The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-05-09
(By Miss Ellsner-Read Before the
Mothers and Teachers Club.)
Continued from yesterday

1 CONTINUED from yeSISTudy)
Personally, I find that in explaining
this wonderful fact to my pupils, chord
| is touched, that, when once it is set vi
| brating, can never again become dor
mant-that is, responsibility in the per
sonaI thought world. There is no reason
why this common property should not
| be used as such. 1t is the same with
| everything. Life is evolutionary and
| primitive conditions must give way
| to the enterprise of man. It matters
| not how much we deplore the loss of
our old time homeiness, with all its
told and untold charm, everything is
carried along in this impetuous current
of modern progress.
The specific instruction our youth
should receive is also no longer COM
patible with old fashioned ideas of
morality. Our choicest flower of child
hood, apparently well protected, is Ii
able to gain information about facts
of nature in an undesirable way,
blighting its happy child-life, where
as, if the beauty and holiness of these
same facts had been properly present
ed, happy joy about the wonder of
it all would go hand in hand with self
protection. 1t is surprising to hear
people, of good judgment otherwise,
object to these teachings -considering
them much of a shock, but they fail to
take note of the fact that newspapers
are always about, bearing the most
tell-tale headlines which evoke curio-
sity if nothing more. They need not
flatter themselves that their children
are not going to crafty this curiosity
and find out what all this is about.
Then think of the influences of "bill
posters and shows People opposing
such instruction are usually the ones
who have not had experience in trans
uniting Independent personal thought;
with them it is text book material or
nothing; but there are ways of in
structing that are reverential and not
shocking. After convincing society
that correct knowledge is the only safe
guard for our young people, we must
awaken the slumbering sensibilities of
the community at large to their re-
sponsibility, before we can hope to
make much Roadway in staying the
hand of this gaunt spectre and it's
twin brother intemperance, and bring
about the healthy, hearty and moral
growth so much desired.
No sensible person will hesitate to
sacrifice a few pet ideas and cooper
ate in solving the problem, when once
they see their way clear on the sub
ject.
When we observe the sweet inno-
cence of childhood and then refer to
the "Evil'' in question, we shudder
at the possibility. and examine into
our accepted mode of education. when
t seems must embrace some erroneous
IDEAS in spite of its excellence.
Education too often stands for alb
,orption of ideas laid Gown in text
books only. without reference to their
PRACTICAL application and bearing on
he various needs of life. Education
houId be the means whereby we bring
nto realization latent possibilities, de-
-elop our mental, moral, and physical
orces and become independent think
RS. This. in connection with religious
which can hardly be separ-
ted from the foregoing, will insure
worthy citizens in the widest and pur-
st sense.
It is the desideratum and ambition of
very true educator to bring about all
f this. but public prejudice and home
Influences must be taken into account,
which are often sorely at variance
nth such plans of general embodiment
nd the result of our labor is not al
ravs what we have reason to expect
f it.
Parents and teachers should learn to
their task as of mutual in
crest and confer with each other in
egard to ways and means whereby TO
ttain the best general results. This
light, perhaps, assist in solving the
luch talked of educational prob
I'M. - But character building should
e our aim, first, and last.
In the mean time let US take a sur
ev of our conditions.
We generally begin our discussions on