Graham guardian., 1912-10-11
to tie down the calyx of the human
bud as of the literal magnolia. In char.

to tie down the calyx of the human
bud as of the literal magnolia. In char
acter, as in nature, every plant has its
own seed. No living man can predict
what flower may bring forth, more
than to say that it will be after it's own
kind, or that it will not exceed the
bounds of its nature. There will be a
conformity to its type that it must fol-
low; but how beautiful or ignoble it
may be in its individual attempt to
glorify the type, no prophet living can
divine. 1t must be let alone in it's SOW.
ereign mission. To crowd down the
spirit of the child's mind is as great a
mistake as to crush its little physical
life. How selfish the laundering of the
mother who, while herself resting in
sleep, overlay her babe and smothered it.
In our uncultured self-love we may
smother the young mind and crush out
its hope, or load it down with burden
of false ideals that will not let it have
free exercise of it's functions. How
can child grow properly when it must
constantly struggle with standards that
are not suited to its nature. 1t carries
them somewhat as the physical nature
carries dose Of poison. Either the
poison will destroy it, or large amount
of its motive force must be expended
in throwing off the poison. When final
ly disposed of, the child is where it be-
gan when the poison was imbibed. 1t
has lost out in the race of life.
In the magnolia there is law that
gives it shape and color. In the mind
of the child also there is law that it
must obey or be ruined,
The law in each secure conformity to
type; but it goes farther and lays the
foundation Of possible greatness and of
individual worth. -
The little boy that looks up into your
face with wistful longing may some day
be another Gallilean, or Alexander, or
Caesar, or Pitt, or William Z. Glad
stone, or Washington, or Longfellow
That bright. pleading face is the un-
conscious index mayhap of great soul
in embryo.
plead for two things: First, that
the home be projected into the school;
and, second, that the school make itself
worthy to represent the home.
There are many ways in which the
home may help the school:
i. The parents may make plain to
the pupil that the teacher is for the
time being in the parents place and
should be treated as if he were the real
parent. The old practice of making the
child fear the teacher is obsolete, or
ought to be. The ruling motive in the
school room, as in the home, should be
love. Corporal punishment plays no
great part in a we'll regulated school of
today. Low motives, such as fear and
jealousy, should be relegated to monas-
tic days. No mind was ever truly stim-
ulated by physical strain or mental
dread. The high motive of right should
stand first. Let the child feel that he
Is satisfying a high call of his being
when training his mind. The child has
a natural thirst for knowledge, and will
welcome the opportunity to get it, if
the circumstances of its offering are not
too unlike those under which he has
times put great deal of rubbish in the
way of their children's progress, by
teaching them that the teacher is sort
of unsympathetic being who delights in
heaping great tasks upon slender shoul-
ders, and who will then punish them if
the task is too heavy. Modern school
methods are high and noble as compared
with those of the past.
The Arab pedogogue sits on the floor
with every child in reach Of his cruel
switch. He applies the switch oftener
than he does the motives of elf-improve-
ment. ] have seen the intelligent moth
er and father take the flock into the
woodland and explain to them the trees
and plants and rocks and birds as they
come to them, and perhaps point them
to the heavens and unfold to them some
of the wonders of the clouds and the
forces above them. In like manner the
true teacher leads them further along
that path and inducts them into the
higher walks of classified knowledge.
This comradeship in the home and in
the school in quest of knowledge is the
ideal condition Of mutual development
for the young. As long as the pupil
needs aid, it should come to him out of
loving hearts and interested friendship.
Where is there any room for harsh
ness in such a holy search for knowl-
edge? lido not like the term "school
government. Let the teacher be a
leader rather than an executive of the
law. Let him precede the class to show
them the pearl of great price, or let
him lead them prospecting in the noun
tains in search for hidden treasures. Z"