The Somerset reporter., 1899-11-09
Within the masters desk is seen
Deep SCARED with raps official
The warping floor the battered seats
The Jack knife's carved initial.

In view of this true picture of the old,
let the new show walls of white covered
with decorations which meet the spirit
and progress of the age, to beautify,
instruct and adorn. And here let me
say that some care In the selections of
wall decorations shonld be exercised.
A we'll known authority on the subject
says: "Do not for moment imagine
that any old picture is good enough for
the school ROOM No, let them be
pictures of true art. Not gaily colored
posters to advertise some ones soap, or
canned meats, but let them be copies of
good paintings or portraits of noted
Americans and others whose lives are
worth being studied, or told by the
teacher to the smallest pupils In school.
In most schools 10 New England the
national flag Is found. There is a pref
ty little ceremony practiced In some
places, viz: that of saluting the flag.
That this little ceremony is worth
more to the pupil who learns it than the
time IL takes to perform 1t goes without
saying. 1t teaches them early in life to
love our and their country and honor
our national emblem. And when they
come upon life's arena, to be proud OF
being Americans and to value the laws
which have given free education In our
public schools, the peoples college,
which are now broad enough to fit them
for most responsible stations to which
they may aspire.
In close relation with decorative art,
may be mentioned the practice of taking
plants into the school room to grow like
window gardens or to fill vases to
brighten the room. 1t naturally follows
in course, that pupils who are interested
In this course Of ornamentation will
soon learn something of the habits and
nature of plants in general and become
interested In this branch of natural
history. so we see that the decorative
art has more serious aspect than mere
decoration. It leads In its various
branches to higher and closer and more
thorough study of men and things in
science, in literature and life in the world
into which they will be when school
days are over, and they take their
places as actors in the constantly shift
ing drama of life.
Although the subject of which | am
about to speak does not strictly come
under the head of decoration for which
| was appointed to prepare this paper,
4
speaking of another pleasing art, which
properly belongs to our interest in pub
lie schools. This is one which lies very
near my heart and which my Judgment
approves, as worthy small time devot-
ed to it every dav. This Is the practice
of devotng each day little time to the
cultivation of the human voice. Very
few children there are who cannot be
trained to the harmony of sweet sounds
1t was wise man who said, 'give me
the making of the songs of a nation aud
care not who makes its laws"
verify believe that were the morning
and afternoon sessions introduced by q
suitable song or few minutes training
in the reading of music in the different
keys, that the fatigue of school govern.
ment as experienced in our mixed
schools, more than half of the disagree
abilities would be avoided, and when
languor and WEAKNESS prevails, as they
sometimes will, that laying aside OF
books and lively song be introduced