Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-01

A VISIT TO coNY HIGH.
An Out-of. own Visitor Gets = Mo.t
Favorable Impression,
Editors kennebec JOurnal.

Editors kennebec Journal:
A recent, but very real interest in tho
Cohy High school on the part of the
| writer, led to a visit a few DAYS since
II is a good place to go to; and perhaps
| 1t Is as true as it is trite, that parents
ought to visit the schools where their
children are being taught, oftener than
| they DO. 1t is an excellent place to find
| out how much one has forgotten. or
perhaps never knew. After such Wis
it, one is more disposed to feel humble
and to regard as less arrogant the claim
of youth to a knowledge reaching far.
beyond that Of their fathers or grand
fathers.
Principal Cook, as he took his place
at the desk to open school, reminded us
of two lines in one of Whittier's best
known poems
"A prompt decisive man. no breath
Our father wasted; Boys a path ="
1t seemed to be business from the
start; and if good start is half the
| task the fortunes of the day were well
assured before a lesson was recited. IN
| a room, less attractive than some of
the others. we heard class recite in
astronomy. Now astronomy, although,
| a heavenly subject. is not very inter-
esting to some of us who are very much
| of the earth earthly. We were not up
| on it and we knew it. 1t was doubtful
even whether it would be Ineligible to
us. But it was not dull; indeed it was
made interesting as story. The
| teachers manner and methods called to
mind the story of an English teacher in
a school for boys. He had repeatedly
been taken to task by his associates
and superiOrs for greeting the boys on
the street and addressing them re-
spectfully in class. His defence was:
| II lift my hat to the future of the
boys
The instruction in Civil Government
| by Principal Cook. is a liberal educa-
| ton in itself IT. this recitation three
things impressed the visitor. First. the
| Iemarkabla stiffness of the large room
| no whispering or turning of leaves or
even that intangible noise made
by large number of restless young
people in a room. Second: The abb
| sence oil textbooks or any hint of them.
| The class did not seem to be reciting
| from textbook. The pupil was en-
| couraged, and indeed required. to tell
knew about the subject. The third
| thing was the constant appeal to the
students season. He was expected to
blaze a path through the wilderness for
nimself-with here and there a word,
| a hint or Il question from the master.
The classes in Greek and Latin and
to some extent in modern languages,
promised only such fare as is suggested
- H. Il
bones. In prospect they seemed ex-
ceedi1gly dry. In our memory they
were scattered-bone from his bone.
They We're bleached. In the worst
sense they We're dead languages. But.
10, 4 miracle was wrought before our
eyes. With niatchess skill the bones
were brought together; they We're fit
ted. each into its place. SinewS came
up upon them. flesh covered them and
skin. and soon they began to look al
most beautiful; and most wonderful OF
all. there was breathed into them the
breath of life and they became living
soul. AS dry bones, they were hope
lcsely unintelligible and uninterestinS
to us but as reSuIrected and recon-
structed Greeks, Latins and Franks
they seemed as if they might speak,
and one felt like saluting them and
asking after their health.
The only other recitation we heard
was in English Literature. We ey-
petted much and got more.
The largest sympathy and the most
loyal support should be the free-will
offering of every citizen of Augusta, to
the teachers who are making COny
High a credit to the city.
Noble work it is. building character
as well as imparting knowledge. one
thinks of LongfellOw's words
.Build me straight o worthy Master!
Stalinch and strong. a goodly vessel.
That shall laugh at all disaster
And with wave and whirlwind WreStie
r. NJ. p.
Milton. n. II.