The log cabin Democrat., 1909-02-18

mind is lulled to sleep by the soft Crooning of mother or nurse as they bend with tender solicitude over the young nestling in the home cote. Sad it is, however, that to many children those things that make the young life a beauti- ful reality, instead of dreary monotone in the scale of existence, are wholly lacking. That the school should be thus neglected, seems to be to many tachers and parents a matter of course. Eyed the homes in which there is some regard for the aesthetic send forth to the school pupils who must there see the other extreme and from the parents there rarely, if ever, goes up protest against this state of things so sure to pre- vert the child nature.
 When one stops to consider the influence of attractive surroundings upon persons of any age, when the history of the great hives of human industry, into which at one time workmen were crowded like prison CTS into cells, now transformed into places of beauty by colorlng of walls, the hanging here and there of pictures, the growing of flowers, and many other helps incidental to making these places attractive, he is at once impressed with the fact that new light beams from the eye of the worker, a new inspira- ton seems to urge on his efforts, a new desire seems to awaken in his soul, and he realizes that life is worth the living after all. Even our penitentiaries are looked after in this day and time with much care. Here may be seen a bed of flowers, there long line of choice shrubs, yonder an inviting grove, while within cleanliness and order impress one with the careful man. agement of these places. Our courtyards are rendered attractive and their grounds are well-kept by those whose business it is to see that nothing unseemly shall render repellant the place where justice is meeted out to the offender.
 But what about our schools? A very travesty of order and beauty and attractiveness are they in many instances. Need this be SO, if only those who should be most interest ed take time to think out plans and put them into effect for the remedying of these glaring ev idences of lack of thought oil the part of someb ody. Who is the some body, it matters not. The matter of most concern is, who will do his part to remedy the evil. As usual, the attention of woman has been drawn this way, and the results ot her labors in many of the towns of this and other states are little short of marvellous.
 In 1oo6 the first School Improve ment Association i'll Arkansas was organized in Little Rock, and from this the influence went out over the city till each school ward had its own Association, auxiliary to the central association, to which 1t makes regular reports. In 1907 the state superintendent received a small amount from the Southern Educational Board for work among the schools of this state. A DOT tion of this amount was devoted to to the sending out of literature con cerning the organization of i'm provement associations Il d through this means number of associations were organized. A few ladies volunteered their services to aid i'll this work, and were sent to various places, notably Morrilton, Russellville, Clarksville, Conway, Bonneville and Fort Smith, where they were pleasantly received, and were instrumental i'll arousing all interest i'll this kind of work, and in organizing associations, in most instances. This work has been ex- tended by the present state superin- tendent under the efficient help of Mrs. Clio Harper and Miss Eve Reichardt, who have visited many parts of the state and started wave of enthusiasm that will result in untold good for the children of the commonwealth.
 It is a work in which every Citi- zen should be interested. The measure of town is the character
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