Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-06


but they are worthless until they be-
come potential in the resolution of a |
child to express like ideals, to do wor-
thy deeds. On this New Years day
we are making resolutions of conduct
and urging the same upon others, but
these resolutions will be useless un-
less they stir the soul to do them and
become actually done.
We spend many hours in present
Ing worthy characters to our boys and
girls, magnifying the nobler achieve
ments and patriotic services of our
fathers. but this is clearly not the end
OF character training. We shall have
to see that ways and means are pro-
Vided for the expression of similar
acts in the simplest and commonest OF
school routine. To build character is
not to have an appreciation of wor-
thy character in others so much as
1t Is to stir, the youth with the spirit
to experience the same noble thoughts
and generous purposes which prompt
ed the lives of others.
I'VE must recognize in our work as
character molders the distinction be-
tween Imitation, habit and character.
The first two may and should tend to
/ the formation of the last, but we are
too frequently satisfied if our pupils
! have copied some worthy man, have
even done something we thought wor-
thy out of personal regard for our
selves or have cultivated the tendency
| to perform some worthy act without
thinking of the reason for SO doing
or the end of it. Imitation and habit
have their places in the tool chest of
the teacher as in the life of every one.
Imitation is worthy mode of action
as long as principles of life are not
appreciate, but imitation is worth
! less unless it effects a tendency to do
the same thing even if the example be
absent and love to do it arising from
the pleasure which accompanies. A
tendency to do over and over again the
same act Is the acme of habit, but
habit lacks character until the person
has passed from the informal volun-
| tary performance of the same act
I, without regard to its benefits or inju-
RES to the same or any other act de-
termined by principles of right or
or wrong in ones relation to himself
] or anyone else.
1.-THE small boyssmokes the cigarette
A to initiate another small boy, larger
boy, or because it is the only possible
way, considering size Of mouth and
! purse, of initiating his father. The
man smokes the cigar because. he has
4 always seen other men smoking CT
CARS, does not care to see other men
not smoking cigars, has always smok-
:. ed cigars. These are imitation and
!; habit, but absolutely devoid of char
acter The man who does not smoke
, may have been hindered in his boy
hood, his youthful abstinence became
a habit, he is a man of character and
|, habit now, for he repeatedly and con-
sistently does what is best for him.
, self, what brings no harm or displea
sure to himself or his associates or
,, descendants and he enjoys the doing
of it.
1--WE should realize that there is not
an item of the school that does not
enter into the influence of character;
school grounds clean, inviting and
grassy; the house within and without
beautiful, symmetrical, harmonious
adapted to its use, clean pure and un
, marred, softly tinted walls dotted will
pictures and models that portray ide
ais of beauty and power.
i '"The teacher the. continual express
+ sion of character, full of life ant
!. health natural in action and spirit
!, spiritual in purpose and. thought. wei
. groomed, well tutored, evenly poised
divinely ordained, building personal
p ity as well as storing knowledge, send
! ing forth inspiration rather thar
: drawing in salary. Sill,
1.-THE whole school must be the per
: sonifcation of character, unselfish
!. regardful of others, Industrious, aim
full, thought seeking, full of expressly,
: life; every action and every lessor
clearly preconceived by the teache
in its bearing upon the upbuilding ant
and expressing of the pupils eharacte
as clearly after perceived by the pu
pill as an element of thought WORT
possessing.
"The activities of the school whicl
have least apparent moral force ar
often most influential in creating ter
denotes of character If we are sens
BILE teachers we are forgetting tn
character training to be found in eac
lesson in order that we may give on
energy to helping the pupil appreciat
the beauty Of word and structure Q
verse of the classic and the spirit @
the writer that prompted the utter
ance. 1t is of the greatest moment i
the geometry class that the student
proceedings from fact to fact by III
broken steps and complete statement
and that the whole process involve
in the demonstration has become
part of his own thinking. The, re
searches of the microscope and tn
test-tube, the study of field and SIX
for the moment are science studies bu
we never forget that the actual di!
coveries will be re-discovered in pt
litical principles and social conduc
"Our duty is to teach the lesson an
see that its items are clearly pc
ceived,, The character elements W
must leave unspoken to the classes a
such; if we have completely adjuste
the relations of student to theme,
theorem or experiment, the infll
ences we hope for are sure to follow
The love of truth, the revelation {
every divine attribute in nature, til
sense of justice, of relationship, {
honesty and the impossibility of pr
tense of any kind are potent becaus
the lesson has been attractiyely an