Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-21

earth and n1au-that IS. IN their rela-
ton 10 each other. Now, it Is the east
est thing in the world TO get a child, in
his early years. TO see and feel some OF
the most important of these relations.
He walks upon the earth from the first
he notes the features Of land and water,
he feels the effect of the weather and
OF the seasons. he sees the development
Of plant life and animal life. He is
also born into political. economi% and
social relations of which geography
takes account. Hence, from start to
finish, if the right course be taken with
him. the pupil is wildly conscious of a
personal relation to the matter of his
study Such Il consciousness is sure
TO beget an abiding interest such as Her
bart so persistently pleads for.
Do Our Schools Promote JOyOusness?
A few weeks since Il school boy in
Cincinnati committed suicide by taking
poison. According to the newspapers,
the boy was respondent because of the
low average he had taken in school,
and sought in this desperate way TO
put an end TO his troubles. The sad
incident is we'll fitted to beget serious
and searching inquiry by teachers and
by parents into the working of the
system which may be supposed TO be
in some measure responsible tor the
sad quenching of 4 young life. We do
net know whether any vigorous and
thorough investigation was made into
the circumstances. but, il not, there
ought to have been such an inquest 1t
is but seldom, we may believe. that the
native buoyancy and hopefulness of
youth can be SO completely crushed out
as to leave Il young lad the victim of
utter despair. But even one such Incl
dent suggests many questions touching
the school systems of the day. which
are worthy OF the most painstaking
thought. One of these questions, sug
gested by the New York School Jour
nal, we commend specially TO the atten-
ton of our readers. Very much is i'm
piled in it. Does 1t (the SCHOOL, cult
vate the natural joyOusness of chill
dren:' This does not SIMPLY mean, we
take it, Does the school completely sup
press the buoyancy of spirit which is SO
characteristic of healthy children of
school age, but, rather, Does it tend
TO such a result? If so, we may be sure
there is something radically wrong
with the system or the teacher. We
know of our own observation that there
is such tendency in some of the To
rOntO schools. which are. on the whole,
we take it. nowise inferior 10 those of
other localities. We have, within the
last year or two. known cases in which
boys of average parts and brightness
We're found 10 be losing their natural
jOyousness and becoming mOroSe and
ill-natured under the combined strain
and restraint of school work and disci-
pline. But the other day a mother was
cOmmiSerating the hard case of her
boy, who was being kept in night after
night to complete work which he and
many fellow-sufferers were almost hab-
itually unable TO Overtake in the regu-
lar school and home work hours. What
JOY in life can Il young lad have who
can hardly find time. except on Satur-
days and occasional holidays for real,
rOusing game? What is more pitia-
bic than boy of eight or ten with
prematurely Staid gait and demeanor,
and careworn expression. at the age
which nature intended to be filled with
shout and laughter and merry antics?
Our contemporary very fittingly quotes
these words from Jean Paul Richter:
Il can endure Il melancholy man, but
NOT melancholy child; the former, in
whatever slough he may sink, can yet
raise his eyes either To the kingdom of
reason or of hope. but the little child is
entirely absorbed and weighed down
by one black poison-drop of the pres
ent. Think of 4 child led to the seat
fold; think of Cupid in Dutch coffin:
or watch Il butterfly, after its four
wings have been torn off, creeping like
Il worm. and YOU will feel what 1
mean. Educational Journal.