Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-12-07
MUSIC At
THE Institute

Music was an especially attractive
feature at institute Tuesday morn.
ing Miss Finnigan rendered a piano
solo with very pleasing effect. after
which J. J. Newman rendered vocal
Solo, "The Armorer's Song" from the
Opera of RobInhood Mr.. Newman is
an accomplished vocalist and by his
artistic performance yesterday he cap
tured the fancy of the teachers and he
was vociferously encored. He was ac-
companied by Miss May Books, one of
Danville's most accomplished piauists,
whose exquisite playing itself was a
feature In the absence of Rev. John
Sherman, who was down on the pro-
gram for chapel, Borough Superintend-
ent Gordy conducted devotional ex.
ercises.
The two addresses Tuesday morn
ing were of especial interest. The first
period was occupied by Professor L.
S. Lowden, of Worcester, Mass, who
resumed his subject of 1.-THE Teach
ers' Health. " The speaker took up
the idiomatic health greetings of the
leading nations of the world, applying
each to show what habits in every day
life are injurious or beneficial to the
general health.
The German greeting is. How do
you find yourself?" The French ask :
How do you carry yourself?" The
Italian health greeting is: "How do
you stand?" The Chinese inquire :
How have you eaten your rice?", ,
while the little japanese propounds
the odd inquiry " How do you breathe
this morning."
In developing the notion of each of
these health greetings the speaker
showed that it is matter of vital con-
Germ as to whether person is correct
in his habits of whether he
"carries" himself properly or not ;
whether he stands" correctly wheth-
er he "eats'' properly or "breathes'
rightly.
In conclusion Professor Lowden
dwelt ON the influence of the teachers s
voice on the health of the latter, as
we'll as its influence on the discipline
of the school.
AS member of the faculty in the
department of philosophy and educa-
tion in Clark's university, Worcester,
Mass, Professor Lowden for three
years has pursued Investigations on
the subject of health. For a longer
period he has been interested in the
subject Of insanity and has examined
into hundreds OF individual cases in
the insane asylums of Massachusetts.
The second period of the forenoon
was occupied by DR.. ID. j. Waller,
president Of the bloomsbury State
Normal School. He prefaced his ad-
dress with some kind remarks relating
to Dauville and the Montour county
institute. His most pleasant recollec-
tions of institute work, he said, are
associated with Montour county, where
he labored as institute instructor in
the past
The address dwelt principally on
the elements of power. which should
exist in the teacher in order to make
the school room an agency to bring
about the fullest mental and moral de-
velopment of the pupil. These elem
ents are latent and not obvious; they
are often complex in their nature. 1t
is power that should enable teach
er to maintain in the pupil that faith
which naturally abides in the child.
The pupils to begin with believes the
teacher, like it's parents is able to
guide and is willing to be guided.
There are many things, however, that
may come as rude shock to break
that faith.
DR. Waller next enumerated the ele-
ments that go to preserve that faith
in the teacher which naturally abides
in the child. One.of these is personal
cleanliness, the absence of which will
be a rude shock to pupil brought up
in home of taste and refinement and
will be sure to lower the teacher in
the esteem of the community. Just as
essential is the habit of personal neat
ness, which is an evidence of good
Judgment and good taste and if absent
will weaken tine respect of the pupils.
Voice, utterance and choice of express
sions play an important part; single
mispronunciation will do wonders to
weaken the confidence of the pupils in
the teacher.
In this connection the speaker held
that the people of Pennsylvania do not
use the vowels rightly and in great
measure destroy the pleasure of speech.
In this respect southerners and the
people of the New England States are
far in advance of us.
"Conviction-firm faith DR.. Wall
er said, is among the latent powers
that will enable the teacher to main
tain firm hold on the pupils. There
are certain great things in which we
must believe, such as God, truth, just
ice, righteousness and in these we
must daily reveal our faith.
Among the other elements essential
to the teachers full success is knowl
edge, which will convince the pupils
that the teacher is authority on what
she attempts to teach also a desire to
benefit pupils and a desire of good to-
ward them. This feeling some teach
ers seem to think is best expressed by
the practice of kissing all the pupils
at the. close of school. That sentiment
which should exist in the school room
is the kind that figures in love and
philanthropy and is not expressed by
n hing and a kiss IL is the deem seuti