The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-10-05
Kate Douglas Virgins Best.
Story.
IBy A. E. Winship, Editor of the Journal of
Education

ran stow writer ever wrote is 1.-The Girl
and the Kingdom: Learning to Teach;
1t is the story of her own life IN San
Francisco in 1879. 1t is the best Read
inc Circle" booklet we have even seen. 1t
is booklet that every teacher IN the
world should read. IL was written Tor
the Los Angeles Teachers Club and the
proceeds will be used IN part IN the cam
nalgn to rid California of all adult litter
acy. Send twenty five cents to the club
at Trinity Building, Los Angeles, ard
get copy.
She opened the first kindergarten be-
yond the Rocky Mountains. We knew
well Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper and the other
women who were behind the movement
from 1882 EDWARDS, and most OF them
were the patrons of the school as she
began it. Here are few of the wonder
full WAYS in which she did things
'Buying and borrowing were nv first
two aids to fellowship. l bought my
luncheon at a different bakery every day
and nv glass of milk at different dairy
At each visit | talked, always casually,
of a new Kindergarten, and gave its Gate
of opening, but never solicited pupils.
/ bought pencils, crayons, and mucllage
of the local stationers; brown paper ana
soar of the grocers; hammers and tacks
of the hardware man. borrowed many
things, returned them soon, and thus
gave nv neighbors the satisfal ton or pc
ing helpful. When tried to borrow the
local carpenter's saw he answered that
he would rather come and do the JOB hlm-
self than lend his saw to lady. Inc
combination a lady and edged tools was
something in his mind so humorous tnat
nervously changed the subject, Qf ne
is still alive am sure he Is an Antl-Sut-
fragistD | was glad to display my
schoolroom to an intelligent workman,
and half hours explanation OF the
kindergarten occupations made the car
penter an enthusiastic convert lnis
gave me new idea, and to each crafts
man, in the vicinity. l showed the parti-
cular branch of kindergarten handlWork
that might appeal to him, whether laying
of patterns, in separate sticks ana taDle't,
weaving, drawing, documentary efforts
at designing, folding and cutting OF paper,
or clay modelling.
81 had the great advantage OF making
all of my calls in shops, ana mus L hau
not the unpleasant duty of visiting peo-
ple's houses unlimited. nor the embarrass-
ment of being treated as peddlers OF pa
tronage and good advice are apt to De
treated. Besides, III many cases, inc
shops and homes Heaven save tie marx y
were under one root, and children scut'leu
In and out, behind and under the counters
and over the thresholds into the street.
They were all agog with curiosity and SO
were the women. A mother does not
have to be highly cultured to perceive
the advantage of place near py Wnere
she can send her four or five year olds
free of charge and know that they are
busy and happy for several hours day.
Here is her description OF her enthu-
siasm:-
1.-The kindergarten theory of education
was on trial for its very life; the tame OF
Pestalozzi and Froebel seemed to my
youthful vision to be in my keeping, ana
| had all the ardor Ct neopEyte. L
simply stepped into cockleshell and put
out into an unknown ocean, where all
manner of derelicts needed help and sue
cor. The ocean was life of which
had heretofore known nothing miserable,
overwhelmed, and sometimes criminal
my cockleshell managed to escape
shipwreck, and took its frail place among
the other craft that sailed in It's company
| hardly saw or felt the safety OF the
harbor or the shore for three years, the
three years out of my whole nc the
most wearying, the most heart-searchlng,
the most dlscouraging, the most inspiring;
also, dare say, the best worth living.
The neighborhood was enthusiastic IN
presenting its offspring at the altar OF
educational experiment, and we might
have enrolled a hundred children had
there been room. | was to have no as
sstant and we had provided seats only
for forty-five, which prohibited a list OF
more than fifty at the outside. A con-
vert to any Inspiring idea being ANXIOUS
to immediate herself on the first altar
which comes in the path OF duty, l care
fully selected the children best calculated
to snow to the amazed public the regen-
Grating effects of the kindergarten
method and as a whole they were I'M
surpassed specimens of the class hoped
to benefit.
"Of the forty who were accepted the
first morning, thirty appeared to be either
indifferent or willing victims, while ten
were quite the reverse. These screamed
if the maternal hand were withdrawn,
bawled if their hats were taken away,
and beloved if they were asked to sit
down. This rebellion led to their being
removed to the hall by their mothers, who
spanked them vigorously every few
minutes and returned them to me each
time in more unconquered state, with
their lung power quite unimpaIred and
their views of the New Education still
vague and distorted. AS the mothers
were uniformly ladies with rutt1ed hair,
swapping eyes, high color and snort
temper, | could not understand the chill
dren's fear of me, mild young thing in
white but they evidently preferred the
ills they knew. When the last mother
led in the last freshly spanked child and
said as she prepared to leave: well, l
suppose they might as well get used to
you one time as another, SO good-day.
Miss, and God help you. felt that my
woes were greater than could bear, for,
as the door closed, several infants who
had been quite calm began to howl in
sympathy with their suffering brethren.
MANY days were spent in learning the
unpronounceable names of my flock and
in keeping them from numbering one an
other until Froebel's justly celebrated
law of love- could be made working
proposition. 1t was some time before
the babies could 60 down stairs in line
without precipitating one another head
foremost by furtive kicks and punches. l.
placed an especially dependable boy at
the head and tail of the line but accident
ally overheard the tail boy tell the head
that he'd lay him out fiat if he got into
r,rl Gr,+ tbraat tho harraS p6