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

| and childish graces that should be cul-
tivated and applied to home life? Has
not the child brothers and sisters and
playmates and about 1t all the real
world in which it must live and move
and have it's being? Then, you say to
me: you would have no fairy stories,
no myths, no folk lore no dolls, no
illusions?" Yes, l would, but I would
not use them for instruction; that is,
for building material for the structure
we call character, or for building into
the character. I would not cause these
natures to asssimilate them, nor to
feel the need Of then1 except for their
exact value.
Such cultivation of the ina ginat ton Is
not pedagogical, because it is a. pour
ing-in process and not development
Of anything within. It is not psyche
logical, because it's Juxta position to
ess entail or actual truths suggests to
the ckild-mind no means Of their use or
application, except by unnatural pro-
, cesses. 1t is Illogical because it places
in array no line Of truths or duties, or
healthful hopes and aspirations. It is
sometimes dangerous, because it leads
away from useful toll into the realm
of idle dreaming, where discomfort and
irritabil1ty and a longing after the un-
attainable torment and render useless
the life There is at the present time
O. mall holding a responsible position
as an educator, who Is highly educated
himself, and is gifted with q strong
mind and a good heart, who Is devoting
g. large part Of his time, although at
the head of a so-called university, to
sending through the mail countless
questions touching childish inf1rmities
and deformities, and trying in many
ways to prove that resemblance exists
between children and savageS, and be
tween children and the lower animals.
A distinguished disciple of this man
has been for year or more in an in
sane asylum, unfortunately not as an
inmate, studying the peculiarities Of the
insane, in order that he may tell you
how to teach the children under your
care. Do these means of reaching the
truth commend themselves to you?
They talk of the multiplication Of brain
cells. then increase or decrease their
growth or decay very much, as If the
brain were indeed the vegetable growth
that we have sometimes called It, Shall
we go to these men to study child
nature? I knew once Of an advanced
educator of this school, saying to an
earnest, successful assistant: Really
I cannot allow you to go on this way
any longer You do not understand
child nature at ALL" and, pray, what
is child nature?" the assistant inquired.
Why you should know it is the nature
of the primitive man, and you treat 1t
as If it's nature were the same as your
own.
From the day that entered upon the
work Of teaching, as you have done,
l sought to know how and wherein /
could best meet the grave responsible
| tiles of my calling. What teacher, with
her pupils before her anxiOusly await
| ing her advice or her counsel, has not
| felt great desire to say something
! that would help, to do something that
| would defend against the dangers that
later were sure to assail them. Through
| the long years of my work and study,
| stronger and ever stronger has grown
| the conviction that we must turn to
| the Great Master Of us all as our guide
| and example. There Is an old man In
| England who for years has spent all
| his time and devoted all his energies
| to the attempt to create a system of
philosophy which shall entirely ignore
the name of the deity. He will short
| ly die, and 1t shall not be remembered
| that he ever performed an act or said
| g. word that blessed and comforted or
| relieved his fellows. But an old man
died in England a few years ago, who,
| If he had but composed the one song
Lead, Kindly Light, would still have
| been followed by the blessings and
prayers of those whom he had COM
forted and saved.
|
to me over and over, again and again;
the wild night on the sea- the dimly
lighted chamber in Galilee, in which
q crowd Of rough, earnest men are dis
cusslng the question as to which shall
| be greatest. At last they appeal to
the Master; and "He took a little child
and set 1t in the midst Of Them" and
recall that elsewhere he has said:
''Whosoever shall offend against one
of these little ones; it were better that
a milestone were hanged about his
neck and he were cast into the sea, 1"
and I believe 1t all.
During the past month I have stood
beside more than one teacher, who,
watching the lines pass out, has said
with feeling: 1.-THE dear children" Yes,
| the dear children. Let us discard the
primitive man theory. You do not be-
| lieve 1t. Rather shall we not hold
with Emerson, that every child born
| into the world is the gift Of a new Mes
! stah given into the arms of fallen hui
| mainly to lead men back to Paradise
or with Longfellow:
"a child more than all other gifts
| That earth offer to declining man
| Brings hope with it, and forward looking
| thoughts"
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