The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-25

| ance. Come to the temple and read m
one of your sermons, said Dr. Parker
| The man came and read the sermon
No sooner had he finished than tn
doctor exclaimed, "Oh, | see why YOU
can't get parish. No wonder nobod,
wants to hear YOU" Why SOP asked
the minister. BECAUSE said DR.
| Parker, you were simply trying to gel
something off from your mind; not tt
get anything into mine. The final tes
OF reading is whether it gets the idea
into the mind of the nearer There is
/ one point of detail, apparently trifiing
but really vital, which / especially com
mend to your attention. Always haVS
the reader step out in front and face
the class, and have the class look at the
person who is reading, not at theil
books. That secures the conditions OF
the personal relation, without which
the third act of reading Is almost i'm
possible To have the person who reads
stand in line with the class, side or back
to the audience, and to have them look
ing at their books while he is reading,
is to impose on him conditions, and to
put in his way obstacles, which a Booth
or Jefferson could scarcely overcome.
There is only one practice worse than
that, so far as ] know in the whole
pedagogical world; and that is the
Chinese practice of. having the pupil
turn his back to the teacher when he is
called on to recite And that custom, it
is said, originated away back in the
dim dawn of Chinese civilization, as a
device to prevent crihbing
Defamation, or as | should rather
call 1t speaking, is simply reading in
which both the ideas and the words of
the author are SO completely assimila-
TED that there is no further need of the
suggestion of the printed page, 1t is
a return to the naturalness and direct
ness of the original oral story or de-
scription with which we started; but in
its return to its direct oral communi-
cation it comes back enriched by all the
discipline and experience of reading.
Selections for speaking should at first
be simple, yet elevated; SO that the
transition from the naturalness of read
ing to the more earnest naturaness of
speaking may be easily made. Children
should never be allowed to speak any
lectual and emotional appreciation.
The moment they get beyond that line
they are sure to take on artificiality
and fall into ranting, which has been
the bane of so much of our rhetorical
exercises in school. Better no deca-
nation whatever than that touch of
either intellectual or emotional insin-
certify should cross the threshold of the
school. Such things are bad enough on
the stump and in the revival meeting,
but when cultivated in the schools the
national intelligence and feeling are
at their source. Speaking like
reading consists of three acts; and the
direct and natural imparting to the au-
dience of ideas and feelings which the
speaker has completely made his own,
is the sum and substance of it all. IN
sist on these three things, and from be-
ing an hour of dreaded ordeals and
precocious affectation, and abnormal
tension, the period allotted to the com
of thought and feeling will
be the most enjoyable, natural and
of all the week
Supplementary readingi school libra
'ies lent for use in the home; constant
discussion of characters and scenes de-
the keeping of notebooks in
he other studies and incessant writing
IF paraphrasees, impressions, compari- |
sons, contrasts prepares the way and
furnishes the best material for more
'ormal writing. Grammar Is essential |
o correct writing, but should be taught |
rs means to writing and speaking; |
rot as an isolated end in itself, The |
est of writing is fitness to be read and |
heard. Written presentation of an
Wers and topics in connection with lie
nature, history, geography and science
the work in English. Thus
English is both for it's own sake, and
~ its close correlation with all other
tudies, the cornerstone of elementary
ducation, False and artificial stand
rds of reading and speaking; the me-
hanical drill in grammar, and the lack
# correlation of writing with subjects
{ live and immediate interest had ;
rought English in all it's branches into
deserved disrepute.
So long as reading and speaking were
nerely getting words you didn't under
tand, and emotions you didn't feel off
nto the air, the less we had of it the
etter So long as writing consisted in
n essay on some abstract and remote
heme like Spring" or "Procrastina-
ion is the thief of time" the less we
ad Of these artifcialities the better
nd all the time we could steal from
hem for the enrichment of the pro-
ramme at their expense was so much
lear gain. But where English is APP
reached as the apprehension and COM
lunication of ideas and feelings, it is
ne most vital of all subjects; and well
eserves the exalted position to which
is now rapidly being restored. For
s Martneau has well said, 1.-THE only
nowledge that can really make us bet
n is not of things and their laws, but
persons and their thoughts: and I
ould rather have an hours sympathy
18th one noble heart than read the law
gravitation through and through.
o teach us what to love and what to
ate, whom to honor and whom to de-
,ise, is the substance of all training"
o send into the homes Of our work
gmen boys and girls who shall know
hat is worth reading, and how to read
in the family circle so that the rest s
the family will enjoy it, is to provide
a inexpensive. elevating source of {
oft and enjoyment of inestimable in {
llectual moral and social value I !
ave dwelt long on this subject of Eng {
5h, because it lies so close to my