Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27
Aunt Dorothy's Letter

Dear Children:
In the most closely built-up part of the
city of Boston there is public school, ac-
commodating about 600 pupils, not one or
whom is a real American-that Is, in all
this number there is not one child whose
grandparents were natives of this country,
and but few whose parents were born here,
while very many of the children them
selves are of foreign birth
At the beginning of every school year
there is a class of several hundred who
cannot speak word of English. These
children are of all ages, from the little tots
of five or six up to the big boys and girls
of thirteen or fourteen, and are at first
all in the same class, but are promoted to
the higher grades as fast as they learn our
language.
Do you realize what a great and impor-
tant work the masters and teachers in this
school have to do? Besides the regular
school lessons they try to train the chill
dren to become good and useful American
citizens and to influence them for good In
every way possible, this influence extend
ing even beyond the school room to the
homes from which the children come.
The parents are gratified at the interest
taken in their little ones and come to have
a good opinion of the government which
provides such schools and such teachers.
Most of these children are very poor, and
all that they know of brightness or beauty
or neatness they learn at school A teacher
In one of the lowest grades once told me
that she always wore pretty waists and
bright ribbons to school, because the chill
dren liked them. and that many of them
asked their mothers to wear pretty clothes
and white aprons like teacher"
Boston is surrounded by many beautiful
parks and public reservations, which are
easily reached by the electric cars, and
thn uln mt 6ayr nf
autumn the pupils of this school are taken
by the teachers to the fields and woods
and seashore, where they study nature and
collect flowers, plants. minerals, pebbles.
shells and sea weed. and upon their return
home write a description of what they have
seen and learned. The plants and flowers
are carefully pressed, and after being
mounted upon cardL GARD are correctly la
beled some of the children having very
pretty collections with descriptions of the
plants accompanying the specimens.
This field work, as IT is called. has sew
eral good results. In the first place it has
been found that the children learn the cor
rect of English more quickly in this
way than In any other. Probably because
they so greatly interested In the work
and try to excel in 1t. Then, it pleases the
parents and makes them ambitious for the
success of their children. 1t has also been
found to lessen the spirit of "hoodlumism,
or, in other words, has taught the children
that they can enjoy the grass and trees and
plants without injuring or destroying them,
and that the birds and small animals have
a right to their lives and homes. Last, but
not least. it brings a great deal of happi-
ness into the lives of these poor little
ones. where II is greatly needed. To many
of them this trip into the country with the
school is the only time in the whole year
when they get away from their miserable
surroundings. Their homes in tene
ment houses. built in narrow streets and
narrower courts. where the air is foul and
there are few pleasant sights or sounds.
Can you realize that some of these chill
dren have never seen grasshopper or a
toad, and do not know a daisy from but
tercup?
On one of these trips into the country a
little girl stood so long in one spot that
teacher asked if anything was the matter
The child said no, but added that she had
not been the grass before for three
years and was just enjoying 1t.
Can you not imagine what a pleasant
place a bright. clean school room. with
books and pictures and growing plants
must seem to such children? All that
ago. Since that time / know that an
aquarium has been put into this school,
and l am sure the children must greatly
enjoy II. / have been greatly interested In
the school. and If you are. too, l will find
out more to tell you about 1t and the good
work ii is doing. There is one, maybe sew
eral similar to II in New York and prob
ably In other cities where there is large
foreign population. Yours sincerely.
DOROTHY DAY.