The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-07-07

can. could not 10 peLtet WoIA' ~
will Join gladly with you 70 wake the
echoes with the new evangel.
SHALLOW HOLLOW SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT.
If the public press is to be Of greater
service to public education, let US get
a.little closer together and see If We
cannot have q bettcr understanding:
How much prying into the inside WIZ
you stand, preserving an eyenness ana
sweetness OF temper? How much
searching criticism do you invite, tax
ing the chance that some OF II shall DC
less we'll advised than it should be, but
all oft with good motive? What would
you say TO something in this strainf
The commencement exercises Of Shall
low Hollow school were held last even
inc in the Town Hall. Tho graduates
acquitted themselves lamentably. This
was no surprise to the few who have
taken enough interest in the school to
watch closely the work OF the year.
The rooms are poorly lighted, badly
ventilated. uninyiting, unsanitaFy con,
ditions. The pupils who have come
through the graduating mil! look as
though they had been kept on cola
storage. The enrolled pupils who were
permitted to idle in the highways when
they were expected in their places have
come through in much better physical
form; there is hope for them. The
"original compositions" Of the graduates
displayed ostentatiously an alarming
degree Of premature ripeness: Nature
and the most favorable conditions OF
home and school could produce girl
OF seventeen years capable OF composing
the philosophical essay on the Higher
Life delivered by. Miss Blankie Brown,
but those acquainted with Miss Brown
and her environment know that she mas
not been SO favored. The production
reflects mach credit and more discredlt
on PROF, Penn, who has caused asweet
young girl to 20 incorporating in the
gown Of q ripe philosopher. Mr.. Penn
has started Miss Brown at a pace which
sho cannot sustain; which is mex
pressibly sad and bad for Miss Brown.
Night has brought out the stars on
many commencement occasions with
various degrees Of brightness and dull
ness. William Plowman's effort in this
way showed again the touch Of tho
masters busy hand. though by this
time the practiced hand was evidently
weary with much shaping and rounding
and polishing. 1t Is pity that a lad
of Williams robust common sense.
typical farmers boy OF the first class,
who understands farming better than
many older heads and intends to make
farming his life work-itis pity that
this fine young fellow was not induced
to write about something he under
stands, something that would have
shown the real William Plowman. So
the list might be gone through,
It is plain that in Shallow Hollow
school too much importance Is at
tached to the dress parade Of the year.
It is also clear that too much attention
is given to the multiplication OF
branches, too little to sinking the roots
deep aud strong and tar-reaching. 10
what extent the blame lies on the
school board, to what extent on the
teachers, in what degree the RESPONSE
bility is with the parents, is not easy to
determine ofF.hand. This, however,
may be said, that in Shallow Hollow
schoo! some OF the time devoted to
hearing many lessons might be given
up to teaching lesser number of in
dispensable branches, to teaching the
pupils how to learn, to helping them
to equip themselves for attack and de-
Tense in the terrific fight Of life. To
this end Miss Needles would
have to lay aside her sewing
and Prof. Blackstone his law
book during school hours; but this
would be well worth while ii by reason
Of these personal sacrifices pupils were
taught to spell we'll, to write readable
hand, to punctuate with some degree
OF intelligence, to compose creditably o
letter Of business or of friendship, to
meet column OF fiures as though they
had passed that way before, to find
fractions not too vulgar for calling ac-
ouaintance, to see the per cent in
transaction as quickly as a woman sees
that man loves her. The editor OF the
Weekly Investigator has found some OF
the graduates OF Shallow Hollow school
elaborately lacking In these essentials,
although he is forced to admit that
while he cannot make them useful to
him by reason OF their lack Of roots,
their many ornamental branches sug-
gest trains OF thought which may serve
useful purposes.