The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1902-04-05
THE PHILIsT1NE's PROTEST AGAINST
THE REPRESSION OF CHILDREN.

THE REPRESSION OF CHILDREN.
There is no more preposterous admo-
niti0n.than that which has been dingcd
into the ears OF innocence for centur-
les, "Children should be seen and not
heard" i3-
The healthy. active child is full Of
/ impressions, and that he should ex-
press himself is just as natural as for a
bird TO sing. Ii is natures way of Civ
ing growtll--no one knows thing for
sure until he tells it to some one else.
We deepen impressions by recounting
them, and to habitually suppress and
reprcss the child when he wants to tell
| Of r rious things he has seen Is to
l-, sv d 2x4 acumen.
summer on horse back ride of
...ndred miles or so, came to an OUT
5of-the-way "Deestrick Scbool,u just
such one as you see every three miles
All over New York state. This partic-
uiar school house would not have at
tractcd my attention specially had ]
not noticed that half Of tile school lot
was taken up with garden and flower
beds. No house was near and IL was
lapparent that this garden was the
work OF the teachers and scholars,
Straightway dismonnted, tied my
h lrse and walked into the school house
SFhe teacher was man OF middle
age--a hunchback,a and one OF the
rarest gentlest spirits ever met. Have |
you ever noticed what an alert, recep- |
tive and beautiful soul is often housed
in a misshapen body This man was
modest and shy as a woman, and when |
spoke Of the flower beds, he half apol- I
Ogized for them, and tried to change |
the subject. When, nj ra few mo-
ments, he realized tllat n, crest In
his garden was something de. ,.er than,
mere curiosity, he offered to 90 out
with me and show me what had been
done. So we walked out, aud out. TOO,
behind us trooped the school or fifteen
scholars.
/ lin winter we have sixty or more
pupils, but you see how small the
the plan OF teaching out Of doors half
the time, and TO keep tile girls and
boys busy just let each scholar have
q flower bed, Some. wanted to raise
vegetables, and of course I let them
plant any seed they wished. The older
children, girls or boys. helped tile
Younger ones--it is lots of fun. When
the Weather.is fine We are out here a
good deal Of the time, Just working
and talking, +
And that is the way this man taughtl
letting the children do things and
talk He explained TO me that he was
not an educated" man, and as con-
Iradicted him my yes filled with
tears. Not educated9 | wonder how
many Of us WHO call ourselves educated
have Il disciplined mind, and can call
BY name the forest birds ID our vicfn-
ty? Do we know the bird notes when
We hear them? Can we with pencil out
inc the leaves OF the oak, walnut,
birch, oak, elm, maple. chestnut, hazel ,
II beach trees so others familiar with
,hese trees can recognize them? Fl
+ DOVE know by name or BY sight The Fl
psects tfHft ill Tire summer nights
With melody DO we know whether
he katyaid, cricket and locast sing !
With fn0atii, wings or fett3 Do we =
snow what they feed Upon, how long ! i
hey Hive, and What becomes of the
in winter? 10 we know for s.
are how much bnshel of wheat
Felghs2s s.
8 / wonder wbat1t is to be educated. I
Here was a man seemingly sore smit-l
en- by the hand OF Fate. aud yetwllosa 4
leart WAS filled with sympathy and +
owe. lie had no quarrel either witlll :
be world or destiny He was childless
hat lie might Awe all chIldnB and y
hat his heart might 20 out to every !, :
wing thing. The trustees OF the school
id not take much interest in The cur =
iculum, ffourd, 50 they let the teael- :
9 have his wag; and ( havesince been 4
Did that the BEST scholars are those Z
here the directors or trustees take no II
interest ID the institution 4
A collection OF birds eggs, fungi and <
1rest leaves had been made and was &
hown outline drawings Of all the &
.ayes in the garden. III his idea OF
fawing a picture OF tiieobiecb led to
closer observation, tile teachor I'll
loueht. And when found on Qnes- ri
OnlDg some OF the children, that thei b
hole school took semi-weekly rambles fr
trough the We DIS, and made close &.
.udies of.the Wild birds, as victims in
,cts Il came to me that this man, 4,
lar from any tinteliectual oenterp "
as working out q pedagosic system "
lat science could never improve uri. IS
]. Whether the little man ever re- il1
lied thisOr not | cannot say, but i do ltr
II think he guessed the greatness Of tn
8 work and methods. It was all 60 da
mplt--he did the thing he liked 70 Of
J, aud led the children 0ps and they N