Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-15
az aoYs AND Books.
~ u..,bIe demonstrates Against
= Boredom in Education.

-wxtr -
schoolboy parlance. he had been
aeop s,ng ont" Burke's Speech on the
npaciliation of the American Coiohies'
w news was it. to khe teacher VINO
,abored to impress upon her CLASS
Nsa Of the gravity OF her subject
10 20 find that our cherished Ehshsh
OILY &c remained to the boy In the
hs category, say, as the Theory OF
SAM a,,s or pencil which will not write.
L NOS worse, neither teacher nor
VIVA cow much future joy to hail at
pup since for the sake OF some
dis' ,nckv students onward bound they
.s,s following according 10 ordeI .ne
MAC entrance requirements, ana saw
nortentous list ahead, when tney
~ MD have finished" the troublesome
snoa ,1a Macaulay's Essay on Milton
b BUN. Essay on Addison" and
ad' ,,inor poems Of Milton. Literature
'n roa no sign of becoming a whit less
a What could the matter De that
hei. oras of these wise ones, who are
'ne ,rsd,v no makers Of riddles, should
appear such darh sayings u 'he''
Young disciples!
If three conclusions is forced
40. There was something the
upo ,h,s with either the pupil, the teach
the subject. The first case one
Il, he hold to deny, for the boy had
me- Let intentions Of his kind; the sec
"" ~. possibility ! prefer. for the sake
E,hs argument, to ignore; by cour-
,h. third alone remains. And
perhaps in these modern uays 'o.e
,hn, 1erbolt will spare me yet Httie
,r,,i,a If I opine that Burke, Macauiay
VA Milton are not the delegates the
,..,,ortals would themselves select 10
rsnresent them among schoolpoys'
- Annie Kimball Tuell in the Bos-
w transcript. They lack the hrst
.on,isite for ambassadOrs-they DO not
hnow the language of the people among
-, they are come. Can ii be that
.sa learned professors who prescribe
49, tho high schools their course OF
.,udv have rather forgotten about the
how and girl. in their intimacy WIN
,bs older collegian, who, II student
a, all Is usually possessed by mighty
.rdor to seize in an eager grasp all
nvs,sriss At once, who prefers those
.,h,scts for reflection which can never
bs quite plain. and loveth very dearly
generality? Such is not the boy OF
GOV high schools, who is frankly con-
tasnt that nothing is of account which
canno, be seen and handled, that
n.uobt is more despicable than an alb
s,raction. unless it be that meaning
loss iargon, a poem. After all, tne
nrofsssors must remember in some
,a.bion what sort of books children
,ore for their longer list of works re-
ouired for less studiOus coming mas
many A welcome Offering to the spirit
az youth. But that fearsome triumVi-
rate-Burke, Macaulay. Milton-make
nm the list of classics to which most
careful attention must be paid, on
which consequently a large part Of the
last year must be spent. This is evil
IDENTIFY the sort of books, thinks the
bow. which interest the august educat-
Cd and dull old thing does education
look 10 be. IA
/ make accordingly an humble plea
for the protection of deserving children
aeainst boredom. The protest is Of
tered with misgiving. for am the OBJ
scure fly on the axletree. and the
equipage is driven by our most learned
literary mentors. They have. too, the
support of Holy Writ, for the Talmud
directs: After the age of six, receive
the child and load him like an OK.
And again it is written Gin the Book OF
Lamentations): 1t is good for a man
that he bear the yoke in his youth.
But on the other side l have Solomon,
who insists that TO everything there
Is season. and If "a time to be born
and time to die" just as surely a
time to be young and a time to grow
old. In a general way the prophet may
have the right of it,, Speaking dismal
ly ] suppose the purpose of education
Is to teach the child to bear the yoke,
and one way TO learn is to try 1t on
nay more, to keep 1t on. Far be II
from me to join the chirp of the educa-
tonal hedonists who are for cushioning
and gliding the schoolroOm. Let the
student learn, at any price, to carry q
burden, but We may show him how tG
ind a solace in load-bearing, to do the
Toll with Zest, to count at least on q
little grass by the way. The more
strenuous the effort to advance, the
~orthier the plodder, but work of the
student of literature should lead al
ways through green pastures. To give
nigh pleasure. to add to the workday
n'es OF his pupils a capacity for de-
hsht larger and finer than they have
hhoWn' Is the clearest call of the Eng
hsh teacher. The miracle which M
must perform is not to turn a child in
" an OK. nor If We come to more mod
cru theories. TO make the dumb Speal
mot everybody has something to say
ou' 10 give hearing to the dull-eared
ana sight To the blind, that each ma,
.a'ch ever so faint glimmer of thu
oeauty and bloom of the world" N,
easy task! The path to such know
use must be laid and rolled. marked
WIN inhumerable signs to lead all for
~ard SO directly that fools shall not er
'"eieih And every teacher knows full
wei mat no pupil may be led on sucl
Track unless he goes with a will. an,
aAes Joy by the read. If the instruct
y. 'ot lies is high school. he has tn
.ner uncomfortable conviction tina
me does not awake in his pupils
auy seai. he may ALLEVIATE them fron
s aeiight in letters which are worth
me name: for they are at the criti
age when conceit shoots up t
urish till it Dies neglect. -
sust at this TING Of green judgmen
ae oiase manner Is the highest idea
- MANY hove Tho h,,>ar;,,. ,,,,,.., IN