The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-12-02

realities of life and constructs a character
lacking in the essential quality of stabii-
ity. A lop-sided development is to be
avoided and fact and fancy are ingre-
dients that enter into the mental and
moral compound of child that should
be added in proper proportions. Air cas-
ties built in day dreams often prove dis
astrous TO the successful accomplishment
of life's prospects. False notions of life
breed discomfort and discomfort is the foe
to success and happiness. And then a
child should be spared such nervous
shocks as sometimes fall to his lot. How
often children are frightened into good
behavior by telling them of imaginary
goblns and bears that are waiting to
carry off naughty children. How often
miserable, wretched ghost stories and
such like are told in their presence from
which manv times they never fully re-
cover, which create in them a timid,
shrinking disposition which will always
operate to their disadvantage. Too much
emphasis cannot be placed upon such
cruel and wicked acts which are prac-
ticed often by those who ought to know
better. Let the mind be kept pure and
free from fear and falsehood, and with
such a love for, and boldness in truth
that when evil does appear it shall be
only TO cause disgust and revolt.
Now let us notice the positive side or
the building-up process. The mind
should be developed through the acquisi-
ton of good and useful knowledge. De-
velopment begins with life, education
with the first dawn of intelligence. The
child is bound to grow. He cannot help
it and you cannot hinder him, and it lies
with you what the character of this
growth shall be, whether elevating or
degrading, whether into a good, strong,
noble, useful manhood or into a wretched
life that benefits no one and Injuries all.
The fundamental principle of child train
ing consists, l believe, in the develop
ment of the individual judgment. In
this there is involved the idea of choice,
and choice implies the possession Of facts
of knowledge. TO amplify this would be
to exceed my present limit of time. A
simple illustration may aid in making
clear my meaning. Your little boy asks
permission to go to some place. You
can say no, or yes, as you wish and have
| done with the matter and leave him no
better off in any way; perhaps worse at
what he may deem an injustice. The
matter is settled and the boy has learned
nothing. But instead of this you draw
out the reasons for and against. 1t may
be desirable in many respects to go while
there may be serious objections. Bring
out these facts and let him weigh them
and encourage him in a right choice foI
himself. Or it may be regarding some
piece of work. or something that involves
the expenditure of money, in which he
is permitted to think and act for himself
gather his own data. arrive at his owr
conclusion and carry out his own will
There is thus brought into exercise al
the mental, moral and spiritual powers
which under judicious guidance will de-
veiop a man of broad intelligence, keer
perception, fine discrimination, stronl
purpose and accurate judgment.
1t has been said that the great art o
teaching is for the teacher to render him
self unnecessary to his pupil. Parents
can not always be with their children
hence they should teach them to ge
along without them. l believe one grea
cause for so many weak characters in tn
world, those who are so easily led about
is that they have never been taught Il
think for themselves and act on thei
own judgment. One of the chief ele
ments in success is the ability to grasl
situations and form conclusions quickly
"There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to for
tune,
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shadows and in miseries."
Some seem to think little children un
der five or six years too young to learI
things useful and so pay no attention t.
them. But we must not under-rat,
childish intelligence. If they can learr
things wrong at that age, as we know
they do, why may they not learn what il
useful and good if it be made plain anC
simpler How few there are when they
enter the schools have anything to show
for these earlier years, whereas the,
might have such a foundation laid tina
would not necessitate ten or twelve year
in doing what should be accomplished il
much less time. The mother Of two
bright, but not remarkable, children
of three and five years, said her childrel
enjoyed greatly poems from Whittier
"Childlife in Poetry" Stevenson
"Childs Garden of Verse;" "The Ballat
of John Gilpin" and others of a simila
character, and l have seen children o
seven or eight years whose knowledge o
history, travel, geography and biograph.
would put to shame many an older head
And these were not prodigies by an.
means but ordinarily bright childrel
whose parents had read TO them from
books on these subjects. A simple ex
ample will serve to illustrate, Take
small globe. At first to the child O
three years it is but plaything, a toy
but by degrees it becomes more. IL
will soon learn the shape of the earth
the points of the compass, the distribu
ton of land and water, the variation il
climate, the products of each, the variou
races of people and their location, thei
character and customs naturally follow
the political divisions of nations. Thel
will follow simple sketches of historca
biographies with tracings on the globe
where great men have lived and wha