The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

l. A-E,EIlll LIZ, ISUO.
reaching. Perhaps many OF you will
regard this as n very broad state-
mcnt. and yet the history Of. cleiliza-
tlon shows that art has BEEN OF the
highest value to man.
1t Is the art creation OF Athens and
Rome and Florence and Venice, en-
shrining as they do some OF the loft
lest conceptions of the human mind,
that makes these cities immortal.
Drawing Is tho easiest oldest, quick
est and most economical mode OF per-
fecting and completing an idea with
a view to It's construction In any ma
terial. It's use Is universal among all
civilized nations. There fs scarcely n
manufactured article piece of woven
fabric, a building of any kind, that
does not pass through the designers
hand before 1t Is possible to become an
article Of scale. A builder is guided
by his drawing, machinlst constructs
his. machines from drawing, the
sculptor first makes a rough sketch
OF his statue on paper. All cities are
first drawn on paper. Not steamer
crosses the ocean. not q vesyel sails
the seas, not bridge spans tho river,
not railroad crosses tho continent,
not a temple points towards heaven
without the aid OF this art called draw
ing.
If drawing Is applicable to all modes
of expression. then It should not be
considered as speciality In education;
but rather as one of the branches.
When you are teaching language do
you teach 1t with reference to the
pupils becoming poet, an orator. an
editor. or lawyer2 No, then you
q M nh dray wi 1pIf for
ence to the pupil becoming an artist,
mechanic or an engineer. The in
PRODUCTION Of this important branch OF
study into our public schools. must be
based on the broad ground that 1t Is
educational or 1t Will never meet with
success. wall admit that the mere
| ability to draw is of practical use to
only few. but the improvements of
the taste, which is not "a matter Of
fashion," but eternal laws. Is useful to
every human being. rich or poor. great
or small. In trying to make the work
practical in our schools there is n
tendency to lose sight of the essential
part of drawing, which is the cultiva-
ton OF taste, and drift into drawing
for the sake OF mechanical construc-
lions.
Education in this day must be prac-
teal. and one of the main objects of
drawing is to make the hand obey the
will of the mind. Send class of
and ask them to draw simple. FORMS
using one hand or both. few min
utes spent each day in this way pro-
duces wonderful results N developing
the use of the hand. We all know that
throughout the land. one OF the great
est losses in our workshops comes
from the awkwardness of men and
women who have not been trained
early in life to use their hands. Draw
ing not only trains the hand, but
strengthens the mind, making 1t mora
resolute and compreile nsive. The hand
is the minds agent. and in training 1t
| the mind receives crude matter to be
| digested into elements OF real know
ledge. We can discipline the mind
| without training the hand but we can
| not train the hand without involving
| the mind. But in drawing, as In other
branches of study, its value to the mind
of the pupil. edacationally considered.
| depends very much on methods OF
I teaching.
BY insisting on the pupils observing,
| handling and constructing the object
! to be drawn, CIR analyze the copy to
be Initiated, or pointing out the beau
| tiful principles involved, or by the
proper use of criticisms, the powers of
the mind n.il h. greatly strene tncnel
! 1t seems to me in order to make a
successful teacher. one must know
something about drawing How May
4 times a day a simple little sketch on
tho board will relieve a puzzled, trou-
bled little mind. "A teacher can make
her work more interesting If She can,
in the presence of tho class, make a
sketch, though 1t be simply of the
| c,, {ot ri ~.
have not clear idea, Are there any
teachers present to-day that ever felt
discouraged over their work; ever felt
that their work in the schoolroom was
a hopeless task; ever felt like asking
the question, Is there such thing as
| successful teaching? l believe there
comes such times into every teachers
experience, q time when things seem
to lag, the children lose interest, we
are perplexed how to, interest and
maintain our hold upon them; how to
| keep the restless bodies hands and
| feet quiet
Every teacher knows that 1t requires
| skill and patience on her part to gain
! the attention and interest of the little
ones, for little minds. like little bodies,
/ require more care than larger ones.
II they are primary children. their at
tention must be won. not compelled,
and the childs mind has only two
gates through which we may enter
and gain the attention-the eye gate"
| and the ear gate" knowing that more
passes through the former than the
| latter, hence the great need OF draw
| ing. l believe the blackboard to be
the teachers best friend for gaining
the attention and interest of small
children: There Is nothing a child
loves more than to see simple lines.
and pictures growing out from the
crayon OF the teacher as she stands at
the board and talks. Drawing helps to
/ fix attention to many details in nature
study: for instance, in studying the
parts Of flower, IL it happened to be
!, u time when flowers We're out OF sea-
son, and no picture of the flowers was
| in reach. the children could not get q
clear idea of 1t unless the teacher
could sketch 1t for them on the board.
Even II they have the flowers, they
! will get much clearer idea If they