Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-12-01

Ia'atIbu uuHl ut m6ub IN Jne nome.
Those at home should understand that
they are to help in this matter of in
terest
Thirdly, there must be a uniformity
in the studies. Certain subjects be-
come major studies at different times.
Between the ages of six and twelve
years, literature is tho major study,
with growing interest in others. In
the thirteenth year mathematics pre-
dominates, and at fourteen mathe-
MATES and history.
After a short intermission Miss Ger
true Edmund addressed the Institute
on Penmanship and Drawing " Dur
ing the course of her talk Miss Ed
mund exhibited number Of specimens
of penmanship and draw ing 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
laCiunc kv-O n, Df a
eight years of age are revelations of
the wonderful system that exists in
well regulated schools. Some speci-
mems by pupils in the grammar school
were wster-color landscapes and flow
ers that 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
to develop what lies in embryo In
the design work in drawing, nature
has been used as means for suggest
! ing al infinite variety of new beauti-
ful and original combinations. In so
doing it 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
ful copies, historically correct, but
there would have been no art about
| il"
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 CouRhlin 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 thought:
from the page until we know how tC
read properly. In learning to read VT
proceed from the known 10 the un
known. the known being oral speech
and the unknown, written speech. IL
learning to read we appeal to the mem
DIV, which is somewhat threefold il
nature: visual. auditory and motor.
We should adopt method that viii
represent au orderly and related series
of exercises, and one that will leaC
children TO help themselves.
The Misses Hooley delighted the au
dience with two piano duets entitled
"Tourist March" and West Virgins
| University March. " the latter being
| bll ellCOIc MISE Il II ltNIt NtlS5 4Cuh
cred two vocal selections with pleas
ing effect
The balance of the afternoon wa
occupied by Miss Edmund. She spok,
most entertainingly of The Art o.
the Italian Renaissance. " She said il
part:
The Italy of the Renaissance is the
art gar len of the world. In the mast
cry of line and color, in the expression
spiritual ideals, the achievements o
the Italian artists from the middle o
the twelfth TO the close of the six
teenth century, have been the wonde
and admiration of the world and con
stitute its chief art impulse.
About the year 1000 A. D.. the enc
of the world was expected and wheI
this year passed without bringing tn
great event. enthusiasm revived, ant
as an expression of gratitude, the peo
pie began to build great churches anC
cathedrals.
The Popes invented the Myster,
Plays illustrating scenes in the life o
Christ. Such occasions as these stimu
lated the artistic passion Of the peopl,
and poetry. painting and sculpture
went hand in hand.
1t has been truly said that the his
tory of Christianity is carved and pain
ed in its Madonnas. The first of these
hardly represent real mother anC
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 bold
but devout attempt to break away
from the ascetic ideal, and unite the
| dignity of the divine with the beauty