The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-03-27
Evening Chat


The average person doesn't stop. to
consider whether or not his child is
below or above certain standard
when 1t comes to his powers in. learn
ing. think am safe in saying thar
many people believe brain is a.
brain and that OIL brains are alike.
This isn't true at all and at no time
IN this city have we had quite the
opportunity to hear something really,
good on this subject that we had an
t Thursday night at the high school
when Prof. ]. Francis Shreve gave a
powerful talk
have often wondered why it was
that parents resented the idea that
their child is different. Because PEG.
PIE generally fail to recognize the
fact that every human being is cut
| off different pattern. each one with
thinking powers OF varied nature, II
is very hard to educate young people
to their best advantage. There is
no disgrace attached to this differ
ence in brains though of course there
will always be the children who lack
brain stamina or dephth, who will not
learn satisfactorily because they can't
and who as consequence bring dis
appointment to the hearts of their
parents. On the othe. hand there are
thousands of boys and girls who have
no difficulty IN learning but who are
learning the wrolg things and be-
cause OF wrong selection they haycI
a brain filled with knowledge which
is not applied properly.
l know several individuals like that.
One particularly-a woman who nigh
have found her right environment had
she known how TO use her education
in the right way, is today struggling
along, square pc; in a round hole
where she must rimain because It'll
Is too late to start over again. l /
know man who never did amount !
to anything because his parents de-
termined he should be-a doctor when |
he hadn't any learnings in that di-
rection. They sent him to school !
where they compelled him through |
an influence which was too strong FOL
the boy. 10 study and study and study
all ABOUT everything which might
rave been thrilling to another boy
but which was just lesson TO be |
learned by this lad. After years and
years of 1t when he mastered the rud- |
iments all right but did not get next
to the soul of 1t, those fond and sadly |
ignorant parents spent dollars they |
earned hard Ia start an office for !
the young man. You'll like it all
right when YOU get right into rHe
heart and swing of it, they argued.
Only once did the boy demonstrate
bitterly and then he said quite hope
lessly: 1T all makes me sick, Mother
| tell you'll suppose / might as well
go ahead now for it's too late to be-
gin again, but yau have ruined my |
life"
She had to. c. course you'll say
no one can ruin the life OF an ambi-
tious person and perhaps a different '
brain might have caught together tuG
broken threads and made something
out OF the spoiled pattern; but this
lad was ignorant of the fact that he
had been trained wrong all the. years
OF his education and didn't realize I'm.
til he was grown that he was crop !
ing in an honest dark for something !
no crayed which he didn't know how |
10 get. Today he has a head filled i
with knowledge but he isn't happy |
because he isn't doing work he might !
have done wonderfully well had he !
been trained according to his talents
It's one OF the biggest subjects in
the world-ons much in advance OF
the present age. The time will com.
however / am sure whsn children By
some miraculous process will be put
through such an acid test that their
talents will be shown quite plainly.
Then they may be educated to bring |
out the best in them and to fill, a
niche In life which is righttully theirs.
We've all got special leaning and
OF necessity they aren't all the same
one. What would become of the world
did we all want to do the same thing?
The Creator knew exactly what he
was doing when he made brains OF
different caliber.