The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-01
Getting Material Now for
New Ideas.
Second Day of the R. /. InSti-
tute of Instruction.
Infantry Hall Held an Interested and
Interesting Audience.

Dla8t, IT'S neaNy rain ana bnrleklnR Wlnu
was an ideal Halloween for the visiting
schoolma ANS to draw chair up to the
wide open fire place and give way to
those pleasant old superstitiops OF love
and fate, TO watch the burning nuts in
the em bers and the letter the newly
pared apple peel would assume. But de-
spite these attractions and the iDclement
weather they trooped forth one and all,
again filling Infantry Hall with al aud
ence anxious to hear Rev. j. j. Lewis de-
liver his illustrated lecture on the Pas
sion Play of Oberammergau. Before the
lecture Mr.. Lewis made a short address
explaining the purpose OF the play and
the characters who participated in IL. At
the lecturers suggestion the hymns OF
"Rock of Ages, Coronation, "Sweet
BY and By" and 81 Love to Tell the Sto-
ry'' were sung by the vast audience in
such harmonious accord as to cause
PLEASANT surprise.
MIR. Lewis then delivered his renowned
lecture with large number of excellent
uissolving views. The extract Of the Pas
sion Play is'as follows:
The Passion Play is given once in 10
gears by the people Of the little village OF
0berammergau in Bavaria. 1t is dra-
matte representation OF the sufferings of
Christ, and Is regarded as a solemn act OF
religious worship by the peasants who
take part in it. The six or seven hundred
actors, many of tEem children, are chosen
with regard 20 moral character. To be
judged unworthy TO take part is to suffer
deep disgrace, while to be given the part
OF Christ is TO attain the highest of earth
ly honors. Some OF the principal parts
are hereditary in certain families. The
play is given on Sundays during the sum-
mer, in large, open-air theater, holding
many thousands, and lasts all day, with
an intermission OF an hour and half at
noon. The proceeds OF the season are
used for the good of the community, ex-
cept the part necessary 10 pay the small
salaries OF the sctors. The Passion Play
is the only existing example of the an
cient mysteries, or miracle plays. Ii was
undertaken more than two and half
centuries ago, in fulflment OF VOW made
by the people when great plague was
raging. The last performance took place
in 1890.
The second day OF the meeting of the
Institute OF instruction, of which the
subject is "Thoughts from the Herparti-
ms" began this morning in Infantry
Hall. Fully 1000 people were present
Ehen Rev. NJ S. Kaufman read the devo-
tional exercises.
President Jacobs then introduced
Superintendent Thomas NJ. Ballet of
Springfield, Mass, one of the leading
Superintendents Of schools in the coun-
try, who spoke iearnedly and thoroughly
pm the difficult subject of "Appercep-
.ion.p
Professor William +. Wilson OF the
Rhede Island State Normal School gave a
P0-minute talk ON the subject of "In-
lerest.p In his classification of interest
Mr. Wilson SAID:
"Herbart classified the kinds of in
terest under two heads, as follows:
First Interest from knowledge, en-
bracng:
/. Epirical interest, that is, pleasur-
able mental excitement produced Ny
the apperception OF what Is novel or
varied 1t is curiosity, wonder and in
quisitiveness. or course this interest is
the starting point of education.
Second-Investigating OF speculative
interest, which is directed toward courses,
consequences, relations, and uses of
things. 1t is the interest which impels
the child TO ask questions. This interest
has developed scionce, philosophy, history
and much of literature.
Third-Aesthetic interest, which, of
course, is directed toward the beautiful,
the good and noble.
Second-Interest from relationship with
l. Men. Sympathetic interest, that
which one likes In the welfare, happi-
ness and things of another.
2. Society Social interest, which is the
same thing only extended to many and
to bodies of fellowmen. This interest
may be patriotism or philanthrophy or
loyalty or any body with which one may
associate himself, as his church, or
Johool, or club, or set.
3. God, Religious interest. There are
eurely other kinds, some ef-whieh seem
as IL they were as distinct as these and
as important to take account OF in educa-
tion. For instance, the interest which
everyone feels-and which every child
manifests early-in his own efforts and
performances. The interest OF achieve
ment seems to me to rank by the side of
speculative interest, and to precede in
the process of developing systematic in
terest. Then there is the interest with
which everyone regards events, that affect
hia hoipu inf
venience and the like. The interest which
we take in the prospective changes of the
weather is not always scientific, OF the
candidate in the returns, of the culprit
in the verdict, and so forth, are examples
Of kind OF interest for which i see no
place in the Herbartian classlications.
Gymnastic exercises then followed, a
class OF the Messer street school perform
ing the rataplan chorus In excellent time
to the piano accompaniment of Miss
Ansie Brown. body Of girls dressed i'm
pure white followed and in the gesture
exercises formed many pretty ard barmo-
nious stage groups. Miss Mary Hall was
pianist and Miss May Brooks violinist.
The music to which the gestures were
lined wss taken from "Cafalleria Rusti-
cana
At IL 20 Professor Frank M. McMurry
Of the University OF Buffalo made strong
plea for the story OF "Robinson Crusoe0
rs a subject in school education.
President Charles DE Garino OF Swarth-
more College gave a long aud interesting
address on the "Educstion That Makes
Tor Manhood ~ The meeting then ad-
journed. At 1880 O'Clock this afternoon
The second OF the High School section OF
The department meetings was held in the
Providence High School.
Mr.. Herbert L. Drake OF the classical
-department OF tho Providence High
School, spoke on the capitalization OF
Instruction in Secondary Schools from
the Standpoint Of the Teacher" The
discussion was opened by Miss Alice ID.
Mumford, principal girls department
Providence High School "The Work Of