Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-03-20
LITERATURE
In The Rural Schools-A Paper Read
Before The Farmers Institute at
Wauseon By Miss Jessie Wolcott
OF The Wauseon High School.

My plea to you this afternoon is
for your attention to a line of work
that is being showed aside, line of
work that you who are dealing with
she very practical problems of life
are inclined to think of little value.
A line of work that the schools can
aot possibly do without your help.
Because l am putting special en-
phasis on training in literature do
not think would undervalue agricul-
sural or vocational training. They
will supply great need but not the
need Of the boy and the girl. The
study of literature has never been
recognized as of any commercial
value, this is one reason for its being
showed aside. 1t is being showed
aside not because we think it OF no
value, but because we are hooking too
much for commercial value, forget
| ting that there are other values of
even greater Importance than money.
| In the consideration of the boy and
the girl we have other things than
the money making proposition to deal
with. We have to consider these
children as the raw stuff from which
we are to develope men and women
| finer, stronger, broader and more
generous than can be produced by
| those who consider them as tools to
be sharpened for some practical use.
I'm the production of this stronger,
broader, more generous type OF man.
hood and womanhood, literature rep
resenting the masterpieces OF the
master minds of the human race is
to play an important part.
1 now wish to do two things. One
is to awaken in you a greater falth
in the slow sure, rich, Invaluable
harvest that will follow the leisurely
| quiet unconscious absorption OF al
the virtues that are in good literary
food.
Another is to arouse you to great.
er activity in helping your boy anc
girl to gather from this great store
/ house of al the ages.
Even for the child that has moi
reached school age there is a great
| abundance Of material Of literary
value. It will tighten your burder
and drive away many care to 1--we
i through. with your children, the liter.
i ary world of childhood. Now dom
i draw back, thinking ! am about tC
4 urge upon you duty to weighty fol
YOU to bear. 1t is during this perloc
Il that the child's ear is accustomed tt
| the melody of the cradle song ant
Mother Goose Rhymes. The mothel
who calls these classics to her ale
is LAYING the foundation OF literary
appreciation, and is developing
sense of rhlthmic movement ant
word music, which will be of help fol
!: a life time in literary enjoyment
Long before the child is able to reat
for itself you should have fed it
fancy with simple stories, myths ant
fairy tales. These stories will Civ
the child command over language
helps it to adjust itself to its plac
in the world, because 1t will see rela
tions; and aid in the growth OF tina
valuable power, imagination; also tn
child that can follow thru such loni
stories as, This is the House Tina
Jack Built, or Old Mother Hubbard
has gained some idea of logical Sc
quence that will help it often in late
life.
Now we come to the period fron
eight to fourteen years of age. Thi
is the period when the child has jus
learned to read, and time when yo
are likely to neglect its literary pur
suits. This is the great harvest tim
of the child, it has just acquired tn
: art of reading and is glorying in thi
new power. Its mind is eager an
active and it is loking for new es
perience. The growing imaginatio
. demands that it has work for more tina
lust practical comon every day affair
to deal with. Stories from the dill
mythical, legendary past will d
much toward supplying this thirs