The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-09
a Plea for the Betterment of the Coun.
try School House.

1t is good and noble cause which has
been taken up by the Association for the
Bettermen of the Public School houses.
1t has been deep felt want for long
time and only waited a leader to carry
ii forward, and it is sincerely hoped that
many, especially the women may become
interested and give it a hearty support.
That better school houses are needed
and needed badly, one has only to look
around him to see. OF course this does
not apply so much to the man or woman
who lives in the city and has always had
advantages of good comfortable school
houses, but to the country boy and girl
it means much.
1t is not enough that Goldsboro and
Greensboro and Raleigh and other cen-
ters have fine school advantages but
every school house in Wayne and Gull
ford and Wake, as we'll as every other
county, should have it's proper equipment,
even if it is on a smaller scale-that is, if
we wish the cause of general culture and
education to do any good to the State
l know full we'll that the ugly old
school house of the country oftentimes
sent out spirit which went forth con-
uuering and to conquer / know also that
we North Carolinians have reason to
point with pride to many who come from
the old field log school house; but were
they not great in spite of not on ac-
count of their surroundings? Hal the
buildings been pleasanter to look upon
the surroundings something to help build
up, and call out the better nature of the
child would not the hard worked teacher
have had an easier time would not more
of the pupils have had inspiration toward
higher things?
There is so much said about the in
fluence of the teacher, and it is all true
yet it is that silent influence which is
effective and these quiet forces are the
true educators.
Mr. Matthew Arnold may have over
stepped the mark with his exaggerated
ideas of culture, but after all, Gcd is
a kin to beauty-true beauty-whicf Is
nothing more than uprightness in all
things-the truest culture. The bare
knowledge of reading and spelling, while
it enables a boy to vote, does not neces-
,sarily make him good citizen.
child is the truest critic and keen
est judge of essentials he is a lover Of
beauty, a lover of justice, and however
strange a lover of truth. He may not
perhaps, be able to argue for or refute
but he makes a silent argument with
his life.
He sits there on his little hard bench
swinging his bare legs back and forth,
a personification of careless Indifference,
and yet years after, he will tell you of
an impression of a certain Madonna
which was on the wall or some word
which you thought lost or of thought
or vague ambition which came to him
in the old school house and you stand
aghast and think that surely things count
for more than you thought for, and per-
haps they are right who say nothing
good is ever lost.
We are building our hopes on the chill
dren that are now coming on. But to
the average child to learn for the mere
love of learning is something entirely
beyond him He must be interested and
inspired. but it must be a clever teach
er, indeed, or a genius of a boy to over
tome the discomforts of the average
country school house.
If this is true then, will not the bet
| terment of the public school house and
| its surroundings be indeed a good.
Many in fact the majority of the coun-
try schols are bare implanted plank
| buildings, unceiled, cracks in the floors,
10 blackboards, a shelf for writing, hard,
straight back benches, and that is all.
| A teacher with small salary takes it
in charge and is expected to do all else.
Is it not right that some one should come
to her assistance?
| In the eye o food the parent is the
| true teacher, but the government recog-
nizing that the parent must have help,
has given a free education. The teacher,
however faithful, is at most the paid one
| the help. yet the parent has gotten it
into his mind that he has nothing to do
but furnish the child
| This association has big work. Here
| is the need. The tSate, we all know,
| has no treasure chest. If she had she
would never allow so many poorly paid
| women to be trying to teach in old di-
| lapidated buildings, and so the mothers
and sisters must give their help. and IL
they band together the benefit to the lit
lie child and to the State cannot be told.
These mothers know what IS needed.
| They know that clean floor and. clean
window, a pretty picture vase of flow
ers. and a good book often go far to in
fuence even the most unruly
If every wmoan in the country dis
iricts would join an association of this
hind. we would very soon sec great
result. There is no question as to wo-
mans power She has shown herself in
the church. the club-in every good work.
Why can she not exert it here?
- NJ. 3. S.