The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-02-14
WOMAN AS AN EDUCATOR.
Rev. Mr.. Ferguson Discoursed in an
Able Manner on Popu.
lar Theme.

In the First Presbyterian church on Sunday
evening the Rev. ii. Clay Ferguson preached
the second of the sermons in the series Goods
Place and Purpose for Woman in the World"
the subject of the discourse being woman as
an Educator" The subject was treated in a
strong. clear advanced way and was listened to
with interest by a large congregation. Thetext
was from Job, 27-11, 81 viii Teach You by
the Hand of God" Mr.. Ferguson said in part:
In the natural course of things and seemingly
in the Providence of God the training of the
children and instruction of the rising genera
ton has been to large extent committed to
woman.
Woman is especially fitted for teaching by
her intuitive power she readily understands
the child nature, her patience and the succep-
tibility of her moral nature with her general
tenderness and adaptability fordealing with
the child-life make her an efficient teacher of
the children. The world has grown apace in
this regard-halfa a century ago it was thought
that not only was she not capable of being a
teacher but that it would unsex her, but today
the majority of our teachers are women. In
schools public and private, in grades low or
high, church and missions schools, colleges
and preparatory and by no means least in the
kindergartens, in the Zenanas the heather
lands and in the homes of Christian lands the
powers of woman as instructors has been
greatly blessed. But Just here let me empha-
size the fact that the teacher should be a
Christian and be able TO say will teach you
by the hand of God, because directly and con-
sciOusly she ought to instil righteousness with
every days teaching-not seCtarianism or
denominatiOnalism but virtue, honor, truth,
the applied righteousness of God, the practical
ethics of life.
A teacher impresses herself in thought
character, expression. Is the work OF women
as q teacher appreciated We all know it costs
in time, money and brain force to prepare for
and keep up with the advancing ideas in the
profession land just here the preacher paid a
glowing tribute to Superintendent j. j. Burns
in his efforts to raise the standard Of education
in our own schools and culture among the
teachers-and advised the teachers to appre-
ciate and second all his efiorts.)
There is a popular fallacy that brain and
heart workers, do not labor. Never a greater
mistake Brain work is refined and costly in
quality, therefore should be well paid, but we
Hnu tedCnerS uuuerphu anu ulSCIllnlndtlOu
between men and woman's pay for same guam
tity and quality of work, This is q wrong,
and many of them not as we'll paid as skilled
labor, hardly better paid than common labor.
The average teacher receiving from s15O
to $3.50 per day. Common labor from $l.25
to 81 so and our skilled mechanics 50, 81 and S5
per day, and 1t was shown during the Home
stead strike that in the Carnegie mills skilled
workmen were making from IS, 900 to $40, 600
a year Our public schools are one of the chief
bulwarks of our nation, in, that they educate
the masses, and are one of the chief factors in
Amercanizing the children of foreign born par
ents, and the teachers are largely women; and
just here is one of the most important positions
in which woman labors for the good of the
race. Therefore the place and remuneration
should he such that the best brains and hearts
could be given to it for life. II is position an
angel would hasten to fill, to train little child
for useful life and help mould a character fOI
eternity. The pulpit ought to impress right
things here, and, guided by the words of God
and the teacher, ought to teach, taught by the
Hand of God"