The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-09-14
The Hunchback's Country School.
Gilbert Hubbard in the Cosmonolitan

Gilbert Hubbard in the Cosmopolitan)
Last summer, while a horseback ride of
hundred miles so, | came to an out-of-the-wav
'deestrlck school," of the numberless such that
our country boasts. This particular school house
would not have attracted by attention especially had
i not noticed that nearly half the school lot was
taken up with garden and flower beds No house
was near, and 1t was apparent that this was the
work of the teacher and the scholars. Straight
way L dismounted, tied my horse and walked into
the school house.
The teacher was man of middle age. lunch
back, and one of the rarest gentlest spirits ever
met. (iave you ever noticed what an alert. recep-
tive and beautiful soul is often housed in mis-
shapen bodyD This man was as modest and sbv
as woman, and when I spoke of the flower beds
he half apologized for them and tried to change
the subject. But when he realized that my interest
IN his garden was something deeper than mere
curiosity, he offered to go out with me and show
me what had been done. SO we walked out and
out, too behind trooped the whole school of lust
fifteen scholars
In the winter we have sixty or more pupils
SAID the master, but you see, the school is small
now. thought | would try the plan of teaching
out-ot-doors half the time, and to keep the girls
and boys busy L have let each one have a patch
OF ground. Some wanted to raise vegetables. and
OF course, l let them plant any seeds they wished
When the weather is fine we are out here most Of
the time, Just working and talking"
And that IS the way this man taught-letting the
children do things and talk He explained to me
that he was not an educated" man, and as 7 CON
tradicted him my eyes filled with tears. Not edn-
Gated. | wonder how many of us who call orr
selves educated have disciplined mind and can
call by name the forest birds in our vicinity? Do
we know the bird notes when we hear them2 Can
we with pencil outline the leaves of the diff
ferent trees that others, familiar with them can
recognize them? Do we know by name or on siobt
insects that fill the summer nights with nnlodv2
Do we know whether the katvdid cricket and locust
"sing" with mouth wings or feet? Do we know
what they feed upon and how long they ive2 DO
we know what becomes of the tree-frog il win
ter. Do we know for sure how much busbel Of
wheat weighs?
| wonder what it is to be educated Here was
man seemingly sore smitten by the hand of fate
and whose heart was yet filed with sympathy and
love He had no quarrel with either the world or
destiny. He childless that he might love III
children and that his heart might belong to evorv
living thing. The trustees of the school did not
take much interest in the curriculum [ found "a
they let the teacher have his way
collection of birds eggs, fungi and forest
leaves had been made, and I was shown outline
drawings of all the leaves in the garden. Tbis
drawing a picture of the object led to a much
closer observation, the teacher thought and 1rboI
| learned that the whole school took seni-7vnatI1
ramble through the woods and made close stndie,
of the wild birds well as insects it came to mo
that this man, afar from any ''intelectual centre
was working out pedagogic system that science