The record-union., 1897-08-15

ground IOr casts anu pTOlOSTdpuS. he
ceilings should be in ivory white, con-
serving light by reflection and in key
with the other colors.
The finish of the woodwork should
relate to the wall colors, and its treat
ment be a conscientious study. Wood
work in schoolrooms is often ruined
again its grain beauty is destroyed by
wax filling processes that forbid any
improvement under the touch of time.
When possible the floor should be
moderately dark, as better for the chill
dren's eyes-in this the example of ma
ture should be followed. for the light
should always fall from above and not
strike the eye by reflection from be
low.
These things are to-day largely for
gotten or wholly overlooked, but they
are to be recognized as essentials and
| fundamentals, stimulating cleanliness
and cultivating artistic tastes Lowell
ness of form and color must be ap-
parent in the windows. so she would
break the monotone Of glaring glass,
with occasional lead lines, and SIM
pie tracery. and perhaps a bright jew
el, in itself an object lesson in design
and color.
Melodious and home-like aspects
should distinguish the schoolhouse, and
next the sentiment of patriotism should
find expression. So in the entrance hall
the flags of nation and State should be
| stacked on either hand, and on the
walls be glazed busts of our great men,
with date and historical lines. Chief
among them, the portrait of Washing
| ton should appear, that now and then
a wreath or flower placed beside it may
testify to the natural piety" of which
| Wordsworth speaks, and that in our
| children is not dead but sleeping.
The essayist should would have the
city or town seal over the main en-
trance. giving an impression fitted to
| inspire the generous emotion of coun-
try" and which 'fs one of the sources
of artistic development" Larger
schoolhouses she would have well
| filled with patriotic emblems, pictures
of national history and objects of local
renown. Lecture and recitation-rooms
should be adorned with objects of art
of a more strictly educational charac-
ter
| She would not attempt to match the
room with the lessons taught therein.
On the contrary, in the room where
American history is the theme, she
would have pictures of the worlds
great heroes set in the imperishable
forms of great art. She would have
Marathon and Afgincourt show the re-
lationship Of American struggles to all
the great battlefields Of the past.
On recitation-room walls, busts and
bas-reliefs and enlarged photographs
Of the best art of Greece and the
Renaissance, and views of Grecian
architecture and casts of classic sculpt-
ure, and full-length statues might be
presented in Photographic work-thus
would she adorn a recitation-room,
even placing above the blackboards
small casts in brackets or bas-reliefs
on the wall. Much attention must be
| given to the arrangements of the OBJ
jects to produce symmetry and a har-
D1nnf0nc o6i11 oc11o1 or
| eccentric method of arrangement can
defeat at a. blow the artistic impress
sion of the collection.
In the room devoted to art of the
| Renaissance she would place bas-re-
| liefs of Robbia and Donatello, end
less in their lovely details Small
shelves over the doors could hold little
objects interesting in detail of form
and color like vases, cups and platters
and studies of decoration.
Another source of beauty in the
| school would be tablets of memory and
affection as a natural outcome Of school
life because there is deep need to bring
| the personal feeling of the child into
active manifestation in connection with
| its studies. Tablets commemorative Of
goodness or courage in pupil or teacher
would strengthen the feeling of COM
| panionship and mutual faith. Cab
| inets to hold local collections OF tradi-
| tional interest and personal and local
association should be provided, while
a large and lone element of artistic
decoration is found in the use OF beau
tiful and inspiring legends upon the
walls.''
| To these objects of environment to
the symmetrical and architecturally
beautiful building, rightly adorned,
Mrs Whitman would add manual train
ing, not in drawing only, which is not in
| itself art instruction, but use of the
| hands in modelling, sewing, work at
! bench, ETC., while real art instruction
cannot, she holds, be a part of popu-
| lar education, for it must be special,
| and responsive to the demands of I'm
inner gift
| We are doubtful of this branch of
the argument The danger is in tack
| ing upon the school system too many
'specialties,' too much of manual
training, such as sewing, the arts of
| housewifery. tool-trades. etc. These
we look upon as secondary to the pri-
NAL necessity of educational ground
ing in the English branches. III math-