Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-10-09

uINu ~ V0x~tH0M mt<4I t088y sss188tss-
ful persons are aakiag to-day. :.
That u Il On important question ell
will admit, for In . few short years are
not three children 20 take our places and
carry on ths work which Ne shall lay
dowui Not only vii our farms, our
homes, our shops, Be Ia their control, bat
our schools, our tosu afIhirs, our great
Offices of trust and honor, zee, the very
life Of our nation will be In their keeping
IL it not Wise and just therefore, that
We In some measure prepare them Tor
thls futurey 10 lt not for their Interest
that ne help them 10 become Intelligent !
That We teach them In become honest
men and womeuy That We show them
that obesiieuoc 10 moral, a we'll ~ phys
icsi, Law means happiness, dlsobciIence
means unhappIpe.s!
shall we not bring to their notice the
heroic lives Of the past ~ worthy ex-
amples for them to follow shall We
not tell them the men aud women of the
world who have had high, noble IDEAS
have been the worlds great helpers and
teachersy In q word, shall We not edu-
cate them, using that word In lie largest,
broadest sensei
rroebel, the great German educator,
claimed that 20 rightly educate the child
we must study natures method OF deal
log with him. She puts them to hand
ling. feeling and { sting objects In hun.
dred different Ways. The baby nnds very
soon In Its life the difference between
sweet aud sour, rough and smooth, hard
and soft. Play and exercise or work are
ne natural for the child NJ To eat or
breathe, aud for the same purpose, de-
velopment, growth Of mind and body.
AZ the child grows Into young man
hood or woman hood the necessity for
play ar recreation, as we'll As for exer-
cise or work, u as great Ne before for
the growth Of the Individual. That IL .
wise village or town which secs this ne
cessity and provides In some way Tor It..
Frubel also taught that 10 educate
the child We must be at one with him |;
We must LET him see that We are In SYM
patty, not only with his sorrows and
hut With hls joys and
pleasures a. we'll. u IL not beneath us
Ia Interest ourselves In collections of
birds eggs or stamp albums, or even In
dolls houses or sand-pie..
The I'm sgination of the child makes
these things of real Impotence to him,
and u We are wise We will respect that
Importance. I.etus respect the child
aud the child will respect us.
Now these Ideas 81 frcebcl are the
leading Ideas Of the beat teachers aud
leader AZ of children to-day. Men aud
women of the cities Who are trying to
help the children Of the poor and unfort-
innate. supply, " possible, good condi-
tions for the children To grow In, just q.
we supply good condltions-right coil
snd a warm sun ny slove-for corn and
potatoes or for our geraniums aud roses.
Mr.. Dickinson, the minister of Berke-
ley ~. Temple, Boston, believe. the ONLY
hope of saving the poor and destitute
children of the city lice Ia disappointing
them ne soon as possible from the misery
aud vice which there surrounds them
into the wholesome, sweet air of the
country, where they may grow up Low.
Ing country homes and country life aud
forgetting the misery and degradation
Into which they we're born.
That Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson are mosi
admirably carrying this Theory Into
practice YOU will believe when tell YOU
that they have converted the homes OF
their childhood Into homes for the little
vail. whom q Kind Providence leads In
their way.
And now the question comes home,
What ought you Ia Hanover Ia do for the
children The outward conditions ol
soil, sunshine aud = brscing air are ex'
cellent. Your homes are comfortable
aud prosperous. Your people mr.,
honest. upright aud orderly. Your
schools aim To prepare your children
for citizenship. Hut the town library,
which all educators nov feel IL second
only Ia the school aud q necessary adj.
lunct Ia IL, that do not see. This need
Ii l. the aim Of the Iyend-a-lland Ia sup
ply-not "a interfere With nor take the
place Of the schools, but To supplement
its work.
II .. .aid by some of your people, "Th,
books Will not be used, Why do We nee,
. libraryr' 4 taste for good reading
NAV be cultivated like any other taste
The Influence Of your best people may
help create q liking for books. The In
iuence Of your teachers In this direction
will be Of immense value, and ] ApPeA
10 all these To lend their aid To the Lend
a-lIand Ia this matter.
Ia my connection with your young
people this summer. I have scen many
bright aud promising minds. Maine ha'
given her full share Of men aud womer
notable In her country's history. Ma,
IL not be that the rising generation al
IIanoyor will add Ia the well-earned ~
putation Of "the good old state"f
hut whether . public or . private III,
be the future Of your children, IL should
be your duty To teach them the JOY and
beauty Of . whole, roundabout lie, and
whatever leads To this life schools
church worship, Sunday school and libra
y-it should be your privilege To aus
tain. No time nor strength nor efior'
can be- wasted In this direction, for u u
q God-given trust, q work lie gave Into
your keeping when the Angel OF LII,
entered your homes and hearts.
And 90 I appeal To you all 10 do What
YOU can Ia help make this experiment
81 the I.end-A-llsnd q sure success, for
I believe that not alone the young, bat
the middle-agc,i, the old, will lind the care
aud drudgery OF life lessened by reach
Ing out Into other lives aud other scenes
through the medium of good books
I believe In recreation and ''good
times" for young people, and when
young men find these In good. whole
some stories, they Will want no better
"fun" than 10 carry home at night some
thing To read Ia. father and mother.