,urately, the memory to register carefully and to recall4readily, the reason 70 com- pare, reflect and judge without partiality pr passion.
 In short. the child must be taught to cultivate habits which will make him mas ter of himself enable him, even when pressed by fierce temptation. to prefer loss, disgrace, and even death itself to iishonor. But to whom shall we look for .his training? To the parent first, th,n .o the teacher. of these responsibilities md duties we will speak in some future issue.