Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-06-01
SCHOOL GROUNDS.
They should lie Made Attractive
With Trees and Shrahs.


Rural schoolhouses frequently stand.
s'nall and weather beaten, beside the
County, road. Many of them look
about as they did - or 30 years ago. al
though they have a dag above them
now which was not there when the
men of today We're children.
How familiar the grounds about the
building are! They consist of half or
quarter of an acre of land selected pos
sibly because it was good for little else;
rCi tree 10 offer hands breadth of
s...',ie ur a shrub or vine TO break the
n..l-5tuny or TO hide the unSigltly out
DnI"tiigS.
II IS The most tremendously Signiil-
yant III: In the whole history OF the
United Htates. 1t is the cradle of Amer
lean education, the nursery which has
always fostered and still fosters the
national doctrine of equal rights for all.
Under its roof the judges son and
the cobbler's boy fare alike and grow
up 10 know and respect each other.
tages were a few years on these rude
benches lave won success in every de-
partment of human activity. At 4
gathering of about 800 successful bust
ness and professional men of promi-
nent city it was ascertaincd that about
nine-tenths came from the country.
Is it. then, unreasonable to urge that
the rural school grounds Ice made more
attractive by the planting Of trees and
shrabS? With little expense the bare
ground about the building can be con
verted into n place of beauty. The
pupils themselves, with the aid Of
teachers and friends, can do it. Is it not
work well worth undertakings The
Youths Companion believes that ii is.
Moreover it believes that the growth
Of the imagination and the artistic ma
ture will result; that the finer senses
will be developed, and the character Of
those who do the work Will he
strengthened; that love of the heauti-
ful will be impaired which viii last
through life and manifest itself in the
homes which these pupils shall build in
future years.
The Youths Companion believes that
this work of adorning the grounds Of
rural schoOlhouscs is one which will
exercise an important and lasting in
tiuence for the good of the national
life.
From almost every rural school have
gone forth into the world men aud WO-
men who have won success in life. We
are very sure that many of these, if
they were made acquainted with your
plans. would he glad to share with the
pupils of today in the honor and pleas
ure of cmhellishing the grounds of the
old SchOolhOuseS.
Arhpr day will be most appropriate
time to carry out this work, as sug-
gested, yet any convenient day will do
1t is not generally known, but it is an
interesting fact, that it has been very
largely through the earnest desire and
efforts of the pupils themselves that
our national flag now floats over so
many of our public schoolhouses. If
the pupils of our rural schools will now
take up the work of beautifying the
school grounds with trees and shrubs,
the movement can he made as popular
and as farreaching in its Influence for
good
Some one, however, in each school
must lead in the movement. Who will
win this honor in your schOolI The
pupils must insist that the school
grounds shall be beautiiicd. If the pu-
pills show an earnest desire to carry
out this work, they are sure to find
willing helpers among the farmers and
other friends Of the school. Womens
clubs will always be glad to aid you.
If there Is an organization of the
grapgers in your town, it will feel hon
ored by a request for advice or assist
ance.