OCR Text |
Show I 326 REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN SCHOOLS. ciate the grcsat impor ta~~ocfe exteuding tho evening hour even to tlre dormitory, of rem:liniug with the children niter their retirement, tilli~~g their hearts in story, soug, and prayer, with pure aspirations ana prayerful gratitude as the eyes of the little ones close in sleep. This practice of devoted matrons and teachers-veritable "school mothers"-can not be too highly commended. Nor can the importance of elosiug the day and dismissing the older children to their don~nitories, their interests glowing with healthy purpose and their hearts filled with pure aspiration, be overestimated. Mueh-I had almost said every. thing-depends for the iuauence of tlre day upon the child's physical and moral welfare, upon the thoughts and feelings with which he goes to sleep, and too much ware can not be exercised by superintendents, teachers, and matrons, in the guidance of this matter. In the more advanced schools the direction of this imnortant matter can be placed largcly into the haudn of older pnpila thr611kht l ~oi r gin-i z :~r i oo~f ~c lu1)s : I I I ~s o(~ieties-~~~nsie:liIi,t (~~.nsayn,d rcliyior~s. Care shou1;l ha t t ~ k e1~11~,w, ever.in the organi'atio~~o t such clul~:sn ~ds ocieties to lvave the tinrna of intrting so urrauged tlrat enclr pupil nlay he\.e an oppo~tooity,ifh e sochoosm, togratify l~isinterestsina ll tlrese~lireetions, so t l ~ : ~het nlay be guarded agaiust oun-sideduess: ~udn arn)wncs% Caro nhould be t ; ike~t~o,o , to gnnrd rhc work of sneh cl1111sn gnitrst flippancy, ~elt:ndnlnti~mr~err,e \vurdy l))pocrisy,aud self seeking delnagogi~n~1.\ 11 of thesc i.lul~su ad societit,~s iloold do honv>t, rhoro~lgl\~~ ork,a ~ r dth e e~ltc.rtsin~r~etnhte y rnny n f h l r l should be the untul';~lr c:cetion which f low t'ro~an growing appreeiatio~o~l' I)eauty, trr~tlrn, nd good will. The creatrat tlauwr to succeas ill this matter tl~rontrns the litcrarv club, wxicl~i s apt degeuorate inro the debati~rge lnb. ;1 d e t~n t i r~i club rnises n question, nnaig~~toa caertail~i ndividu:ils the artirmati\.e, to ot l~erst he rrenntivo side. and intrusts tile t:tsk of t lot e rn~i r~itnl~~n coutcst to n j;iry which decidos by i~~l~jorviottye. The task of each l:u~~testar!iat to carry his p i n t at :\I1 I1~7.ardst,o ntinicui%cf acts \vllich oppose lrirn, tn exnggcrate others whiul~a re fwornbla to his sick. He is expcetetl to en1.r.y conviction to the jury, not only hy :irgument but by lnealls of nl;illf~~lityli rued pllrascs which appe:~l to possil~lep reju-dice or d*zzlc by their ~plendor. He ia a11 advocate, not a scckevafter trntlr. Under the circr~mstancest,o o, Re is nn wlvocate on the basi5of thasca~~t ieksnt o\vledgr concerning tho matter at issuc,;~n~olv or Ilypo. critio~llvIi tbovi~)t~o' con(.enI his i~u~rnnt r:~nn dertl re ~oant leof clever speech. " Moreover, the decision GY a jury knoming, if possible, even less of the subject under consideration than he does, adds to the per-formance the illnsion that truth is held hy majorities and that "might is rieht." I 1.Cc.ko~v ~sc irntitie e l ~ ~ ibnn s chools, ancl morc pnrticulnrly in Iudinn scl~oolss. l~oulclb e seeker^ after truth. They shnnld (!ultir;lte t11e habit I of enmeet rese:~rch,o f wareft11a nd modest j j~dgrue~n~ft ,l ~ouestc onvir-tion, :~ndo f tire duty to s t au~flo r such c,on\.iction agn~nsnt ll blaudisl~- mcnts of olir:rnsc a ~ r~~itdfa llso f 13reiudire. Tt is irrhtls elai~lledf or the I debating;?lub that it-teaches &ntkstants to think and talk on their feet, to be manful defenders of a position once assumed-in short, to I carry the day. All these advantab.e*, however, are shnred by properly constituted literary clubs, with the additiol~anl dvantaged thnt thought and speech aru in the acr~iceopf rincil~lct,h at cncl~c uutestant el~onsns his position on gronnds of conviction aud conscience, and that the day is carried not for self alone, but for all concerned. |