The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-02-20

once upon time certain silver
smith Acts 10. 2441) gathered a
round him mob, and for several
hours all cried out Great is Diana
of the Ephesians." The silversmith
had most excellent reason for the
agitation, since by belief in Diana
he made his living. As for the rest,
most of them "knew not wherefore
they were come together" but they
shouted just the same. That mob
mot Demetrius himself) has always
stood forth as an example of blind
devotion.
~
Have we in our day any expert
ence with such gathering? / must
answer very carefully, or possibly
later Demetrius may be affronted.
For fifty years or more we have
heard swelling cry that has echoed
and re-echoed through the land,
"Great is Education in the public
SCHOOL, And by sort of mental
infection the cry has been taken up
by all who heard until sEducationl
Education. Edueation,.r greets
the ear on every side Now reckon
there were some Ephesians who wor-
shipped Diana in sincerity and in
truth. They actually gained strength
from the wholesome myths that
had gathered around her, and their
shout, therefore, meant something
far more spiritual than did the rest
of the clamor:-much Of it was for
business" So believe that ed
ucation" on the tongue OF growing
numbers who look deep down into
the conditions of life, means all that
is helpful hopeful in the race. But
with the great swaying, shouting
multitudes, it begins and ends with
parrot-like book knowledge: it is
against this very common view of
the subject that these lines are di-
rected.
~
AS there are myriads Of homes,
each, more or less wisely or mis-
takenly solicitous regarding the vel
fare and the career of one or more
children, perhaps in this column we
may proftably dwell for while on
some phrases of education that are
much overlooked. Furthermore as
these children will be the young peo-
pie of the next century, right idea
Of education will be just as profitable
preparation for the opportunities
of the new age, as will be the mass
ing and unification of reform forces
that / have dwelt ON for the past
weeks.
~
The question to answer to your
self at the outset is what is the
child mind?' Some things it is
certainly Not, and by disposing of
the negatives, the positive purpose
of education becomes clearer. 1t,
the child mind, is not alone a sheet
of paper to be written on at will, nor
a gaping cistern to be filled to reple
tion, nor a plastic substance to be
moulded just as you choose, nor an
animal to be taught to act without
reflection, nor mere machine to be
set going and kept going for the pur-
pose of earning a living until death
puts an end to need. In some ways
it partakes of the nature of all of
THESE figures of speech. But more
than all, it is like an uncultivated
territory to which man, the savioGi,
comes. Absolutely beyond his con
troll if the original outline of that
land. Its rivers, it's hills and it's
valleys were there before ever it
came into his possession. If the
owner has wisdom, however, he care
fully studies every portion and de-
cides on the treatment needed to get
the greatest possible good from the
\ land at his disposal. He drains the
lowlands and makes them produce.
He removes the great boulders left
by glaciers of former ages. He di-
verts stream and makes even dry,
poor soil surrender things that are
good. Furthermore, bear in mind,
that whatever he puts into his fields
by way of fertilizer or of seed is OF
no profit at all if it retains the con
dition or the form in which he dis
tributed it. The soil it is in must
act upon it, taking from the fertil.
izer or giving up to the seed; and
therein is the wisdom of the hus-
bandman shown in sitting his efforts
to the character of the ground and
then leaving light and air, soil and
moisture,-things he never made
and never can make,--to do theil
unobserved work by day and by
night. One other point, and we will
turn to the application of this some
what lengthy similitude:-Each Of
all the tracts of land in your town
calls for different attention. Every
farmer reader of these lines will say
"Amen' to that.
~
I Thus is it with the child mind
Fond mother, bending over YOU
dull-eyed babe for the first look o.
: recognition, though that child il
: YOURS in a wonderful sense. bone of