Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1915-04-17

themselves as well as with the people
in their stories, is prepared to meet
the world of living people and to min
gle with them, His wits are sharpen
ed; he is put on the alert by the char
acter study he has pursued in the high
school He is broadened; he is no
longer narrow and provincial, confined
to one little circle of people. He has
met heroes in his reading and appre-
ciates so much the more the unpro-
claimed heroes of every day whom he
finds all about him. Again, his sym
pathies are developed. His admira-
tons govern him and they have been
trained to a higher level than if he had
not studied the ennobling thoughts OF
the great OF all ages.
Other minor considerations, such as
the literary style of authors, their lives
and their influence, receive some at
tentino in the high school course, as
well as some study OF the literary
qualities of the various authors, such
as vividness and power of description,
swiftness of action or complexity OF
plot.
The thought power induced in the
student by all these studies, and the
judgment fostered by the careful
weighing of nice points of conduct,
should give an earnest student new
and vital hold on life, 1t used to be
the habit of some teachers to say to
their pupils, write composition for
tomorrow" The pupil often wasted
much time in first trying to find a sub
ject and then trying in vain to find
smething to say about his subject;
but now a change has come; the pu
pill finds he has something to write
about, that he has thoughts and
thought power gained from his litertry
studies. The next thing is to be able
to say the desired something in fitting
language. On the average in the
Lyon high school literary subjects are
taught three times a week, while on
the other two days composition and
rhetoric are given careful considera-
ton.
A great deal of writing is required
from all the English students. In fact.
there is writing of some kind done
every day in the week The outlining
of various subjects, tedious though it
may be, is of inestimable value in de
veloping not only powers of express
sion, but also the ability to discrimin-
ate between the really essential points
and the non-essential between the main
ideas and the subordinate ideas. The.
writing Of themes and of letters is q
part of each years work, with the aim
always in mind to make such themes
and such letters as practical as posi-
BILE Business aid social letters
friendly letters, notes, kilograms,
postal messages, are all taken up en-
failing much care and thought on the
part of the pupil Habits of neatness
and of correct spelling and punctuation
are thus being formed by those who
apply themselves with earnestness to.
the mastery of such features. Almost
endless drill in spelling is effected by
a system of constant correction of pa
pers as fast as they are edited and re
turned by the teacher.
Such are the aims and the scope Of
the English department in Lyon coun-
ty high school How far they are
being realized is a matter more difficult
to decide One thing is certain; the
pupils are working, and bid fair to hold
their own when placed in positions
of responsibility and power.
l.. S. II.
Note-This article treats of one
study only, in the department in