The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-13
COMMITTING TO MEMORY.

School-teachers who are in dread of
theunsparing criticisms of DR.. Rice may
gather grain of comfort from a remark
made by Edward Everett Hale In re-
cent article. Speaking of the advantages
of the old fashioned lyceum as a method
of instruction, he adds: "Of course, the
instruction given was superficial. but
have lived seventy years in the world.
and have never found any instruction
that was not superficial" This must in
evitably DO the case, owing to the linn.
itations of the human mind. which
can, at best, compass but a small
portion of the vast accumulations
of science, literature and history.
But there are different methods of ac-
curing knowledge that can be retained,
and DR.. Hale touches, in the same arti-
Gle, upon one that has now gone largely
into disuse. He says that fully one
half the important information he now
has with regard to scriptural matters
what may be called the intellectual
side of the Bible-was acquired before
he was thirteen years old, and this be
ascribes to the circumstance thathe was
obliged TO study and recite his Sunday
school lessons as others on week days.
He committed the facts to memory.
This is an important statement from
man who has been minister for forty
years. If half his intellectual acquaint-
ance with the Bible was gained in his boy
hood, what must be said of the average
man and woman who do not carry
on scriptural studies after their Sunday
school days are overq If these were to
consider the matter they would find that
pretty much all they know of such SUBJ
jects was acquired then. The measure
of their knowledge is apt to be the ex-
tent of their attendance at Sunday
school and the attention to the lesson
demanded of them. In these days the
leading idea, apparently, is to make
Sunday school agreeable to children.
There is much ado over international
systems" of lessons and great hutrer-
ing of "lesson leaves" but what study
ing is done is mainly by the teachers.
If the children are receptive to oral in
struction, all is well, so far; but what
they learn thus they do not retain asIif
they had spent greater amount of
energy upon it. Verbal memorizing is
a thing that has been done away with
by the advanced methods of teach
ing, and very properly If the rule
is applied with limitations and
discretion. In ordinary. studies the
pupil should convey the thoughts and
ideas gained in his own language, and
not in those of the textbooks. 1t is
not necessary, for instance, for him to
repeat by r0te the statements made In
his histories and books of science, nor is
it desirable that he should be "letter
United States Constitution. 1t is enough
that he be familiar with the substance
of the statements and provisions. But
it ia different in the study of literature.
whether this be scriptural or secular.
No one who has memorized biblical
passages or selections from great poems
has ever regretted the labor. but has
mourned, rather, that moro was not
made his own in this way. Children do
not apprec late the value of what they
learn, but in after years they cherish
these treasures of memory beyond other
knowledge. If mcmorizing is not done
in youth it is not done later. and in the
haste to find an easy road to learning it
is in danger of becoming lost art.