The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-04-04
EDUCATIONAL.
By w. +. LARSON.

| the lamp. You wish to do some work
and this YOU cannot do unless you car
| see. Lamps are unnecessary when the
sun shines into the room.
Sometimes teacher says; The people
are so backward in the district where
teach that | cannot do the work that
can be done in an enlightened district
| There is no educational sentiment. The
people do not want to buy anything for
the school. The children talk Choctaw
or some other language and cannot get
the English, etc, etc"
In other words the room where you
are trying to work is dark. You are the
lamp. In order that the lamp be of use
it must be lighted. Are you merely
playing the part of the lamp? If so, no
wonder you fail Some lamps, you
know, are more ornamental than useful
Do not be like one of them. Be IA lamp
that can give light.
Sometimes lamp gets dry. The
light gets DINNER and DINNER, and
finally goes out. Oil is necessary. Store
your intellect with the oil of knowledge,
use the good broad wick of common
sense, and Keep il b,01,ing, If the light
goes ont, the lamp may be knocked over
by someone who did not know it was
there Let not the people of your dis
trict say at the end of the year they
did not know You were there. Don't
run dry in your school work.
You say that the community in which
you are stationed has low ideals is
tough. You complain that the young
people have no ambition, do not want
to make anything Of themselves, Young
boys take to smoking when they ought
to be getting brains, and that so many
are satisfied to hang around the saloon
wasting their time and opportunity,
etc, etc, etc.
In other words, your surroundings are
spiritually dark The minds, which are
themselves reileCtors of light, have be-
come dimmed by seltishness, avarice
vanity, or some other negativeinhuences
Clouds have cut off the rays which are
constantly proceeding from the great
source of light The penny may be held
so close to the eye that the sun itself
cannot be seen. In some way the great
source of moral and spiritual light is
hidden from the eyes of men so that
as "a result they cannot see things in
their true relation The dollar in a
mans hand seems worth more to him
than his childs soul which is Just enter.
ing upon vast possibilities. In fact, no
person can discern relative values in the
dark Our Judgments are ~ erroneous
as those of the six men of Indostan.
Granted, that it may be dark But
or you Il iigIE Are you using your
lamp to show those whom you meet the
relative value Of n human soul and two
dollars saved on the school taxes Are
you trying to show to your disciples (and
your pupils are disciples if you are "A
MASTER the differen. goals reached by
travelling the roads of scnsuality and
sacrihce2 Unless you are light you
cannot show these things. Fill up your
own spiritual lamp from the inexhausti
bic wells of history, biography and ltera.
ture. The darker the surroundings, the
stronger should your own light be.
The prayer that should go up from
every community is, Give us more
light The pathway of life needs more
illumination Every teacher may, to
some extent, be an answer TO that
prayer BE light both intellectually
and spiritually. BE n true light, first OF
all, to the children under your care
Then be also II light to the older people
by showing to them the possibilities that
are within the reach of the present and
the coming generations if we make use
Of our opportunities, aad develop our
powers to their fullest capacity.
The County Superlnteudeuts Conven
ton will be held this year at Superior
| May 23-2j For this reason the exami
nation which is set for May - will be
postponed one week to June /. Please
make changes in your circular and
annu