Abilene weekly reflector., 1902-08-07

The county to adopt the new word
method Of teaching reading, plunged
into the Reading Circle work with
great zeal. She attended the meeting |
oi the city circle, whose membership
decreased in the course Of the first
year from twelve to three, in spite OF
the fact that the county superintend-
ent, still unmarried, was chairman
ex.officio, and read in the four years
Watts On the Mind, Hailman's Lee
lures on Education, Sully's Hand
book on Psychology, aud Boone's Ed
ucation in the United States, varied
by such lighter works as Green's
England, and The Lights Of Two Gen.
turtles.
By the practice Of rigid economy
she was enabled to spend few weeks
at Bay View one summer, and to at
tend q session Of summer school at
. college in the state, and this her
Reading Circle diploma, and her high
standing at home, enabled her to Sc
cure position in the schools OF a
neighboring city. She was further
assisted to this end by her manner,
which was happy combination OF
the severe style Of address in vogue
at the time OF her entrance into the
work with the melting sweetness OF
the present day, and the correctness
Of her speech. Never in the most
exciting discussion did Miss Petrie
drop into the colloquial "haven't"
"didn't," or "couldn't;" her "has
nots" and her "could nots" we're
never elided, and her articulation
and accent Of the final syllable Of
"childreu" would have aroused envy
even in the breast Of the president OF
the National Association Of Teachers
had he chanced to hear her speak.
And now Miss Petrie, who had
started out rather aimlessly, with no
higher aim than to avoid dishwashiug'
and in whose breast were finally
kindled some sparks Of true ambition
to succeed in her calling. was caught
by the strong current Of modern edu'
cation and swept forward resistles'ly
At eight o'clock in the morning
she must be in the schoolroom tt
write on the board the lessons iol
the day, because the superintendent
fad was to avoid the use OF text
books whenever possible. Ate
school there was more Of the sam
work, varied by correcting papers
because the superintendent demand
ed that all the children's work b
written. She must also find time t
take country rides in search Of flower
and shrubs in their season, and Q
rabbits, owls, and other beasts, birds
and insects, Of which the childre
were to write their impressions.
On Sunday mornings the superb
: tendent thoughtiully provided recre'
I ton for his teachers in the form
9 lectures by celebrated apostles
Child Study and Nature Stud.
, which Miss Petrie, with the other
a was required to attend. She all
4 found it necessary to take sever'
y courses Of private study in drawing
painting, music, science, an
calisthenics, as the supervisors
q these subjects came in frequentl,
and the instruction rested principal
O in her hands. In her spare tim
there we're entertainments to be pr
J., pared for, that teacher whose pupi
n could present portions of Wagn
v opera or Shakespearean play bei'
4 considered Of much higher proie
sional rank than her fellows who co
"a fined their efforts to stereopticon le
>, lures and recitations from the Anne
D. can poets.
rs In the summer, those teachers W
st could keep out Of a sanitarium We
,e expected to refresh their minds a
At elevate the standard Of their prof
n. slonal work BY attending the SUNNI
ed school Of some university.
IN After five years Of this work, M
Id Petrie suddenly reappeared in Ent
in prise, where she spent the first
d. tire summer with her family sil
the second year OF her proiessio
50 career. When autumn came and