Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-01-10

SsihtS tOom as uHSohSSiueulf as thS
others. Among the very low, pig
or two ia the house Is not an uneom~
mon sight. but in our visit today the
members Of the swine family are in
box or kept in hole just outside
There may also be few birds in
cages hanging about to cheer the fami.
ly with their sweet music
These homes are anything but neat
and comedy. but you win be made wei.
come when. you call, although perhaps
the chair upon which you are TO Sit
must be wiped of before you dare
occupy it.
j There will be excuses for the untidi.
ness. the woman perhaps saying that
| they are too poor to keep cieant But
you are there either to see how the
other half lives or else to carry some
message Of teaching them how to bet
ter their conditions or perhaps to
bring cheer to some forlorn heart, SO
do not see to much. or notice the un-
satrty odors that float in from every
directioni
Before going to China had sup
posed that Ii was only the rich and
well-todo families who had their
daughters feet cramped. but I soon
/ found that the custom was very gen.
eral throughout all OF central China.
In the country as well as in cities. this
horriG custom was carried out With
nearly all the women.
/! In the province of Canton. however.
this has never been as general among
the poor as in other parts. hence this
I is why you here see only an occasional
woman with bound feet NEARLY all
the Chinese here are from the prov
ince of Cantcn) Farther north the
custom is almost universal
Fur thousands of years the Chinese
have valued education more than any.
thing else. Every little hamlet and
village all over that great empire has
had it's schools whore their literature
/ has been taught to boys whose par
ents have been unable to employee
private teachers in the house The
systei is not governmental. but
schools are subscribed for from pri-
yate funds. Very often this provision
/ for schools for those unable TO nay for
an education has been from purely
philanthropic motives. In other cases
1t has been kept up by men OF means
frcm a religious standpoint. thinking
that by so doing they may gain merit
in the next stage OF existense. AT any
/ rate the sons Of the poor as well as
Of the rich have had more or less OF
a chance TO gain an education.
The prime idea OF study with the
Chinese is TO make rs many of the
hve senses as possible aid in forming
she impression Of the name and writ
ten character upon the mind OF the
child. The understanding is a matter
OF later period and will develop OF
itself at the proper time. The eyes
sec the proportions and outline u
the character. the mouth or voice 10
used in repeating its name. and the
ear hears the voice and SO adds It's
quota in the brain impression. These
characters when first taught to chill.
dren are always written upon small
squares Of paper and are felt and
handled continually while at study. so
that the brain Is aided by seeing. vote
ing, hearing and feeling. all thus help
Ing the mind to receive it's gift Of ma
terial which If will hold till the intel
lect is ready TO make use Of it.
The little fellow may not for years
to come know the meaning Of single
character he learns to repeat With per
feet accuracy. but what he has learn
ed can never be eaaced from his mem.
DRY. It is his possession as long as |
life lasts. In after years. when he
begins TO read books. and his faculties /
dey 40 D. these same characters viii |
larra.g explain themselves by their
context, and the minds OF these chill /
drea win open and expand 10 mar
yelous manner
Another advantage OF this kind OF /
study comes TO the teacher. as there /
is never any difficulty 10 keeping the
children quiet and out of mischief
They are repeating over and over
thousand times in concert with others
and have no time for anything else
1t has been from the poorer and
lover classes that missionaries and
other phiianthropie works have most
ly gained their material TO work upon.
II was long, hard and disceuraging
struggle against the greatest odds for
those noble men anG women Many
Of them bore hardships, privations anu
all manner Of suffering, even facing
death itself for the sake Of doing what
they saw and felt 10 be their digy to
ward this people where they were By
no means welcomed.