OCR Text |
Show pmrricr., vontrnry to the intention of the I n d ~ aOl ~fl ice, insteadof being n1,1(1o a dt'vlce for kaehiug thriti, beea~nea tleviCt3fo r teaching exttar-ncanee. 111 suite. t l~eref~~orfe t,h e snvcess wl~i(*h1 1ad attended the j&iciaus ~ a r / ~ i lorui t of these directions at some of the larger Indian schools. and more narticularlg at Carlisle, the Indian OfBce, under date o..f ~.e-n bmb e r8 . i894. declared the ex~erimentt o be a 'failure and orderGdits discontinuance. Possibly, too, the experiment failed from certain intrinsic faults, the chief ones of which are its incompleteness and its arbitrariness. Carried out according to its intention t l ~ pel an, indeed, would teach thrift, and, in addition, the fact that labor has a value to others for which the Iaborer can claim mages. However, these wages were not to be used by the laborers for the legitimate purpose of making a living. The school gave a living to all equally, whether they labored or not. These wages mere used by them for the purpose of gratifying certain more or less wl~imsical or extravagant notions, or were, at least, in constant danger of being so used. Moreover, t.he scale of mages was evidently wholly arbitrary, and stood in no necessary relation to the work aocom-plished by the laborers. Nevertheless. it is unfortanate that the exoeriment. instead oiaeine I eorrecred, was wholly :~hnndoned. It would'h:~veb rw an easy matter to correct tile faulr 01 illatrentio~to~ t he lnpt c:lnu*r of the ordrr by hold. I ine sunerinteudents resuonsible for its strict and conscientious sxecu- I ti&; : ; I I ~ 1 l ~ anro ~ilo il~tit would ba'ie beeu ellually msy to lind ways cbr covlvcting the ~rbitrarillessH I I i~n ~~on~l ) leteo~f ~t lr s~sor r der. Snue~~i~~t rnt\lrel~r~otcsa rriedouttl ~oordrirn tl~csniriitn wl~i r l~wiats made have repeatedly expressed regret to me th& the measure was abrogated. By these complaints I have been induced to look more closelv into the merits of the auestion. and h 0 ~teo be able to lav before yo11 Lt 1111 r.~rl,v,l ate ~letinitey' luus ancl re(!~;inrne~~rlarcior,~l;r~esrn ing the n1:1tter, by wl~iclu~o r ouly thu wage fbntnres oi the ~ ~ r doefr 1 356 can be revived. but at the same time-a wav oveiied for teachine the I young Indian laborer by practical experience io make his living and somewhat more at the Indian school by the sweat of his brow. I EVENING HOUIL. 1 I note increased progress in the rational trmtment of the evening hour. In the meat maioritv of the reservation boardint schools this hour \vl~iclf~o ~ ~ r e rilll ~m,& ly inutaneen, w:~sd evoted t; perfi~nctory and sniritless socalletl stu~lyil l ~r)url.vli gl~teda llcl ventilated achool-rooms. has becon~ea true holne h6ur. inwhich the children are gathered in group.? or in a body, occupied in stimulating intellectual e2ertain-ments adapted to their age and condition. The singing of songs. the tellin.s. of utories. iuterestin.e. readiues and recitatio;~. the mae';e'lan-t6t1.11\,\ 'l~i(:tla~k e; t11er11ru cli~tantl aids ond reveals to'rhrnl tl~~;':~~neni-tics of civilized lit*, plraning caonversario~e~n,t ertniuing game9, as well as opportuuities for fancy work and a variety of other art work, eon-spire to make this hour oneof the most fruitful of the day: It affords the children opportunities for kindly socialintercourse with each other and with the teachers, enables them to connect with actual life interests many of the lessons of the day, intensities whatever joys they may have had and softens poss~ble sorrows or griefs, strengthens iustifiable ambitions, fills their hearts wit11 gratitude for the dav iust " ., I past and with pure hopes for the day that is Eo come. In a number of schools matrons and teaohers hare learned to appre- |