The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-11

..---... r. l----.-----.~--------
SasIa8Bs 81 81 IS IS s.
J Indispensable. and becomes the best gt,nr-
/. antee In It's turn against tho greater liz
ward peril, that threatens Il being; thnt
| or exhggcratirig his own Importance. At
tho beginning or life, tho vivHcity OF Inn
| pressions Is SO great that TO establish the
seuuiibrluin, we must submit IT to the
Iduicting influence ofSa calm and superior
!! WILL Tic proper educational function Is
4 to represent this will near the child, in a
4 manner as regular and ms disnteresed us
/, possible. The educators represent then
/, ail that IS respectable In the world. They
!. give to the being who enters .fe the I'm
/, preston Of the something Which precedcs.
! passes and envclops them, but does not
|3crusha them. on tho contrary. their Will
and all the influences which they trans
nit TO him become nutrltivo clements
OF his own energy. TO practice thus the
Influence Is to cultivate a feound obedi.
cnce, tint from which are born free
!; characters. Tic purely personal authori-
lsty Of parents, of masters and of insti-
/ tutions are to tho child like Il young
plant stifled by braflblcs beneath which
lie withers and dies. 1mperAonal authors
ty, that which Is found in the man who
+ is submissive first to tho venerable real
tiles before which no. wishes to bond the
individual fantasy OF a child, resembles
a pure ana luminous atmosphere. II IL
certainly active and Influences us in It's
fashion, but 1t nourlshes and strengthens
our own lifc. Without this authority, 70
& education. TO watch. to direct. to re.
5sist, such is the function of the educator.
\ He must appear toNthe chill not like q
Iabarrier of fantasy which, | { no wished, lie
Tcan jump ovor, provided the leap is pro-.
Aportioncd to the height Of the obstacle,
but a transparent wall through which he
limuy perceive the ilnmovable realities the
laws, tho boundaries, the truths nganst
5whichno action s4possiblc. Thus Is born
the respect which Is In everybody, the
faculty or conceivng That which Is great
fer than himself, the respect which causes
us to grow. and cnfrunchlses us In max
ing US modest That Is tho law. OF edu-
cation In simplicity. It may be summed
.up@in these words: Form men free and
respectful, men who are themselves and
fraternal. nj BGi5s VI 4583s333 Il ll5
let us deduce a fcw practical applica-
tons from this principle.
ID Just because tho child Is of the fu turc,
wo must attach him to the past by picty.
We owe It to him to reclothc tradition
in the most practical forms, and those
most susceptible OF creating a strong I'M
preston. In thcrcsis the exceptional place
which the nncicnts. in tho cult of3remem-
brance, and by extension the history Of
the domestic hcartll-stonc, should hold In
an education. ind home. It Is, above
AL. toward our. children that VIC fill n
duty; when We asst Ign tho place OF honor
to our grandparents. Nothing speaks 50
forciblys to n child, or develops In him
moro &tlic sentiments Of nOdesty. than
to sec his father and mother show to-
wards tho old, sometimes i,lfirm. grand
father, III, eattitude%of respect. There is
there perpetual lesson OF things which
llc cannot resist. That 1t may havct It's
full force. 1t IS necessary that. in q home,
a6tacit accord relgns among all the adults.
III the eyes OF the child they arc all of
one solidarity. held to respect each other
10 understand each. other, under pain OF
Compromising the educa tional authority.
And, to the number OF those persons. We
must ainclude the donlest les. "a servant is
a grown person. and it is the same SON
stimentlo OF respect which is wounded when
child shows Jack OF respect
TO servant as when he lacks
that sentiment towards his father or
grandfather AS soon as lie addresses one
.impohte or arrogant word to any one
older than himself he leaves the path
HAT /, child should not quit. and IL The
parents 4 allow this to happen without
letting him know what lle has done. thc::'
will perceive by his conduct towards them
that the enemy has entered into his heart.
lsThey WHO think that the child is nat-S
slrally al srespectful arr mistaken, when
they dwell upon the examples 80 n,mer-s
Gus OF irleverence which our youth shows
us, At bottom respect Is a need for the
child. Tho child aspires confusedly to
respect and admire something. But$when.
we do not draw benefit from that asplrar-
ton, 1t loses or corl1lpts itself BY our
lack or cohesion and mutual Difference
We, the grown people. dscrctit our own
cause and that Of all respectable things
in tile eyes OF the child We inoculates
him with a bad spirit, whose effects turn
against US la ten.
This sad truth appears nowhere with
.grea ten force than IN the relations be-
tween masters and servitors,s such as we
have created them. Our social faults,
our lack OF simplicity and blindness fall
on the heads OF our children. acre are
certainly hut few of the middle or bour-5
geois class who understand that It 70 bet
ten to lose q few thou sands Of frames
than to let tho children lose tho re-
spect for the domcstlcs, who represent
the category Of the humble ones in our
homes. Nothing Is truor. however. Mnln-
tain as much as you like the convention
alitie.s and tho distances, Of this sort Of
delimitation Of social frontiers which per-
nit each one to keep his place and GOD-
serve the hierarchy. II Is q good thing,
i am persuaded OF that, but on condl-
ton that We do not forget that those who
servo ,la arc men as we'll as We are. You
forms of language upon your do
n,estlcs, attitudes, external signs Of the
respect they owe you. Teach also your
children ana occupy yourself personally
with the process which VIII 5sl1oW your 20,
mestics that you respect their personal
dignity as you would wish them to respect
You. You have there an excellent field
for study to draW you towards the prac.
tlco Of mutual respect, which Is one q
tho essential conditions OF social health
j fear that we profit too little from It.
You exact respect, but you do not pfac-
stlco It. SO tho most often you obtain but