St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-22

the children so rull or good spirltsf surely
here we find freedom which is not license;
work which is even play; children willing
to work without persuading process. Come
over to the little tables covered with net
children are doing. Do you know that all
the best work in the world is done upon
such basis? All natures wonders are
wrought upon this net, even though 1t be
so fine that man often cannot see 1t. But
he borrows it for use in his artistic crea-
| tiOns
The kindergarten gives the child this start
| ing point that he may make his vague in
definite ideas definite in space in the first
place. and may become accurate and grow
| into knowledge of truth in art.
The highest power in man is this right OF
becoming a creator of good works. How i'm
portant it is, then, that the way in which
! the power is first used shall be based upon
culture in advance OF the child stage OF
! arrangement to the child For all creation,
so far as man is concerned. is merely
Encouragement of what has already been
| created
The civilization of man has left two great
| gifts to the child of today, It's literature
and its architecture. Upon the truths FOUND
| in these the kindergarten bases all lts
physical intellectual and spiritual work. For
| it is these that have interpreted to US the
! beauty in nature, man and God. but as
man needs great seers to show, through their
! deeper Insight the great everlasting and
! universal laws TO him, so the child would
! have interpreters OF the great world of mat
/ ter mind and spirit. The kindergarten, of
which Froebel was the founG er, supplies win
/ educative toys just this key to the little
child, and by means of story, song and
/ game aids his expressive powers in Ian
guage.
! These much wondered at, much misunder-
/ stood playthings are intended to make the
! child familiar with the underlying Ia" Vi
art. which is grand harmony OF parts.
The kindergarten materials, which are oniy
! a means TO an end give the child series
! Of materials which he may nvestigate' Ill
| vide into parts and unite again into new
| Wholes without destroying the necessary ere
ment in al good creation, a regularity Oh
! order a symmetry of arrangement OF parts
! however small. For it is the internal tnought
and plan, after all that makes tne az aC
in the world. Michael Angelo said oil eN-
ternal beauty: 1T is the fTal ana weary
weed in which God dresses the soul whlch
he has called into time. .,,, -
difference and harmony" found IN nature,
has brought forth the fine arts. Inc cHIIu
might have this great law embodied mo SIM IN
/ pie objects, implying only one point VI I tie
! law at a time. The kindergarten series TINS
might and makes it reality giving the me
child a series of playthings embodylng an OF
the essential qualities OF all objects, thaC by
| means of comparison with varied forms, he
may first know the essentials; afterwards the
| non-eSsentials and variations.
Thus the child may have playthlngs ehlpouy-
ing the laws of all art, of all mind. ..
| But alas these playthings must be interpret
! ed as we'll as all deep things. Man is only !usl
! coming into that fuller CONSCIOUSNESS VI
which he has been growing towaras thesg
many centuries. All great literature, all
great art, though produced by the chlio race,
I is only now being interpreted to man, SHOWING WING
that he is looking with opening sight over
his past, that he may more clearly conlpre-
bend himself in past present and future.
The kindergarten gifts and occupations are
| pictures to him, too, of his stage OF mentai
| growth; as we read the child and the play
thing, we may trace correspondence IL we
look closely. The material becomes more COM
ac desires
represent details, advancing from soma
whole to a minute line and point, and vice
versa, when he builds up to make permanent
| his knowledge
Thus the child can manage bit Of paper, a
pencil, a coarse needle, little sand or clay,
| ETC. before he can build a real house, or paint
! a picture. For this reason, the kindergarten
gives him more material to analyze and less TO
use up that he may create upon the knoWleoge
gained and not with weak foundation, which
! always shows weakness of character.
''Do what you know" says Emerson, ana
perception is converted into character
The outgrowth of freedom has always been
love of beauty. "A love OF outer natlnoH y
| the souls rest we are told. Free man ere
ates first beautiful architecture This 49,
| therefore, the first art produced. The mar
| monious knitting together of parts which re-
| suits in an organic unity that almost rivals
natures many wonders gives us st. Peters, or
| a Parthenon.
Ruskin tells us, "All art is abstract in its
beginnings; that it to say, 1t expresses only
small number of the qualities of the thing
represented. Curved and complex lines are
represented by straight and simple ones; IN
terror markings of forms are few, and much
is symbolical and conventional. There is a
resemblance between the work of great ma
ton, In this phase ana the WORK Of e.
less observer. might attach something IKE
| ridicule to it."
This thought of simplicity is the dominant
one pervading all of the material used in the
kindergarten. In order to give the child clear
impressions Of form, we must abstract the
many curves and Irregularities The form
must give a permanent, unchangfng appear
ance in whatever position the child sees 1t, in
the beginning; then a few more qualities are
| added until he gradually knows all the
essential characteristics of objects
child's knowledge of art the basis of the
beauty of life, should begin as soon as he is
able to use his hands, that by doing good. he
may know the right, without having to wan
der in many paths leading in wrong ways
"And what connection do solids, planes.
lines and points have with nature?" one
asks. Every object in nature shows some
manifestation of acting force. This manifes-
! tation we may find revealed in each of these
! ways, through solid, plane, line and point.
| Art seiZes these qualities of all objects and
| turns them into her own use, and we find
architecture, sculpture and painting the re-
| suits.
The good of such art education to the
child is that it leads him to understand him
| self, made in the Image of Cod" AS there
is binding together Of parts in nature and
art, so the "goal of life is union sweet, we
part only again to meet" The child ad-
vances from knowledge of nature to the trans
ferred or spiritual meaning of nature, from
essence of form TO essence of spirit.
''More and more may thy light be transformed
from outer to inner,
! Till thou be risen from godship of nature to
! godship of spirit"
What is civilization but gradual uniting
of individuals, families, trades, states, ma
items into one great brotherhood for the good
! of all mankind? The kindergarten leads the
| child in story and game through these rela-
tionships, that as he lives through each one
| in play, he may grow into the fuller realza-
! ton that HE that is greatest among you
must be servant of ALL" and may attain unto
this highest standard. AS spirit connects
man and God art connects man and nature.
| Each reveals each, and the child even in the
| kindergarten may be united with all, may in
clude all, until finally he shall become the
universal being God intended him to be.
Build on and make thy castles high and fair,
Rising and reaching upward to the skies;
Listen TO voices in the upper air,
Nor lose thy simple faith in mysteries
Nellie A. Lloyd,
st. Paul Teachers Training School.