The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-08
IMAGINATION AND CHARACTER.
Last of Or. Roark's Lectures to Tire
Summer Normal School,

Last of Dr. Roark's Lectures to the
Summer Normal School.
Or. Roark delivered the last Of his highly
entertaining and instructive series OF lee
lures In the assembly hall OF the High
school Friday night. The theme Of his
discourse on this occasion was "Imagina-
ton and Character"
almost as soon as he comes into the
world, the child begins to exercise his
special senses, and this teaches us to be
careful to make all due use OF object
teaching in school, After the exercise OF
the senses, memory takes hold, and is then
followed by judgment. We then come to
the lima gination and its exercise. we
divine much Of the pleasure OF life from
the exercise of this faculty. what are
the practical applications OF this taculty'
and how may the teacher use IL TO nj tne
pupil for life? Has the ditch digger any
use for imaglnationf 1t needs but ltlle
reflection TO show that he can do better
work If he can see the place and result Tl,I
of each stroke before 1t is made. Inc
bricklayer and the stonemason are more
efficient in their respective yoeatlohs ~ ~
they can have a perfect mental image ol
the completed work before they proceed
with the work. Before he could peglh 10
lay the foundations of the Bro1hl!h
bridge the celebrated architect had 10
q
it now stands. The physician, before ne
makes the first inclsion of an ampultl!.oHI
must see in his minds eye the ampulatCu
member with every artery and vein prop
crlv tied The minister must have llvey
Imagination to be able 10 place hlnlstl+
in the place of the heaven and thus parv,p
erly present his message or truth. i he
taWyer cool and calculating thcueh nc
may be- must have vivid Imagination ~
order TO make his jury see the case as ne
paints it, or he Will fall below t9e measure
of success he might have attained. %
THE teacher must train the pupiis "
use this faculty In order TO get hei0 ,
them proper conceptions Of geography n ~
tory and kindred topics, How aoss NY w
imaelnation work. IL builds nothing ap9P
luteiy new, but combines experiences ai-
rendy In the mind. II therefore IS imposs,
sible to develop this faculty IN me m .,,S
properly unless we NIL their minus VIZ o,ier
not TO allow the fancy TO become unsgI,
ernable and uncontrolled. In proper hin .i
and under due restraint, the iacuitg Ia ~;
be one OF the greatest helps IN 1Jhuigosonby
that forbids the Mother Goose SUE 80
juvenile literature. Ii Is as senseless "a
forbid the child TO eat eooAy uoss arv
horses as TO forbid the imaginative hlots
'sWhile the child's Imagination runs To-
very readily. Il Is also very eahiis
strained within rational limits, hoe lln,,cl
Crusoe, Astounding In posslbinllesi - Esirv
more interesting than Grimm fn MA
stories. which are purely imdglnatlhe' ~, IN
primitive man been devoid OF lmaslnat I,.gt,
he could never have discovered me posi- seif
Utilities in the use OF even a eiuD TOT baye
defense. All the inventions OF man lied
Deen the result OF what may - as 0e
the constructive Imagination. Mueh ~ ma
nave accomplished, far more les
us in the exercise Of the imaglnaati9,n,o;n T.
..Ihe highest use OF the imagln Atlo o,,.,,
IN exercising II 10 make men and woms aa
better and nobier. An ideal has tremeh,as sslf
lifting force and strongly draws 20 eylayated
whornsoeyer Il possesses. BOY a. ,hey may
OF degraded BY the Ideals "niSA