Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-09-04
Written for the o,fori Democrat

hooks are but skelrtous--e.pccislly
the Textbooks of district schools involv
Ing the teaching Of the elementary prln
clples. Imagine good healthy, s-y,ar
old boy learning such dogmstlc rule
as this: "writs down the sums TO h
multiplied. the less under the greater
unit. under units, tens under tens, etc
Now multiply successively why moi
.ucccssfullyt1 each figure above 10y each
figure below. taking care to set dowt
the ilr.t figure of each partial produc
directly under the figure used In multi
plying" etc. Il II strange that be run'
away, play. hsokey aud IL found nsh'n
or PLAYING hoI-scotchf
At the AZ. of : or 10 the boy Ia bent
on finding out things. lie will tear BIZ
breecbe. all to rags and run imminent
ri.k of breaking bis neck Ia see What u
In q birds neat on the top of loft,
tree. lie will watch the squirrels pop
ping In aud out of their holes for hour.
aud would much rather have q gun than
steamboat. IL .. said 90 Charlie. bar.
win that he was q dullard At school, bul
q famous boy In the fields and woods
Vet he wrote the fir.t book of natural
science that men ever read. The same
wss true of Thorcsu. IL does not fol-
low because the hoy does not like books,
hut does like the rivers, mountains aud
Wild animals, that he IL q dullard.
our school systems are partly In fault
for thl. insdaptAbillty % the prescribe
routine 20 the mental wants of the
children. Any departure from u is apt
10 leave the pupil behind In his grade
aud the teacher with an impaired stand
Ing before the supervisor of schools
Many children are seriously-irrepsra.
bly-lnlurcd by TIL. forcing process
this pumping Into their Intellectual
stomachs of hard, dry and useless Tor
the time al leasD facts.
Unless the boy Ia to receive an sdvsnc-
ed or college education his whole futur,
a. wAge-earncr I. bound up with the
facts that are living all around, aud, u
presented io him Ia the right way, full
81 interc.t. A. farmer be ough, IA
learn the names of all the useful plants
cultivated. How he would Ike Ia learn
the story 90 the grass seeds that travel
until they ind a suitable place to grow,
of IN. provisions made for other seeds
To attach themselves Ia animals and
thus extend their range of growth.
Every school ought to have cabinets
of rock. and minerals, such as are used
la the arts, aud for building. How
many can distinguish granite from
marble, slate from porphyry, quartz
from llmc.tonef Vet these could be
gathered At little expense.
4 S0-cent microscope will open a new
world Ia both the boy aud girl. The
whole insect world, from the gsudy
butterfly. the savage hornet and wasp,
the laKy bumblebee and his active cousin
the honey bee, down Ia the most minute
fruit pest. will arouse his whole nature.
lie will be a. hungry for facts OF thi.
Kind AZ he !. for candy.
How many boys and girls, even Of
sixteen, know or have any reason Ia be-
lIe,e that the surrounding mountains
we're but recently lifted out OF the sea.
and that there are, within sight of ths
school house. of fryebure. tons Of the
shells ~ gigantic oyster relies of race
that lived when those mountains were
under the deep waves DO they know
that the hills around them contain the
bone. aud teeth of animals long since
perl.hed,
How many children can point out the
north starr How many know the move
ments % the moon from new to full,
FROM full TO new, How many watch
the planets or note their nightly move
nents In relation "a the fixed stars
when the boy. soul has b-en educat-
"a up to the point of being an earnest
seeker after the truth, he can interpret
books for himself. Confined 10 book.
alone, without the preliminary aid Of
having seen the dry bones live under the
Inspiration of live teacher, he Acquires
a disgust for both the schools and study
II. FRANK PRAY.