The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-11-01

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months at longer irregular intervals,
which find him at is or is In the fifth
or sixth grade with pretty, pert little
girls, five or six years his junior. But
he grins and bears it. Perchance he
does complete the eighth grade. but
there is no high school in the township
or neighboring town, or, IL there Is, IL
has already been in session 1--WE or six
weeks before the fall work is done.
And so mans estate is reached. and
/ IL finds him neither proficient in the
three RS" nor in the knowledge of
the art and science Of any business,
including that Of farming. The school
course Of study, in the main. has been
copied from the city. The school
building poorly heated, lighted and
ventilated, was fashioned, unintention-
ally of course, for the rapid multipli-
cation of disease germs. Higher edu-
cation, In the main. was intended for
those who live in the cities, and those
who leave the farm for good.
At least this is the way 1t is appar-
emily worked out. And worst of all,
and the hardest to remedy, he has too
often--not always-for a teacher an
inexperienced, unframed and uninter-
ested woman, who, too often, has put
more thought and money on the OUT
side of her head than she ever put into
| 1t, while her greatest ambition appears
to be to get sufficient money to get the
wedding outfit; or perchance, 1t is the
| inexperienced, unframed, Ininterested
man, who struts and stares as though
| he thought hA were comforting favor
upon the state by deigning to teach in
| it, while his greatest ambition appears
to be to get sufficient funds together
with which to complete his law or
medical course From this may the
Lord deliver US as He would from. a
pestilence. The country boy asks for
substance in things, and they give him
the empty form, for Ash and flesh, and
| he gets wood and stone. Their inter-
est in the boy is not far removed, ex-
cept in kind, from the interest that q
wolf has in flock Of sheep.
| Not long since I had occasion to re-
fer to some things concerning the case
of the country boy at teachers in
stitute. AL gave respectful and
thoughtful attention, except q pair that
chewed gum while their minds wand
cred out through their eyes to bales OF
hoofs, and ! was reminded OF this
story; An American visiting in Lon
don was taken by an English friend to
visit Temple Inn, where he had pointed
out to him gentleman to whom the
Englishman referred In awed breath as
the kings counsel. And sure enough,
there he was in flesh and blood, smok
ing cigarette. His chin had evidently
been placed on the very crown Of his
head, and It was also evident that a
capricious nature had left his forehead
fastened to the back Of his neck. The
American laughed and said: $50 that
is your kings counsel? understand
now, see through il all, | do for
sure" And the Englishman asked In
an exasperated tone of voice: "See
what, you bloomin' yankee idiot?" TO
which the American replied: "Why,
you English Johnnies always on each
and every occasion, with SO much earn
estness and fervor sing, God Save the
King. The Englishman was speechless
with rage, and fortunate 1t was for the
American that there was no Irishman
present, but there was canny Scotch
man, and that was almost as serious.
Touching the American on the arm he
said: MY good man, ken the reason
why is that in less than Atty years
you have killed unlawfully three Of
your presidents and have most fouIly
murdered by burning alive or lynchinR
more than 1000 OF your fellow citizens,
while we In one hundred years in the
British Isles have not committed a
similar offense; and ken the reason
OF all this. 1t is mainly that you have
committed the instruction OF your
youth in your primary schools into the
keeping Of wee, poorly trained lassies
and laddies; while we have committed
the keeping OF the same for the most
part into the hands Of the Draw strong
minded men, and the likely, keen
minded DANES. who have come from
the great colleges and universities OF
the British kingdom. The American
was silent with shame. He knew that
there was much truth in it all.
Right TO LsarnTng.
The country BOY mas right to be
taught to like good pictures, love mu-
sic, to enjoy good lectures and SER
mons. He has the right t ODE taught
to love and appreciate the natural
beauty OF things about him. to drink
long and often from the sweet, whole
some fountain of historic and liter
airy interests He Graves for
mental recreation as he Is un-
able to get 1t, he becomes restless,
and soon his mind turns cityward;
and. too soon, his body. For why
should his town cousin have a good
school to attend, and still remain under
the parental roof, the opportunity to