The Topeka state journal., 1902-12-31

I'm discussing this topic,' he said by
way of Introduction, I'VE are led to the
consideration of the rural school, its So
cial possibilities how we may improve
its environments and enlarge its useful
ness This cannot be done until the
rural school is made a social culture
center, until the rural school has bet
ter environment socially, until it is
given a larger usefulness, results will
not be commensurate with expenditures
nor the school have a commanding and
directing place in public confidence.
Educational workers must come into
closer communion, a larger sympathy
with rural school conditions in the
schools. on the farm and in the home
The educational workers who are to in
fluence and direct rural education muss
the rural folk They must think less
of method and more of men, they musl
be in sympathy with the tired fathers
and mothers travelling the thorny way
of poverty and never ceaSing toll; they
must have some better evidence of their
right to educational leadership than a
theory and diploma of graduation
from some normal school or college;
they must be leaders who can rally all
the forces of country life around a Gull
ture, character building ideal of educa-
ton; they must lead the way, often
clear the way for the establishing OF
socialiZing conditions of rural school life
that shall make the school house the
social culture center of community life
Can this be done2 1t has been done, and
what has been done may be done again.
but the dream came to pass and the
theory crystallized into a fact.
AN experience came to me While
county commissioner of schools that
enriched my life ano educational WORK.
I was sitting in my Office on a Septem-
ber day when one of my directors
came to me and said: We want a
teacher to teach our school, 1 sent
/ 1,al 70,
the office. This young woman was 20
years of age and weighed about go
pounds. should judge without having
hefted her After some conversation
an agreement was reached by the di-
rector and the young lady whereby she
was to teach his school receiving $25
a month, and the director agreed to
board her for two dollars week, pro-
viding she would make her own bed,
80 the work would not fall too heavy
on his wife,
The Saturday before the Monday on
which the school was to open found
the young school teacher at the home
of the old director. When Monday
morning came the young heroine cross
1 ed a swamp to the school house, and
when the fifty boys and girls that
made up the school trooped into the
/ school house they saw little woman
with her head on her arms, and the
/ face she raised to them was covered
with tears. Why? Because of her sur
roundings. The ink-bespattered, paper
/ Wad- decorated walls; the desks tun-
nelled by jack-knives whose owners
! had crossed the river With the boat
man pale and cold years before; the
yawning stove and uncertain pipe that
| nleandered the room and reSembled the
/ one described by VIII Carleton, made
her homesick and like a sensible wo-
man she was having refreshing
shower Of tears. But there was her
school and here was her work and she
went to work blindly. When Friday
night came the good director, just to
be amiable and to make the teacher
feel good said: Teacher, 1 guess the
school is getting out of your grasp
| No., replied the teacher, I have not
yet had the school in my grasp
! "On the following Monday evening
| the teacher requested the pupils to re-
main few minutes after the close of
school. The pupils nudged and wink
ed, whispering to their neighbors that
the teacher was going to lecture them,
and she, reading what was passing III
their minds. said: I'm not keeping
you tonight to scold you, but this is not
a fit place for us to meet day in and
day out for weeks and months. John,
what would you suggest?'
Now John was the bully of the
school He had never stood upon his
feet. put two sentences together and re-
peated them before an audience in his
life. He tried to get upon his feet. but a
neighboring boy caught him by the coat.
tail and tried to keep him down, bur
John succeeded in arising Red-faced
and stammering he blurted out I don
know, teacher. what we can do We are
as sick os the burned old place as you
are. We might hold a basket social
And then astonished and confused at his
boldness he sat down. but it was not the
same John that arose The John that
arose had set indeed, but the John that
sat down had just arisen.
THE suggested social was held and
twenty dollars raised. Other sOeials
<1r-TT
lschool room walls were Daoered, and