Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-07
DON'T TAKE AWAY
OLD MOTHER GOOSE

A paragraph has been going the
round of the papers to the effect thar,
under the auspices of the University OF
Chicago. nursery rhymes are to b.
stricken off the list of things suitable
for the minds of children. Did this at
tack on the dear old dogerels of our
childhood Gays stand alone, we should
be tempted to let it pass in that silence
which is the most fitting ttItude oward
the propositions Of franks and faddists
Unfortunately, however. it is i'm keep
ing with some other destructive pro-
pOsals which concern the education Of
little ones. Not so very long ago there
were discussions as to whether 1t was
moral to talk about santa Claus al
Christmas time, and whether we did
not pervert the tender mind from the
sacred ways of truth when we read
fairy tales by the freight Cn winters
evening. Happily, common sense tri-
nmphcd over the uncommon sense OF
the cranks and faddists, Santa Claus
vas justified and genial spirits sent
forth 4 veritable cornucopia of new edi-
tons Of the fairy tales of Olden tima
such as the soul loveth. Let the reply
to Mrs. Gudran Thorn-Thompson be a
similar horn of plenty. trimming over
with Mother Goose" and Jack and
Jill"
We used Ia hear from persons who
passed for wise i'm their generation that
the child mind could rot digest the
mental pabulum prepared tor the adult
mind, any more than could the child
stomach asSiinilate the steaks and
piquant sauces 50 dear 10 the adult
palate. Has The evolution of mind pro-
ceeding rapidly under The combined lit
iluence Of natural and artificial selec-
ton and heredity and the multitude of
other influences which the evolutioniSt
knows Of, reached thai point when, at
the very threshold of consciousness, il
can assiIniaJe the Knowledge which
the immediate progenitors Of the pres
cnt generation of infants found it suf-
ticiently difficult to understand, even
with cOpiOus supplies of tears? Expcr-
fence is good test sometimes, and it
is against an affirmative conclusion.
We gave the kindergarten a fair trial
and ii succeeded well until the cranks
and faddistS made II 4 field for their
operations. Ut succeeds even now when
left in its simplicity. But how many
teachers in our primary classes find
that they have to untcach much that
the Kindergarten has taught, and have
TO spend precious time in intoxicating
habits of study and thought which the
kindergarten has ignored? 1t is to be
hoped that recording angels are on a
vacation frequently when a new batch
Of kindergarten children from the freak
kindcrgartenS are advanced to the pri-
mary grade.
There is IL very general cry that chill
zen are becoming every day less child
like: that they are being pressed and
crammed far beyond their strength. OF
course, the fanatics tell us that it is
not so. that all this cutlery is the out
come Of misplaced sentim. nj and Of ig-
norance of the true inwlrdness of edu-
cational methods. But this we know,
that forced minds are very like forced
plants--curiosities, perhaps, but not
such AS the experienced cultivator
keeps as stock" Nature is very jeal-
Gus for her nurslings. You may fool
considerably with adult specimens.
even to the degree of making them hid
tous; you may experiment almost in
definitely with this, that and the other
kind OF feeding. pruning. grating; but
let cold wave or hot wave but once
blow upon your tende, musings and
they are gone without hope Of resur.
rectiOn.
In the name of holy childhood-for
childhood is indeed a holy season in
mans lifetime-let US have done with
this experimenting with the child mind.
rs if ii were 4 corpus Vile for the in
experienced or the ruthless vivisector
to practice upon. Let us 90 back to th,.
good. healthy days when infancy was
i time for developing Il good, all-round
susceptibility. Then our teachers will
take pride, as some now do in many
lormal excellent scholars. rather than
i'll & few abnormal specimens of pre-
cociOus intellect. The child that can
appreciate THE House that Jack Built
is far more human than the prodigy
that can recite the names and dates Of
all the worthy presidents Of the United
states. The girl that can thrill at tn.
story of Little Miss Muffet" is more
likely To be Il jewel Of 4 woman than
enc who knows al about Homcr's
"Aphroditc.' And. in lika manner the
mother who talks about "tootsey-woot-
seys' and counts the little pigs going to
market on hIr child'S toes is a better
specimen of womanhOod than she who
calls the baby fingers ligIts.-Philadel-
phia Public Ledger.