The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1904-01-14
A PLEA FOR CHILDREN.

Marietta, Ga, January 18th, 1904.
! EDITOR MARIETTA JOURNAL: While
it is too late to have any bearing on the
past Christmas, and some may think
too early to discuss the next one, yet I
have determined to give some views of
my own now
| think that our city school board was
not liberal in its allowance of time for
the Christmas holidays, although in
this it had It plenty of company all over
the state.
Why was it necessary to make the
children go to school on Monday, Tues
day and Wednesday of the week when
Christmas came on Friday? Did the
amount of learning they got on those
three days counterbalsnce the pleasure
they might have had about that time
which is fuller of joy to the average
child than is any other period of the
year? l unhesitatingly answer, No.
l do not refer to my own children, for
| they Loyalty obeYed the school boards
mandate; but write on my knowledge
OF human nature and on my belief of
the duty the older people owe to the
| children. Let us bear in mind that we
are responsible for their being here
and one great but too rarely considered
fact, that when the burden of life is
placed upon their shoulders it is never
taken off. Therefore, let us avoid put
ting it on too soon. Let us make these
little lives as happy as we can Let us
throw sunshine into those hearts. And
how can we do this with school children
better than by giving them a good
time, Christmas?
The children, like grown people, wish
little time for preparation for Christ
mas day, yet our school board gave
them only one day. That was not
enough by several.
And another point, the teachers were
entitled to longer freedom than they
got. Some Of them desire each Christ
mas to visit their parents or others.
Yet, this time they could not get there
till Christmas eve. l have no one par
ticularly in mind but [ know 1 state
fact.
Consider how, during the school term,
their patience is tried, how their eyes
are strained, examining papers at
night, and how their wearied brains
almost ache Will they not be better
capacitated for their duties if they are
| allowed full two weeks during Christ
mas times? And can they not fix up
for Christmas" better if their little va
cation begins several days before
Christmas? l contend that their gener-
al efficiency will be improved by the
course I have Indicated
Now, l do not intend any harsh criti-
cism of the school board They are
gentlemen CT intelligence and integrity.
They are citizens who do honor to
Marietta. And I have for each one of
them feeling of personal esteem, l
may say of affection, But if they wish
to act in conformity with the expressed
views of the citizens of Marietta, l will.
if l am living at the proper time, make
house TO house canvass of Marietta
with petition to the board to let the
next christmas holidays" begin on
Friday afternoon, December 10Th, 1904,
and continue till Tuesday, January Sd,
1905, and that, therefore. unless chang
ed by future boards, it be the school
law that the Christmas holidays begin
not later than December 10Th, and con-
| rinue till at least January 3rd.
| Yet | cannot but believe that the
gentlemen OF the school board will see
the justice OF the views / have pre-
sented. Very Respectfully,
JOSEPH NJ. Brown.