The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-03-04

NOoS oSA1i1Sui PoASu.o SoulA AioI
see in her the traits of an artist. They
tried her as an housekeeper, then
tried to make of her dressmaker.
Wagner's parents tried to make
of their son farmer, when he was
a.born musician.
Perhaps the teacher should name
the trade the child should study. In
many cases, if she did not, the boy
would follow the vocation of his
father, whether best adapted for that
or not. A wise old German has
said, In Germany we fit our boys
for a vocation-in America you fit
them for a job"
The foundation of all education is
good reading, and in the majority of
cases, the taste for highclass litera-
ture is started in the school. In
many homes the names of our best
known authors are never mentioned
until the child enters school. If all
the children are like some I know
for instance, a little 9-year-old gill in
the second grade has studied and
heard great deal during the winter
about artists. She can talk intelli-
gently on the life and work of
several of the best artists and she is
just bound to talk art and ask ques-
tions that even the grown-ups in the
house cannot answer. I find her on
the chairs and touches peeping at
the pictures, to see if they bear an
artists name. She has repeated
these lessons and names to the little
4-Year old in the home until I am
sure he will! always remember some
of them. A few days ago some
ladies were in the house reading
from a paper. The little boy was
lying on the couch. The name of
Michael Angelo was mentioned.
He bounded from the couch and
went to the door calling his little
sister, Marion, Marion, come in,
quick, they are talking about Michael
Angelo" I believe the teacher has
awakened an interest in this little
girl, both to see and to hear, many
good things in the line of art, and
the little girl has helped to interest
Others.
The most impressive lessons in
self-reliance are begun in school.
When a child is given a lesson he
is supposed to learn it. He feels that
he has something he must master by
himself. He has gotten away from
his mother and cannot call on
her. I must do this myself he
thinks, and this lesson cannot be
too strongly impressed to develop
true self-reliance. The child is
made to feel from the first that life
is a battle you must fight for your
self. You must be your own SOL
der. You cannot buy a substitute.
If a child depends on others to
do his work his self-reliance weak
ems until he loses control over his
power and when he becomes man
he is afraid to stand alone in any,
thing. He will be weak and hest
tating in all he does.
The personal influence of the
teacher should be most encourag-
ing feature to the parent. Into the
hands of every individual is given
a marvellous power for good or evil;
the silent, unconscious, unseen infu.
ence of lite. This is simply the
constant radiation of what man
or woman really is, not what he
pretends to be- Every woman, by
her mere living, is radiating sorrow
sympathy, morbidness, happiness OF
hope, or any of a hundred other
qualities. Life is a state of constant
radiation and absorption; to exist is
to radiate.
The one responsibility that {
teacher cannot evade as she move:
about her room five days out O.
every week is that of persona
influence.
Our conscious influence (when We
are posing to impress those aroune
us) is woefully small. 1t is tn.
silent radiation of personality, thu
effect of words and acts, the trife!
we never consider that count tn,
; most. And there are no create