Evening journal., 1898-09-08
TELL 4 STORY"

ACRE CMASlS.) SUMMER SCHOOL.
Not the least interesting and instruct
i've address pertaining to child study
was the entertaining lecture given by
Mrs. Pauline Thomas johnson, of Ma
hant, woman who is am adept at
story telling for children, and who
greatly delighted her audience, both old
and young, by her charming recital of
several stories illustrative of the art.
She said that story telling was UNI
doubtedly an art, and happy were they .
who possessed the art. With what adj
miration both old and young would lis
ten to a good story, either told or read
by one who had the power of magnet
ism to hold the attention from begin
ming to end. Yet how few there were
in this modern and progressive age
who had that art or power, and how
many, when asked by the child to tell
story" had to deny the request with
the unsatisfactory answer, Il do not
know any stories"
Shla asked If the story had less place
in the present age than in the past?
Had story telling gone cut of fashion?
She believed not. There were just as
many children clamoring for stories to-
day, and just as many oder people
whose happiness was increased by
story telling, as in days gone by. Many
looked back upon their childhood days
with joy, ais they recalled the happy
story; how, when in the gloaming, they
gathered round the freside and listened
to tales told by loved ones, and, when
the story ended-which was always
too soon-how they would plead for an
other and another, and just one more!
1t should be considered duty to give
to children to-day the same delight ex-
perienced by themselves as children.
There was nothing that would more
quickly quiet a child or make it more
contented than a story suitable to its
= age.
} 1t might be asked what constituted
the art of story telling? And what sort
) of stories should be given to the chill
dren? She had found that story tod
) rather than read had double the
weight and interest, for the reason that
| the child caught inspiration from the
= glowing ccuntsnance, the Iindling OF
5 the eye, which magnetized it. Children
were always ready for a story in what
e ever form it was presented to them.
I, tBut to be successful it must be simple.
r The story teller must become joyous
light hearted bright; must have ready
Z tact. enter into details, and, most i'm
n portant of all, they must be very famil-
+ lar with the story before telling it
4 Some persons were very apt at making
e story upon occasion from the sim
S plest objects around Mrs. Jchnsol
p then related how THE Pretty Sister Of
e Don Joss" came to be written, it beinl
= the result of spontaneous effort a
n story telling for the pleasure OF
# Young girl. To be beneficial story
e should embrace representative tales o
e all ciasses-narrative, imaginative
realistic and historical. Stories wer'
II the child's first Introduction into tha
d grand world OF the ideal in characte'
e and life: and the first and highest us
e. of stories was to enable child to form
IL pure and noble ideal OF what MAJ
l. NAV be and do. Al child who wa
10 taught only certain moral pTecepts, an
D who had no representation put betor
Id him of those truths expressed in char
IN acters and actions, rising above IN
er common level, would lack the courag'
Id the energy, the aspiration, and sti
to more the humility necessary to rails
he his own character and life to the higI
ur est standard. Children delighted in a
as old story, while fairy story had tn
n greatest charm for them, and was on
,e, of the highest forms of literature. Tne
yn there were lsgories, which were OF
lis more spiritual form than fairy stOrie
DO, These served a coed purpose in reiil
i'm lious teaching and moral training, ais
vo in training children to understand syn
mt bols, nature ard the deep truth sf
at teaches. Fables and realistic stori
us had great value. OF all writers OF fail
lst stories the most successful one was Ill
in doubtedly Hans Christian Anderso
to to whom the children turned again al
M again for pleasure and recreation.
ne. Mrs. Johnson then told several sto
les in her inimitable panner, al
ID. quote what Froebsl had said relative
NJ story telling: Whatever the child fee
'P- in his heart, whatever lives in his son
p. whatever he oannot express in his oV
words, HE would fain have others
as press. Therefore, ear and heart op
0. to the genuine story teller as the bic
icy SONS opan to the sun Of Spring and t
or vernal rain-mind brea.thes mir
lay power feels power, and absorbs 1t,
on it were. The telling of stories !