The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-09

noblest products Of Christian civiliza-
ton, and Hiawatha himself is a splen-
did example, Of the true Christian
spirit" While Il could mot agree with
the teacher that it was proper material
for use at thatGage, / took comfort in
the thought that no unfortunate moral
result might follow. But I fear that
so much may not be said Of myths and
fables, and heroes and gods, of folk
lore OF the Northland, and Of Greece
and Rome, nor by fairy stories, nor by
q perversion Of mature work that by
scientific 60 methods introduces Mr.
and Mrs. Grasshopper and Miss Grass
hopper, and little Miss Cloverleaf and
tMr. Thistle into the polite society Of
little boys and girls. Or 1.Et. ..
1.-TWO arguments are offered In favor
OF this view among others which 1 shall
simply refer to. First, the theory Of
interest, supported by the method Of
indirection, but to this I object, unless
the interest be directly and closely re-
lated to- something actual and neces-
sary, and to indirection I object alto
gether. Mere excitement Of the mind
has no other effect than injury 1t is
Sir William Hamilton, I think, who de-
clares as a law the doctrine that no
emotion should be excited that cannot
find useful and proper channel The
most heartless people sometimes are
the most fearful. They will leave
disOrdered house., and sometimes
suffering family, to which they should
minister, to go to theater, where, I'M
der some melting melodrama, they give
way to weeping until really their
handkerchiefs can hold no more and
then go away deluding themselves
with the idea that they are exceeding
ly tender hearted. The interest aroused
by empty illusions, and myths; that
carry no actual lesson or duty, that
points the way to no noble course Of
life, impoverishes the heart and weak
ems the intellect. And why should we
arouse an interest in them when there
is so much Of the real and the neces-
sary and the practical about them2 In
childhood quite as strongly as at an
other period should we avoid sensation
and mere sentiment. A mother once
inqueried of me If she should take her
child to the theater, assuring me that
she was 50 delighted with the play that
she was entirely carried away. I said
then do not take her; there Is con-
sumption of vital force, Of nerve and
mental power which, If unduly encour-
aged, will break her down. So in re-
spect to school work you have found
that If children were drousy or sleepy
or tired or dull you could arouse them
with some fairy story, or legend of
hero or god. Yes, truly, SO can g. man
stimulate himself with drink or drug,
until he forgets every care, and "o'er
the ills Of life victorious is a stranger
to the difficulties of life, and owns the
world, but is he the better for it?
The other argument relates to the
necessity for the cultivation Of the
imagination. All teachers recognize this
necessity, but there is a false and a
true, a healthy and an unhealthy tmag-
| nation It Is safe to assert that in
| primary work the reading, which is the
chief work, should deal with the ex-
periences Of child life, and that the
| fmag inlation should be so trained or
| cultivated that 1t will lead or suggest
| the way from one experience to an
other. In other words, that it should
keep slightly in advance of the child
! experience. But upon what ground
can we bring in as conserving this end
stories of Greek and Roman detties and
heroes. Is 1t possible that we can find
no better way of teaching that
strength, even though in the right,
should respect authority than by re-
peating to the child the scandalous
Quarrel between Achilles and Agamem-
non, or that we cannot with impunity
divert from their lawful purpose the
| gtft of the gods except by the horrible
story Of the origin and life of the Mi
| notaur2 why should we, when we
would teach the child what beauty is.
take it to A1addin's cave or fairy pal
ace, when we have the rose and the
violet. starlight and moonlight, sunset
and sunrise, the azure vault above and
stretching towards every part of the
horizon landscapes rich and ornamental
with every hue and tint and color that
combine to produce beauty under any
conceivable condition? Why, when we
would give 1T an adequate idea of
strength, would call to it's attention
the story of Hercules rather than point
to the work of the OK or horse or
mighty machine always at hand? Why
should the child be taught that the
| glorious, luminous undulations of many
colored lights that fill the eastern
heaven as they fherald the approach of
day are struck from crystal spheres by
the hoofs of hetsteels of Aurora's char
lot Fastening on to the gates Of the
| morning?
USE OF FAIRY STORIES.
But the fairy stories are so beautiful
and give such delight, would you take
them away and allow the children no
fairy godmother? Let me ask: why
should the child turn towards this
myth in order to lavish it's affection
| upon it? Is not it's own mother in
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