Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1904-12-02

| solute cooperation of the home Is es-
sential to the school, because the pre-
paration must be made in the home.
Those at home should understand that
they are to help in this matter of in
| terest.
Thirdly, there must be uniformity
in the studies. Certain subjects be-
come major studies at different times.
Between the ages of six aud twelve
years, literature is the major study,
with growing interest in others. In
the thirteenth year mathematics pre-.
dominates, and at fourteen mathe-
matios and history.
After a short intermission Miss Ger
true Edmund addressed the Institu to
on Penmanship and Drawing. Dur
| ing the course of her talk Miss Ed
mund exhibited number of specimens
of penmanship and drawing executed
by pupils of the school of which she
is principal. The children whose
handiwork was shown vary in age
from six to thirteen years. Creation
is made the keynote of their work the
only copying they are allowed to do is
from nature. The children are taught
to cut original designs from paper
when they first come to the kinder
garten. From this work they advance
through the different grades to var
ious kinds of designing. The wall
paper designs by children of seven and
eight years of age are revelations of
the wonderful system that exists in
we'll regulated schools. Some speci-
mems by pupils in the grammar school
we're water-c color landscapes and how-
ers chat showed highly developed art
istic ability.
On the sbuject of creative and orig
inal work Miss Edmund said: "In
every mind there are unknown pos
sibilites. 1t Is our mission as teachers
to develop what lies in embryo. In
the design work in drawing, nature
has been used as a means for suggest.
ing an infinite variety of new beauti
full and original combinations. In SO
doing 1t is no longer imitation, it is
creation. Had the Greeks and the
great Italian masters simply initiated
what the eye saw, we might have faith.
full copies, historically correct, but
there would have been no art about
it,"
Miss Edmund gave several valuable
suggestions on penmanship Specimens
of vertical penmanship by pupils who
are in the various grades of the schools
under her supervision, were shown.
The specimens were commendable for
their neatness and skill. The vertical
system is preferred for the lower
grades because it is the most natural
system for the child. The speaker be.
ing an excellent penman herself, is
fully competent to give the teachers
most valuable instruction ON the sub.
ject.
Mr.. Coughlin occupied the first period
in the afternoon session with an ad.
dress on Pedagogy of Reading" He
said that we should first of all master
the mechanics of reading, that is. we
should distinguish between reading
and learning to read. Reading is the
getting of thoughts from the printed
page. and we cannot get the thoughts
from the page until we know how to
read properly. In learning to read we
proceed from the known to the un.
known. the known being oral speech.
and the unknown, written speech. In
learning to read we appeal to the mem
ory, which is somewhat threefold in
nature: visual, auditory and motor.
We should adopt method that will
represent an orderly and related series
OF exercises, and one that will lead
children to help themselves.
The Misses Hooley delighted the au
dience with two piano duets entitled
"Tourist March" and "West Virginia
University March," the latter being
an encore. Miss Elfriede Weiss rend-
cred two vocal selections with pleas
ing effect
The balance of the afternoon was
occupied by Miss Edmund. She spoke
most entertainingly of "The Art of
the Italian Renaissance. She said in
part:
The Italy of the Renaissance ia the
art garden of the world. In the mast
cry of line and color, in the expression
Of great truths and the embodiment of
spiritual ideals, the achievements of
the Italian artists from the middle OF
the twelfth to the close of the six
teenth century, have been the wonder
and admiration of the world and con.
stitute its chief art impulse.
About the year 1000 A. D.. the end
of the world was expected and when
this year passed without bringing the
great event. enthusiasm revived, and
as an expression of gratitude, the peo-
pie began to build great churches and
cathedrals.
The Popes invented the Mystery
Plays illustrating scenes in the life Of
Christ Such occasions as these stimu-
lated the artistic passion OF the people
and poetry. painting and sculpture
went hand in hand.
1t has been truly said that the his
tory of Christianity is carved and paint
ed in it's Madonnas. The first of these
hardly represent a real mother and
child. They are rather symbols of
battle.
In the latter part of the 18th cent
ury, we find the Father of Painting,
the artist. Cimabue. He made a bold
but devout attempt to break away
from the ascetic ideal, and unite the
| dignity of the divine with the beauty
of the human form. But Cimabue's
strong claim to the gratitude of sue