The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1910-09-10
THIS IS PERSONAL
Prof. Asks Spinsters What
They Would Do If They
Became Mothers.
LECTURES ON CHILDREN

Muncie. Ind, Sept 1O-"What would
you spinsters do," asked Professor
Arthur Holms, of the University oi
Pennsylvania, as he waved his arms
comprehensively over the audience
Of teachers attending the annual Della
ware county teachers institute, I'll
suddenly there were thrust upon you
the duties of wifehood and mother
hood?"
There was a rustic throughout the
assembly and passing of whispers
back and forth. Apparently such a
condition had never before been
brought to the attention OF the au.
dience, or such a possibility consider.
ed.
How many of you," the speaker
continued know anything understand
ingly and not pedagogically. of the
child mind, the child intellect, the
childish idea of life and of living, and,
finally, what do you know of love.
When a Boy Passes a Note.
"Supposing you see in one of your
classes little boy in the act of slip
ping love note to the little girl that
sits in an adjoining seat, do you know
what to do? Do you know what l
have known you to do? The teacher,
the principal of the school and any
other powerful authority that may
be at hand, will rush down upon the
unfortunate boy and girl with an i'm
perious demand for a surrender of
the papers, If the characters were
older it would SAVIOR entirely of the
ten-twenty-thirty melodramas. but as
it is it is only pitiful because of the
total ignorance and lack of sympathy
of the teachers. Instead of trying to
deal understandingly with the primal
instinct of man, the instinct of love,
and treating it is natural and pure and
holy. you try to make it something
half criminal and thereby conjure up
in the minds of the growing boy and
girl ideas that would have a piece
there except for your wrongful in
of innocent acts.
1T is time for the veil to be lifted.
It is time to treat of matters that are
Of highest import to the race in a
sane. redblooden. sympathetic way
and not try to outlaw nature as a
criminal. We are not barbarians and
are not, except remotely, products of
he dark ages.
Married Women Teachers.
Some states have passed laws
against allowing married women to be
.eachers in the public schools What
8 wanted is that not alone married
but mothers-maternal, child
owing, husband loving women-be
in our schools.
Il may be an iconoclast, an image
breaker, and l hope I am While /
lave said earlier in this institute that
believe the school system in the
United States is superior to that of
my other country, wish l might be
lble to WELD the AK that would tear
t all down and allow US to build anew
lpon the solid foundation of human
for children, human under
fitness for practical life and
owe. And / say that of all the es-
entials of life, love is the most i'm
'ortant. Nothing is worth while. it
Gems to me, without it.
Should BE in Love.
Il hope that some day the first
question asked of every teacher ap-
lying for license to teach school
will be. Have you ever been in lover"
hat is what you teachers, most of you
iced. 1t is to be in love now or to
ave been in love some time. 30 that
our sympathies and your understand
ng of children may be alert. Be ia
ove with something all the time,
rhatever else you may do. You can
{ least. be in love with the child
en- of your class and with your work.
'ou can at least forget that you are
pedagogue with certain rules to en-
orce. and remember that you are : |
uman being with love to give and