Evening journal., 1898-07-27
TOO MUCH HELP.
FOr Those Who Are Learning the Les-
sons OF Life Intelligent Letting
Alone Is Good.

Alone Is Good.
Kindness of heart, sympathy with the
inability of those who seem incapable
aud hating, or with those who are
youngand inexperienced, often prompts
the competent and executive ones of
earth TO render assistance whenever
It is asked for and TO help them TO pull
through all sorts of worrisome and diff
ficult undertakings. This they do as
matter of course. and congratulate
themselves that "the job is well off
their hands"
That they have been helpful is surely
to their credit, but that the assistance
rendered has been judiciously bestowed
is question about which there may
be a great diversity Of opinions.
Help is not always the best that can
be given to those who are learning the
lessons of life. Intelligent letting
alone" was one of the great benefits
conferred by one of the most eminent
professors on the members Of his
classes. He always gave a little jog TO
the minds and memories of his pupils
just at the right time, but he never did
their work for them. His idea was that
there should be gradual unfolding Of
facts to the intelligence Of the pupil
whatever the age or condition of that
pupil might be- lNhen / have solved
that boys problems for him, | have
simply done his work and boosted
him. so TO speak, over his temporary
difficulties without having been Of any
material service 10 him. Therefore, l
leave him to shift for himself as much
as possible. 1t is almost always the
case that he has been badly grounded
Ia his tasks, and must go back to FIRST
principles and started anew. When the
line of study is entirely new, l take the
utmost pains TO explain and elucidate
every point and make it so clear before
hand that there will be no chance for
Misunderstanding or clogging Of ideas.
I believe that very many pupils are
hampered and befogged by too little ex-
planation at the beginning, and too
much talk and assistance afterward.
Never having acquired a distinct and
thorough comprehension Of the subject
with which they are required to. strug-
gle, they grope along in semi-darkness,
/ stumbling over obstacles here, and get
ting blows at the sides OF the head
there. That they do not make salts
factory progress is thing not to be
/ wondered at. Indeed, the marvel Is
that they make out anything at all.
know several men who have been
troubled all of their lives because they
were not quick at figures. One of them
told me that when lad hewas put al
school where the teacher invariably
turned the pupils loose" as he ex
pressed it. "into all sorts Of stubbly and
thorny paths, and when they hat
loundered about hopelessly, and got
[ ten all tangled up and discouraged
lifted them out by the ears regardless
Of the feelings of the victims. Ifthe,
couldn't understand, he trounced then
severely and then sat down and wor
ried with them until they grnsped th
subject and expressed themselves a
able to cling to it for better or 70
worse"
The proper way to teach hard lesson!
is TO prepare the mind for them. ther
gradually lead up TO the first principles
then on by slow and easy stages, nof
forgetting or ignoring any of the In
termediate steps in the task. II would
be very faulty engineering that would
build bridges and causeways and leav,
out intermediate spans and grea
spaces in the foundations. But this il
in one sense precisely what many IN
structors are doing every day.
One of the most important portion
Of the training Of the young and mex
perienced is TO cultivate their grasl
and understanding, enlarge their ca
pacity, and increase their eomprehen
siveness.-N. Y. Ledger.