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For the Schoolmaster.

Good Judgment Ever Necessary for the

Teacher.

NUMBER ONE.

schools and colleges can give, in whom were invested the hopes and expectations, the labors and prayers of fond parents, for twenty long years, wholly fail in keeping school, while a secI want to see in the teacher that I employ, a ond youth, endowed with the good judgment hearty love for his profession, drawing vitality that the other lacked, though not possessing his and strength from two main roots, a natural mental power or literary acquisitions, becomes love for children and a belief that something a teacher loved by his pupils, highly prized by can be done to benefit them. Next to this, he their parents, a useful member of the communishould be equipped with three things: a strong ty, and of some good to mankind. And I cerand healthy body, to resist the wear and tear tainly am not rash in making the statement, incident to his profession, so as neither to die that a teacher with a small amount only of before his time nor be nervous and cross; a knowledge, but accustomed to exercise his judgmind well disciplined and strengthened by hard ment, will ever be noted as a successful instructstudy, stored with a large amount of knowledge or, whether others fail or not.

of the right kind, apt at explanation, quick in Good judgment is a thing always wanted; at its perceptions and knowing more than the all times, all hours, each week, each term. At text-books; thirdly, a spiritual nature, which, the risk of wearying your patience, let me quite free from all cant and hypocrisy, is open to all fully illustrate this point; I want all who are holy and precious influences emanating from to teach this winter to appreciate its truth and God, from man or from nature, wherein the its importance. passions are held in due control, conscience is

quick, and duty, love of truth and of God reign

One must be judicious,—

1. In the assignment of lessons, in a district supreme. I have here, love, to prompt to ac-school, on the first day of the term. tion; faith in possibilities, to support action, 2. So as to give out lessons of the proper and three instrumentalities the best fitted of all length each day.

to accomplish the good sought. Yet there is 3. In the use made of advice given by trusone faculty of the mind, the absence of which tees, friends and parents.

will cause many well-founded hopes in such 4. So as not to act under the influence of a teacher to meet with sad and perhaps total passion.

disappointment, I mean good common sense, 5. In deciding whether or not pupils are to that very uncommon thing, or, as I shall style report on their own conduct and recitations. it, good judgment. An army may be splendid- 6. So as to explain to a scholar at the right ly equipped, countless as to numbers, well fed, time, but neither too much nor too little. well clothed, well paid, and yet, if not handled 7. And prepare himself on his recitations

E with good judgment, the nation may receive before entering the school-room.

from it humiliation and sorrow only. Now, I 8. By trying to find out the motive that acthave seen a young man furnished with all that uated a pupil before reproving or commending

him, and in many other ways, none of which I own eyes, our own merits; too soon to weary of can elaborate in this paper. dullness, and carried away by what seems at

But why should I dwell longer on this point? the time a just indignation, to speak words and Surely any one who reflects will see that each commit acts that we afterwards bitterly repent minute during the day the teacher must exer- of. We find, on reflection, that our better cise or fail to exercise good judgment, with the judgment does not approve of what we did in good or bad results that must ensue.

Judgment is that faculty of the mind that compares, and then predicates likeness or unlikeness.

the heat of passion. Very well; what shall we do now, having paid dearly for our experience? Shall we not act more discreetly in the future? Unfortunately, some never grow wiser from the Are the means sufficient to obtain the end blunders and failures of their past lives, but, sought? Is the result obtained the one desir- mourning over their hard, unlucky fate, wonder ed?

Wherein did the course pursued differ why some men always get on so well, and they from that which had been laid down or propos- so poorly. What is done by others? On thinked in calmer moments? Compare this conduct ing over all the circumstances of the case, they with what ought to be, what should be, and resolve that the next time they will not act on point out where it deviated from the direct line the spur of the moment, but will put off the deof right, are questions constantly recurring for cision of an important matter till the next morngood judgment to decide. Judgment does not ing, see how it will look under to-morrow's sun. prescribe what should be; duty does that: I venture to say that if this course should be judgment does not determine the ends sought pursued by all the teachers in this State during in the school-room; love or affection does that, the coming winter, we should hear little of those and says that it is the highest good of the child- unfortunate quarrels between teachers and puren, therefore a spirit of love should always be pils, teachers and parents, teachers and school associated with the unerring judgment; else, committees, which do so much harm yearly, how would the spirit that animates the city mis- creating much ill-feeling, discouraging many sionary on his rounds of love and mercy to the children, wasting the school money and breakpoor and degraded, differ from that which guides ing up the schools. the shrewd robber and wily conspirator to the Again, at times, it unfortunately happens from

more certain fulfillment of their purposes. What, now, are some of the causes that tend to overthrow the good judgment, to depose this rightful sovereign, and set up others in its stead

that love abhors, and in whose train disorder and ignorance follow. The first thing that I shall mention as disturbing the normal action of the judgment, is violent and ungovernable anger. There is implanted in the breast of every true man, a good and healthy impulse which prompts him to go up to an older and stouter boy frightening and maltreating little urchins, and knock him down; this feeling, indignation, powerful in the bosom of the earth's best and

noblest, arises also when due exercise of authority is defied, when explanations of difficulties in studies are not noticed, when requests

are not heeded, when efforts for others' good are maliciously and persistently thwarted by the very persons they were intended to benefit. Still, though indignation is implanted in our breasts for our good, like the appetites hunger and thirst, it is to be held in check and kept under the control of reason.

a long course of opposition on the part of the pupil, and the unwise policy adopted by the teacher, that a mutual feeling of revenge springs up in their hearts, and is cherished there; hence

forth their efforts are directed to each other's humiliation. When the mind is given over to the wicked passion of revenge, judgment truly is already dethroned and every suggestion of malignity and cruelty is in turn welcomed and entertained. Let us be on our guard against this insidious foe to all right sentiments. Many a teacher has harbored it who would shrink from it with horror when viewed in its own deformi

ty; he deceives himself respecting the feeling

that actuates him, fondly saying to himself that he will humble the boy's haughty spirit and curb his insolent temper; or that his authority is not to be set at nought with impunity, that

the pupil is determined not to study and must be made to. I gladly turn from the consideration of this obstacle to the proper exercise of good judgment, inasmuch as I think its presence, unmixed with other motives, comparatively rare. We should scrutinize closely what is in our hearts, to eliminate carefully what good We are apt to think the insult offered to us common sense never entertains, the feeling of more flagrant than it was; to enhance, in our revenge.

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The third obstacle to the exercise of sound timidity are to be commended, for it is the height judgment that I shall mention, more fatal, per- of wisdom to act, at times, instantaneously, but haps, than either anger or revenge, is heedless-on grounds well considered, long beforehand. ness, carelessness, whether this be constitution- It is your duty to be just, to be considerate, to al, or arise from indifference or laziness. Some love the truth supremely and to follow the right are naturally rash and incautious; they do not unswervingly. The love of the true and the stop to think. They have quick perceptions right is far too pure and spiritual a motive to and see easily what is desirable when it is point- influence most men habitually. Let duty lead ed out to them; but they do not pause to con- you to select this as your chief incentive to sider, and it seems that they never will learn to; action, raising you far above the low level such ought, I suppose, to give up the profession. wherein the souls of common men travel their Perhaps by appeals to the conscience of the dull, weary rounds, then your judgment, suslazy and the indifferent, by dwelling on the re- tained by principle, quickened by affection and sponsibility placed upon them, on the moment- strengthened by habit, shall merit the epithet, ous results of their remissness and neglect of good.

66

Antiquities.

K.

NINEVAH was fifteen miles long and forty

duty upon the characters of so many little child- Do you apprehend a tithe of the wisdom ren, they may be aroused to consider what it there is in that precept, Be ye wise as seris that they are doing, whither they and those pents and harmless as doves"? under their care are tending, and what are the means to be adopted to improve the condition of their apathetic and disorderly schools. Parents and committees must see that teachers: become not disheartened through their neglect miles round, with walls one hundred feet high or injustice; teachers need all the encourage- and thick enough for three chariots. Babylon ment that can be given them, otherwise they was sixty miles within the walls, which were share in the prevailing indifference to the pros- seventy-five feet thick and three hundred high, perity of their schools, which, of itself, shows a lack of good common sense.

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with one hundred brazen gates. The temple of Diana, at Ephesus, was four hundred and twenMy remarks would want completeness did ty-five feet high; it was two hundred years in not try to point out how the judgment can be building. The largest of the Pyramids is four hundred and eighty-one feet high, and seven improved. The best way to strengthen it is to use it daily in every thing that we do. He that hundred and sixty-three feet on the sides; its can not, or does not, use his judgment at home, base covers thirteen acres; the stones are about or in his boarding house, in the expenditure of thirty feet in length, and the layers are two hundred and six; one hundred thousand men his money, in his conduct towards neighbors, in his duties as a citizen and a man, can not were employed in its erection. About the fifwell be expected to be judicious in his conduct teen hundred and nintieth part of the Great in the school-room. Be careful here, as else- Pyramid of Egypt is occupied by chambers and where, in little things; it is then easy to be passages: all the rest is solid masonry. The careful in what is of more importance. Labyrinth of Egypt contains three thousand chambers and twelve halls. Thebes, in Egypt, Again, a strong desire to do the best for the presents ruins twenty-seven miles round; it has children under one's charge, may stimulate a one hundred gates. Carthage was twenty-five torpid judgment to new life and activity. A miles round. Athens was twenty-five miles loving heart is one of God's best gifts; it sup-round, and contained twenty-five thousand citlies the place of such mental endowments as zens and four hundred thousand slaves. The may be wanting, and makes the most of what temple of Delphos was so rich in donations, talents are given; a teacher without love for that it was once plundered of £10,000, and his pupils is an object not often seen, I hope, Nero carried from it five hundred statues. The in Rhode Island schools.

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walls of Rome were thirteen miles in extent.

While affection would induce us to be as careful and judicious as possible in our treat- A large school-girl, not distinguished for ment of children, duty, with an authority all scholarship, having spelt the word "cuticle," its own, bids us stop to investigate more closely, was asked what it meant. "Don't know, sir,” to restrain passion and know ourselves, before she said. "What is this all over my face and taking a decisive step; not that irresolution and hands?" asked the teacher. "Freckles, sir."

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