Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-12-05
HOME AND SCHOOL.
RELATION EACH SHOULD BEAR
TO THE OTHER.
WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF THE
HOME THE SCHOOL CANNOT DO
ITS BEST WORK.

ITS BEST WORk.
Address delivered at Teachers convention
In Ellsworth by Payson Smith, Superinten-
dent of Schools of Auburn.l
Did it ever occur to you that we are too
likely to overlook the importance of life's
common things? That we do not give
them their proper valuesY And yet it is in
these common things that we find our
most uncommon blessings. 1t is in doing
well the common deed that a man ac-
qnires the power one day to perform the
uncommon deed in a way to attract the
worlds attention.
1t is over life's common trials that we
may climb to victory over the uncommon
temptation when it confronts us. The air
we breathe, the beauty of field and wood,
the blue of the sky, the glory of the sun
shine, the majestic splendor of nights
armament; all these are the common
blessings with which Nature with lavish
hand provides us and of which no man
may deprive us.
1t has been said, you know, that God
must love the common people because he
has made so many of them. And, indeed,
friends, the common man, who goes daily
about his business striving with hon
est purpose to fill his place howsoever
humble it may be, who gives of his hand
and of his heart and OF his brain to the
service of those nearest and dearest to
him; this is the man who represents the
bone and sihews of the race, he is the man
who, above all Others, must live if the
W orld is to have its being. 1t is indeed
true that we might get on without I'M
common things, but the common
things are not only q nelp to life; they
make life.
among all our other common blessings we
have an institution which we call the
common school; something which is not
far away, vague and useless, but something
that is here now, engrafted and grown
into our life and made so vital a part of it
that we know it is here to stay.
The common school has done much for
our land; it has helped to make our people
the most intelligent and the most prosper
GUS people the&world has known. 1t has
ma lie our government safe and secure. 1t
has to-day in its keeping the millions OF
boys and girls who are to be its future
citizens. We all have faith in this insti-
tuition. No sane American can be found
who does not believe in it. And yet, with
all our pride and faith in the school, we
must acknowledge that it is a human in
stitution constructed by human brains,
and because it is human is not perfect; it
has faults and it is like all other human
things, susceptible to change.
The changes which sweep over all other
things do not leave the school untouched.
The school you knew as boy is not like
the one your father knew, and the one
your boy attends is not like the school
which you attended. There is no doubt
that the school must continue to change.
The school of the future will be different
from the one with which you and / have
an acquaintance.
That changes are to come is inevitable,
but this is far from saying that these
changes which are to come must come by
chance. Rather it is our business to see
that they do not come by chance, but
that they are wisely directed and con-
xrviieu.
The most important influence in their
direction will doubtless be the teacher;
particularly is this true of those things
which have to do purely with the methods
of teaching; but hardly secondary to her
must be, If the schools are to enjoy the
best sort Of growth, the parent.
1t is certainly true that among the chief
requisites OF good schools are the CO.
operation and support of the home. With
out these the school will not do its best
work. Among all the forces and factors
of civilization no other can for a single in
stant be compared to the home. The
Church, holding on high the standard of
the cross and pointing out the higher life,
has indeed been powerful factor in
human progress; governments climbing
century after century to higher ideals
have secured for mankind larger freedom
and h-o"a"- rights; educational institu-
tions seeking the pathway Of truth have
blazed the way to enlightenment and wis
dom; fraternal organizations have linked
human hearts in brotherly affection and
have cemented the social bonds of the
world.
But permit me to say that not one of
these alone nor all of them together has
ever taken the place or ever can take the
place of the home. 1t is, indeed, earth's
divinest institution. Out of it proceed all
these other things. In it the sacred obi
cations of religion must find their truest
expression. BY means of its associations
goverasno-t teaches its first lesson of
obedience and the rights of others receive
their first recognition, There self-sacrifice
and affection find or should find their
finest opportunity. In it education
begins, to the perpetuity of it education
must tend, and without it education is,not
worth while. Upon this institution no
attack may be safely made and from it no
privileges or duties may be taken without
danger to the race.