The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1900-05-10

family. their fathers who are given to
there things may. II they choose, entire ly
counteract the effect OF the teachers
labors.
"And there is another test to which
parents are put, viz: in cases of discip-
line. The mothers eyes are not alto
gether Trustworthy in the matter of see
ing the moral defects Of her child. Love
casts halo about the object of its alice
tons. The parent heart is quite likely
to rebel against the imputation OF wrong
doing by the loved child and ii is natural
to take up the cudgel in defense OF the
child who has been punished at school
But here, too, We must remember that
teachers are not only reasonable beings
but also specialists in the study of child
character. The chances are almost over.
whelmingly in favor of justice in pun.
ishmeDt at school. There are exceptions
to this rule and parents are justifiable in
inquiring into all the conditions and cir
cumstances and to know all the details
of the case, but it is always imprudent
and injurious to sit in judgement prema-
turely and always injurious to declare
antagonism to the teacher in matters Of
discipline in the presence OF the child,
whether the teacher be right or wrong
In matters of discipline parent and
teacher should cooperate.
"Second. | would suggest as a second
possible line of cooperation with the
teacher in respect to moral instruction
wise SUPERVISION in the matter of asao
ciates. The most largely attended edu
cational institution in the world is the
university OF the street. The president
of that university il the "OId Serpent;
the professors are the loafers and iders
OF the street corner the hours o. recita
ton are made up of the time between
the sessions OF school and the course Of
study embraces all degrees OF evil and
crime--from playing marbles for keeps"
to murder in the first degree.
my little children make garden by
digging il. the sand, smoothing it down
nicely; aud then the next day they forget
all about the garden and trample over it
and undo the work OF the day before.
1t is OF very little use for the teacher to
cultivate the garden of the soul and i'm
plant therein the seeds of morality if the
good seed is to be crushed and the good
soil made hard by the evil influences o,
the associations of the street. Weeds
grow SIP ontaneously; flowers must be
cherished and cultivated. The weeds Of
the influences Of the street are of such
vigorous growth, they are so fearfullv
full OF vitality, they are so poisonous to
all good Influences that the flowers Of the
better life which the teacher may plant
| in the school hour with such tender So
| licitude will be choked and destroyed
just so surely as the boys and girls are
| permitted to roam the streets, or roads,
or bicycle paths, or parks without the
supervision and care of those who are
responsible for their physical and spl'-
itual well being. Ii we, as parents,
would cooperate with the teacher along
moral lines we must exercise wise su
pervision In the choice OF the associates
OF our children.
Third. And once more | would sug-
gest the home influence as the most i'm
portant ally of all in the moral training
OF the children Of our puhhc schools.
Here must be set the high ideal which
the teacher can only assist in attaining.
If the high ideal is not set in the
home the teacher in the public
school cannot do much in establishing it /.
In the old Jewish dlspensation the head
OF the family was the priest of the home.
Boys and girls instinctively recognize the
father as the high priest of the home
altar and put the mother on the throne
and crown her rs queen OF the home.
As the fathers and mothers are so will
the children be. Ii the father is profane
and rude and careless for he feelings
and rights of others, so will the sons be.
If the mother has small re.ssd for the
truth, if she deceives and perm is her de
ceptons to continue, then the boys and
girls will be untrnthful and deceptive.
There is in some homes II certain indie
Unable condition which. while underlined,
is easily recognized and children reared
IN such an atmosphere take kindly TO the
efforts OF teachers along lines OF moral
instruction. The elements of this at
mosphere are many and varied. There
are good books and wisely selected
papers aud periodicals.. There are games
both indoors and out as attractive as the
games of the street. there is music and
there are pictures. But above all there
is loving sympathy with the child life
with all OF its small-great trials and per-
plexities. There is time given even from
the multitude of cares of the household
and business affairs for the culture of
that most wonderful OF all gardens, the
soul garden. This love is not mistaken
affection. The hand OF firm discipline
never flinches and never relaxes its
grasp. The motto of this home is always
obedience at any cost" In snch an
atmosphere the lovely fruits and flowers
of character are produced and the work
of the teacher in character building is
made easy.
''Such is the ideal home. 1t is hard to
reach this ideal. The ideal home has in
reality no existence excepting in the inn
agination, but parents, it Is our business
to strive to attain the unattainable. In
the striving we approach the ideal. The
task is an exacting one, but let us re.
member that the product is men and
women endowed with immortal souls