The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-09-14

efits, no matter how hard teacher
may strive to aid him.
There are two classes of men. The
and the retrogressive.
Those who push and those who are al
ways willing to lie down in the heat of
the day and let some one else do their
work. The latter may be the lazy |
mans doctrine, and it may work at
times, but when it comes to acquiring |
an education, every time that you get
some one to do your work or leave it
undone, you fail to realize your pres
ent opportunities, and neglect that
which you will come in need of in
your future work.
Those who have taught school in the
past, can even now picture in minds
mirror some of his old classes and see
mentally the different scholars. There
never was class but what had a
few drones. They might not have
been exactly lazy, but they were care
less. They tried to do things with
their minds away from their work.
A man cannot do two things in the
extreme at the same time and have his
mind concentrated on both. To those
who are contemplating to derive ma
terial benefit from the night school, it
will be we'll to bear the last thought in
mind; that you cannot do two things
in the extreme and have your mind
concentrated on the business in hand.
Personally, l believe that a man can
derive many benefits from the prison
night school, believe that if he will
spend a portion of each night with his
books, that during the school term he
can acquire as thorough knowledge
of the subjects he is studying as he
could in the same length of time in a
public school. 1 say this after watch
ing the results of the school for the
last two terms. Means have been put
within the reach of the inmates of this
institution to enable them to acquire
an education, and if they fail to appre-
ciate and make the most of the oppor-
tunities afforded them, they will have
no one to blame in after years for their
Ignorance; they had the opportunity
but failed to realize the Importance OF
it.
The students are not the only ones
: who derive benefits from the school
, Many of our greatest men started in
life by teaching in apublic school. II
| was stepping-stone for the future
J not so much on account of any pecun
! larry aid, but from the fact that they
3 learned how to express themselves
+ before others, made them think and rea
! son for themselves. To many, the priv
3 ilege of teaching in our night schoo
D means review that is profitable. l
a means more than this. If those il
: charge of the school did not feel tha
8 at heart the teachers were men, the,
a would not intrust them with the priv
;. ilege. No one within the walls (amon
the inmates) is intrusted with sucl
q privileges as the teacher in the nigh
# school, therefore he owes it to tn
l. officials of the institution, as an az
d acknowledgement OF their faith in hin
] as man, and to himself if he eve
o hopes for anything for future better
n ment, that he maintains himself mar
J. honest with those in charge of tn
l. school, honest with those he is instruct
n ing and honest with himself.
IS The prison night school is one of tn
le great blessings inaugurated in priso
l. work for the uplifting of those wh
IS have fallen.
h It is true that once you get man I
ID begin to think for himself, you hay
j. placed him in position to help hin
n self and he will have no one to blam
n. if he neglects that which tends towa1
ut a stronger man. To those whose ear
W, education has been neglected, by a
is means take advantage of the nigl
IN school. EILsEL.
ty
n. Many are willing to lose this wor