The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1913-01-17
To Pupils Of
The Public And
HighSchooIs.
(By Prof. Tom r. McMurray)
My dear Young friends:-

tions, and with no less delight to
the encouraging words of your teach
ers whenever you hesitaled in your
answer, For / remember when |
was boy, like some of you, was
always very sorry to have the teach
er speak harshly to me if | could
not at the first thought answer his
question correctly.
Boys and girls you are very much
like men and women in your likes
and dislikes and you feel quite as
keenly as l should, any harsh or
unjust word or action IN the part Of
vour instructor. In old times
(years before we We're born) they
had no such noble schools as now.
They had but few books, and I
think now they could not have been
as attractive and interesting to
study as those now lying upon our
desk. They use to deem them very
dull and then, too, the teachers
were not so wise and skillful in i'm
parting instructions as yours are in
the public and high schools Of to-
day They were often young men
attending college and teaching to
earn money to pay for their educa-
ton.
Sometimes they were very cross
to the pup Is and to others they
were very unjust in furnishing them
for not learning faster. The school
houses We're also very inconvenient
places and often really uncomfort-
able for teachers and punils
But now all OF this has been
ehangsisd4a,d I he- .aclieea .!,trsFses 7ttiys b
books and teachers are all Of better
class 50 that learning is made pleas
ant and is much more easily gained
In those school days if boy could
read, write and cipher through the
rule Of three it was quite as much
as he had had reason to expect
from the district school. Perhaps
ne could not spell half the words in
,he spelling book Alright nor write a
;en line letter without making fifty
mistakes or cipher a sum in COM
pound addition correctly But now
,ou may easily master all these
hlngs and many more and better
mes and if you pay proper attention
o the lesson you receive, YOU can
% into high school and there gain a
ensihle practical education that
will either fit you for the business
II life or prepare yon to take a
Ugh course in college.
We Young people should reoollect
hat in a few years we will be on the
tage Of action. doing the work of
nen and women.
Will we be successful? That will
Iepand on what we know. And
What we know then will largely de-
'end upon what we learn in school,
he years are going by very quickly
nd we will be obliged to put our
nowledge to the test very soon.
[ say this because some young
'eople do not know the value of
chool, They look upon The school
ard and the school room as one
asst playground and they never
7ake up to a sense of what they
ave lost until it is too late.
Have mark young people; aim
or it and you will rise vastly higher
han YOU will ifvou have no purpose
n life. We teachers are to assist
ou and not to punish you. We do
ot want to spend our time in
overing you. We desire to aid in
Pcuring of that education which
hall fit you to do your work nobIv
n life.
1t is pleasant to see the opportuni.
es you possess. 1t is very salts
actory to see the drills the system
nd methods pursued in your studies
we'll as Rotations; and | doubt
OF it will be satisfactory to see your
lccess in life and life to come.-
he Gainesville Advance.
The above address was delivered
y Prof: Tom McMurray a Blount
ounty boy. who has charge Of a
ligh School at Canon, Ga. Toms
'iends here are delighted to know
nat he is meeting with great success
a his chosen profe ssion.