The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-03-11
Broad Lines of the Work Of Kin
dsrgartens.
OOSsEoRArHD vIEws OF YOUTH.


"Let thy spirit burn with a steady light.
Thou canst not know when another shall
catch The sacred fire from thee.'
If there ever was any one thing upon
which God might set his seal of approval.
and which men might agree to bless and
be thankful for, it is the increasing at
tention which is being paid of late years
to the study of childhood and the fuller
conservation of women to its service.
Friedrich Froebel, the prophet of the
new educational era, in private letter,
written in IS47, says; "All progress de-
pends on that of education; and no edu-
cation, least of all that of infancy, can
dispense with the active cooperation of
women, who should have full compre-
hension of their natural calIing-the
care of childhood. Women are not as
yet acquainted even with the prelimi-
naries of the education of man, which
ignorance causes them to expect that the
superficial educators of youth should
make good again what the mothers have
spoiled. This evil we have to overcome,
ard know of no other means so thor
Cugh and certain to effect their purpose
as the kindergarten. Let young women
60 there and see the development of
ticiDg and understanding the laws and
workings of it"
The results Of education undoubtedly
depend on it's beginnings, ard these are
in the hands of Wome5. Here, at least,
is partial solution of the vexed woman
question which does not restrict womanss
sphere, but enlarges It, rather, calling
higher, better, stronger, the equal OF
man, destined, as she is, to become the
mother and first educator of men. If
any one fears that "higher education of
any sort-college training or any ad-
vanced study, addressing the dry bones
of the intellect rather that the spirit
will unfit women for the duties that in
evitably lie before most of them, he will
see in the attempt of the kindergarten 20
unite broad mental training with sweet,
gentle horticulture certain corrective,
if any be needed. (Men are SO anxious,
by the way, lest women should be too
"strong-minded." / wonder it seldom
occurs to them to worry lest they be too
aOeGE-minded.)
It is not enough that divine ideas
man gotten, so they say-should exist in
the world; there must be the necessary
devotion, endurance and self.sacrifice TO
carry them out, and this is the task of
women. We are training our girls too
much like celibates at present, and if
had the eloquence to prove that every
woman should finish her education by
one or two years contemplation and
study of childhood and its needs, I
should feel that had done an inestima-
BILE service to humanity. Herbert Spen-
Ger says truly that almost the only voca-
ton for which woman is seldom wisely
fitted is the one which she generally
assumes, that of the child's first educa--
tor. sis it that this responsibility is but
a remote contingency? On the contrary,
it is certain to devolve n nine out of ten.
Is it that the discharge of it is easy?
Certainly not; of all functions which the
adult has to fulfill, it is the most difficult.
Is it that each may be trusted, by self
instruction. to ft himself or herself for
the Office of parent? No; not only is the
need of such self-instruction unrecog-
nized, but the complexity of the subject
renders it the one cf all others in which
is least likely to succeed"
"The subject which includes all other
Subjects" says the great philosopher,
land therefore the subject in which q
education should eliminate, is
the Theory and Practice of Education"
LII WuaG HOu1Su AI6 nOSk OSIl-
cient in for the due working-out of their
heaven-born mission, is not the sense of
duty, still less the love, but the sense of
its real importance and the knowledge
fitting them to fulfill it. Froebel, after
years of striving and thought, turned
from the schools to the nurseries, and
from the professors to the mothers.
And truly this work which he COM
mends among the little children of the
land, in home and kindergarten and
school, blesses everyone that touches If,
him that gives and him that takes.
To make children happy gladdens all
human hearts; to be with them, to work
for them, is like sitting in the sunshine,
and Froebei has helped US to understand
and educate them wisely, besides max
ing them happy. He who was left a
motherless babe, who became an orphan
youth and a childless man has bequeathed
TO the children what Is indeed priceless
legacy, and every true, high-minded
should constitute herself execu-
trix that each of these little ones may
receive his righttul inheritance. It is
impossible for such q woman to study
Froebel and be any hing but earnest, for
be fills one with divine enthusiasm for
that makes one long, unspeak-
ably, to guide and guard it rightly.
We are most of US accustomed now to
value kindergarten work as an educa-
tional force at the beginning OF chlld's
life in the nursery and school; we are