The Press., 1897-08-12
Gloucester Times.) THE KINDERGARTEN.

I
 As we have been asked by number to advance a few ideas upon the Kindergarten System, we cheerfully comply, as we be- lieve it to be the best and normal system for the little beginner
 Many, perhaps, unacquainted with the system, will say, "Why, what makes the difference, so long as my childis at school P, To this we will reply that there is the most striking contrast between the present Pri- mary School System and that of the Kin dergarten. The latter consists in the utilization of the natural traits and activity of young children. There are certain laws which govern the development of children, which was discovered by Froebel, who has in the most wonderful, beautiful and simple method, adopted means to this end.
 The dear little pet is now three years old, endowed by his Heavenly Father with activity, energy and senses all alive and awake to the beautiful world into which he has entered, and the dear mamma knows full we'll how many times each day she is interrogated with numberless questions of ''what is this?" Chow ?'' and "why ?" till she is weary in answering, but feels fully confident that he should have faithful, patient reply. ....
 Now, where is the appropriate place for such an one9 The Kindergarten, we reply; the Paradise of Childhood" where hands and brain, in work and play, preserve a happy equilibrium.
 The furniture and arrangements for a Kindergarten must have a special adap- tation to this method of teaching. The desks are covered with lines, which make squares of an inch; this teaches the chill dren to arrange the materials in an orderly manner, and as rules are given for each occupation, in few days you will see the little three year-old as intently counting the squares, to know on which line to place his blocks or sticks, as if he had been born to do nothing else This enables the child to comprehend direction up" and "down, bright" and left" are illustrated by these squares, and there is nothing VI uOA OA 4IhSOIllS dUOllL lJ.
 Froebel has found that by combining knowing and doing, very young child is made capable of receiving impressions, which become by degrees the basis of ideas, and the chasm from the unknown to the known, from the concrete to the abstract, is bridged over, notsonly successfully, but very happily, by the various delightful occupation of the Kindergarten and the instruction with the Kindergarten gives by means of them
 All this is done without any strain of mind, or weariness of body, but as the dainty petals open under the sunlight and genial showers, so expands the mind of this little child, who has heretofore never spent day out of the light of his mothers eyes.
 The genial Kindergartner, whose skill has been attained only through faithful | study of her subject, whose tenderness thrills in her voice and whose sincere love for childhood has led her to devote herself to this important work, cannot fail to attract the little one. What an influence a teacher may exert; and it lasts forever! An unkind look or careless expression may be instrumental or. never-ending conse- quences, even as
 "A pebble in the streamlet scant
 Has turned the course of many river;
 A dew-drop on the infant plant
 Has warped the giant oak forever"
 Many may be under the impression that the preparation and work of Kinder garten teacher is very simple. Not so, to the true system. A pupil of the Madam Krause School, of New York City, of the Froebel System, was engaged one year, in earnest devoted study, writing two essays a week upon the subject, while the most of her evenings were spent in preparation for the coming day.
 l wonder if parents ever realize how much knowledge their child has gained in three years and how much he has to take with him into this Child's Paradise, where he will receive his cards and each perfora- tion be made by him quarter of an inch apart, and with his bright colored worsted and a needle he Is shown how to put 1t |
 
 back and forth, so as to form straight lines in series; he is told these are 'verti- cal, and when this is fully taken in, he is shown how to make horizontal" lines, and before his mother is aware of it he is using these terms intelligently in regard to objects around him. He, very likely, while at the tea-table, will place his knife or fork in either of these positions to show that he really understands what he is studying, and will be very proud to do it and love to talk about it.
 The next hour may come the drawing lesson, and there is a perfect system to be done on ruled slates, first. making the | vertical and perpendicular lines until they form perfect squares ofvaEious sizes This is the foundation for system of drawing