The New York herald., 1922-09-24

to help.
Having praised the father who was a
true companion to his son. ! must
complain of him who takes his son off
with him on some pleasure trip while
school keeps. Herein fathers self
Indulgence interferes with school dis
cipline. knowing what the temptation
is, have great respect for the family
arrangement which breaks up the
summer outing and piles back to
town. when the country Is most tempt
ing. The schoolmaster might like TO
stay afield longer himself. And If the
scholars would only all go to the same
place in the country there could be a
fall and spring session in that place.
This is one reason why the boarding
school appeals to the father who Is ar
ranging several homes for his family.
He can ship his children off to school
the end of September and stay in his
fall residence till Thanksgiving; and
he can move in April to his spring
residence from his town apartment,
and not be interrupting his children's
education. Lucky father!
Do not infer that l condemn board
ing schools. My experience in them
has been too long not to know that
the chance they have to get the child's
whole living for a certain period of the
year makes their opportunity the envy
of the day school teacher, who is in
terested in the complete education OF
his pupils.
Now, when 1t comes to methods in
education. l verify believe. could there
be statistics in the matter, they would
show that the greater number of theo-
rists are women. Do l compliment the
fathers or the mothers by that state
ment? 1t is only when the practical
and the theoretical make happy mar
riage that the world advances.
Theory is sure to get a tryout when
theory marries theory. Some parents
/ knew Of held that a child should be
kept out of school until he was nine
years old. Whether in the end this
proved good thing i should like to
learn. 1t had one strange result when
the boy was twelve. 1t found him with
good mind and faithful application.
The class had had explained to them
the ballad "Adelgitha." The lesson was
to learn it by heart. and to write it
next day from memory. The follow
ing, is what this youngster most legi-
bly, and painstakingly produced in
class:
ADJEATER.
| The ordaid falat trumped sounded
And sad Pail Adjeater came
When farth valon champion bounded
And slew the slamerers OBJ her fame.
She wept dived from her danger
When he melt to colin her glove
Seek not she Grad gallont stranger
for help lest Adjeater love.
For he is in a bongrin far land
Hos arms should now set me free
And / must were a willow garland
for him that dead or beals TO me.
Nay say not that his faith is tainted
he raise his vior, at the sight
she fell into his arms and fanted
1t was indeed her own tru knight.
l don't know the name of the boy
who wrote that little classic. His
teacher showed it to me and / copied
II down. 1t was so long ago that by
this time he must be sending a son to
school. If he remembers this effort of
his and sees it here / trust he is the
sort to be amused. / am sure he has
succeeded in life. for in these lines we
see the careful, purposeful effort which
makes for success. He faithfully did
his best
Are you prejudiced against thus pub
fishing such childish attempts? Did
you laugh when reading THE Little
Visiter"? And remember. PREJUDICE
is for children to learn to spell, and
for .grownups to learn to dispel.
When it comes to awaiting results.
believe that fathers, more often than
mothers, have the long patience neces-
sary with an educational system. /
do not mean that the mother will not
hope and perform to the end for her
child. But mothers hopes are likely
to be transferred to the attractive new
system before the old has had a chance
to prove itself. Lack of patience,
whether fathers or mothers. is the
cause of go many new methods sue
ceeding in getting a trial. A theory
should be tried twenty-five years to
prove 1t right or wrong. Is that ever
done? viii IL ever be done? Every
five years a new educational method
Is proclaimed and declared to be- at
last, the long sought. basically right
method; for 1t is founded on the
natural laws of growth and life. 1t
Is father who dips his hand into his
pocket to set II on foot. To be sure.
mother. too. IL she has a pocket will
do the same. There is something that
can be said for every new educational
scheme that Is launched. 1t has en-
thusiasm behind II, and without that
education is barren and with II fairly
poor methods succeed.
OF course. fathers are all different.
But they are alike when they are not
going to have son taught algebra or
French In the silly way they tried on
them. They are alike when they
can't see why son fails in arithmetic
and Latin. They never had any
trouble with those subjects. They're
easy. And why can't daughter do
physics? Unless It's because she's
girl. They differ in what they think
schooling is worth in the long run
anyway. They see their young hope
full at the threshold OF life, and appar-
emily. with the right sort Of training.
IL IL is a boy, the youth can be put In
control of his own destiny. or OF the