Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-01-25

the honor Of its pupils" BY that
course Thomas Arnold turned a lot of
deceiving pupils into band OF honest
boys.
The same fact was true in reference
to the life OF Mary A. Llvermore at
Duxbury. This is her testimony: II
informed my pupils on the opening day
that the school was to be self governed.
There were to be no punishments for
offenses, no rewards for well doing.
Each one must conform to the rules Of
the school as matter Of honor or
leave 1t. Every young man was to be
gentleman, every one of the young
girls a lady" DO you wonder when
Mary A. Llvermore started her school
upon such basis as this that she had
young gentlemen and young ladies for
her scholars? How was it, o teacher,
with your past life? If you had
teacher who never trusted you and
was trying to catch you in dishonest
act, did you not cheat under his very
eyes? You did, and you know 1t. On
the other hand. were not all the boys
and girls honest and true in dealing
with that teacher who used to leave
the room on the day of examinations
and put the members of your class on
their honor? 1t always pays to appeal
to the honor of your students. Treat
your class as honest boys and girls.
and they will be honest Spy on their
tracks, and they will cheat you and
deceive you at every step. Thus the
two great means by which teacher IS
to mold his classes for Christ is, first,
to be Christian himself. and, second.
to appeal to the Christian instincts Of
the scholars by whom he IS surrounded
And now ! come to one closing plea
for the teacher to give his heart to
Christ. or all professions in the world
where a person needs the grace Of God
to sustain him the pedagogical profess
sion is the foremost. OF all classes Of
men and women toward whom the
world is most blatantly and cruelty I'M
grateful that class is to be found among
the teachers. do you know" said a
teacher to me the other day, that Of
all intelligent workmcn teacher IS
paid the least? A father pays more to
the carpenter who shingles his house
than he does to the schoolteachcr who
molds the brains and the character of
his child. He pays more to the work.
man who puts in his plumbing or the
mason who rears his walls or to the
plasterer who mixes his lime for his
inside walls than he does to the school
teacher who is forming the life of his
child for time and for eternity" Yes
said, II know it. Shame on the CON-
munity which does it"'
But, Christian teachers, though your
pay is small, though the world may be
ungrateful for the good that you can
do, remember the greatest oppoftupi-
ties of life are yours. You are the
great protectors Of society. 1t is you
who can prevent in the twentieth cen
fury such an outbreak as the French
revolution of the eighteenth century
You are the great conservators of So
cial order. Your work is Infinite
though the pay is meager. CLcst was
never paid a dollar for tie work be
did for mankind except to be present
ed with a cross for dying bed. But
Christ saved the world by his sacrifices
You are not building for lime. but FOL
eternity. You are molding boys anG
girls for the future. And il you dc
your work we'll there will come time
when you shall have your reward
When on the great day Of judgmen
all the nations Of the earth shall as
nemble to receive their rewards some
who are last here shall be first there
On that day, IL you have done YOU
work we'll. Christ will point to the gos
pei triumph Of some of your pupils ant
say: 20 teacher. these men and wo
men wrought for me because thol
didst Thy work faithfully in the school
room. Come forth. o teacher anC
get thy reward" Then Christ will say
to your old pupils: Friends, help thy
master to his throne. Aged school
teacher, mount and take thy crown.
So may it be. pray God that sucl
heavenly reward shall be thine, be
cause thou. a Christian teacher, art do
ing thy work well for the Master nov
in thy humble sphere on earth. ID
you wonder Paul praised the teacher
life work when he said, "He that teach
eth, OH teaching"
copyright. 1906. by Louis Klopsch.l