The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-03-09
FARMvILLE, VA. FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1906.

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any she gathered the beautiful flowers
out Of the fields and took them into the
class rooms. Then on certain Satur-
days she took her class out into the
woods TO find the flowers and to study
them In their home retreats. Then, in
stead of studying the stars by books
alone, she would meet her class on a
clear night, and together they would
roam through stellar worlds. Then. in
stead Of making music a bore, she
formed her scholars into singing
classes, and ever and anon the teachers
and scholars would 20 of on picnics,
taking their games and their yiolins
along. DO you wonder that Mary A.
LiyermOre worked her way into the
hearts Of her scholars and inspired
them with the love of the beautlfuli
While, on the other hand. have not all
OF us had teachers of history OF of Eng
lish literature or Of oratory or Of bot
any or Of art so dead TO their themes
that we never entered their classes un-
less il was with leaden feetf Even
when we studied Goethe or Macaulay
or Ruskin we felt ii was a drudgery,
because our teacher himself was stolid
and unresponslye TO the harmonies Of
the beautiful. Oh, the teacher who does
not inspire his people with love for
the beautiful has lost half Of his or her
mission. Some time ago | was In the
home of a very intelligent lady. During
the conversation she said 10 me- "My
little daughter has read nearly all the
standard works" "Is that soT' | an
swered. "DO you pay her for reading
those booksY "Never." answered this
lady. "That was the great mistake my
mother made. In order 10 get me 10
read good books she used TO pay me
The result was unless was paid money
never read good literature. Years
after my mothers death | found out
my mistake. Then | commenced TO
read good books for the JOY that I got
out of them. try to inspire my daugh
ter 10 naturally seek the beautiful and !
love the beautiful in literature because
love the beautiful there" As teachers |
have you not a higher mission I'm llfe |
than simply hammering the multlpllca-
tion table Into your pupils mindsi DO |
you ever talk to them about the beauty |
found In the curve OF n rainbow or
about the symmetrical blendings Of the /
leaves Of little violet or about the per
feet design Of n snowflake?
But the schoolteacher has still a
higher mission than that Of examining |
a students brain full Of a few facts
and teaching him TO love the aesthetic.
Art and nature did not make Athens a
city Of virtuous people. Some Of the
most loathsome examples of immoral
and social RIGHTEOUSNESS were prac-
ticed under the shadow Of the Parthe
non. Some OF the greatest writers Of
the ages walked the streets Of Rome.
But Rome in its day was what Sodom
and GomOrrah were IN their days. and
in modern times the most popular lover
OF the aesthetic who ever stepped upon
our shores was himself so STEPPED In
immortality that he was not only eXiled
from all decent society. but was in
carcerated I'm London jail and passed
away despised Of men 10 meet his God
and TO render an account for his mis-.
spent life. Thus. my friend. as n
teacher you have something more 10 do
than to teach your scholars to love the
books, and the trees, and the mSm-
tains. and the blossoms, and the har-
vest fields.
How can teacher lead his pupils
to be pure and true and noble and
gOodi In the first place. by giving them
the example of a teacher who is good
and true and pure and noble. Only q
short time ago | was talking to n lady
who for years was a successful teach-
er in one Of our western cities | said.
what is the greatest essential for
teachers llfeT She I'M
lesitatingly answered. Example. She
herself must be a good woman If she
wants her scholars to be good"
Christian teachers, though your pay
IS small. though the world may be-
Ingrateful for the good that you can
10. remember the greatest opportuni-
les of life are yours. You are the
yreat protectors Of society. II Is you
who can prevent in the twentieth cen
ury such an outbreak as the French
evolution Of the eighteenth century.
iou are the great conservators Of So
,ial order. Your work IS infinite,
hough the pay is meager. Christ was
lever paid dollar for the work he 7
lid for mankind except to be present {
d with a cross for a dying bed But {
'hrist saved the world by his sacrifices
'ou are not building for time, but for Z
ternity. You are moldng boys and d
iris for the future. And If you do s
our work well there will come a time
rhen you shall have your reward. 4