Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-06-21

must be in the view Of the masters in that
land where learning is most honored, is
seen from this. A German boy had won a
high honor in school, and purposed that
night to celebrate his promotion with some
classmates at his home in simple way.
The master heard OF it, and sent word that
he "would not allow it, that he would not
have it, that the time of the boys belonged
to him. Now it would be bold master
10 America who would venture on that.
The other day gentleman of this town
said in my hearing, "Too much is laid up
on the children in these days" / pricked |
up my ears ready to hear the usual arraign-
ment of the schools. The gentleman con-
tnued. He was speaking of little girl |
in the grades who on one day had had |
music lesson, an exercise at the church and |
a third lesson or exercise under some one |
else, all aggregating nearly three hours
that Is, these outside things equaled a
school session in point of time. And this |
happened on school day.
The German master doubtless went too |
lar. The child must certainly have some
tune Tor the home life, some time too, but
tar less, tor the social life. But in school
time the school must be the first thing. I'll
the school lite be irregular and lightly in
terrupted, if the school be made the con-
venience and any other thing the business,
ii the school be regarded as thing to at
tend when nothing binders, if the lesson i,
to be learned after the amusements are all
done and when one is tired and paled and
exhausted by them, if there be no retire
ment and earnest study at home, can there
be any hope of scholarships
| "Ihe schools are breaking the children
down." trow not If there be anything
sure OF proof by "a plus b. it is that school
lite is every way wholesome life. A
physician, whose daughter had led her
class, said to me, "My daughter did not
lose day for four years. She did her
work with comfort and without strain, but
it was understood from the beginning that
nine o'clock was her bed time, and that she
should go to no entertainments on evenings
preceding school days"
The schools are not breaking the child
rem down. But the schools plus strong
coffee, unlimited caramels, late hours with
out question, the street with its precocious
stimulations, the overtaxing of children in
outside things in themselves good, may
break the children down.
The cry comes often from the home that
does not control, which therefore develops
ldleness, truancy, waywardness in the boy
hysteria, ''shawl, sofa and neuralgia" in
the girl, while a weekly journal devoted to
} the temininities and to the solemnities Of
| bric-a- brac, heaps up the matter by its ar
ticles on ''The slaughter of the Innocents'
} by the schools!
, We are proud of the democracy of Amer.
, lean education. We make our boast O
l it all the day long. But, mark you, the
startling assertion of the superintendent o
OF education in New Hampshire that il
1896 one-third of the school money Of tina
state went absolutely to waste because o
fitful and irregular attendance, and if one
third of the school money went for tina
: reason, we may be sure that more tina,
q one-half of the teachers best effort went tt
7 waste in most disappointing ways.
g This is the day of the high school, a
e against the old-time academy. We hav
gained some things. We have lost SOM
s things we need much to regain.
g In the class OF II at Dartmouth College
s SO men, 81 per cent came from the Acade
: mics. In the class of 1902 forty-fve men
r "a per cent, only came from academies
q 'How will you spend your summer
g was asked the other day of the eficien
r head of an academy of established reputa
y ton. 81 must stay at home and hustle
y for Students"
0 1t is the day of the high school. Unde
s the earlier condition the student who wen
g to college and first fitted at an academ
t was often away from home eight year
t rather than four.
:, To say nothing of the expense In town
}, which are the sites OF the few great schools
b where the cost of living for a boy of
e was, and still is, l think double that of re,
e sonable student life at any college in th
Il county-save possibly Cambridge or Ne
e Haven-to say nothing of expense great {
small-it was not always good for tt
n growing boy to become stranger to b
$ own home, to be so much from under
II fathers roof
1t The high school is gaining in quality Eve
e in small communities it is no longer regart
If ed as 'that school which is held up stairs
e The interest is becoming alert, the stanC
e ard is rising.
W But the responsibility for the daily a
re tendance and the responsibility for orde,
d ing the Students life that it may be efficier
G in study and untrammeled for study hal
10 III tuls CndHSo, eulitSu laiSCly Hou u
n master to the home.
G Some things we have gained. In tbs
very class of 1902 at Dartmouth-just lea'
ID ing its freshman year-there are 80 VIII
is are sons of business men, railroad official
lie and manufacturers AZ the sons OF profe
at sional men and Sc are the sons of tho!
re who in the shop, or in ''the open" ear
at their daily bread, and that of their fam
a. lies, by their own two hands.
How many Of this last class are ther
ne who, while nerving themselves in bray
be self-d denial for the sake of son at college
s, would not have been appalled, at the adde
o. burden of preparatory training avs
o. from home? How many could have borr
ce itP To these at least and indeed to gre
ch majority of the others, the high scho
be ''in the hand" is proving worth far mo-
m than an academy sin the BUSH"
MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF '99.
.ir l need not add to my words. ''Half
,;r hour OF six hours" the world will demaI
r, the lesson of you.
in That speech" Solvitur ambulando, "-th
"a things will settle themselves as we mo-
hi along in time, is now and then wise So
n ing-tor when we cannot tell what to do
is is best to wait in patience,-in patienC
be but not in sloth. 1t is wise saying som
n times. But often it is the refuge of the ov'