The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-24
TRAINED TO TEACH
FOut Graduates From the City
Normal
RECEIVED THEIR DIPLOMAS
From Superintendent Dyer
to City Public Schools,
RECEIVED THEIR DIPLOMAS

The ninth annual commencement OF the
city normal school took place at the Aud
itorium last night. and although there
were but four graduates, the exercises
proved TO be most interesting and exceed
ingly entertaining. The four graduates OF
the normal school this year are Misses
Edna DebreE Hutchinson, Jessie LAUGH
land, Gertrude Eyalene Burress and Bes-
sic Frances Ladd
The stage was elegantly decorated with
flowers and potted plants of various kinds,
there being a gracefully arranged bank of
flowers on either side of the stage and a
large bank Of tall palms and other flowers
at the rear The excellent High school
orchestra furnished the music. Rev. Dub
Der delivered the invocation and Rev. Par
ker said the benediction. The young ladies
were dressed nearly alike, each wearing a
pretty dress of white orgapdie, and car
ried boQuets Of pink and white carnations.
Miss Hutchinson was the first TO appear
Her subject was Courage" She said, in
part: This material world of ours is
filed with dangers to be met and over
come, as numerous as human experiences.
Dangers from the elements and from the
lower animals; dangers from social and
spiritual forces. Many of these at one
time seem very vivid, but quickly vanish
upon close examination, while others are
real and must be met IN the defense Of
the individual and society In general That
power by which dangers are met and
overcome, by the methods which time and
circumstances have taught us TO use. is
called courage. It is the most variedly
useful Of al the endOwments Of the pro
gressive human mind 1t is our greatest
educator. for he who conquers most dan
gers and difficulties has the most varied
and ripest knowledge. Without Il indi-
viduals have persisted, and by it the
strongest and best races have been built
up. As we turn the pages of history, our
hearts are thrilled with emotion as we
read Of the courage Of the dauntless Nor
mans in their conquest Of northern Eu-
rope. The spirit with which they entered
upon their undertakings has dominated
their descendants even down to the pres
e-t day. They stand in the forefront Of
WAS it not the courage OF our fore
fathers which enabled them to break away
from the creeds and customs Of the moth
er country and seek a home where civili-
cation and settlements were unknown?
Success in any line is often determined by
the way in which we begin. Whatever we
may wish to accomplish we should sum-
mon our forces and enter upon It with
courage
He who faiters fails,
Although he win the prize;
Who falters not, wins
Tho dead he lies"
Miss Burress spoke on the subject of
Negative Education: The first twelve
years of a child's life should be spent in
learning the art of being ignorant and do
ing nothing"
What a strange and startling state
ment. Who dares make such an asser-
ton? No less a person than Jean Jacques
Rousseau, the greatest Of educational re-
formers. Born in 17l2 in the city Of Gen
eva. Rousseau was early thrown upon his
own resources and forced to provide for |
himself He led an unsettled life, wan
dering from place to place and plying var
his cratic ways, he was in a position to |
view its customs and its institutions with |
a critical eye. Indifferent to consequences. !
he attacked the church, the home, society |
and none the less the school. His writ |
fngs upon education have made his name |
immortal That which has undoubtedly /
called forth most censure and vet aroused |
the greatest admiration was his Emile" |
work in which he describes the educa-
ton Of a model pupil, giving the details of /
his training from his first years TO man
hood. Il is here that We find the asser-
tion that the first twelve years Of a child's
life should be spent in doing nothing
Rousseau says: IF you could. bring on
your pupil healthy and strong to the age
Of twelve years without his being able TO
tell his right hand from his left. the eyes
of his understanding would he open 10 the
first instruction. Being without prejudices
and habits. there would be nothing TO
hinder his progress
These are radical assertions and we
may not accept them all, yet they en-
body a truth 10 which we may well give
heed. Ours is an age when the pressure
Of life IS very great, Its strain and in
tens.ty are almost more than an adult can
bear, and its effects reach even TO child
life. Unquestiouabiy too much is being
crowded into the early days of childhood.
How many are there Who feel that the
Jaw restricting the school age 10 six years
IS a hardship and who maintain that set
tasks in book learning should begin
earlier? Again. half the attraction would
he taken from many Of oar public enter
ri -r-
performer were missed. Whatever robs
the child OF the simplicity and sp10tareity
which are his by nature. is an irrena-erle
wrong. John FisLe says: The proIonEa-
ton q infancy makes civilization posi-
he Dr. Dewey sf5rms that the more
precoCious the child. the lower the plane
of Civilization. The idea Of the protection
@; childhood as taught by Rousseau is
~ utmost Importance As guardians Of
Rn important trust We must look well tn
Il that we fail not nor offend one Of these
little ones whose angels do always behold
the face o. their Father which IS in
heaven"
Miss Bessie Frances L255's subject was
Ier2pe-aments." q brief abstract from
which is as follow. LAS the value Of
bar Of steel depends up-n IFS tsmne~. %
the Vaue II q human life is largely de-
terni7ed by the prevailing disposition
the temperament This IS not fixed a.
birth, bat lis ultimate character depends
upon The development Of The intellect. the
emotions and The will II one ~ these be
dominant In The individual. the result is
q bias or u1eve=-ess Of disposition The
temper If The steel Is Indicated by IFS
color; the temper Of the Individual hv The