New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-13
KINDERGARTENS' VALUE
What the Teachers Accomplish in
New York City.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The past few weeks have been so filled
with the Lustania disaster and its conse-
ouences that have waited until now to enter
a protest against a denuncation Of our kim
dergartens which appeared in your columns
Just before that sad event
No doubt there is some room for criticism,
as there naturally would be in city of this
size, and yet there should be presented the
hopeful side of the great work which is being
done for the little children Of our great CITY
and for the mothers who gather around TIE
kndergartens
The germ Of truth "sown in the field Of
human culture" discovered by Pestalozzi and
developed by Froebel will never die. 1t may
have fallen on stony ground, but in many
places it is yielding abundant harvest. Pesta-
lozzi looked TO the larger freedom, following
the French Revolution, for the broader dis
semination of his ideas. Froebel turned his
thought TO this country as the place for the
development of his system under freer con-
dtions than prevailed in Germany at that
time.
Nearly fifty years ago a remarkable woman
came from that country trained by Nine.
Froebel She settled in the very heart OF tins
great city Here she has been sowing broad
cast seeds of educational and spiritual truth
handed down by Pestalozzi and Froebel, and
we have seen something of the harvest Sic
has sent out hundreds of young women
trained to be mothers, to be teachers, to be
workers in social circles, who have taught
the children under their care sef-activity,
unselfishness, helpfuness and sympathy with
all life.
In the kindergarten, it is true, these teach
ers have been handicapped for want OF space,
and vet | have witnessed happy upturned
faces in our orphan home kindergartens as
the children have led me TO sheir sproutlng
bulbs. | have seen in the crowded Italian
section little garden behind a church, whcre
the tall tenements almost shut out the sur
shine. Here the children futtered like but
ter1es over bed of tulips, sprouting in tie
spring from their own planting in the fall.
A little further in the outskirts of the city
one of our public kindergartners showed me
garden where the little children had trodden
the paths, laid out the beds, planted their
seeds and picked their bouquets for sick
comrades or dear ones at home.
II does US good to keep close to the mas
tiers of thought who have sown the seeds OF
truth. If we read Pestalozz all over again
and reflect on the work that is being done
in our midst | am sure we shall find mary
who are working toward his ideal Let US
encourage the large company Of young women
in our city who hold sacred this trust-"Ihe
development OF little children under natural
laws"
Let US recognize all the forces that are ht
work in our city to bring the children close
to nature. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden
is stimulating a large number OF chlldren
who will be busy with their little plots dur
ing the summer and bring the results OF their
labor for approval in the fall. Large tracts
have been set aside in The Bronx, where self
elected boy gardeners will spend many busy
happy hours during the summer working UNI
der the direction of experts. DO we need 70
sum up other lines OF benefcent work for
children? One has only to read of the parks
and play centres, or 20 know OF the floating
hospital which touches az many points during
the hot summer days, collecting babies and
their mothers for a day in the fresh sea
breeze, to be convinced that the spirit of
Pestalozzi and Froebel still lives. 1t is the
shirt of true Christian benevolence toward
child life. CAROLYN COLT MELENEY
Brooklyn, June 5, 1915.