Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-01

an orange is. BY using a model of
an orange, they would be able only
! to see the size, shape and color of
the object, and would have no idea
| whatever of how it tasted. In using
pictures, an even less accurate idea
of what the object is could be i'm
pressed upon the minds of the pupil.
By oral discussion, they might learn
that it was yellow and round and a
| few other things, but they would be
unable to go to a fruit stand and
identify an orange. And so it would
be with the use of a text book in eX-
planning what an orange is. Many
other examples, illustrating his text,
were cited by Mr. Blair in his instruc-
tive address.
Hygiene and English Language.
Two of the most interesting lee
lures of the series were given this
morning by Fred L. Charles and Rob
ert A. Armstrong. The former talked
on the subject of hygiene and the lat
ter spoke of the beauties of the Eng
lish language both as a means of eX-
pressing thought and as the possessor
of splendid literary works
The talk on hygiene was one that
directly applied 10 schools. Professor
Charles took up the drinking cup prob
lem and severely condemned not only
the practice followed in the country
schools of having q bucket of drinking
water and one dipper, but also the
practice of having general drinking
cups in all schools. He said that more
nd
through the drinking cup as a medium
than in any other way. He described
how the pupil in the country school
goes to the drinking water, uses the
dipper, leaves any disease germs he
may have upon the cup after drinking
and then goes away. The next child
who comes along first puts the dipper
back in the water. thereby leaving
some of the germs there and then uses
the cup and receives a part of those
already there and leaves some new
ones, PROBABLY of a different variety.
1t is but a short time before the drink
ing water is full of germs. The same
thing is true to a lesser degree when
the cups do not go into the water.
Language is Expressive.
According to Mr.. Armstrong, the Eng
lish language has a wide latitude with
great opportunity for beauty of ex-
preston. and this fact has resulted in
many gems of literature being pro-
duced. The speaker illustrated a num-
Der of the pretty things in the Ian
guage and in doing so he showed a
fullness of knowledge of literature
and a wonderful memory. He also
touched upon the literature which is
not so valuable to the language and
depIored the fact that school children
read so little good literature COM
pared with that which is bad. The |
taste for good literature should be cul- |
tivated, he said, as otherwise a taste !
for the bad is apt to grow. He eau |
toned his hearers against trying to |
cultivate a preference for the good by |
ignoring the bad, as he said the bad |
was not to be ignored. and he drew a |
forcible parable illustrating this.
When Ulysses, the ancient Greek, |
passed by the island on which the
Sirens made their abode, he recognized |
the fact that the singing of the sirens |
would have bad results upon himself |
of his warriors, so he filed the ears !
Of his men with wax to prevent their |
hearing the songs that would have led |
them to destruction. Later on Orpheus |
passed in his ship, but his method was
entirely different and far more effec |
tive When the sirens began their |
song. Orpheus got out his harp and |
sang in opposition to them and his |
own music was so much the sweeter |
that his men were not led astray. Mr.. |
Armstrong drew from this that chill
1ren who are studying literature |
should be attracted to the good by its
beauties rather than that an attempt |
De made to keep them from learning
hat all literature is not of the best.