The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-27

growing out of the good work that school
| unions and mothers clubs are now dc
| ing.
! Il shall net tax your forbearance by a
lengthy discussion of objections made to
teachers, contenting myself with brief
reference to three.
TEACHERS, OLD AND YOUNG.
First, of some teachers. that they are
too old. I recall that year age discuss
ed this objection in such a way that you
probably remember something of 1t, and
] 1t remains only to add that the teacher
| who through years has held steadfastly
| to noble purposes, who has scorned self
| ishness and sordidness, who has been
| moved only by a desire to uplift, who
has not hesitated to sacrifice personal
| feelings and personal preferences for the
| good of the school, who has studied her
! calling and striven after highest planes
| of usefulness can never grow too old to
teach, so long she has the necessary
physical strength. There are many such.
| who, by their presence add strength and
| dignity to the faculty, and who attract to
! themselves the reverent regard always
! accorded the truly noble. There are Ger
| tain natures that grow narrower with
| years, that become petulant, are easily
| excited. easily become irritable unrea-
sonable, and, by force of habit, rather
than by reason of years. lose the pres
| tige. the force. the ability to govern and
10 instruct, but these cases are the ex-
exceptions.
ION the other hand. the second objec-
! ton is that the teacher is too young. A
! criticism is directed against the work OF
| kindergarten. and the reply, sadly but
| resignedly given. is, well, what can you
| expect when mere girls are placed over
| children? training school girl or. a
| recent graduate responds to call for @
! substitute in the seventh or eighth grade,
I and is brought face to face with an ear
| nest inquiry, if not uttered, still strong
~ expressed, What does the superintend-
! ent mean by sending such children for
! such responsible work" [ am person
| ally aware that the young people have
| suffered more than once, and | venture to
add that the suffering was wholly unnec-
essary. Somewhat of experience is want
| ing in youth but against this deficiency
are many advantages. Most fortunately
! youth is neither superficial or artificial.
! The impulses, the feelings. the tendencies
| are heartfelt. heart-deep and natural.
| Kindness, forbearance, charity, energy,
hope ambition, unselfshness manifest
/ themselves strongly in the character of
/ our young teachers, and there is no harsh
judgment, no assertion of the doctrine
/ that I also have rights. no flashes of I'M
! warranted anger, certainly no abusive
! language. They invite the confidence,
gain the respect, secure the good will of
/ the children, and If they do not know
how to be severe. they often rule by the
stronger influence of love. Before them
| stretches a future that glows with the
/ promise of usefulness and of enjoyment.
Their greatest desire is to win the love
of the children and to inspire them with
lofty ideals, and If sometimes they see
the way before them but dimly, as If
through the mist of tears. and If at other
timse they sit down almost despairing
and heart-brOken at seeming failure, yet
the difficulties pass away. and sunshine
/ and good cheer resume their usual con-
! troll. No, youth is not diSqualifyinS con-
dition. A lovely countenance is the fir
est of all sights and the sweetest har
mony in the world, the sound Of the
! voices of the young l know that some
| of us who are older grown, and whose
! ideals are fixed. and who's point Of view
cannot change. feel that the young teach
! ers have much to learn: Perhaps this IS
true, but they will learn 1t. In my heart
1 know this, and I bid them God speed.
! The young teachers are the hope of. our
schools. May they succeed!
CULTURE OF THE TEACHER.
"The third objection is that the teachers
/ (of course I am referring to those who
are criticised are not educated; that they
have no culture. This criticism is usual
~ made by those who lack education
themselves, but not always so. What is
an education? To know that which lies
before US in daily life and to have the
| knowledge, the discretion, the disposition,
the ability to meet it. 1t is that which
| affords us such guidance, under all cir
| cumstances, as shall make living COM
plete. Education plans a noble under
taking; pedantry carps at the prOnuncia-
ton Of a word Education enables a man
to fill his position usefulIy and profitably
in society; pedantry devotes itself to err
rors of photography and punctuation.
Education so controls the relations of in
dividuals to make them mutually help
! full harmonious. agreeable; pedantry ex
presses a horror of phiistinism and care
fully shrinks from alleged promiscuous
| associations. The demand that teachers
be educated is most reasonable, and,
viewed in the right light, the people of
st. Paul cannot complain that the teach
ers are not educated. But have they cul-
ture also? The demand that they should
be a cultured class is also most remark
able. l fear that L shall be regarded as
a panegyrist of teachers by positive
affirmative answer on this point also.
| What Is culture? 1t is right action IN
life. A cultured mind is one proposes sed
| by high beliefS-one that hears the mes
sage of human life at its deepest and
highest of love and labor; Of fatherhood
and motherhood, of conquered temptation,
of aSpira ton and prayer, Of all that brave
hearts endure and loving hearts feel. 1t
| may or may not be Influenced by environ
ment or family name. There are grace of
| manner and the atmosphere of sympathy
and equality, whatever the other condi-
| lions that render companionship delight
full and mutual undertaking most sue
cessful. And by these principles is true
culture tested. An argument is some
times made against the employment Of a
| young man or woman as teacher be-
cause his or her home surroundings, or
family conditions have not been such as
to afford culture Indeed? But culture is
an inward grace and not an outward
veneer, which too often hides cynfcism or
coarseneSs A young lady Is an applicant
for a position in a school. but it is said
of her that she is only an Irish or Ger
man or Swede girl, with good mind and
heart, but without culture. For shame;
that in this day, when intellect and heart
not birth or heraldry, determine mans
claim to distinction or respect; when ma
tionality no longer bars the way to a
universal equality-that such objections
are to be conclusive is impossible. But
does she go into society?
Eyes, if she has a pure heart, thinks
nc evil. enjoys no gossip. schemes not
nor bears false witness. she belongs to
the very highest and best society.
! at belongs to those who from sheer
nobility and integrity of character rise
out of depths to claim highest recognition,
and an American community is the last
place In the world to set up false stand
ards. That all men are created equal IS
not the mere dictum Of statesmen; it is
a divine law, taught clearly in the opera
ton of natural agencies and in the les
sons that revolutions have wrought in
| society The work goes well and I glad