The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-12-21
Sara E. W ltse-An HOnOred Daughter o
ShiawaSSee.

Since many of your readers must re
member the family of Henry Wiltse, fol
| many years residents first of Byron anG
then of Corunna, am sure they will be
glad to know something of the present
work of Sara T.. Wiltse, who for the last
fifteen or sixteen years has been identi
fled with the kindergarten, benevolent
and literary interests of Boston. She
and her aged father are now living in 9
| tile home of their own in one of the
many pretty suburbs of the city. The
Kindergarten News for November con
tains fine portrait of Miss Wiltse, to-
gether with an interesting biographical
sketch of her eventiul career, III which
energy and pluck, allied with true noblli.
ty and the love which ''seeketh not hei
own are blended into beautiful symme,
try of character. The News traces heI
work from its beginnings as district
school teacher in Shlawassee county to
teaching in the grammar ndhigh schools
of Tennessee; and then, after her rain
ing in Boston, TO her remarkably success
full record as Kindergarten, chiefly in
Boston. But will let Miss Dugan in
the News, carry the sketch further:
"There never was teacher who had
more reverence and faith IN the higher
| possibilities of human nature than Miss
Wiltse, and in rare and peculiar sense
she has the open sesame to the minds
and hearts of children. In connection
with her kindergarten she began the sys-
| tematic study of children, in which she
| has done most successful work. Il x
| She is constantly being called upon, both
publicly and privately, to aid others in
the di, ection of child study. She has
,rivan a nnp,hap AZ talko IN, Ia crh;aot
at the State Normal School, orcester.
and read papers before the Eastern Kin
dergarten Association and other associa-
tions of teachers
at may be interesting to hear Pres.
dent Halls testimony in regard to the
value of Miss Witse's work. He SAYS:
The really remarkable things about Miss
Wiltse are her tact and sympathy which
find their way to the inmost secrets ofthe
child heart, so seldom known to parents
and teachers, and her untiring devotion
to the child-study work and to philan
thropic labors for all who have entered
her kindergarten or reading room. / new
er knew more disinterested person, one
more devoted to serving others. The
leaders in the study of children in this
country are Principal Russell, of the Wor-
cester Normal school, Prof. Earl Barnes,
of stamford University, Cal; Miss Shinn.
the president of the Woman's Collegiate
Alumne, and Miss Wiltse; bu. Miss
Wlltse began before any of them, and
they would all gladly agree doubt not,
that the utility and value of her work is
second to none. 1t was fitting tribute
to her too modest merit that she should
be unanimously selected as the first Sec
rotary of the new national organization
for child study
"Nliss Wiltse has lately edited Grimm's |
Fairy Tales and has been publishing |
series of Nature Myths in connection with |
FroebePs Mother Plays. She has also |
published several volumes of stories for |
children, and book of essays which is |
valuable to teachers and moth !
crs for its helpful suggestions. One of |
her stories has been translated into |
French, and application has recently been
made to translate several into Spanish"
To the above your correspondent NAV |
add that Miss Wiltse is never satisfied in
doing the work of one woman. The |
amount of excellent literary work which
she does might rightfully be regarded as
SUCH but additionally she is in charge of |
the three free reading rooms established
by Mrs. Quincy A. Shaw in as MANY
children of the poor, a taxing work which
requires great expenditure of nerve en-
ercy and tact. As these were not touched
upon in the above extracts, / will take a
from the christmas number
Of the New England Magazine from Ed
ward Everett Tales unique and intense
w interesting article, IF Jesus came to
Boston" The Cottage Place free library
under charge of Miss Wiltse, was one of
The places to which Dr. Primrose piloted
his Mysterious guest:-"IIere were two
arge groups OF children Of all ages from
i've years old to, well, perhaps fifteen. |
told him that | called it a children's club
md he was very much amused and very
much interested The boys and girls
we're all reading, quite as a lot of loafing
gentlemen might be reading at the Union
Club or the Somerset, except none of
hem were smoking The school room
lad been cleared out, had been aired, the
,tbles had been put in order and then
Miss Wiltse had come round and unlock.
ID her libraries, and these little witches
lad5 come thronging in because these
'ooms were so comfortable and pretty.
md because Miss Wiltse made them so
completely at home. She knew what
book every child had the day before.
Or she picked out new one. She went
round explaining the pictures to this
,hild talking to another about butter
lies or birds, making third remember
,bout her passages from Europe, and in
word, petting those children, playing
with them and teaching them exactly as
IN older sister might do. / tried to
explain that the children would have no
such experience at home, that Miss Wiltse
vas trying indeed, to give them better
,hance than they would have at home,
without taking them away from the nat
lral affection of father and mother. II
vas clear enough that the children liked
to come.
Besides these free libraries Miss Wiltse
las charge of the Mrs. Shaw library for
attention TO which takes
me afternoon in the week. How she
loes so much and always with such con-
painstaking care. is mystery
o her friends. And with all that she has
Won of honor and position or attention,
rom the good and great, she is perfectly
lnspoiled. loveable and sweet. AS her
lifelong friend ! gladly bear this testi-
nony to real merit