Year: 1874

|


is sufficiently developed to prevent, he j.
| a confirmed victim to the habit, too otter
! having to resort to dishonest means tc


procure his supplies. At one of the first
schools l attended, some of the Older
boys, as were the greater number of men


we knew, were chewers of tobacco. The
younger boys fell into the error of sup
| posing that it was manly to do so. The
| only difference we could observe was the


color of the saliva, and regarded that al
the distinguishing mark of the chewer


and anxious to initiate them, not being
| able to procure tobacco, we used to chew


dry oak leaves, and other things that


would enable us ty spit like tobacco


chewers. The one who could most nearly
| initiate them or find substance thai


would best serve the desired purpose


was envied hero of the hour The use


of such comparatively harmless articles


did not long continue. The ambition to
initiate in most cases soon extended to


the use of the thing itself, and nearly all


of the then boys, now men, are hope.


lessly confirmed chewers, in their turn


by example teaching the young boys OF


the present to follow in the same course


of folly. The matter of dress is one in


which an influence may be unconsciously


exerted A slovenly, careless teacher,


will have more or less evil influence, and


at time of life when children are form


ing habits which will affect their future


lives, and when the constant care neces-


sary to a neat personal appearance is
most irksome, and most frequently


avoided. Indeed, judging from the talk


of some parents, it is difficult matter to


keep clothes on them. Even the chill


dren expect in the teacher a better and


81 1H he lii
dress of an ore digger, coal miner, or
person of other rough employment; and
if he takes no more pains than to wear
such dress in the school-room, or on pub
lie occasions, they will think, and justly


too, that heis only fitted for such en-
ployment, and honor him with CORES
ponding respect. 1t is not to the dis
credit of a teacher that he engages in any
manual labor when not engaged in teach
ing. On the contrary it is to his credit.


No honest occupation gives its follower
any precedence over those of others, and


those who teach only to avoid work are
mostly too lazy to succeed in that. But
a teacher who follows manual labor dur
ing vacations ought to be able to lay off
his working clothes and don respecta-
BILE suit when he teaches, or attends
meetings of teachers. Though regard





pearance, that which is fashionable being
usually pleasing, should be had; it need
not be followed beyond personal COM
fort or convenience, nor should proper
respect for fashion be considered pride.
Those who dress most out of fashion and
are loudest in their denunciations of it,
are often guilty of more and worse form
of pride than those who follow it most
closely. A strict adherence to old ways
and dress generally denotes want of
progressive spirit, and are usually signs
of an adherence to old fogy opinions in
other matters, and are usually found in
the less intelligent, or ignorant commu-
mites, where the opposition to public
improvements and increased educational
advantages are found The attention to
dress need not be pursued to foppishness.
Over dress usually creates distrust, as
such people are liable to the suspicion of
giving too much of their thought to the
matter, to the neglect of other matters
Either extreme may be avoided. A SLOW
enly dress may be the result of a mis-
taken notion of personal independence,
which is very attractive to the young
Those who hold to it are those who say,
or wish others to say of them, that they
don't care how they look" a doubtful
compliment, which may be translated,
don't care enough for your good opin-
ion to make any effort to please you"
There fare other and more important
ways in which influence may be exerted
more important because affecting the
moral nature, and more enduring. Man
ners and dress, though important things,
affect only this life; but when the moral
nature is affected, or uninhuenced, the
effects reach beyond the present, for
good or evil, for happiness or misery,
and as it is the more easily Influenced of
the two, the great necessity of a correct
example can hardly be overestimated.
All efforts for moral instruction must, to
be effective, be supported by personal
character and repute. Though reputa-
ton is not character, it is not likely to
be far from the character. None of you
would knowingly allow or permit such
things as lying, profanity, gambling in
any form, or cruelty to others, to pass
Yet the good effects of
punishment, or remonstrance on the
evils of profanity, will be rendered mega
tive if you are known to be even occa-
sionally profane. 1t will not do that you
take even the strictest care to guard
against the practice in their hearing, if
you are ever guilty, they will be very
sure to know of it, and your punish
ments will be considered cruel, or unjust,
and your remonstrance hypocrisy. By
brute force you may prevent it when
they are under your immediate
or control, or cause them to
exercise such secrecy or terrorism over
their fellows as will prevent any knowl-
edge on your part of any violations of
your rule in regard to it. But no real
good can be done by you toward pre-
venting the habit, while your influence
will go toward leading them into the
practice as soon as the restraint is re-
moved. And so of other faults. And
that most dangerous of all vices, intem
perance, which has its most dangerous
influence in its moderate forms. The
example of the confirmed brutal, de-
graded inebriate, is repellant and dis
gusting to the young, and is often an
object of fear; but the moderate, respect
able drinker, the merry good fellows, are
if not attractive examples, fur
nish ready excuse for their consciences,
it being a common way of reasoning, that
as some one else does so, can be ex-
cused if 1 do as they do. They often
wish to try the taste and effects of ardent
spirits from motives of mere novelty and
and hope to avoid disgrace be-
cause some one of acknowledged talents |
and respectability sets them the example. |
The first step taken will be more easily |
repeated, and may lead to the formation
of an irresistible taste, which will lead to |
their ruin. AS those OF the brightest |
intellect, most attractive social qualities
and social natures are apt to be the vic
Tins, so boys, possessing these qualities,
are most susceptible of their influence |
and are most liable to be led astray. The |
effects of this vice, so great and far reach
ing, demand that our profession be clear
ed from all taint of it, or of any influence