St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-06-18
Some Rambling Thoughts.
COPYRIGHTED BY MEMO"


COPYRIGHTED BY "NEMo."
To THE BOYS AGAM:-We will enjoy
one more brief talk about fighting and
then next week must turn back to SUBJ
jects for older folks. The reason have
written to you about battles for these
three weeks has been because of the great
amount of war news in the papers and
because of the keeping of Decoration day
in number of states. And since there
are many boys who think only Of battles
in connection with bloodshed, it seemed
right to show you other ways offighting.
1t is, think, now understood between
us that most of us will never be called to
conflict except that of brains against
brains; also, that all of us are in state
Of siege because of temptations that are
trying to work damage to our charac-
tiers; temptations that really do us good
tive resist them. Now, want to give
you some idea that there may be soldiers
in your neighborhood, whom you have
never thought of as being fighters at all.
| know school teacher very thor
oughly in little country town. She
gave several years to preparing to teach
and she teaches well. She gets very little
pay, yet she never complains, because she
Ieels sure she is at the post of duty.
Scarcely any Of the parents ever come to
see her at work, or cheer her witha word
of thanks; and sometimes saucy chits OF
girls will whisper to each other that she
is an "old maid" because she is over
twenty-five. She reminds me OF good
general who lays out plan Of campaign
so well, that he is quite sure he is right,
and then carries out the plan in
spite of all opposition by the enemy or
by lazy helpers. He tries to be right and
to be successful, or if he cannot be sue
cesstu, at any rate to be right; so does
she. The old Roman legions stood up
for many years attempting to roll back
the flood Of barbarians that threa tened
the northern boundary; but bravery
failed and the Roman Empire went to
pieces. This dear woman is just one OF
many there are such soldiers right in
your town-who stand by school. desks
like modern Roman soldiers, and fight
with the danger that threatens our land
from ignorant men and women. The
greatest power of warriors could not
make knowledge increase; but what the
arm of flesh and deadly warfare would
fail to do, the patient, gentle, large
hearted teachers are doing and doing
successfully, else our dear country would
not be improving as it is. want to say
some more about this teacher because
know there are many more like her. You
would say OF soldier that he was good
one If he contented himself with doing
exactly as he was told. But teachers
are not like this; nearly all of them do
much more than they are paid for. My
friend, for instance, lives in town that
has very bad name. There is much
drinking and roughness and vulgar talk
and vice. This pure-minded little lady,
who is hired merely to train the brains of
the children is not content with doing
that, but she is also watching over their
morals. Her great heart takes them all
in, and she is trying, unaided by many
of the parents, to roll away the shame Of
her town. She does this by often ex-
planning the right and wrong of things
to all who come under her care. She
is soldier, I tell you, and brave one !
Perhaps there is one like her in your
school house. Please think of teachers
in future as fighters for good, and you
will then easily understand that the
weakest fighting of all is that of mere
bodily strength.