The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-20

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George Parkinson Comes OUT Brilliant
and Finished Orator The others Make
Very Fine Address and are Generously
AppIauded-Professor Dyer Addresses
the Glass in a Conciliating Manner.
Five young ladies and one young gen
tleman graduated last night from the
CITY normal school. They were Eva
Drusella Bush, Josephine Whitehead,
-~ Addie Maria Thomas, Bertha Bell Myers
Kitty Inez Jackson and George II. Par
kinson.
The graduating exercises were held in
the auditorium and was a complete
and inspiring success.
The stage of the auditorium was beau
tffulIy decorated with plants and flow
ers and presented most charming ap-
pearance.
The seats on the stage were occupied
by President Herman and wife, of the
school board, the superintendent of the
normal school. the fair graduates, Miss
Kate English. Rev. Mr.. Burns Of the
Emporia avenue Methodist church, Su-
periutendent of Schools Frank Dyer
and the Schubert quartet, consisting Of
Messrs Blume. Huffman. Meissner and
Dunbar.
A fine feature Of the commencement
exercises was the music by the Schubert
quartet The piano was ably manipu-
lated by Miss Jessie Clark, superintend-
emit of music Of the public schools.
Our Treasure was the subject of
the essay of Miss Bush and It dealt prin
cipally with memory. Miss Bush is
a bright young lady and she treated
her subject in a manner that brought
for it generous applause.
discipline" was the subject of the
address of Miss Thomas. 1t treated
principally of the value Of discipline in
child life and especially in the public
schools. She acquitted herself very
honorably and received the plauditS of
the large audience present.
Literature in the School Room" was
the subject matter that Miss Myers ap-
piled bright mind TO and she discuss
ed it ably and admirably. AIisst Myers
IS young lady of more than ordinary
ability and her address was received
with great favor by the audience.
Star Of My Heart" was the beautiful
song sweetly sung by Miss Kate Eng
lish. Miss English was in good voice
and presented charming appearance.
before the footlights. She was not
only applauded but enchored.
Flashes From Child Life" was the
essay by Miss Jackson. 1t was a
charming conception and was replete
kindergarten humor. Miss Jackson has
all the attributes of a popular essayiSt.
She has the action and utterance of a
finished scholar and in addition has the
appearance that adds interest to what
she says:
The True Aim" was the subject OF
George Parkinson's address. 1t was
revelation to the audience as the
young man came forth not as the bash
full school hoy but as an orator of really
fine qualities. He has adopted the
style of Mr.. Colt as well also as his
manner Of thought on vital questions.
His oraltory is beyond question superb
but his logic is little bit weak at some
points. Taking his address as a whole
it was undoubtedly brilliant for such
a young man. He was applauded sew
eral times. Unquestionably the best ad
dress OF the evening was that delivered
by Miss Josephine Whitehead. Miss
Whitehead is quite a genius not only
on account of the general interesting in
formation of her address but the ease
and taste of its delivery. II 1t was put
to a vote of the house Miss Whitehead
would have easily borne off the palm
for having the best address. Her ad-
dress is as follows:
CHILD STUDY-MISS WHITE LEAD
About the middle OF the eighteenth
century in the northern part of France
man Of brilliant intellect penned these
words:
People do not understand childhood.
With the false notions we have of il.
the further we go, the more We blunder.
The wisest apply themselves to what
II is important 10 men 10 know. without
onsideTing what children are in a con-
dition to learn. They are always seek
ing the man in the child, without re-
flecting what he is before he can be a
man. We never know how to put our
selves in the place of children. We do
not enter into their ideas, we lend them
our own; and following always our own
train Of Thought, we fill their heads.
even while we are discussing incontesti-
BILE truths, with extravaganza and err
ror. I wish that some judicious hand
would give US a treatise on the art of
studying children; an art of the great
est Importance to understand. though
fathers and preceptors know not as yet
even the elements of f."
Swallowed by a life of irrerula rity
and moral baSeness, The-words of Rous-
seau fell unheeded upon the ears of his
countrymen.
Across the mountains in Switzerland
a few years later, we find a man OF
matches zeal studying by day and
night his little school The eighty pu-
pills were divided among the seven pu-
Pill teachers so that each teacher had
from twelve TO sixteen boys which were
given him for special observation and
study. 1t was the duty Of the teacher
10 take the place of private tutor 10
these pupils and 10 take note OF the
peculiarfties Of their dispositions.
Every week a meeting was held to com
pare and discuss the observations which
they had made They recorded their
conclusions in book kept for that pur-
pose.
We hear in the school room of Pes
tatozza the echo of Rousseau's words
and the promise of their fulfillment
In this little school at Yverdun were
realized the one first attempt TO study
the child-mind and to keep records OF
all observations.
Pestaiozzi however. was so visionary
and Impractical in his methods that the
educators OF his time were estranged
from him and il was not until a cen