The record-union., 1898-11-26


Amusements are replaced. in part, by
| his interest-first in religion, then in
man; finally in nature. His knowi-
| edge increases and with 1t an ability
| to construct and to invent. His amuse-
ment now becomes his recreation; his
| interest has led to wisdom The saw
age has become enlightened. Mankind
| is the prototype of man. The savage,
| the civilized, the enlightened, the child,
| the youth, the man, amusement, inter
| est. wisdom.
| In every business or profession, there
are thoughts that become commonplace.
| 1t is to one of these thoughts that
| wish to call your attention.
| How many pupils there are who have
a natural deficiency for scientific work
how few who have a natural aptitude.
| In fact, we have become SO accustomed
to this failing that we have gone so
far as to arbitrarily divide all minds
into two classes-the literary and the
scientific. and have placed e. large ma
| jority in the first class.
It has become a very serious question,
in my mind, whether, in so doing, we
are not confessing to or at least ex-
cusing weaknesses of our own. In
general, minds become what we make
them and if properly cultivated will ex-
pand freely and fully. With few
notable exceptions-perhaps one or two
| in a century-children develop along the
| line of their training.
I have a vivid impression of a cele-
brated Eastern educator telling this
assembly-during previous session.
that children could learn anything, and
would learn what they could. He il
| lustrated, in very pleasing way, by
citing certain doggerel poetry such as
one hears every day when children are
playing games.
| 1t is easy to see why the majority
| Of young minds are literary, they have
no way to learn science.
| Until quite recently scientific toys
have not been sold in this country.
| Breakfast talks are not upon the sub
| ject of mathematics or physics. The
gardener does not know botany. The
| library shelves are filled with novels or
poetryrir1 short-the child obtains only
occasional giimpses into the scientific
world.
| Unfortunately some of the questions
| Of early childhood are scientific and the
parent-never an ardent student OF
| science herself-soon teaches the child
| that it is useless to ask questions of
| that nature, In this condition the child
reaches the schoolroom. His mind
| ripe for anything and prepared with
more or less Of a literary foundation
| develops along the lines of least resist
ance.
His work in mathematics, geography
! and physiology does not show enthusi-
| asm. We grow enthu; siastic over those
| things concerning which we know the
| most
| Perhaps the most valuable part OF
his mental training is sighted because
| home influences do not encourage 1t
| and teachers do not realize it. / call
! scientific training the most valuable
| advisedly Science teaches us how to
| farm, how to build roads, how to mine,
| how to make comfortable homes, how
| to preserve health She forecasts the
weather. cures the sick, explains ma
| ture-in fact we depend upon her for
/ counsel and advice in every depart
ment and condition of life We recog-
nize her usefulness, yet we do not
stimulate her growth. Scientific train
/ ing certainly ought to be encouraged.
It remains to discuss the best methods.
| The recent DEVELOPMENTS in child
study and the establishment of kinder
| gartens, which have been furnished
with apparatus for the purpose of
teaching scientific facts show that our
/ prominent educators are heartily in
sympathy with the thought that sci
ence just as much as literature should
begin at the cradle, and is best taught
there by toys The plaything is fast
becoming the most valuable of in
| structors.
A most pleasing illustration of its
utility as such was recently told me by
friend concerning his little girl. Her
plaything was the moon. and the
amusement which she derived from it
| is incalculable. She would watch IL
as it rose at night; would hunt for it in
the daytime, and when it was found
| would Jump about and clasp her
hands in glee. She frequently ex-
pressed a desire to go up to the moon,
and was one day seen vainly trying to
move ladder that she might climb
| thither. 1t was but a few months
/ later, when. seeing the moon appar-
4 emily rising just over neighbors s
| house, she turned to her father and
said: IF / should put the ladder
| against that house. I could not reach
/ the moon, could ~ A second later
/ came the question, What makes the
moon stay up there?" Similar ques-
tion continually arise from the amuse-
ments of children, and judiciously
handled can be made the most power
full of educators.
As the mind develops, the youth re-
quires something more than mere
amusement. He must become part
of his education: his self-interest must
be fed. If a youth is old enough tc
play snap the whip he is certainly
capable of understanding why the
small boy at the end keeps on going. :
The boy throws rock into a pond OF
water. and 1t sinks: board on the
same pond floats He learns to swim
In a certain general way he compares
himself first to the rock; then to the
board. He sees certain points of SINH
llarity and certain differences. If some
good Samaritan would only lend him a
helping hand he would grasp sci
entific truth. which he could recog-
nize in hundred different ways. Nine
out Of ten boys can pitch q curved