Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-12-05

been too long sending to school merely
the heads of children and we are begin
ming now to see that we must send their
whole bodies; that their is training not
only for the brain but for the muscles, the
eye, the ear, all the senses in fact, the
hands, and most of all character itself.
1t is perhaps in helping to teach the
great moral lessons that the home will
| perform its greatest service of cooperation
with the school. The cultivation of self
| help and self-control, of respect for law
and obedience to authority, of courtesy,
honor, kindIiness and integrity; these are
part of the training of well-educated
person, and allow me to say, these are
things not to be neglected if the future is
to be safe time in which to live.
There are things which cannot be taught
in the school alone. The home must not
only help; it ought to lead. Take for ex-
ample the lesson of obedience both to
natural and to properly-constituted au-
thority. 1 know none of greater import
ance.
There is no sign of the times which en-
courages pessimistic view of the future
more than the defiance of law and order
which we see on every hand. A disregard
of public property, hippant attitude
towards men high in authority, these are
things which you and who wish well for
the nation do not like to see. And yet do
you know that the boy who disrespect-
fully refuses to do his fathers bidding,
and who defiantiy disobeys the injunc-
tions of the school, shows precisely the
same tendency which aims disloyalty to
ones country and breaks the laws of the
land. And shall startle you when | say
that the occasions are by no means rare
when parents, Internationally, no doubt.
teach this very spirit of disobedience by
permitting or even encouraging their
children to disregard the authority of the
public school.
A teacher Of my acquaintance not long
since had occasion to detain boy after
school. After the boy was dismissed he
went home and shortly returned, accom-
panied by his mother, who in the presence
of her son roundly abused and insulted
the teacher. Suppose we admit that the
teacher was wrong in her punishment,
even then / say the mother disregarded
her boys ultimate welfare by thus openly
setting him in defiance of an authority he
should be taught to respect.
A certain boy l know is of more than
average ability, is alert of mind, keen of
perception, and yet / can see that boys
future as plainly as though writ in words.
A., ta fosh hin, tn
defy and disobey the discipline OF his
school / care not about the annoyance to
the teacher; that may be unpleasant, but
it is not vital. That boys eternal welfare
is at stake and, because parent is short
sighted and negligent of his duty, society
must one day bear burden instead of re-
ceiving a blessing. Aud friends, these
instances are not isolated; hardly town,
yes, hardly a school, but shows an instance
almost as extreme as these. And in less
degree, careless criticism of the school in
the home tends to weaken the schools
power and influence with the children.
The careless criticisms made of the
teachers in the homes would, if made of
parents in the schools, be justly resented.
How shall we expect young people to re-
spect the authority constituted by state and
nation, if they are not taught to respect
the authorities placed over them when
they are young, and how shall we expect
them to respect and obey the laws of the
land if in youth they are permitted to
disregard the rules and regulations of the
SCHOOL,
And so whenever hear a parent criti-
else the discipline of the school or find
fault with it's management, believe l can
foresee future citizen who will be res
tive under the law and seek to nullify and
break it down. On the other hand oc-
casions are not rare when the parent looks
to the school to overcome the shortcom-
ings of the home. Not long since father
came to me and made this confession: 81
wish you would have the teachers make
John obey. His mother can't do it and
l can't do it and unless his teachers can i
don't know what will become of him."
Thus are the schools asked to turn aside
from their appointed tasks to perform
those which belong to the home!
The school needs the cooperation of the
home. The loving interest OF the mother
should pass into and beyond the school
room doors and pervade the children
there. The watchful guidance of the
father should extend over all the interest
which the school seeks to promote. The
schools need that parents should feel the
schools are theirs and tnat they need their
personal interest How many father
studies the daily market report with care
but turns aside with indifferent glance
the record his boy brings from school
The lady watches with most intent in
terest the construction of the gown she is
to~wear and insists that every seam be
fiawless and the fit perfect. Is there in all
cases as frequent conference with the
teacher of her daughter as with the maker
of that dress2
once heard leading society woman
of one of the largest cities of the State
saw that she cid not know her bov,s