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Class
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2007 with funding from
IVIicrosoft Corporation
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CHARACTER FORMING
IN SCHOOL
BY
F. H. ELLIS
M
WARLEY ROAD SCHOOL, HALIFAX
Thou must be true thyself,
If thou the truth wouldst teach
Thy soul must overflow, if thou
Another soul would reach.
It needs the overflow of heart
To give the lips full speech.
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA
1907
All rights reset-ved
mi.
m:
PREFACE
We shall be what you Will make us.
Make us wise and make us good ;
Make us strong- for time of trial,
Teach us temperance, self-denial^
Patience, kindness, fortitude.
I I ^ VERY book on education asserts that character
^1 V building is the chief function of the teacher. The
more recent the book, the more emphatic the assertion ;
and every thoughtfjiLteacher endorses the^stat^ment. Of
course, no'w that it is an accepted axiom, the wise can say
that Plato definitely taught it, that Pestalozzi and Froebel
had that ideal constantly in view, and that Herbart in-
sisted that all instruction which does not develop character
is useless.
The following pages have been compiled to show how
the theory has become practice in a large elementary
school, the ages of the children ranging from three to
fourteen years of age.
The lessons are printed, just as they were prepared and
given by the teacher. The weekly " schemes " are copied
from the teachers' notebooks, and the compositions are
those done by the children during the week they have
been studying and practising the particular Thought they
have written upon.
In no instance has the wording of the children's essays
been altered, but errors in spelling and grammar have
been corrected. The essays are only printed to show that
162821
vi CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
the children have assimilated the teachings given and ha.ve
'* ideas of self-discipline, which follow, when they have
thoroughly grasped the moral instruction given. "^
In the infants' school, a thought for one month only is
taken. The teaching there is of a very concrete character,
and very positive — preparatory for the teaching to be given
in the upper school.
A scheme of work is printed for the infants' school to
show how the ethical idea permeates all the work.
My sincere thanks are due to the staff of my school for
assisting in the compilation of this little book, and in
loyally carrying out the ideas embodied in it.
Grateful acknowledgments are also due to the follow-
ing authors and publishers for permission to use their
poems and songs : —
The Songs and Music of Frederick Froebel's Mother
Play. Prepared and arranged by Susan E. Blow. Pub-
lisher : Edward Arnold, 37 Bedford Street, Strand,
London.
Songs for Little Children. Composed and arranged by
Eleanor Smith. Published by J. Curwen and Sons.
Chimes for Children. By B. and R. W. Hawkins.
Published by W. and R. Chambers.
The Lotus Song Book. Katherine Thigley, Raja Yoga
School, Point Loma, California.
Songs of Happy Life. Published by Geo. Bell and Sons.
Music for the Kindergarten. By Eleanor Heerwart.
Boosey and Co.
Golden Boat Action Song. By L. Ormiston Chant.
Published by J. Curwen and Sons.
Peeps at Playtime. Published by Chas. Dibble.
All the Year Round. Strong. Ginn and Co.
^ Dr. Sophie Bryant.
CONTENTS
INFANTS' SCHOOL
Correlation for Four Months
Introduction . . . ...
■January \
February |
March [
> April /
One Week's Work— Central Thought : Love
One Month's Correlation „ „ . .
One Week's Work „ Obedience .
One Month's Correlation „ „
One Week's Work „ Unselfishness
One Month's Correlation „ „
One Week's Work ,, Courage
One Month's Correlation „ „
One Week's Work „ Self-Control
One Month's Correlation „ „
One Week's Work „ Harmony
One Month's Correlation „ „
One Week's Work „ Joy
One Month's Correlation „ „
Story — Earth Stars
Game— Story Dramatized
Music for Game
Nature Talk— " February's Helpers"
13
21
23
27
29
33
36
45
48
51
53
59
62
65
67
71
75
79
87
vHi CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Story— "The Little Snow Fairies"
Game — Story Dramatized
Music for Game . . . .
Reference Books . . . .
PAGE
94
97
GIRLS' SCHOOL
Table of Weekl
Y Thoug
HTS
105
Suggestions to Head Teachers .
1 10
Resolutions
113
Self- Reverence
115
Self-Knowledge
116
Self-Control
118
Harmony
Trkv
120
JOY
Ideals .
121
122
Loyalty
124
Altruism
125
Self-Reliance
126
Temperance
127
Drudgery
128
Gentleness
130
Thankfulness
131
Obedience
132
Goodwill
133
Perseverance
134
Truthfulness
135
Co-operation
136
Standard VI— Teacher's
Weekly
Scheme
OF Lesson?
(Co-operation)
.
142
Standard IV „ „ „ (Co
■operation) 146
Standard II
«
« »
?»
149
CONTENTS ix
PAGE
Lesson on Domestic Economy . . . . 153
History . . . . . 157
Grammar . . . . . 161
Fertilization . . . . 163
Drill . . . . . 169
Geography . , . . . 173
Children's Compositions on Co-operation . -175
Teachers' Weekly Scheme of Lessons (Temperance) 189
Children's Compositions on Temperance . . 192
Teachers' Weekly Scheme of Lessons (Harmony) . 199
Children's Compositions on Harmony . . . 202
List of Poems suitable for Ethical Teaching . 207
Short Notes on some of the Character Studies . 211
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Mural Painting of St. George in Classroom
The FA9ADE- of the Temple .
Class having Talk on St. George
Story — Ceres and Proserpina
Story— RiKKi-TiKKi, from "The Jungle Book"
Warrior Song, with Mural Painting of St. George
Wall of Classroom .
Game— Earth Stars .
Plan of Game
Calendar for February
Story — *'The Little Snow F
Balance Movements to teach Self-Control
Mural Painting in Classroom
The School Motto over Arch
Result of Nature Lesson
Co-operation through Drill
Entrance to Hall of School
Familiar Quotations.
PAGE
5
lO
20
38
40
44
56
74
78
86
93
lOI
112
137
167
171
185
213
■oBI
UNIVERSITY
CHARACTER FORMING
IN SCHOOL
^ INTRODUCTION
4 "A man's character and conduct will always be according- to his
t.„education. " — Plato.
" We had better seek for a system, which will develop honest men.
Let us reform our schools." — RusKiN.
Carlyle says to the teacher : —
"The latest g-ospel in this world is Know thy work and do it:
know what thou can'st work at and work at it, like a Hercules.
" Consider how, even in the meanest sorts of Labour, the whole Soul
of a man is compressed into a kind of real harmony, the instant he
sets himself to work."
EVERY week the work of the upper school is based
on what we have learned to call a "Thought." It
also forms the connecting link between all the lessons,
besides having for its real object the inculcating of morals.
The object of taking a Thought or Ideal of conduct is to
train the child to think about character. The ideal has
been given, and throughout the week, and whenever
possible in every lesson, the Thought is reiterated, until
the desire to be as the Ideal has become a habit. " As a
man thinketh, so is he." The child thinks about the
Ideal, desires it and then expresses the thought in con-
duct. Plato says that ** imitations, if from earliest youth
they be continued onwards for a long time, are estab-
lished into the manners and natural temper, whether
B
2 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
they be gestures, or tones of the voice, or modes of think-
ing." Again, Ruskin, in one of his lectures on Art, says :
*' Men are to be educated in wholesome habit.'"
Some of these Thoughts are Self-Control, Honour,
Courage, Temperance, etc. Definite lessons on the ab-
stract Thought are never given. The Thought is brought
in where possible in every lesson. The literature lesson,
as a rule, is entirely devoted to illustrating the Thought ;
and the reading lesson, essay writing, naturally will bear
upon it. In subjects such as geography, history, arith-
metic, it may or may not be possible to touch upon the
Thought, but it depends very largely upon the teacher.
If a teacher is really anxious to enforce a moral truth, the
difficulty is not how to introduce it into the lessons, but
how to make it a part of every lesson, without interfering
unduly with the subject in hand, and how to instil the
moral idea in the child's mind so that it stimulates his
mind to action — sets it working and makes it the parent
of kindred ideas. In the Upton Letters^ Benson says :
** One can't possibly extirpate weaknesses by trying to
crush them ; one must build up vitahty, and interest, and
capacity."
It is not always the class that can answer the best,
or the child who writes the best composition on the
Thought, who are putting it most into practice. It will
be seen that week by week the children's ideas grow with
the regular succession of Thoughts which are brought
into relation with each other.
Head teachers must arouse the enthusiasm of their staff
if they want moral instruction given thoroughly. It can
be taught from the head and sound well, but as a practi-
cal thing it will be useless. As I will show, in the work-
ing out of the scheme, the head teacher gives out the
"Thought," the keynote of the ethical instruction, and
orally or by writing points out the fundamentals to be
noted week by week.
INTRODUCTION 3
This should not be done without preparation : the head
teacher should be quite sure of the ground to be covered
before issuing the outline of the scheme to the staff of the
school.
Whatever we name the ethical teaching given, whether
self-reverence, purity, temperance, or honour, we find that
the basis of all is ^* self-control." The children soon
realize that the hardest and most important thing to con-
trol is the mind — their thoughts. Frequent practice is
given in controlling eyes, hands, and other parts of the
body, and the teacher knows when they are under control ;
but the children alone know when they have control over
their thoughts. The ''Thought" taken for the week or
for the time specified, is the one that must control all the
others. It was this reason that suggested the word
" Thought " for the ethical instruction.
Realizing that self-control is the basis of all ethical In-
struction, the teaching is begun as soon as the children
enter the infants' school. By means of pictures, stories,
games, and songs, and by using concrete forms for the
abstract ideas embodied, it will be found possible to im-
plant the germ of the truth in the infantile mind, for as
Plato said, "The beginning of every work is of the
greatest importance, especially to any one young and
tender, for then truly, in the easiest manner, is formed
and taken on the impression which one inclines to imprint
on every individual . . . and whatever opinions he re-
ceives at such an age are with difficulty washed away, and
are generally indelible."
In every classroom in the infants' school there is a
picture of "St. George and the Dragon" — a large mural
painting. The little ones are taught that St. George was
a brave warrior who killed the dragon, because it was
greedy and selfish. They must be warriors like St. George
and kill any dragons that keep them from being brave and
good. The names of some of these dragons are bad
4 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
temper, disobedience, greediness, sulkiness, and laziness.
Teachers will show them how to kill these dragons.
The greedy dragon is killed by helping and sharing.
The bad temper dragon is killed by smiling.
The disobedient dragon is killed by doing as they are
told.
The lazy dragon is killed by doing some work right away ;
and so on.
This is a daily lesson, or, I should say, a continuous
lesson. It becomes part and parcel of the children's life,
and forms a solid basis upon which we can work when
they are drafted into the upper school. There they are
taught that their faults belong to their lower nature,
which it is their duty to conquer.
The aim of the ethical training is to make the children
realize that they possess two natures, a carnal and a
spiritual one, and that they have the power within them-
selves to make the spiritual or Higher Self dominate the
carnal or lower self. Carlyle has said, " We must not
forget the clothing of the idea, for the idea itself." And
teachers must not forget the end in view when giving
moral instruction, for "character is not a series of moral
lacks or moral possessions, but an expression of inner
being."
The body grows silently, slowly, and harmoniously,
like Solomon's temple, every thought, word, and action
having some effect upon its growth. Great care must be
taken to keep it pure and holy.
The Voice from within will help all those who listen to
it to distinguish right from wrong ; they will have what
Solomon asked for: ''an understanding heart to discern
good from bad."
Solomon shows evidence of this wisdom by making
INTRODUCTION 7
preparations for the building of the temple for which his
father David had collected materials.
No effort was too great, no material too costly, to make
the temple beautiful and perfect. We also are to aim at
perfection, for the command has been given, '*Be ye
perfect."
The pillars oiour temple are composed of the ' ' Thoughts "
we have been taking and practising.
Emerson says : '* A man is the fa(^ade of the temple
wherein all wisdom and all good abide. What we com-
monly call man, the eating, drinking, planting, counting
man, does not, as we know him, represent himself, but
rather misrepresents himself. Him we do not respect, but
the soul whose organ he is, would he let it appear through
his actions, would make our knees bend."
FLORENCE HOWARD ELLIS.
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judge ITiy \deo^\e hatlmay discern between good and bod.
This should be copied on a large sheet for class purposes.
THE ''THOUGHT"
IN THE KINDERGARTEN
*' Imitations, if from earliest youth they be continued onwards for
a long- time, are established into the manners and natural temper,
whether they be gestures, or tones of the voice, or modes of thinking."
Plato.
"O Lord, send unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the
child." — Judges xiii. 8.
CORRELATION OF WORK FOR
FOUR MONTHS
*' A robin redbreast in a cage,
Puts all heaven in a rage.
A dove-house filled with doves and pigeons,
Shudders hell through all its regions.
A dog, starved at his master's gate,
Predicts the ruin of the state.
He who shall hurt the little wren
Shall never be beloved by men." — Blake.
THE ''THOUGHT" IN THE KINDERGARTEN 13
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Love in the home—
i. For parents.
ii. For brothers and
sisters.
Love in school —
i. For teachers.
ii. For school-fellows.
iii. For all living crea-
tures(B. of Mercy
Pledge).
Love of Mother Nature
for her children-
sends rain and sun
to help trees and
flowers to grow.
i
§
Games.
Stories dramatized.
"The tree was cold."
Songs dramatized.
Drawing.
House, hats, fence,
gate, buds, turnip.
Folding and Tearing
and Cutting.
Towel, tablecloth, mat,
fence, gate, carrot.
Modelling in Clay.
Cottage loaf, turnip,
chestnut twig and
buds.
Organized Gaines.
1. Number game played
like stations.
2. "All around the vil-
lage."
3. Play with the doll's
house: bed-making.
1
.J
Stories.
1. Philemon and
Baucis.
2. Pope Gregory and
the Angles.
3. Hiawatha's Wrest-
ling.
Recitations.
1. Bird Thoughts.
2. Hiawatha's Wrest-
ling.
Tall and beautiful he
stood there,
In his garments green
and yellow ;
To and fro his plumes
above him.
Waved and nodded
with his breathing.
And the sweat of the
encounter.
Stood like drops of dew
upon him.
Songs.
1. The happy family.
2. The tree was cold.
3. Warriors of the gold-
en cord.
4. Busy workers.
■g
1. The building of the
temple.
2. Christ blessing the
children.
3. Story of Moses.
Hymns.
I. Band of Mercy
Hymn.
1. In our dear Lord's
garden
Planted here below.
Many tiny flowerets
In sweet beauty
grow.
2. Nothing is too little
For His gentle care.
Nothing is too lowly
In His love to share.
3. Jesus calls the chil-
dren.
Children such as we.
Blessed them when
their mothers
Brought them to His
knee.
2
0
I. "Little children love
one another."
2.*" He prayeth best
who loveth best
All things both great
and small.
For the dear God
who loveth us.
He made and loveth
all."
3.iOn streets, in homes,
and schools.
Be loving, gentle,
brave,
Be to yourselves and
others true.
From wrong God's
creatures save.
Be courteous, kind
to all ;
Keep on life's bright,
true side,
Spreadhonour,truth,
and kindness
round.
In peace and love
abide.
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LOVE.
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LOVE
"There is the intense instinct of love, which^ rig-htly disciplined,
maintains all the sanctities of life, and, misdirected, undermines
them." — RusKiN.
LOVE 21
One Week's Work.
CENTRAL THOUGHT :
liove.
Mottoes. "Little children, love one another."
" On streets, in homes and schools,
Be loving, gentle, brave."
" He prayeth best who loveth best."
Daily Talks, {a) EthicaL Explain that the first pillar
in our temple is called love, and it is the most beauti-
ful of all the pillars.
Refer to " Loving Verse " and show that by loving
even the smallest creatures, our love for each other
will grow stronger.
Repeat ''Band of Mercy" pledge daily and en-
courage children to look for opportunities of showing
their love, '* On streets, in homes, and schools."
If we try to make this pillar of love strong, we
shall be able to build other pillars, and so make our
temple a fitting place for the '* Still Small Voice" to
dwell in.
Scripture. Story of Moses. Great love of the mother
for her child is shown when, at great risk to herself,
she hid him three months. Again, in her anxiety
that no harm should come to her child, she set
Miriam to watch the cradle in the rushes.
Hymns. '' In our dear Lord's garden."
*' He prayeth best who loveth best."
This hymn teaches that the smallest of God's
creatures is worthy of our love. The Band of Mercy
pledge explains this hymn and encourages children to
love all animals. " I promise to be kind to all living
creatures."
22 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Daily Talks, {h) Nature, Family Life.
I. Our home.
•>
Hoiise^ of what built — stone, brick, wood ; work of
mason, joiner, plumber.
Furniture^ tables, chairs, sofa.
People.
i. Father, mother, children — work of each.
ii. Food — bread, meat — source of chief articles of
food.
iii. Clothes — woollen, cotton, leather.
/Wool from sheep.
- Cotton from plant.
Leather from cow.
Literature.
Songs and Games.
Story.
Philemon and
Baucis (Myths).
The story teaches
a lesson in hos-
pitality which
should spring
from love in the
home.
Recitation.
Mother and child.
Mother and child.
Thefamily(Blow).
Happy brothers
and sisters
(Blow).
Games.
1. Story drama-
tized.
2. The trades.
Haifa dozen chil-
dren will repre-
sent a trade, e g.
joiner, and will
show how they
do their work
by simple move-
ments. A song
or recitation
will be taken
between each
trade.
Occupations.
Pictures.
Tearing, Foldiftg. Moses in the bul-
aiid Cutting.
Towels, table-
cloth, mat,
chair.
Drawing.
House, simple
positions of hat,
cup, tumbler.
Alodelling.
Cottage loaf,
building house,
tables, etc.
Gift III.
Fire-lighting.
Bed-making.
Setting table.
and
rushes
Madonna
child.
Child Samuel.
Madame le Brun
LOVE
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2. Madonna and
child.
3. Madame le Brun.
4. Beauty and the
Bt-ast.
(MacWhirter.)
Mtiral Paintings.
Twigs of beech, oak,
and horse-chest-
nut showing winter
buds.
0.
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i
House, hats, fence,
gate, buds, turnip.
2. Folding, Teari7ig,
and Cutting.
Towel, tablecloth, mat,
fence, gate, carrot.
3. Modelling in Clay.
Cottage loaf, turnip,
chestnut twig and
bud.
4. Play with the doll's
house.
5. Nursing and dress-
ing dolly.
6. Bed-making.
1
1
1 ^
1
1. The happy family.
2. The tree was cold.
3. Warriors of the
golden cord.
4. Busy workers.
Games.
Stories dramatized.
Songs dramatized.
("The tree was cold.")
Organized Games.
1. Number game
played like "Sta-
tions."
2. "All around the vil-
lage."
2
a
■i
Co
1. Philemonand Baucis.
2. Pope Gregory and
the Angles.
3. Hiawatha's Wrest-
ling.
Recitations.
1. Bird Thoughts.
2. Hiawatha's Wrest-
ling.
"Tall
him."
Six lines to be taught.
Dress up child with
head-gear of plumes
and green and yellow
garment.
1
^2
2. Buds and winter
shoots.
3. Nature's Fore-
thought.
4. Nature's Provisions
for cold weather
(observations to be
made during a
walk).
Motto for Monthly
Calendar or Nature
Record.
"January brings the
snow.
Makes our feet and
fingers glow."
1,
>
s
Motto.
1. Little children love
one another.
2. Loving verse.
3. Band of Mercy
Hymn.
Scripture and
Hymns.
1. Thebuildingofthe
temple.
2. Christ blessing the
children.
3. Story of Moses.
Hymns.
I. "In our dear Lord's
garden."
OBEDIENCE
"It is g^ood for a man that he * wear the yoke in his youth ' ; for the
reins may then be of silken thread ; and with sweet chime of silver
bells at the bridle." — RuSKiN.
tf
'%>iiii- i.
OBEDIENCE 27
One Week's Work.
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Obedience.
Motto. " I promise to be kind to all living creatures, and
will try to make others the same."
Daily Talks, {a) Ethical. This month we are taking
another pillar in our temple — Obedience. As we
are trying to make our bodies (or, as we are going
to call them, our temples) fit for the "Still Small
Voice " to live in, we must learn to obey that Voice.
It will teach us the difference between right and
wrong. We shall often have a dragon called "dis-
obedience" to fight, but if we listen to this "Voice"
it will help us to kill this dragon, as St. George did.
Tell story of George Washington, and show how
he obeyed his father's command although in doing
so he suffered.
Show then how nature obeys the "Still Small
Voice." The sun does not forget to rise and set,
the rain does not forget to fall or the plants to grow.
The seasons come round each year, thus obeying the
same Voice.
Scripture. Story of Samuel.
Samuel was —
(i) Obedient to Eli — in his daily work in the
temple.
(2) Obedient to God — he carried out God's com-
mand in giving His message to Eli.
Hymns. " Hushed was the evening hymn."
The hymn shows how Samuel was both loving and
obedient.
'* Like him to answer at Thy call,
[i.e. Still Small Voice
And to obey Thee first of all."
Daily Talks, {h) Nature. Order in Nature.
Whole appearance of nature orderly — result of
obedience to laws.
Day and night occur in regular order. Teach
points of compass.
28
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
The seasons follow same order.
Spring — time of growing-.
Summer — continuation of growth.
Autumn — ingathering of fruits.
Winter— snow and frost : their work.
Gathering and observation of twigs.
Note. — Arrangement of buds on stem.
Arrangement of scales on buds.
Kinds of buds and scales on oak, elm, ash beech
trees.
Draw attention to the neatness of nature's work,
with the result that there is no waste.
Literature.
Songs and Games.
Occupations.
Story.
Earth Stars.
The story tells of many
tiny stars, which dis-
obeyed their mother
the moon, and were
punished by being
sent to the earth,
where they grew as
dandelions, or "earth
stars."
Recitation.
**A million Uttle dia-
monds."
The raindrops, like the
sunbeams, do their
work in obedience to
the voice of Nature.
O look at the moon !
"Last week she was
small and shaped like
a bow.
But now she's grown
big and round as an
The Sunbeams.
In obedience to Nature's
command the sun-
beams come to the
earth to make the
flowers grow, and
help us to be bright
and happy.
Game.
Story dramatized.
The song will be sung
during the game, and
at the end of the
game a child will
recite "A million
little diamonds," be-
cause the raindrops
also helped to make
the "earth stars"
beautiful.
Tearing, Foldings and
Cutting.
Moon shapes,
star.
Drawing.
Moon shapes, stars,
dandelion leaf.
Modelling.
Moon shapes.
ODD
Children will make
simplesketch illustra-
ting story. A fence,
gate, moon, and stars
being introduced.
The former drawing
copies will thus be
revised, and the
story impressed more
strongly than by
simple repetition.
OBEDIENCE
29
(A
Mural Paintings.
Robin.
Thrush.
Swallow.
Sparrow.
Chaffinch.
1
0"
Drawing.
Moon shapes, star,
snowdrop, sparrow,
basket,windmill,kite,
weather-vane, um-
brella.
Paper Tearing, Fold-
ing, and Cutting.
Moon shapes, star,
windmill, weather-
vane, umbrella.
Modelling in Clay.
Bird's nest and eggs.
Basket.
Bird cage.
en
i
Cll
1
M
bo
g
Songs.
1. 0 look at the moon !
2. The sunbeams.
3. Pretty little snow-
flakes.
4. Welcome.little robin.
5. Windmill.
Weather-vane.
The wind.
Games.
Snowflakes.
Birds of Killingworth
dramatized.
Organized Games.
Jolly miller.
Flying kites.
Top-spinning.
Shuttlecock and battle-
dore.
hi
1
Stories.
1. Earth Stars.
2. Snow Fairies.
3. Birds of Killing-
worth.
4. Bag of Winds.
Recitations
1. " I saw you toss."
2. A million little dia-
monds.
3. "He prayeth well
who loveth well."
Reading.
Selections from Hia-
watha.
A child's wishes.
The windmill.
1
i
1. Order in Nature.
2. February's Helpers.
3. Birds we know.
4. Wind and its work.
Motto for Monthly
Calendar or Nature
Records —
" February brings the
rain.
Thaws the frozen pond
again."
i
s
0
OBEDIENCE.
Mottoes.
1. " I promise to be
kind to all living
creatures."
2. " Children, obeyyour
parents."
Scripture.
1. Vision of Solomon.
2. Jftstis as a boy.
3. Story of Samuel.
HyMJis.
1. •' Hushed was the
evening hymn."
2. "We are wise be-
cause we know.
Gladness makes the
great worlds go
On theirdutiesgladly
done.
By their swing
around the sun."
c.ti
Tr
^ 0 .liti
I I
m'«
s>
.S 3
c^ oT
-5.2;
a
. c<
^1
«)<'<
J3 C3
3
1^
1
sf
"bCo
^
u
.. 4j5
t^e
1
^H
q
1
:5
1
OP THE
UNIVERSITY
OF
UNSELFISHNESS (HELPING AND SHARING)
" God is so good. He wears a fold
Of heaven and earth across His face,
Like secrets kept, for love, untold.
" But still I feel that His embrace
Slides down by thrills through all things made,
Through sight and sound of every place."
E. B. Browning.
I
UNSELFISHNESS (HELPING AND SHARING) 33
One Week's Work.
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Unselfishness (Helping and Sharing).
Motto. ** Stand by the weak and small."
Band of Mercy Hymn,
** Do the work that's nearest,
Though it's dull at whiles,
Helping when you see them
Lame dogs over stiles."
** Would you know what foes we seek ?
** Selfishness and wrong they're called,
And we love them never.
Fight them boldly every day,
Till they're gone for ever."
Warrior Song.
Daily Talks, {a) Ethical. Our new thought is unselfish-
ness, or helping and sharing. St. George was both
brave and unselfish, and he helped the people by
killing the dragon, which was selfish and greedy.
We have a dragon called selfishness, which can only
be killed by helping and sharing. We must try
again and again to become its master, and then we
shall be warriors like St. George.
Tell the two stories of Florence Nightingale.
(i) As a child she helped a poor dog with a
broken leg.
(2) As a woman she went to nurse the wounded
soldiers at the war.
Also the story of the Birds of Killingworth, how
they helped the farmers, but it was not until they
were all killed that the farmers realized how much
the birds had done for them.
34 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Scripture. Feeding the Five Thousand. The boy to
whom the loaves and fishes belonged gave up his
meal to Jesus, who shared it amongst the crowd of
hungry people who had come to hear Him teach.
Hymns. '* God bless our parting band we pray." This
hymn teaches us that if we keep our pledge each day,
we shall be kind and helpful to all creatures.
'* Both dumb and human, great and small."
Daily Talks, ifi) Nature. Cradles of the Birds. Need
and use of cradle for (i) baby,
(2) birds.
Birds' cradles differ as ours do ; compare sparrow,
rook.
Compare shape, size, materials of baby's cradle
and bird's nest.
Common nests found in neighbourhood — robin,
sparrow, rook, thrush.
Note care taken in making nests. Parent birds
do all they can to make the nest cosy, helping each
other in every possible way.
Note how unselfish are parent birds, feeding and
sharing food with young ones.
All the rooks help to make nest. Even dogs can
help and share with us — help of sheepdog to farmer.
Walks will be taken in connection with this lesson
to districts near school where bird's nests may be
seen, e.g. Stock Lane for rookery.
UNSELFISHNESS (HELPING AND SHARING) 35
Literature.
Songs and Games.
Occupations.
Story,
Birds of Killingworth
(Longfellow).
Tells the story of great
use of birds to us
in killing grubs, etc.
Also when freed from
cages the birds at
once flew to the
woods and began to
build their nests.
Recitation.
Bird Thoughts (Blow).
Read in Connection
With the thought,
Longfellow's " Santa
Filomena"; thestory
of Florence Nightin-
gale— the Lady with
the Lamp.
Birdies in the green-
wood (Heerwart).
Bird's nest (Blow).
Game.
Story dramatized.
Tallest children repre-
sent trees, smaller
children work in
pairs, choosing the
name of the bird
they wish to be.
During building of
nests " the trees " will
sing. The "birds"
will also be asked to
say how their nest is
made, where built,
and what food they
like best.
Tearing, Folding, and
Cutting,
Bird, nest and eggs.
Drawing.
Bird, tree, eggs.
Modelling,
Nest and eggs.
Bed-making.
The lesson to be con-
versational, forming
throughout a com-
parison between
home-life and bird's
life.
36
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
1
The Return of Perse-
phone(Lord Leigh-
ton).
Pictures of Hiawatha
(Perry Pictures).
Mural Paintings.
1. Rikki Tikki Tavi.
Story from the
Jungle Book.
2. Home of the Har-
vest Mouse.
3. Homes of the
Thrush and the
Swallow.
a,
o
Drawing.
St. Patrick's flag, sham-
rock, bird, eggs,
basket, snail, bee.
Folding, Tearing, and
Cutting.
St. Patrick's flag, sham-
rock leaf, basket,
bird's nest, wigwam.
Modelling.
Bird's nest (rook), plant
pot, snail.
i
§
o
Songs.
1. Birdies in the Green-
wood or The Bird's
Nest.
2. Spring Flowers.
3. Rain Shower.
4. March Winds.
Games.
Dramatize—
Ceres and Proser-
pina.
Spring Flowers.'
Birdies in the Green-
wood.
Birds of Killing,
worth.
Organized Games.
I. In and out the
window.
2. Orangesand lemons.
3. How d'ye do, my fair
maid?
1
Stories.
1. Rikki Tikki or Hia.
watha'sChildhood.
2. Birds of Killing-
worth.
3. Up town and down
town.
4. Ceres and Proser-
pina.
5. Story of St. Patrick.
Recitations.
1. Bird Thoughts.
2. Hiawatha.
"Of all the birds he
learned their lan-
guage.
Learned their names
and all their secrets.
How they built their
nests in summer.
How they hid them-
selves in winter.
Talked with them
whene'er he met
them.
Called them ' Hia-
watha's chickens.'"
3. The wonderful world.
i
1
1. Cradles of the
Birds.
2. Catkins.
3. Growing Things.
4. Spring's Messen-
gers.
Motto for Monthly
Calendar or Na-
turc Records.
" March brings
breezes loud and
shrill.
Stirs the dancing
daff-odil."
i
UNSELFISHNESS.
(Helping and Sharing.)
Mottoes.
r. BandofMercySong.
2nd verse.
2. " Do the work that's
nearest," etc.
(C. Kingsley.)
3. Warriors of the
Golden Cord. 2nd
verse.
Scripture.
Christ's Wonderful
Works.
1. The feeding of the
five thousand.
2. The healing of the
lame man,
3. Miriam's help in
watching Moses.
Hymns.
1. God bless our parting
band.
2. Vesper. Wearily at
daylight's close.
/
Cercb and Pposerpma.
"*^^>X^ Kino Pluto
Of
califqb}
COURAGE
''No student can continue long in a healthy religious state, unless
his heart is kept tender by mingling with children."— Dr. Arnold.
LET US LIVE WITH OUR CHILDREN.
COURAGE 45
One Week's Work.
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Courage.
Mottoes. *' On streets, in homes and schools,
Be loving, gentle, brave.
Be to yourselves and others true,
From wrong God's creatures save."
Band of Mercy Hymn,
*' Selfishness and wrong they're called ;
Fight them boldly every day.
Till they're gone for ever."
Warrior Song.
Daily Talks, {a) Ethical. The pillar we are building
this month is a very strong one. We cannot build it
well until we have learnt the lesson St. George taught
us — that of being brave.
If we are to be true warriors like him we must have
armour, for without it we cannot fight and kill our
dragons.
This armour is courage ; and if we buckle it on
tightly we need not fear the dragons of selfishness,
laziness, bad temper, and disobedience, which are
always trying to make us follow them.
Tell story of Grace Darling as an illustration of
physical courage. Courage is needed to do right, to
"stand by the weak and small," and to do all the
work given to us — well. If we do not gain this
courage at first, we must *'try, try, again" until we
make our armour bright, shining, and strong like
St. George's.
Scripture. David and Goliath. David had the courage to
fight the giant, of whom all King Saul's soldiers were
afraid. David knew that he had right on his side,
and so although only a boy he went fearlessly out to
conquer the enemy. Goliath was the selfish dragon
which David had to kill.
46 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Hymns. ''Warriors of the Golden Cord." The lesson
taught is that our dragons of selfishness, bad temper,
etc., need fighting every day, and that only by being
brave and strong can we hope to kill them.
Daily Talks, ib) Nature. The Daffodil. (Nature's
warrior flower.)
Story of a daffodil's life from the bulb. (Children
supply facts from own observations.)
Special attention given to sword - like leaves ;
straight, strong stalk, trumpet-shaped flower, which
give us the name ** warrior flower."
Compare and contrast with crocus, tulip, etc., e.g.
(i) All grow from bulbs.
(2) All have parallel veins in leaves.
Note the wealth of spring flowers ; the beauty of
colouring. "Like jewels in the wonderful new dress
of spring."
The flowers teach us a lesson in courage, for many
of them come to us in the cold weather of early
spring, braving the rain and wind, in order to make
the earth bright and beautiful.
I
COURAGE
47
Literature.
Songs and Games.
Occupations.
Pictures.
Story.
Story of Hyacin-
thus (Myths).
Recitations.
" Dear flowers, so
full of hope and
cheer."
Heigh ho! daisies
and buttercups
(J. Ingelow).
Read
"The Daffodils"
(Wordsworth).
"Use of Flowers"
(M. Howitt).
"Heigh ho!"
(Jean Ingelow).
Daffy -down- dilly
(E. Smith).
The Spring
Flowers (Heer-
wart).
Game.
Songs dramatized.
Children form a
circle to repre-
sent a garden.
Each child
chooses the
flower it likes
best. Sun-
beams, rain-
drops, and Mr.
Wind visit the
flowers. The
songs about
sunbeams, etc.,
to be sung
duringthegame.
Tearing, Folding,
a7id Cutting.
Daffodil leaves,
bud, and flower.
Drawing.
Daffodil leaves,
bud, and flower.
Modelling.
Bulb, leaf, and
bud of daffodil.
The children
planted bulbs
in the autumn
and have taken
care of them, at
the same time
noting their
growth. In this
way the warrior
flower becomes
part of the
school -life of
the children.
St. George and
the Dragon
(painted on wall
of every class-
room).
Into Thy hands
(Briton Riviere).
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
i
1
Mural Paintings.
1. Bird pictures.
2. Development of a
frog.
3. Germination.
4. Sowing.
5. Spring flowers—
i. Daffodil.
ii. Tulips,
iii. Crocus.
i
s
1
n
Paper Tearing, Fold-
ing and Cutting.
Daffodil, crocus, bud,
leaves, flowers.
Tadpole and frog, bird-
folding.boatandoars.
Dra7ving.
Daffodil, crocus, tad-
pole, frog, bird, boat
and oars.
Modelling.
1. Bud and bulb of
daffodil.
2. Frog's eggs and tad-
poles.
3. Peas in pod.
4. Boat.
■
Songs.
1. The Caterpillar.
2. Daffy-down-dilly.
3. Happy little sun-
beams.
4. Spring flowers.
Gatnes.
Stories and Songs dra-
matized.
Organized Games.
1. Shall we show you
how the farmer?
2. Blowing game with
paper frogs cut out
by children.
3. Guessing games,
with and without
music.
t
2
iJ
ij
Stories.
1. Birds of Killing-
worth.
2. Five peas in a pod.
3. Latona.
4. Hyacinthus.
5. Story of St. George.
6. Grace Darling.
Recitations.
1. Daffodi!s(quotations
from Wordsworth).
2. Heigh ho! daisies
and buttercups.
3. Hiawatha—
*' Till at length a small
green feather
From the earth shot
slowly upward,
Then another and an-
other.
And before the summer
ended.
Stood the maize in all
its beauty,
With its shining robes
about it.
And its long, soft, yel-
low tresses.
And in rapture Hia-
watha
Cried aloud, 'It is
Mondamin,
Yes, the friend of man,
Mondamin !'"
Reading.
Use of flowers (M.
Howitt).
Laughing Chorus.
1
55
1. Farmers' friends
and enemies.
2. Germination.
3. Frog's eggs.
4. Warrior flower —
daffodil.
Motto for Monthly
Calendar or Na-
ture Records.
" April brings the
violet sweet,
Scatters daisiesround
our feet."
!
COURAGE.
Mottoes.
I. "Fight them (i.e.
dragons) boldly
every day
Till they're gone for
ever."
2. " Be loving, gentle,
brave."
3. Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone.
Dare to have a pur-
pose firm.
And dare to make
it known."
i.e. strength to speak
up for the right.
Scripture.
1. David, Goliath.
2. Nehemiah building
the city walls of
Jerusalem.
2. Daniel in the lions'
den.
Hymns.
I . Lucy Larcom'sHymn.
c
(«
to
a
P
SELF-CONTROL
** Holding- the g-overnment of himself, adorning- himself, and
becoming- his own friend, and attuning- those three principles, in the
most natural manner, as three musical string-s, base, tenor, and
treble."— Plato.
SELF-CONTROL 51
October. One Week's Work.
CENTRAL. THOUGHT:
Self-ControL
Motto. "He that hath no rule over his own spirit, is
like a city that is broken down and without walls."
Daily Talks, (a) Ethical. This month our thought is
the name of one of the big stones which bind our
pillars together. Unless our pillars have been well
built, the new stone will be useless. The name of
this new stone is self-control, which means making all
the parts of our body do as we tell them. Each
part is a servant with a work to do, and we must
make these servants obedient. Until they are obedient
we cannot be warriors like St. George. We must
teach them to listen to, and obey the *' Still Small
Voice," which tells us the difference between right and
wrong. Many dragons of selfishness, disobedience,
and bad temper, will try to make the parts of our
bodies obey them, but we must fight these dragons
" boldly every day till they're gone for ever."
Scripture. Story of Nehemiah. Although he often had
cause to be angry with those who destroyed his work,
Nehemiah kept back the hasty words, which showed
that he had learnt self-control.
Hymns, (i) "We are only Httle children."
The smallest child can try to make its
hands, feet, eyes, tongue obedient, i.e. to
control them.
(2) " Teach me, my God and King."
Daily Talks, {b) Nature Seed Tramps.
Refer to lesson on fruits and the coats made to
protect seeds, e.g. apple, beech, etc.
Parent plant provides seeds with best means of
being scattered.
52
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Ways adopted by various plants, and how they
are helped by other nature children,
(i) Plants helped by the wind.
Trees — sycamore, ash, elm, pine.
Dandelion — with its parachute of hairs.
Poppy — needs strong wind to shake seeds out
of case.
(2) Plants helped by animals (chiefly birds).
Hedgerow fruits— \iv^s and haws, blackberries.
Bushes — holly, elderberry, mistletoe.
Show how every plant has its own servants,
root, stem, leaves, etc., under control — each
part doing its work well, that is, for the good
of the plant.
Literature.
Songs and Games.
Occupations.
Pictures.
Story.
Psyche's Task.
We cannot gain self-
controlallatonce,
but like Psyche,
must learn to be
patient. If we try
again and again,
we shall teach all
the parts of our
body to be obedi-
ent.
Recitation.
Dragons' battle.
The fairies and the
dragons had a
battle, and at first
the dragons won,
but the fairies tried
again and again
and at last de-
feated the dra-
gons.
1. "These are the
seasons. "
2. Busy workers.
This song teaches
that all Mother
Nature's children
have a special
work to do, and
that each part of
an animal's body
must do its share
of this work.
Game.
Dramatize story.
Psyche, Cupid, and
Venus to be re-
presented, the
children repeat-
ing in own words
the part they take
in the story. The
rest of the chil-
dren will repre-
sent the busy ants
helping Psyche in
her task.
Tearing^ Foldings
and Cutting.
Fruits —
Hips and haws,
sycamore seeds,
poppy-head.
Drawing.
Hips and haws,
sycamore and
pine seeds,
poppy - head,
chestnut burr.
Modelling.
Chestnut burr.
Pictureofpop-
pies (School).
Teacher's
drawings to
ill ustrate
stories.
SELF-CONTROL
53
<0
3
Mural Paintings.
1. Sprays of beech,
oak, and horse-
chestnut.
2. Fruits.
3. Psyche's Task.
f
Tearing, Folding, and
Cutting.
Oak leaf and acorn,
chestnut leaf and
burr, beech leaf and
mast.
Fruits— plum, cherry,
apple, pear.
Dra7uing.
Oak, chestnut, beech,
leaves and fruit.
Fruits— plum, cherry,
apple, pear.
Carrot, turnip.
Mouse, snail.
Modelling.
3
i
8'3
cd
O
c
at
OT
Songs.
1. The little plant.
2. Busy workers.
3. "These are the
seasons "(Autumn
verse).
Games.
Stories and songs dra-
matized.
Organized Games.
1. Blowinggames(soap
bubbles, paper
frogs, "ping-
pong" ball).
2. Guessing game, with
and without music.
•1
•n,
.1
W)
'.2
rt
1^
■^ biirt
0 vS
c5
■■5
1
0 0
n
rn
3
1
-1
Stories.
1. King Charles, Story
of the Eddystone
Lighthouse.
2. The Chestnut Boys-
3. Psyche's Task, or
How West Wind
helped the Dande-
lion.
4. Twin Stars of Per-
seus.
Recitations.
1. The Dragons' Battle.
2. TheWind (Christina
G. Rossetti).
1
3
1
1. Oak tree.
2. Nature's Treasure
Boxes.
3. Seed Tramps.
4. Twin Children.
Motto for Calendar
or Nature Records.
' ' FreshOctoberbrings
the pheasant.
Then to gather nuts
is pleasant."
J3
bo
SELF-CONTROL.
Motto.
" Teach us to rule our-
selves alway.
Controlled and cleanly
night and day."
(Kipling, Puck of
Pook's Hill.)
"I am thy good
thoughts."
Scripture.
t. Nehemiah building
the walls of Jeru-
salem.
2. Daniel in the lions'
den.
3. The little captive
maid.
1
V
1
•J
>>
1
UNIVERSITY ;
OF
HARMONY
*' Shall not then the mixture of music and gymnastics make these
two harmonious, raising- and nourishing the one with beautiful reason-
ings and disciplines, and unbending the other, soothing and rendering
it mild by harmony and rhythm ? " — Plato.
i
HARMONY 59
November. Children of Six Years.
One Week's Work.
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Harmony.
Motto. *' All working together make one perfect light."
Working Song,
Daily Talks on the ''Thought."
Show difference between harmony and discord by
striking chords on piano.
Show harmony in nature by reference to —
i. Beauty of sky — rainbow with its seven colours
working in harmony to make a white light,
ii. Beauty of form and colour in flowers, birds, in-
sects, shells.
We can be in harmony by helping and loving each
other. (Doing kind actions and speaking loving
words.)
The dragons we must kill before we can be in
harmony are —
Selfishness, disobedience, bad temper, laziness.
Each time we kill a dragon we are warriors, like
St. George, who made the people happy by killing
a selfish and greedy dragon.
Scripture. Healing of man sick of the palsy. When we
are ill, our bodies are "out of tune." By healing
him, Christ made all the parts of the man's body in
harmony with each other.
Songs and Hymns. ^'^ In our dear Lord's garden.'^
Each child by being kind and loving to others, can
be a beautiful flower in God's garden.
Working So7ig (see Motto).
'* Each child has a colour, each task is a thread.
The blue and the yellow, the purple and red ;
All working together, make one perfect light,
The robe that we wear will be white."
6o CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Rainbow Song. Each verse represents a rainbow
colour, and the whole song shows how the seven
colours work together in harmony.
Nature Talks. Autumn tints.
In autumn, nature changes her green dress for one
of many beautiful colours.
Variety of colours — red, yellow, brown.
Work of the leaves in autumn —
i. Cover up seeds and help to keep them warm.
ii. Make the soil rich.
Beautiful colours not confined to leaves ; cp. fruits
(plums, apples, blackberry with its leaves, hips and
haws.)
Children gather leaves during walk, when they are
able to see wonderful beauty (i.e. harmony) of nature
in flower, tree, and sky.
Daily Observations.
Sky — always changing, always beautiful. Autumn
sunsets very beautiful. Sunbeams often seen through
opening in clouds.
Clouds — colour and form, in which direction moving ;
cause of movement — wind.
Show that all Mother Nature's children (sun, clouds,
wind, rain) have a work to do, and by doing it well,
they make harmony in nature.
HARMONY
6i
story.
Game.
Recitation.
Occupations.
Orpheus and his
lute.
Through his music
he was able to
chase away the
bad thoughts of
the people he
met.
Harmony is like
the music of Or-
pheus, and will
chase away our
bad thoughts,
and fill our
hearts with love
and joy.
Recitation
Dramatized.
Children realize
the necessity of
working to-
gether in har-
mony.
If one child does
not help, the
game is
of tune."
■'out
When the recita-
tion is mastered,
it will be con-
nected with the
story to form
another game.
The trees will
be those to
which Orpheus
played, and the
flowers, etc., of
the story will
be represented
by children.
*'Come, little
leaves, said the
wind one day
Come o'er the
meadows with
me and play ;
Put on your dresses
of red and gold,
For summer has
gone, and the
days are cold.
"But when the
leaves had gone
away,
The little leaves
left off their
play;
Down they sank
on the earth's
kind breast,
Their playtime
was over.
They sank to rest."
Read to children
"The Night
Wind "(Eugene
Field).
I. Drawing.
Leaves — oak,
chestnut, beech,
holly.
Draw attention to
curves in the
rainbow, sun,
moon, petals of
flowers, wings
of insects ; thus
showing har-
mony in Nature
not only of
colour, but
form.
II. Colotiring.
Autumn leaves —
Children colour
drawings with
real object be-
fore them. Thus
receiving train-
ing in har-
monious blend-
ing of colours
from Nature.
III. Cutting and
Mounting.
Mountingof speci-
mens gives
training in ar-
rangement.
IV. Modelling.
Beech leaf—
Mast and seeds.
62
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
W
:^
>
O
i
Mural Paintings.
1. Sea fairies.
2. Love and joy.
3. The squirrels and
sparrows.
1
Tearing, Folding,
Cutting.
Autumn leaves, snail,
bulb, plant - pot,
tub.
Dra-iving.
Leaves — oak, syca-
more ; snail and
shell, pot for bulbs,
tub, pail, pea-pod.
Modelling.
Beech, mast, and
seeds, plant pot,
tub, pea-pod.
1
s
§
Songs.
1. Working Song.
2. "Comelittleleaves."
3. "Brothers We."
4. "A Hole in a Log."
5. " Deep in the earth
of _ the world's
desire."
Games.
Dramatize—
"Come little leaves."
Preparation for winter.
Organized Games.
1. The three kingdoms.
2. Birds fly.
Imitative Actions.
1. Squirrels gathering
nuts.
2. Swallows flying.
3. Pulling up carrots
and turnips.
4. Potting plants.
1
•J
Stories.
1. Orpheus and his
Lute.
2. The Swallow's Jour-
ney, orTheThrifty
Squirrels.
3. Five peas in a pod.
4. The Awakening, or
Pandora — How
Troublescameinto
the World.
Recitations.
1. "Little by Little"
(each part of a
plant works in har-
mony).
2. A work divine (notice
rainbow tints in
shells.)
(Tennyson.)
i
1
1. Autumn tints—
The sunsets (as seen
from the school) are
most beautiful in
November.
2. Preparation for
winter—
(i) Plants.
(2) Animals.
3. Nature's store-
houses.
4. Bulbs.
Planting ready for
spring.
Motto for Calendar or
Nature Records,
"Dull November brings
the blast.
Then the leaves are
whirling fast."
1,
1
HARMONY.
Mottoes.
1. All working together
make one perfect
light.
2. Colours bright, all
unite
In a heavenly har-
mony.
Scripture.
1. Healing of lame
man.
2. Feeding of the five
thousand.
3. Building of the
temple (harmony
of the whole —
silent growth).
Ilvmns.
1. "In our dear Lord's
garden."
8e
^2
I-)
en
JOY
"Where the heart rules, spirituality is, for the heart is the seat of
the soul."— Katherine Tingley.
JOY 65
December. One Week's Work,
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Joy.
Motto. *' Each for the joy of the working."
First verse of Working Song,
** Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy."
Daily Talks, (a) Ethical. This is the last stone to be
built in our temple, to make it ready for the ''Still
Small Voice." We shall find it difficult to make this
stone both strong and beautiful, because to make it
so we must forget all about ourselves and think only
of others.
Each time we make some one happy, we make our
Temple firmer. That is why we take this thought for
the month in which Christmas comes, because it is
a time of joy, when every one tries to make others
happy. We can bring joy into the world by having
kind thoughts, speaking kind words, doing kind
deeds.
In this way our temple will be the home of lovely
thoughts, which will show themselves in unselfish-
ness, obedience, self-control, harmony, and love.
Scripture. Angels' Song to the Shepherds. The shep-
herds were at first frightened, but on hearing the
song of the angels, their fear was turned into joy.
They set out at once to visit the manger where Jesus
was laid, thus showing us that real joy shows itself
in '* doing."
Hymns. " Once in royal David's city."
** Come to the manger in Bethlehem."
Note that all Christmas hymns are bright, and
make us feel happy. This season is the most joyful
one of the year — the time when every one wishes to
make others happy.
F
66
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Daily Talks, {b) Nature. Protection and Adaptatio?t of
Trees to Winter.
Refer to preparation for winter in animal world.
Man puts on thicker and warmer clothing.
Domestic aninialsy thicker coat of hair or fur.
Squirrel, dormouse, frog, snail, find suitable shelter
asleep all winter.
Plants protected by nature.
Buds provided with warm coats — scales.
A^ote. — Sticky buds of horse-chestnut.
Glossy leaves of most evergreens — laurel, holly,
ivy. Reason for this shape of leaves, e.g. pine and
fir ; reason for needle shape —
(i) Resist wind.
(2) Prevent snow resting on them.
Walks to the park to find specimens.
Observation of shop windows as Christmas ap-
proaches.
Literature.
Songs and Games.
Occupations.
Pictures.
Stories.
Piccola.
The story tells how
Piccola was made
happy by the
kindness of the
children who lived
in the big house
near her home,
and how she in
turn nursed and
cared for a little
robin, Santa Glaus'
present to her on
Christmas morn-
ing.
Recitation.
The fir tree.
Working Song.
It is only by doing
things for others
that we can be
happy ourselves,
for * ' living and
serving is joy."
Games.
Story dramatized.
Children realize the
joy of giving more
when acting the
story, than by
simple repetition.
Organized Game.
Blind -man's buff.
Tearing, Folding,
and Chitting.
Holly leaf, house,
shoe.
Drawing.
Shoe, holly leaf, and
berries.
Modelling.
Shoe —
Modelling lesson
will always be in-
troduced by con-
versation on the
object to be mod-
elled. Refer to the
joy of Piccola on
seeing her Christ-
mas present which
Santa Claus had
left, and the care
she took in using
her shoe for a
cradle for the bird.
Santa Claus.
Winter buds.
JOY
67
i
Mural Paintings.
1. Germination.
2. Trees in the differ-
ent seasons.
3. Madonna and
Child.
4. Christmas
pictures.
•1
Tearing, Folding, and
Cutting.
1. Holly leaf.
2. Fir tree.
3. Plum pudding.
4. Duck.
Drawing.
Holly leaf and berries,
fir tree, pudding and
dish, duck, shoe.
Modelling.
Pudding and dish, duck
and egg, cone.
Making Gifts for
others.
Mother, father, school-
fellows.
1. Christmas cards.
Sprays of holly
and mistletoe.
2. Baskets, paper or
cane.
3. Boxes.
i
■4- «o
1
nS
Songs.
1. Working Song.
2. Rainbow Song.
3. Master Jack Frost.
4. Green holly boughs
bring.
5. These are the
seasons (Christ-
mas verse).
Games.
Dramatize—
"Piccola."
Jack Frost at work.
The chestnut boys.
Organized Games
for Christmas Parties.
1. Spinning trencher.
2. Blind-man's buff.
Imitative Actions.
1. A shower of rain.
2. Dancing of the sun-
beams.
3. Planting bulbs.
4. Preparing the fields
for winter.
bSo
•5-1
J §
1
1
Stories.
1. Stories of little
George Wash-
ington.
2. "Jack Frost and
his work," or "A
story of the
forest."
3. "Piccola,'" or
work of Santa
Claus (Impro-
vised).
Recitations.
1. The Little Plant.
2. To a Winter
Window.
3. The Fir Tree.
Read to Children.
1. Santa Claus and
the mouse.
2. The fairy's New
Year's gift.
1
1
1. Conditionsnecessary
for plant growth.
2. Protection and
adaptation of trees
to wmter.
3. Preparation for
Christmas—
(i) Decorations,
(2) Christmas cheer.
Motto for Calendar or
Nature Records.
"Chill December
brings the sleet,
Blazing fire and Christ-
mas treat."
i
s
(5
JOY.
Mottoes.
L. "Each for the joy
of the working."
2. "Behold, I bring you
glad tidings,"
Scripture.
1. Birth of Jesus,
2. Visit of—
(i) Wise men,
(2) Shepherds.
3. Angels' song.
Hymns.
1. Once in royal David's
city.
2. Come to the manger
in Bethlehem.
3. Christmas carol.
"Green holly-
boughs bring."
Of TH£
OF
OBEDIENCE
** Ought not then our children to receive directly from infancy an
education more agreeable to the laws of the constitution? Because
if their education be such as is contrary to law, and the children be
of such a nature themselves, it is impossible that they should ever
grow up to be worthy men, and observant of the laws." — Plato.
OBEDIENCE 71
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Obedience.
Story Lesson. Earth Stars,
Aim. To show children that obedience gives happiness
to others.
Apparatus. Blackboard and coloured chalks.
The Story. Years ago there lived a great many stars
in the sky with their mother, the Moon, and their
father, the Sun. The work of these tiny stars was
to light up the sky at night, and so make it brighter
for the people who lived on the earth. These stars
loved their mother and always obeyed her. But one
day a naughty dragon came to some of them and
told them to disobey her. When she called the stars
to shine in the sky, they did not go at once, and then
went very slowly, with cross and sulky faces.
This made Mrs. Moon very unhappy, for she loved
her children, and it made her sad to think they were dis-
obedient. Instead of letting these stars light the
sky, the Moon asked some of her other children to
do so. And then the naughty stars felt themselves
falling down, down from the sky, until they reached
the earth. They were sorry they had been disobedient,
and they felt so lonely that they cried themselves to
sleep.
In the morning when these tiny stars wakened,
they found their father, the Sun, looking at them.
They began to cry again, and the Sun, seeing they
were really sorry, smiled at them. What do you
think he said to them? "Little stars, you must
shine on the earth instead of in the sky, and so help
to make the earth beautiful."
And now, every morning when the Sun looks at
the little stars, they open their eyes and shine all the
day and look like beautiful golden stars.
72 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
How to give the Lesson.
i. Tell the story in simple language, without
interruption.
ii. Repeat story — making simple sketch on black-
board as story proceeds, illustrating chief
points, e.g. clouds, moon, and stars, field
with fence.
iii. Question children on story —
What is our story about? (Moon, sun,
stars, etc.)
What work did these stars do? (Lit up sky.)
What happened one night ? (The stars were
disobedient.)
How did their mother punish them ?
What did the sun tell them to do ?
Did they obey him? What dragon did they
kill by doing as they were told? (Dis-
obedient.)
What must we do to kill our dragfons ?
(" Fight them boldly every day.")
*&'
iv. Children stand and sing the ''Warrior Song,"
or child recites second verse of ''Warrior
Song."
V. Individual children repeat story.
UNIVERiai i t
OF ^
OBEDIENCE
75
Nature Talk :
Story:
Order
in Nature.
Earth Stars.
GAME
Story Dramatized
Froebel's Mother Plays, translated and pre-
pared by Susan K. Blow.
Songfs introduced :
*' O look at the moon " (M. U. K. L.).
*' Happy little sunbeams " (Lotus Song Book).
*' Brothers we " (Lotus Song- Book).
Apparatus. Crown for Mr. Sun.
Coloured wings for Sunbeams.
Silver-papered disc for Mrs. Moon.
Paper stars for Sky Stars to wear.
Collars for Earth Stars.
Wand for Fairy.
Black cloak for the Draofon.
ORDER OF GAME
Step I. Revision of Story.
Allow one child to retell the story or revise by
means of questions.
(If the Story Lesson directly precedes the
Game, Step i will not be necessary.)
Step 2. Choosing of Characters.
Let the children name all the people in the
story and choose which of the following each
will represent, viz. —
Mr. Sun and seven Sunbeams.
Mrs. Moon and the Stars.
Two kinds— Obedient and Disobedient.
The Fairy.
The Dragon.
76 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Step 3. Placing in position.
Draw small circle for the Earth ; the remainder
of the room can be the Sky.
The Sun and Sunbeams are away in the west.
The Dragon is sleeping.
Step 4. Dramatize story.
Fairy goes away.
Disobedient Dragon comes.
Mother Moon tells half her children to sleep,
but calls the others to her.
The Dragon whispers, *' Don't go yet."
They come very slowly.
Now she tells them to shine.
The Dragon says '* Don't."
They hang their heads and look very sulky.
Therefore mother calls her other children to
shine, and punishes the naughty ones by send-
ing them down to earth, where they sob them-
selves to sleep.
Mr. Sun and Sunbeams now enter, singing —
** Happy little sunbeams
Darting through the blue,
Even little sunbeams
Have a work to do ;
Shining out our brightest,
We, with radiance clad,
Help to make the rainbow
Make the great world glad.
Lotus Song Book.
Mr. Sun hears the children sobbing, and asks
why they are on the Earth instead of being with
Mother Moon.
On hearing how sorry they are he changes
them to dandelions, to shine during the day.
PaleBl
Dark Blue PurpI
'Orang*
Red
OBEDIENCE
79
Step 4. The Sunbeams dress each one in a pretty
collar, and now the "Earth Stars" (as they
are called) look very happy.
The Dragon is afraid and crawls away under
a seat to die.
The Fairy returns, and as she dances towards
Earth, all join hands.
Mr. Sun and Mrs. Moon and the Sunbeams —
stretching- across the sky.
Each Earth Star clasps the hand of a Sky
Star, while all sing —
BROTHERS WE
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2 To and fro, as we go,
We are wise and fair to see,
And we make, for truth's sake,
The white light of unity.
i
r— t-
m
As the Fairy waves her wand, all change
back to children and form a ring.
8o
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
The Moon and Stars take up their position in
the Sky and shine on the Earth. The Fairy
stands on the Earth and sings : —
O LOOK AT THE MOON!
(From Froebel's Mother Play ; translated and prepared
by Susan E. Blow.)
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CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
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NATURE TALK AND OBSERVATIONS
*' Men are to be educated by wholesome habit, not by rewards and
punishments."— RusKiN.
Helpers.
HbrKI I70W W)e little roii? drops.
"Happy lil't'le ^upbearp^."
FEBRUARY
s
M
T
W
T
F
S
• •
• •
• •
• •
• •
1
2
s
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Tuesday
13
Vclcnrine's
14
Day
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
ZZ
28
24
25
26
27
28
• m
• •
~[Bcl"rce waa cold, t^e ^rtt woj bare!*
NATURE TALK AND OBSERVATIONS 87
NATURE TALK AND OBSERVATIONS FOR
WEEK CONTAINING FEBRUARY 14TH,
ST. VALENTINE'S DAY
N.B. — The following- is sufficient for a week's talks of fifteen
minutes duration, and should be the outcome of observations made
during a visit to the park in the immediate vicinity of the school.
February's Helpers.
Time for Walk. Valentine's Day, if conditions are
favourable.
Place for Walk. Park in vicinity, if conditions are
favourable.
Class L Age, six years.
Aim. To lead children to observe Mother Nature's Helpers,
and to show how, in obedience to her call, they are
ever ready and willing to do their appointed task.
Apparatus. Nature Calendar for February indicating
the day of the month ; rain and snow scene ; Mother
Nature's valentines and postman ; snowdrops in pot ;
picture of robin ; blackboard and accessories.
Introduction. Refer to calendar. Children's Illustrations
educe day, date, Valentine's «" Blackboard or
Day. If weather is unsuitable Blackened^Desk.
for walk. Fairy Godmother February 14th.
wave wand — transform scene — Valentine's Day.
imaginary walk to park in the
vicinity.
Mother Nature's Valentines.
I. Snowdrop. ^''February's Fair
Maid:'
Explain that we are going to
look for some of Mother Na-
ture's Valentines, but they do
not always come on the same
88
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
day. Children name some ; if
not, point to snowdrop — name ?
Poet's name — *' February's Fair
Maid." Reason? Refer to
sword-like leaves — pointed buds
clad in silky hoods — Mother
Nature's provision for pushing-
through the hard soil, and pro-
tection against the cold and
wet — bravery in facing the
enemy, the cold blasts and the
keen bite of Jack Frost, com-
pare with St. George's bravery
in facing danger. Snowdrop
might be called " February's
Warrior Maid." Educe form
of ordinary valentine — contents
(message of love, gift, fun).
Mother Nature's Valentine
brings a message — what is it?
(Blackboard.)
*' Princess Spring is coming
and sends her love."
2. Catki7is. Look for other valen-
tines. Mother Nature does not
put them all on the ground, but
hangs some on the trees and
bushes. Name, colour, reason
for colour, name of trees, Mr.
Wind's work.
Mother Nature's Postman.
The Robin. Refer to the bearer
of the valentines, i.e. messages.
Mother Nature has a postman,
so what will he bring? De-
scribe postman : brown head,
red breast, warm soft coat —
name? Method of delivering
messages — to whom delivered —
Children's Illustrations
on Blackboard or
Blackened Desk.
February 14th.
Valentine's Day.
NATURE TALK AND OBSERVATIONS
89
contents of messag-es — ''Spring
is coming-." Flowers, trees,
birds, etc., must be ready to
receive Princess Spring, i.e.
they must be obedient children
and busy workers. Sing — ''Busy
Workers."
" Twitter, twitter, chirp the sparrows,
Bonny, busy little birds ;
Hopping- up and down the g^arden.
Never wasting- time in words.
"All around are busy workers —
What can little children do?
They can be like gleams of sunshine.
Good as gold and happy too."
Or,
" The Spring has called us from our sleep,
And from the g-round we g-ladly peep ;
We love to hear her gentle call,
And come to greet her, one and all."
Spring Flowers, by Mrs. Heerwart.
February's Helpers.
Picture " February's Fair
Maid " in her brown little
house locked in the hard, dry
ground — cannot possibly get
ready for Princess Spring all
alone, so who must come and
help?
I. The Rain softens the earth,
makes the brown autumn leaves
on the ground soft, then turns
them into food for the plants.
Sing—
" Hark, how the little raindrops
Fitter patter down the pane.
Fitter patter, pitter patter.
Fitter patter down the lane."
Children's Illustrations
on Blackboard or
Blackened Desk.
February 14th.
Valentine's Day.
/ / / / /
/
/ /
90
CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
2. The Snow. Sometimes the cold
north wind breathes on the
raindrops and covers them with
lovely white dresses with pretty
collars having- six points. Work
of Snow Fairies ? (Keep the
earth warm and cover the trees
with a white robe.)
Refer to —
*' The tree was cold, the tree was bare,
She shivered and shook in the frosty air,
Then she called to her friend, the dear,
kind May,
O g^ive me a new leafy gown, I pray. "
3. The Sunbeams. Soon Mr. Sun
comes and makes the Snow
Fairies take off their lovely
white dresses, and then they
have other work to do. What
is it? What other work do the
busy little sunbeams do ?
1. Tell the flowers to come
out of their houses and
to take off their silk
bonnets.
2. Tell the tree buds to take
off their coats.
3. Tell pussy willow to take
off his gray furry hood.
4. The Frost Refer to water sink-
ing in the soil. Jack Frost
appears. What does he do ?
Which takes up more room,
frost or water? So what will
happen ? Cracks the soil —
breaks it up. ''Mother Nature's
Ploujjh."
Children's Illustrations
on Blackboard or
Blackened Desk.
February 14th.
Sunbeams.
Frost.
NATURE TALK AND OBSERVATIONS 91
Revise names of helpers —
work — whom they help. Com-
pare with children in the home
helping- mother ; kind of chil-
dren, because ready to help
whenever mother calls (obedi-
ent). Kind of children are
Mother Nature's Helpers ?
Children's Illustrations
on Blackboard or
Blackened Desk.
February 14th.
BLACKBOARD SUMMARY
Mother Nature's Valentines .
,, ,, Postman
,, ,, Obedient Children
February's Helpers
Books from which Songs are taken :—
f snowdrop.
I catkins.
robin.
rain,
snow,
sunshine,
frost.
1. Busy Workers (Chimes for Children, by B. and
R. W. Hawkins).
2. Spring Flowers (Music for the Kindergarten, by
Eleonore Heerwart).
3. The Raindrop's Song (Golden Boat Action Songs,
by L. Ormiston Chant).
4. The Tree in Winter (Songs for Little Children, by
Eleanor Smith).
92 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Obedience.
Story Lesson. The Little Snow Fairies.
Aim. To show that joy is the outcome of obedience.
The Story. There were many little fairies once living in
a big shining lake. The big sun shone overhead,
sending down her sunbeams to ask the fairies to come
out and play.
It was winter, so there were no lovely flowers
where the fairies could play hide-and-seek; only
bare trees, brightened here and there by a holly bush
with its scarlet berries.
When the fairies heard the sun's call, they obeyed
her at once, and as they came out, each fairy put on
a light grey waterproof. After a while the fairies
felt very cold, and one of them said: "Let us pay
a visit to the sun ; perhaps we shall be warmer near
her."
Up and up they went, dancing about in the air, on
their way to the sun. Before they reached the sun's
palace, they met some dragons. These dragons blew
the little fairies about and tore their pretty dresses
and cloaks.
Just when the fairies were feeling that they could
fight the dragons no longer, their friend. Jack Frost,
came along and gave each fairy a beautiful white
frock, each dress having six points on the skirt.
One of the fairies said : '* Let us go down to the
earth and show our sisters in the lake our pretty
dresses.
So the fairies fluttered silently to the earth, covering
it with a beautiful white carpet. When the sun
shines on the snow fairies, they sparkle like diamonds.
OBEDIENCE
93
How to give the Lesson.
i. Tell the story in simple language, without
interruption.
ii. Repeat the story, at the same time making a
simple sketch on blackboard, showing chief
objects in story, e.g. tree, lake, sun.
iii. Children then stand and sing —
'* Pretty little Snowflakes."
iv. Give a few questions on story, e.g. —
What is our story about?
Where did the fairies live ? What did the sun
tell them to do ?
What kind of fairies were they ? (Obedient —
refer to the " Thought " for the month.)
What did they meet on their journey to the
sun?
Who helped them to master the dragons ?
What dragons have we to master ?
Where did the fairies go, when they got
their new frocks ?
V. Individual children repeat story.
Sketch to illustrate story.
94 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Nature Talk : Story :
February s Helpers. Little White Fairies
(Winter (Strong).)
GAME
Story Dramatized
Introducing songs —
*' Warriors of the Golden Cord."
*' The Tree in Winter " (Eleanor Smith).
*' Jack Frost."
Characters. Water Fairies.
Sun and Sunbeams (seven).
Jack Frost.
North Wind.
Trees near the Lake.
Apparatus. Crown for Mrs. Sun.
Rainbow colours (wings, stars, or scarves)
for the Sunbeams.
Cotton-wool cap for Jack Frost.
Paper cap, with N printed on, for North
Wind.
Tablecloth for the cloud.
Winter twigs for the trees to hold.
ORDER OF GAME
March to the lake, singing —
Warriors of the Golden Cord
Marching on together ;
Now we tramp, and now our feet
Rise and fall together.
See our torches burning bright.
Giving light to others.
As we march upon our way.
Loyal band of brothers.
OBEDIENCE ^ 95
Would you know what foes we seek,
As we march so steady ?
Why, they're dragons fierce and strong-
For the battle ready.
Selfishness and wrong they're called,
And we love them never ;
Fight them boldly every day,
Till they're gone for ever. Halt!
Draw the lake on the floor — plant trees around it.
Choose the characters.
The trees to be planted.
Fairies to live in the lake.
Sun and Sunbeams, who hide behind the cloud
(tablecloth held vertically by two children), while
North Wind and Jack Frost talk over their plans.
While the Sun and Sunbeams hide, the trees begin
to shiver while the song is played, then
All sing the first verse of "The Tree in Winter"
(Eleanor Smith, p. 23) —
The tree was cold, the tree was bare,
She shivered and shook in the frosty air ;
Then she called to her friend, the dear, kind May,
'* O bring me a new leafy robe, I pray ! "
After the first verse Mrs. Sun shines out, and calls
the water fairies to her ; they obey, but are met by
North Wind, whose roughness frightens them.
North Wind calls Jack Frost, who enters while the
second verse is being sung, and sings the last line —
But Spring had journeyed far away.
And wouldn't return for many a day ;
So that old Jack Frost, a good little elf.
Said, '* I'll make a gown for the tree myself! "
Now Jack Frost blows very hard and changes the
little frightened water fairies into happy snowflakes,
asking them to come help him cover the trees, which
they do during the singing of the third verse.
96 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
He wove a robe all snowy white,
From frozen white mist with an ice-fringe bright ;
And the pretty tree, in new gown dressed,
Couldn't tell whether leaves or the snow was best.
Jack Frost waves his cap, changing trees, sun-
beams, etc., into children again.
All form circle, with Jack in the centre, join hands,
and sing —
Verse i. ** We know to our cost
That Master Jack Frost
Is the funniest fellow in town.
With pinches and pricks,
He's up to his tricks.
And no sooner up than he's down.
Verse 2. *' In prison of ice,
He locks in a trice
The fishes that swim in the lake ;
He freezes your nose.
Puts chilblains on toes,
And makes little finger-tips ache.
Verse 3. "He slyly will trace
A slippery place,
Where all little people may trip ;
And great is his joy,
When some girl or boy
Goes down with a shout and a slip."
Chimes for Children y
By B. and W. R. Hawkins.
MUSIC
97
To the following tune-
Quickly and lightly.
;iPj^^^^^E^ga
yS¥
JJI
£^^E5
■^-f^
i^1^E#^
Then give three cheers for Jack Frost, who bows,
gives the order to him, and leads the way home.
98 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
REFERENCE BOOKS
Songs and Recitations.
I. The Songs and Music of Frederick FroebePs
Mother Play. Prepared and arranged by Susan E.
Blow. Publisher: Edward Arnold, 37 Bedford Street,
Strand, W.C.
1. The Family (p. 206).
2. O Look at the Moon.
3. Bird Thoughts.
4. The Wind.
5. The Weather-vane (p. 8).
6. The Bird's Nest.
7. The Little Plant.
8. The Wandering Song (p. 266).
9. Deep in the Earth of the World's Desire.
n. Songs for Little Children. Composed and
arranged by Eleanor Smith. Published by J. Curwen
and Sons.
1. The Tree in Winter.
2. The Snowflakes.
3. Welcome, Little Robin.
4. Rain Shower.
5. The Caterpillar.
6. Daffy-down-dilly.
7. The Squirrel.
8. Come, Little Leaves.
9. Little White Feathers.
10. Froebel's Birthday Song.
11. Christmas Carol.
HL Chimes for Children. By B, and R. W.
Hawkins. Publishers : W. and R. Chambers.
1. Busy Workers.
2. Jack Frost.
3. March Winds.
REFERENCE BOOKS 99
IV. The Lotus Song Book. Raja Yoga School,
Point Loma, California. (By permission.)
1. I am the Spirit of Love.
2. Happy Little Sunbeams.
3. Brothers we.
4. Buds.
5. Orpheus with his Lute.
6. Deep in the Earth of the World's Desire.
7. Warriors of the Golden Cord.
8. We are wise because we know.
V. Band of Mercy.
1. On Streets, in Homes and Schools.
2. God Bless our Parting Band.
VI. Music for the Kindergarten. By Eleonore
Heerwart. Boosey and Co.
1. Buttercups and Daisies.
2. The Spring Flowers.
3. Birdies in the Wood.
4. All Things Bright and Beautiful.
VH. Golden Boat Action Songs. By L. Ormiston
Chant. J. Curwen and Sons.
Raindrops Song.
VHL Peeps at Playtime. Publisher : Chas. Dibble.
These are the Seasons.
Story Books.
i. Greek Myths.
ii. Stead's Penny Books.
iii. All the Year Round. Strong. Ginn and Co.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter,
iv. In the Child's World.
V. The Story Hour.
vi. Legends of Greece and Rome.
UNIVERSITY I
OF
^
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE
WORKING OUT OF THE THOUGHT
IN THE UPPER SCHOOL
'• We cannot kindle when we will
The fire which in the heart resides,
The spirit bloweth, and is still,
In mystery our soul abides.
But tasks in hours of insig-ht willed,
Can be through hours of g-loom fulfilled."
W. Arnold.
" Do you not see, O my brothers and sisters.
It is not chaos or death — it is form, union? "
Walt Whitman.
WEEKLY THOUGHTS
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THE FOLLOWING ARE SUGGESTIONS
TO THE HEAD TEACHER FOR
THE WORKING OUT OF THE THOUGHT
A copy of one of the Thoughts is sent round to every
class teacher on Friday afternoon ; and each teacher
embodies the ideas given in her scheme of work for the
week, but graded according to the age and ability of the
class.
The quotations from poetry or prose should be taken,
as a rule, from those already learned. If a new verse or
couplet only is taken, then the context should be read to
the class, and a short account of the piece given. For
instance, in the first Thought on the list, only one verse of
Wordsworth's poem is given, because that verse bears
specially on the Thought '' Resolution," although the
children have previously learnt the most important part of
the poem, viz. four verses. The lines from "In Memo-
riam " are isolated ones, but they are given to show the
children that Tennyson taught the same truth. Long-
fellow's poem, "The Ladder of St. Augustine," is memo-
rized in its entirety.
•^ OF THE
UNIVERSITY
OF
He!n«t ot" Saivat.»
atiQ the Swofd J Ihc;
' which IS J
the W)r<i of Cod
RESOLUTIONS 113
RESOLUTIONS:
Literature. '* I will go in the strength of the Lord."
Ps. Ixxi.
1. *' Love now, an universal birth,
From heart to heart is stealing ;
From earth to man, from man to earth.
It is the hour of feehng.
2. '' Some silent laws our hearts will make.
Which they shall long obey ;
We for the year to come
May take our temper from to-day.
3. '' And from the blessed power
That rolls about, below, above.
We'll frame the measure of our souls.
They shall be tuned to love."
Wordsworth.
** Men may rise on stepping stones
Of their dead selves to higher things."
Tennyson.
*' All common things, each day's events.
That with the hour begin and end ;
Our pleasures and our discontents
Are rounds by which we may ascend."
Longfellow.
Character Study. St. Christopher.
Daily Talks. We ought to make resolutions, or, as
Wordsworth calls them, ''silent laws," with a firm
determination to keep them. The thoughts we take
in school help us to make the silent laws, but the
resolutions that we make are not know^n to any
one else. The making of these resolutions is like
the architect's making of the plan of a house
1.4 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
to be built. The result may not be a perfect
copy, but it will be all the better for the aim
or plan at the beginning. Our resolutions must be
chosen according to our own needs and aspirations,
but we may all make one or two resolutions in
common. We may all resolve to perform a kind
action whenever possible, and to put joy into our
work. Then we shall do well to think of our particu-
lar faults and resolve to overcome them as St. George
resolved to overcome the dragon. How we can best
carry out these resolutions will be the work of the
future, but we are sure that the " Still Small Voice "
will direct us in the path we choose. It is well when
making resolutions to choose an ideal character — one
who has overcome the faults or dragons which we
wish to conquer or who possesses a virtue we would
possess. The New Year is a fitting time to make
some "silent laws" and '*take our temper from
to-day." St. Christopher made a resolution, but how
hard he found it was to keep ; but he went on doing
his duty in all its monotony, and at last he got his
reward, just when he least expected it.
SELF-REVERENCE 115
Self- Reverence.
Literature. " Ye are the temples of the livings God."
St. Paul.
*' Let knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before." Tennyson.
" To thine own self be true ;
And it must follow, as the night the day.
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
Hamlet.
Character Study or Biography. JoanofArc.^ (Teachers
read Mark Twain's y6>«« of Arc.)
Daily Talks. The Self that we have to reverence is that
self which we call the " Still Small Voice." If we are
true to this our "own self," as Shakespeare calls it,
we shall have self-reverence. Joan of Arc was a
humble peasant girl. She knew she could best hear
the voice of her conscience when alone, and she
used to go alone for prayer.
Here the voice within gave her the mission en-
trusted to her. By her great courage and her faith in
her "voices" she saved her country. Then she
wished to go back to her simple life, knowing that
her mission was accomplished. This, however, she
was not allowed to do. Had she been allowed to
obey the "voices," her life would probably have
been saved.
Plato said: "This power is in the soul of every
one, and is the organ by which every one learns."
A French writer on Education, Rousseau, said :
"Conscience is the voice of the soul ... it is the
true guide of man ; it is to man what instinct is to
the body."
^ See page 223.
ii6 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Self-Knowledge.
Literature. "The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon
him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord."
Isaiah xi. 2.
** Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control,
These three alone lead life to sovereign power ;
Acting the law we live by without fear,
And because right is right to follow right."
Tennyson.
'Tis the mind that makes the body rich.
For as the sun shineth through the darkest cloud,
So honour peereth in the meanest habit."
Tamifig of the Shrew.
*' Man, know thyself." Socrates.
i(
Character Study. Socrates.
Daily Talks. We have learned that there is a higher
self and a lower self, and that it is the higher self
that we reverence. The lower self needs our study
to find out our faults, so that we can master them,
and if we have any special gift or talent, we may culti-
vate it.
Carlyle said that it was only by work that we
gained self-knowledge ; we found out what we could
do well and saw ourselves reflected in it as it were.
Good work, well done, brought out the best that was
in us, and gives us self-respect and self-reliance. Let
us find out what we can do well, and take joy in
doing it. We can learn also what prevents our
work for others or for ourselves from being our best.
We thus gain self-knowledge, and having found out
our gifts and our limitations we must set to work to
perfect the one and overcome the other. Wordsworth
went to nature ; there he learnt his power and used
it in writing poetry. Dickens found his talent and
SELF-CONTROL 117
used it in writing- to help children. He laid bare the
evils of school life of that day, and the awfulness of
London slum Hfe for the children. Socrates, the
great Athenian philosopher, taught his pupils the
importance of self-knowledge. He had the power of
influencing" men, and used it well and wisely.
Ruskin says : ''In the knowledge of ourselves we
shall gfain that self-dependent power which is the
secret of true work."
ii8 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Self-Control.
Literature. "I keep under my body and bring- it into
subjection." St. Pauu
*' Not only to keep down the base in man,
But to teach high thoughts, amiable words, and
courtliness." Tennyson.
" With faith that comes of self-control."
Tennyson.
'' Knowledge is now no more a fountain sealed.
Drink deep, until the habits of the slave,
The sins of emptiness, gossip, and spite.
And slander die. " Tennyson.
*' Teach us to rule ourselves alway,
Controlled and cleanly night and day ;
That we may bring, if need arise,
No maimed or worthless sacrifice."
Kipling.
Character Study. George Washington. Sir Isaac Newton.
Daily Talks. By self-knowledge we have found out
the faults that we have to conquer, and we know
that we have an inward monitor, something that
warns and guides us, and with faith in this higher
self and obedience to it we can control our lower
self. As we learnt in the kindergarten, we can kill
our dragons — the faults that prevent our being
warriors like St. George. When Sir Isaac Newton's
dog tore up his valuable paper, what self-control he
must have had, not even to say an angry word ! In
The PrificesSj Tennyson tells us some of the faults
that need controlling and he calls them the " habits of
the slave," because they are all faults which spring
from lack of self-control — they belong to the lower
M
SELF-CONTROL 119
self. We know before anything is done the thought
enters the mind first, so we must carefully watch and
control our thoughts, remembering that Shakespeare
says : —
" As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."
What self-control the sentry at Pompeii had to
keep to his post !
Plato says : —
*'When the more excellent part in his nature
governs the inferior part, this is called being master
of himself."
I20 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Harmony.
Literature. ' ' Where two or three are gathered together
in My name, there will I be in the midst of them."
Jesus.
** From harmony, from universal harmony,
This universal frame began." Dryden.
** Let knowledge grow from more to more.
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well.
May make one music as before." Tennyson.
** Such harmony is in immortal souls ;
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it."
Merchant of Venice.
Character Study. Sir Galahad. Leonardo da Vinci.
Daily Talks. Plato has said that '*the man who has
the spirit of harmony will be most in love with the
loveliest, "because, as he says elsewhere, that "rhythm
and harmony find their way into the inward places of
the soul." Harmony is found in us when we are
practising self-reverence, self-knowledge, and self-
control ; then the *'mind and soul, according well,"
as Tennyson says, will '*make one music as before."
A Japanese writer has said, *' It means, in other
words, that by constant exercise and correct manners
one brings all the parts and faculties of the body
into perfect order and into such harmony with itself
and its environment, as to express the mastery of
spirit over flesh " ; but we must remember that the
Japanese know the real meaning of good manners —
the *' outward manifestation of a sympathetic regard
for the feeling of others," not just the fear of offend-
ing good taste.
JOY 121
Joy.
Literature. '*Ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your
hand unto." — Deut. xii. 7.
" While with an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,
We see into the life of things." Wordsworth.
'* Each for the joy of the working-,
And each in his separate star,
Shall draw the thing as he sees it.
For the God of things as they are."
Kipling.
** And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."
Wordsworth.
Character Study. Robert Browning's ''The Boy and
the Angel. "
Daily Talks. No good work can be done unless one's
heart is in the work. Joy makes the dullest work
seem bright, and it depends entirely upon ourselves
whether our work in school is joyous or irksome.
Even Mark Tapley, amidst all his hard work, could
be jolly. True happiness comes from within from
mind and soul in harmony. We show it in our
work ; joy enters it and we make " drudgery divine."
Robert Browning shows how much good the little
girl Pippa did in one day by her happy, joyous nature.
Every one who heard her was made better. And
again in "The Boy and the Angel," Browning tells
us that the little boy's work was more acceptable to
God while he was a shoemaker than when he became
pope, because of the joy in his work.
In the poem Puck of Pook's Hill^ Kipling writes: —
"Teach us delight in simple things.
And mirth that has no bitter springs."
T22 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Ideals.
Literature. " Be thou perfect."— Gen. xvii. i.
" Be ye therefore perfect." — Matt. v. 48.
*' Who aimeth at the sky shoots hig^her much
Than he who aims a tree." Geo. Herbert.
" Her air had a meaning, her movements a grace,
You turned from the fairest to gaze on her face ;
And when you had once seen her forehead and mouth,
You saw as distinctly, her soul and her truth."
E. B. Browning.
** And, indeed, he seems to me
Scarce other than my ideal knight,
Who reverenced his conscience as his king,
Whose glory was redeeming human wrong."
Idylls of tfie King.
Character Studies. Wordsworth's wife, E. B. Browning's
*' My Kate," or The Prince's mother from Tennyson's
" Princess."
Daily Talks. We all should have an aim in life ; one
not too easily obtainable, for Geo. Herbert tells us
to "pitch our projects high," and Robert Browning
says "A man's reach should exceed his grasp."
Before a picture is painted, the artist has an ideal in
his mind. In the same way we must have a clear
idea in our mind of what we mean to become. Our
idea must not end in lovely thoughts ; it must be
made a reality in our lives. However high our ideal
may be, it must start from within ourselves, for our
nature— our real self— is divine enough to reach any
height. Our ideals are ever changing. What seemed
to us the highest ideal a year ago, has given place to
still higher aims. If we could be stripped of all
selfishness, the "ideal" would shine out. Mrs.
IDEALS 123
Browning's Ideal was a woman who was pure In
heart and who tried to make others happy.
Tennyson's Ideal was Sir Galahad. To reach our
Ideals we must not be discouraged ; we must keep on
trying-.
Leonardo da VIncI, the great painter, kept trying
for twelve years to find the Ideal face he wanted for
the Christ of his great picture, *' The Last Supper."
Repeated failure did not daunt him, and at the last
he was successful.
124 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Loyalty.
Literature. " Honour all men. Love the brotherhood.
Fear God. Honour the king." — i Peter ii. 17.
*' To reverence the king as if he were their conscience,
And their conscience as their king." Tennyson.
" To thine own self be true ;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
Shakespeare.
** Land of our birth, we pledge to thee
Our love and toil in the years to be ;
When we are grown and take our place,
As men and women with our race."
R. Kipling.
Character Studies. Sir Thomas More or William Tell.
Daily Talks. Loyalty is faithfulness. Shakespeare says
that if we are loyal to our higher self we shall be
true to every one. To be true to our higher self we
must listen and obey the *' Still Small Voice." Then
we shall be loyal to all, to the laws of the country, to
our parents and teachers, and to our school. We
show our loyalty to our country by keeping the laws ;
our loyalty to parents and teachers by love and
obedience ; our loyalty to our school by doing every-
thing to honour and nothing to disgrace it.
Sir Thomas More was an upright statesman, who
lived in the reign of Henry VIII. Henry wished to
be recognized "Head of the Church." More saw
that his aim was self-interest, and he could not
acknowledge him as Head. Rather than fail in his
loyalty to his conscience, he forfeited his life. Per-
haps Shakespeare was thinking of him when he
wrote: **To thine own self be true"; and again,
" Every subject's duty is the king's, but every
subject's soul is his own. "
ALTRUISM 125
Altruism.
Literature. *'Do unto others as ye would they should
do unto you." Jesus.
" Have goodwill to all that lives, letting unkindness die,
And greed, and wrath, so that your lives be made,
Like soft airs passing by." Sir Edwin Arnold.
** Ah ! when shall all men's good
Be each man's rule, and universal peace
Lie like a shaft of light across the land? "
Tennyson.
Character Study. Abou-Ben-Adhem.
Daily Talk. The word Altruism is derived from alter —
another. Altruism is helping others in thought, word,
and deed. The practice of altruism is the observance
of the golden rule. It is by knowledge of our own
natures, by self-knowledge, that we learn the needs of
others, for all are built in the same mould — in the
image of the Divine. Altruism is the keynote of
the gospels. Jesus said: '*A new commandment I
give unto you, that ye love one another." Tennyson
says that the practice of altruism everywhere will
result in universal peace. Leigh Hunt teaches us
beautifully in his poem, that by serving and loving
his fellow-men, Abou-Ben-Adhem was serving God.
Ruskin says : " A nation multiplies its strength only
by increasing as one great family in perfect fellowship
and brotherhood." — Crown of Wild Olive.
126 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Self-Reliance.
Literature. *' For every man shall bear his own burden."
St. Paul.
*' One who never turned his back,
But marched breast forward ;
Never doubted clouds would break ;
Never dreamed, though right were worsted.
Wrong would triumph ;
Held, we fall to rise.
Are baffled to fight better." R. Browning.
" Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.
Which we ascribe to Heaven."
Airs Well that Ends Well.
" Teach us to bear the yoke in youth,
With steadfastness and careful truth."
Kipling.
Character Study. Christopher Columbus.
Daily Talks. Self-reliance is having trust in ourselves,
doing the work before us with all our energies_,
"putting our shoulder to the wheel," as Hercules
did, without doubt of our innate strength. Success
may not attend the first attempt, but failure at first is
often a gain to character and makes the next attempt
more valuable if we have learnt from the first non-
success the cause of the failure. Remember that
"not failure, buflow aim, is crime." If Columbus
had not had self-reliance, he would never have
reached America. The habit of depending on others
weakens the will and destroys the power of initiative.
Hamlet had no self-reliance ; the more he debated in
his mind, the more indecisive he became, and the
less qualified to do anything which he deemed worthy
of success.
DRUDGERY 127
Temperance.
Literature. "Everyman that striveth for the mastery
is temperate in all things." St. Paul.
" The reason firm, the temperate will,
Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill."
Wordsworth.
" Temperance resembles a kind of harmony."
Plato.
Character Study. Temperance is moderation. It is
having control over our eating, drinking, speaking,
working, and playing. It is self-control. Plato said
that "temperance was a government of certain
pleasures and desires, or being master of oneself."
It was because of the perfect training of the ancient
Greeks in temperance that they attained their equipoise,
and their high position in art and letters. It is the
conditions of life in which some people live that
cause them to resort to intemperance in alcohol. If
we could take away for a time all the luxuries that
make life enjoyable and that are unnecessary, each
one of us would have some special luxury that we
should miss and which we depend upon, almost as the
drunkard does upon alcohol. Let us not be intem-
perate in our railings against the faults of others, if
they are not our own also
128 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Drudgery.
Literature. *' Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do
it with thy might." — Eccles. ix. lo.
'* A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine ;
Who sweeps a room as for Thy laws
Makes that and the action fine."
Geo. Herbert.
** All service ranks the same with God,
His presence fills our earth ;
Each only as God wills can work."
Robert Browning.
** Of perfect service rendered, duties done,
In charity, soft speech, and stainless days ;
These riches shall not fade away in life.
Nor any death dispraise."
Sir Ed. Arnold.
Character Study. Sir Gareth. Theocrite.
Daily Talks. Nothing great is done without some
amount of drudgery beforehand. When the aim is
high, and the mind is kept on the end to be accom-
plished, no thought of drudgery as such is ever
entertained for a moment. Too much interest and
love of the work prevent that. All the Knights of
the Round Table had to go through hard training
before they could win the title of knight. Sir Gareth
served a year and a day in the kitchen before he could
even make himself known to the King. He made
his drudgery "divine." There is a dignity in the
work well done, however menial it appears. Browning
tells us how Theocrite made his work divine, and that
it required an angel to take his place when he was
translated to Rome, and that in his high office there
he failed in what so distinguished him in his humbler
DRUDGERY 129
calling". As a cobbler God said of him '' Well done,"
but when he became pope, God missed His "little
human praise."
Mrs. Browning wrote a beautiful poem of Italy
called '' Aurora Leigh," and in It she says : —
" Let us be content, in work,
To do the thing we can, and not presume
To fret because it's little."
I30 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Gentleness.
Literature. " Thy gentleness hath made me great."
Psalms.
" Your gentleness shall force
More than your force moves us to gentleness."
Shakespeare.
" Her voice was ever soft,
Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman."
Shakespeare.
'* Ring in the nobler modes of life.
With sweeter manners, purer laws."
Tennyson.
Character Study. Cordelia. Lady Jane Grey.
Daily Talks. Cordelia was a lovely character, a truly
womanly woman, and Shakespeare tells us of her
voice, because he knew that the voice was often an
index of character. He knew that if she had learnt
to control her voice, it was more than probable she
had also learnt self-control. Gentle as she was, she
was not weak nor silly, as she commanded respect
from the most honoured of the nobles. It was through
the deceit of others that she suffered so much. Her
father could say of her and of all she suffered for
him —
" Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia,
The gods themselves throw incense."
In the '* Princess, "Tennyson tells us that the Prince's
mother " was not learned save in gracious household
ways," that is, she *' was gentle in her bearing and in
her work," and the Prince could say *' Happy he with
such a mother."
In speaking of the gentleness and sweetness of
Kate, Mrs. E. B. Browning says that —
" Men at her side grew nobler, girls purer,
As through the whole town, the children were
gladder
That pulled at her gown."
THANKFULNESS 131
Thankfulness.
Literature. '* In everything give thanks."
I Thess. V. 18.
" Blow, blow thou winter wind !
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude.
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen.
Although thy breath be rude."
As You Like It
'' The song is to the singer and comes back most to
him." Walt Whitman.
Character Study. Harvest Thanksgivings.
Daily Talks. We must cultivate a thanksgiving feeling,
for we have so much daily to be thankful for. It is
not enough to say grace and to return thanks for a
good dinner. Surely that is only one of the many of
the good gifts we enjoy. Read extracts from Lamb's
essay on " Grace before Meat."
'' The air we breathe, the sky, the breeze.
The light without us and within :
Life, with its unlocked treasuries,"
are all God's gifts, for which we should be thankful.
They should fill us with a warm glow of joy, which
should give us power to work better and help us to
make resolutions to do better. Harvest thanksgivings
are observed annually by the churches as an out-
ward thanksgiving for the blessings of the year, but
it is the constant unceasing spring of thanks we
must cultivate for the many blessings we enjoy. How
grateful one should be to teachers and those who
help us to see things aright ! It costs so little to say
'* Thank you " for kindnesses done ; but let the feeling
of thanks exist, as well as the saying of the word.
Marcus Aurelius, when he was ill on the Danubian
frontier, beguiled the hours in recalling the lessons
in right thinking and right living he had received in
youth, and then paid his debt of generous gratitude.
132 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Obedience.
Literature. " Children, obey your parents in the Lord."
Eph. vi. I.
'* Not once, or twice, in our rough island story,
The path of duty was the way to glory."
Tennyson.
** Now these are the laws of the jungle, and many
and mighty are they ;
But the head and the hoof of the Law, and the
haunch and the hump is — obey."
R. Kipling.
Character Study. Sentry iat Pompeii. The Japanese
swarming the Russian forts at Port Arthur in face of
certain death.
Daily Talks. Obedience is the first duty of life. Even
in play we have to obey our Leader and the rules of
the game. Only those who obey promptly and
thoroughly are fitted to command. Obedience is due,
first, to the Still Small Voice which is the expression
of the Divine in each of us — we have to *'obey our
conscience as our king " ; second, to those set over
us, as did our soldiers in the Crimea. The Charge
of the Light Brigade will always be remembered as
an example of ready obedience.
" Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die."
We are seldom asked to do anything that we do
not know the reason for doing, but when the order
comes from one whose authority we acknowledge,
we are in duty bound to obey. Read Mrs. Gatty's
story of obedience in " Parables from Nature."
GOODWILL 133
GoodwilL
Literature. *'On earth peace, goodwill towards men."
Luke ii. 14.
** Have goodwill
To all that lives, letting unkindness die.
And greed and wrath, so that your lives be made
Like soft airs passing by."
Sir Ed. Arnold.
** The self-same moment I could pray."
Coleridge.
** Ah ! when shall all men's good
Be each man's rule ? "
Tennyson.
Character Study. Abou-Ben-Adhem.
Daily Talks. Peace and goodwill was the message that
the angels said Christ brought to mankind. He came
to impress on mankind that they should '* do unto
others as they would that men should do unto them."
All the poets and great writers have taught that
"goodwill to all that lives " is the keynote of all true
religions. Coleridge showed that as soon as good-
will entered the heart of the Ancient Mariner the
burden fell from his neck and he could pray.
Lejgh Hunt showed us that Abou found out that
by loving his fellow-men, he was loving God. Sir
Edwin Arnold taught the same in his beautiful poem,
the ** Light of Asia."
134 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Perseverance.
Literature. ' ' Watching thereunto with all perseverance. "
Eph. vi. i8.
*' The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight ;
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upwards in the night."
Longfellow.
** Men may rise on stepping-stones
Of their dead selves to higher things."
Tennyson.
Character Study. Thomas Edison. Henry Irving or
Helen Keller.
Daily Talks. It is of no use taking "Thoughts " week
by week and" making resolutions if we do not per-
severe in trying to keep them. It is not feasy always,
and it is only by persevering that the "Thoughts"
will become habits with us. Genius, as Carlyle has
said, is only "an infinite capacity for taking pains."
Think of Thomas Edison and all he has done for us.
An idea would flash upon his mind, but it would
require great perseverance to work it out and make it
practicable. We are not all geniuses, but if wise and
clever people have to take great pains, how much
more is it necessary for ordinary people. The great
actor Irving knew how necessary it was to persevere
in everything he did. Tennyson saw him play Hamlet
in 1879, ^^^ five years after he said of it, "I did not
think Irving could have improved his Hamlet of five
years ago, but now he has improved it five degrees,
and those five degrees have lifted it to heaven."
Never was there a greater example of perseverance
than Helen Keller, crippled so sadly from birth and yet
surmounting all obstacles and becoming a cultured
woman. Her joyousness, too, in life, is unbounded.
TRUTHFULNESS 135
Truthfulness.
Literature. **Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips
that they speak no guile."— Ps. xxxiv. 13,
** Prune thou thy words, the thoughts control
That o'er thee swell and throng,
Thy will condense within thy soul.
And change to purpose strong."
F. H. Newman.
'* Govern thy lips
As they were palace doors, the king within.
Tranquil and fair and courteous be all words
Which from that Presence win."^
Sir Ed. Arnold.
" To speak no slander, no, nor listen to it.
To honour his own word as if his God's."
Tennyson.
Character Study. Duke of Wellington.
Daily Talks. To love the truth was one of the vows
the Knights of the RoUnd Table rnade before entering
the service of the King. We also made the same
promise to ourselves when we resolved to have self-
reverence ; that is, to do nothing that would dis-
grace our Higher Self.
Cowardice is often at the root of untruthfulness.
When one has done something wrong, one should
have the courage to bear the consequences, and not
try to hide the fault by lying, for that only doubles
the fault. What an example the great Duke is to us,
and could anything better be said of one than what
the late Poet Laureate wrote of him —
. *' Yet remember alt
He spoke among you, and the man who spoke.
Who never sold the truth to serve the hour,
Nor paltered with Eternal God for power "?
How ashamed and sorrowful Sir Bedivere must
have been all his life after his untruthfulness to" his
King. It would lessen the remorse a little, that he
did not persevere in his deceit ; but what a difference
to him had he been true from the first.
136 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Co-operation.
Literature. *' Be kindly affectioned one to another, with
brotherly love." — Romans xii. 10.
** The flowers, still faithful to the stems,
Their fellowship renew.*' Wordsworth.
** All are needed by each one ;
Nothing is good or fair alone."
Emerson.
** So work the honey bees,
Creatures that by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom."
Shakespeare.
Character Study. Robert Owen. The American War of
Independence.
Daily Talks. In every class this week, make a special
study of Emerson's poem from which the above
extract is taken. The whole poem, *' Each and All,"
teaches co-operation, and that things, like people,
should be judged and seen in their proper environ-
ment to be appreciated. All work should be co-
operative in school — if teachers do not get the
co-operation of the children, then the work is poor
and wanting in heart. Our school motto, *' Each
for the joy of the working," really is at the root,
teaching co-operation. If work is done gladly and
happily, then selfishness is more likely to be absent.
It is when the school and the staff are of one mind,
and aiming for one good thing, that real co-operation
in school is apparent. Where the parents are not
fully qualified to educate their children, the teacher
must do as far as possible the parents' work, and
here we see an urgent need for sympathetic co-oper-
ation between the parent and the teacher.
The honey bee, to whose services in orchard and
garden we owe so much, gives us in its life a splendid
instance of co-operation. We find many individuals
aiming to build a common dwelling and to provide and
store up food for all.
CO-OPERATION
I will make divine magnetic bands
With the love of comrades,
With the life-long love of comrades."
Walt Whitman.
The following ''Schemes of Lessons" are the weekly
notes drawn up by the teachers to show how the ethical
teaching" is given, and how the ''Thought" is introduced
into each subject. They are not intended to show method
or the full substance of the lessons to be given. The
teachers embody the " Suggestions " in their "Schemes,"
according to the ability of their respective classes.
Several detailed " Notes of Lessons " are also given to
show more clearly how the " Thought " is introduced and
applied.
142 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Standard VI. One Week's Work.
Co-operation.
Extracts frovi poems memorized.
" All are needed by each one :
Nothing is good or fair alone." Emerson.
" Ah ! when shall all men's good
Be each man's rule, and universal peace
Lie like a shaft of light across the land ? "
Tennyson.
*' The flowers, still faithful to the stems,
Their fellowship renew ;
The stems are faithful to the root.
That worketh out of view ;
And to the rock the root adheres
In every fibre true." Wordsworth.
Daily Talks.
Meaning. Co-operation (co^together, opus — work)
is **a working together" with one aim — the good of
all. As Emerson says —
** All are needed by each one :
Nothing is good or fair alone."
Why needed, (i) To promote harmony ; and
(2) To do good to others.
*' Ah ! when shall all men's good
Be each man's rule, and universal peace
Lie like a shaft of light across the land ? "
Where found.
In nature.
(i) Sounds and colours. Wherever harmony is,
there is co-operation, as we sing in *' Working Song."
The colours "all working together make one perfect
light."
CO-OPERATION 143
(2) In plant life. Parts of plants all depend upon
other parts for support and nourishment. Wordsworth
expresses this —
*'The flowers, still faithful to the stems,
Their fellowship renew ;
The stems are faithful to the root.
That worketh out of view ;
And to the rock the root adheres
In every fibre true."
(3) In anhnal life. Bees, ants, etc., all work
together for the good of the swarm. Queen chosen,
all others co-operate in general work of hive. Non-
workers are driven out. Shakespeare well expresses
this—
*' So work the honey bees.
Creatures that by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom."
Between ourselves.
(i) In homes. To bring harmony and to cultivate
thrift each should do the work best suited to particular
talents and yet for the good of the whole family.
(2) In schools. A spirit of loyalty. Scholars and
teachers work for the good of each and yet for the
good of the school as a whole — esprit de corps.
(3) In social life generally. Value shown by forma-
tion of co-operative societies, savings banks, etc.
In ourselves.
Mind and soul must grow together, as Tennyson
says —
** Let knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before."
All the co-operation in nature and amongst in-
dividuals can never give us harmony unless there is
co-operation within.
144 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Character Study. King Arthur and his knights.
King Arthur is an example of one who kept his
knights together by the spirit of co-operation. They
were knit together by a common vow — (i) to help the
weak, and (2) to find the Holy Grail.
Scripture. The deliverance
of Moses and Aaron.
of Israelites — co-operation
/Moses — the leader and governor.
I Aaron — the spokesman and priest.
Readmg. " Knights of Round Table." Chap-
ters on the work of all.
*' Historical Reader." Chapter upon
American War.
"Patriots All." Stories showing co-
operation.
Hn^lish. Composition. Essay on " Co-operation. "
Story of the formation of the Round Table,
with biographical sketch of King Arthur.
Reproduction of lessons on "American
War of Independence," and on "Thrift."
Grammar . Formation of sentences, showing
how each part depends upon another, and
all parts combine to express one thought.
History. The American War of Independence.
Co-operation, or uniting of states against
common enemy, made " United States."
Geography. United States — climate, industries,
and commerce. Each state co-operates with
others in interchange of productions, which
vary with climate.
Domestic Econom-y. Lesson on "Thrift."
Economy in home best gained by co-
operation.
Co-operative societies, savings banks, all
depend upon co-operation of members.
CO-OPERATION 145
Arithmetic. Simple interest. Terms, etc., used.
Banks, etc., practical example of co-
operation.
Shareholders, lenders, borrowers, all work
together.
Singing. Harmony is the result of ''blended
parts."
Practise " Working Song " and " Brother-
hood Song."
Physical Exercises. Exercises combining those
for various parts of the body — all parts must
be equally developed.
Organized Games. A spirit of "give-and-
take " to be inculcated.
Individuality must be sunk sometimes for
"good of all."
146 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Standard IV.
Co-operation.
Literature.
Extracts from poems inemorized.
" All are needed by each one :
Nothing is good or fair alone."
Emerson.
*' So work the honey bees,
Creatures that by rule in nature teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom."
Shakespeare.
*' The flowers, still faithful to the stems,
Their fellowship renew ;
The stems are faithful to the root,
That worketh out of view ;
And to the rock the root adheres
In every fibre true." Wordsworth.
"Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control,
These three alone lead life to sovereign power."
Tennyson.
** Have goodwill to all that lives.
Letting unkindness die."
Sir Edwin Arnold.
Character Study. The Life of King Arthur.
Read Mrs. Gatty's Parable from Nature, The
Master of the Harvest.
Daily Talk. The meaning of Co-operation — working
together ; banding together for common end ; form-
ing a union.
We often hear the saying, " Unity is Strength."
So people, by co-operating, can succeed, where one
working alone could not.
There are examples of co-operation found every-
where.
(a) In ourselves. Our mind and soul must be in
harmony before we can be perfect.
(b) /// homes. All must work together for the
good and welfare of the home.
CO-OPERATION 147
(c) In schools. Scholars and teachers should work
together, if their work is to be successful.
(d) Co-operative Societies. Members band together
for mutual good.
(e) In Army and Navy. Victories are won through
co-operation of men and officers.
(f) In nature. Plant life depends on rain and sun ;
bees carry pollen to fertilize flowers ; wind
scatters seeds, and seven colours blend
together to make light.
(g) Kiyig Arthur's knights. Worked together —
1. To redress human wrongs.
2. To search for the Holy Grail.
(h) In the orchestra. All instruments must blend.
Scripture.
New Testament. The Choosing of the Twelve
Disciples. . '
Their work an example of co-operation^^
(One sower of discord — Judas.
Old Testament. Moses — aC^^der of the Israelites.
Aaron — his spokesman to Pharaoh.
(Both worked together.)
Grammar. The formation of a sentence.
One part alone cannot make the sentence— different
parts needed to complete the sense of whole.
Domestic Economy. All parts of us must work together
to make a healthy body.
One part is dependent upon another.
Care in food — it should be plain and wholesome.
And in clothing^it should be suitable and warm.
(See lesson from book.)
History. The First House of Commons and Simon de
Montfort.
For the first time in the history of England the
representatives of the people co-operated with the
barons and nobles to make the laws.
In the Grand Imperial Parliament co-operation is
seen. The Mother Country and colonies unite — hence
great power.
148 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Geography. Revise commerce of Scotland and Ireland.
England — chief market for Irish productions.
Co-operation seen in trade — one with another.
In both countries people are trying to co-operate
with the poor — (a) Cottage industries of Ireland.
(b) Crofter industries of Scotland.
Music. Co-operation is seen in this lesson.
Notes make harmony, and children co-operate in
singing them.
All should respond to the beat.
In two- or three-part songs, the parts all work
together to make a harmonious whole.
Song- — " The Working Song."
Reading. From Historical Readers on history previously
taken.
From '*New Reader." Chapters on The Beaver.
From *' New Reader." Chapters on April Flowers.
Poems— ''The Blue Bonnets."
''The Three Bells."
Drill. Exercises from Model Course.
Unity of action attained by co-operation of children.
Every part of the body is exercised in this lesson.
All affect the whole to produce vigour — health.
Compositions, i. On the Thought, " Co-operation. "
2. On the character chosen, *'King
Arthur."
Oral compositions to be given after history, geo-
graphy, and reading lessons.
Arithmetic. Co-operation is shown in every stage of
this lesson.
One standard's work co-operates with another.
CO-OPERATION 149
Standard II. One Week's Work,
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Co-operation.
Scripture.
1. Old Testament History. David and Jonathan.
Having" seen they loved each other and made a cove-
nant to always love and help each other, Jonathan
soon had an opportunity to fulfil his promise. He
risked his father's anger in his efforts to reconcile
Saul and David. They were unavailing, and David
fled, helped to the last by Jonathan. They loved, and
the result was a desire to help each other.
2. New Testament. Christ and His disciples. Christ
the Leader, the disciples co-operating to do His will.
Daily Talks. Ethical teaching. Refer to the school
motto : *' Each for the joy of the working."
When we all work together we say we are co-
operating". Each has to work for and with the other,
and then as we sing in our *' Working Song " —
" All working together make one perfect light.
The robe that we wear will be white."
Before we can all co-operate we shall need to
master many dragons, e.g. selfishness, greediness,
thoughtlessness. We must learn to ''have goodwill
to all that lives," then we shall be able to show others
that "helping and sharing is joy." Co-operation
brings us in closer touch with one another. It makes
us practise altruism and humility, for then —
" The lofty duties and the lowly meet."
It is only when all, working for the same end, com-
bine, that the result is harmony. There must be
perfect co-operation at school between scholars and
teachers, between scholar and scholar. At home
between parents and children and between brothers
and sisters.
I50 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
The body, mind, and soul must all work together.
If one is fed and worked and another neglected, we
know how soon the whole suffers, and discord, where
harmony should be, is the result. We are not likely
to forget the body, so Tennyson only reminds us to —
" Let knowledge grow from more to more.
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well.
May make one music as before."
Nature affords us many examples of co-operation.
The sun helps the earth to ripen the buds and, later
on, the seeds. Each part of tree and plant co-
operates in this work of nature, as Wordsworth
says —
"The flowers, still faithful to the stems,
Their fellowship renew," etc.
The bird co-operates with its mate in making the
nest and rearing the young.
Man too, co-operates, and societies have been
formed for mutual benefit and help. One country
helps another, and alliances are formed.
Story. The farmer's fields were in great need of rain.
If a shower did not come soon his crops would be
spoilt. A little raindrop noticed the farmer's sadness
and felt sorry ; she said, " If I could be of any good
I would go and help him ; but such a little drop as I
am can do nothing." Other drops came along and
she told them how sad the farmer was, and how help-
less she felt. They all agreed to join together and get
others to join them, and all go together to help the
farmer. They did so. The farmer noticed a tiny
cloud, watched it with a joyful face get bigger and
bigger, until when a splash of rain fell on his nose,
his heart was full of thankfulness, for he knew his
crops were saved — all through the determination of
the little drops to work together to help him.
CO-OPERATION 151
Reading-. "The Story of King Arthur" (intermediate
series). King* Arthur established his co-operative
society — the Order of the Round Table — so that each
might derive help from the other in their common cause
of helping mankind.
Historical Reader^ Book III, "The Coming of the
English."
Writing. Word-building— words formed from "operate."
Sentences containing these words.
Copy-setting — quotations bearing on co-operation,
e.g. " Have goodwill to all that lives," etc.
"The flowers, still faithful to the stems," etc.
Compositions, i. How the Round Table began.
2. The first landing of the English —
how it illustrates co-operation.
Arithmetic. Reduction of money. Ascending and de-
scending. Involves multiplication and division — tables
must be known in order that these rules may be
applied. All co-operate in obtaining the correct
answer.
Geography. Cotton industry in England. Cotton comes
from the seeds of a plant grown in hot countries
only, such as United States, Egypt, and India.
Impossible to manufacture all there, owing to lack
of coal, iron, and water. Co-operate with England,
who has abundance of coal and water, but cannot
grow the raw cotton.
Chief centre of industry, Lancashire ; port, Liver-
pool ; towns engaged, Manchester, Oldham, Black-
burn, Bury, Bolton.
Trace the dependence of one branch of this manu-
facture on another. The co-operation of the workers,
the blending of the threads, all result in the perfect
material as we see it.
History. "The Coming of the English." The settling
of the English on British soil was the result of the
co-operation of the EngHsh and the Britons against
the Picts and Scots.
152 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Nature Study. '* Fertilization." The working together
of the stamens and pistils ; of insects, wind, and
flowers in the carriage of the pollen to the stigma.
Singing". "Warriors of the Golden Cord."
"Brothers We."
Band of Mercy Hymn.
All emphasize the need for unity in our work.
Co-operation, they tell us, must rule our lives, if we
would make them worthy examples.
Combined staff" and tonic.
Building up of scales with one flat and one sharp.
Co-operation shows here. Both notations used— one
to aid the other. Intervals in staff" easier to under-
stand if co-operated with the scale in the tonic sol-fa.
Grammar. A sentence — its principal parts and their work.
A sentence is a thought expressed in words. Co-
operation between thought and speech enables us to
study the lives and thoughts of great men. Each
part of a sentence has its own particular work, e.g.
the predicate shows the action — the subject is the
doer of the action, etc. One part alone conveys
little meaning ; the united whole alone expresses the
thought.
THRIFT 153
Standards VI. and VII.
CO-OPERATION WORKED OUT IN
DOMESTIC ECONOMY
Thrift.
Meaning of the Term.
By thrift is meant ''economy," or the proper use
of time, labour, and money without any waste. Long
experience has taught that the best way of securing
economy in all departments of life is by means of co-
operation. Thus we find it practised in the home, in
business, and in social life generally, in the form of
Co-operative Societies, Friendly Societies, Savings
Banks, Trades Unions, etc.
Co-operation in the Home.
If there is to be harmony, all the members of the
household must work together for the good of all —
this is co-operation.
1. Parents consult together as to the best outlay of
their income, about the training of their children, and
also about less important details — all of which are
the better for the consultations.
As Tennyson says in The Princess —
"Two heads in council, two beside the hearth.
Two in the liberal offices of life."
2. Where there are two or three girls at home, it
is economy of labour and time if the work is so
divided that each does the part best suited to in-
dividual taste and capacity. One gifted with the
needle should do the sewing, one fond of cooking
might be responsible for the cooking, and so on. All
are working for the benefit of the whole house, and
there is co-operation of the best kind.
154 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Co-operation in Social Affairs.
I. Co-operative Societies,
(i) Formation. In the beginning of the nineteenth
century, the wages of men were very low and the
prices of food were exceedingly high, especially in
small towns and villages. There were no longer
cottage industries to augment incomes. Child labour
was very common, and this naturally caused the
rate of wages to keep low. The sufferings of the
poor caused them to band together to obtain freedom
of some sort.
It was Robert Owen who stimulated the people to
co-operate, and it was as a result of his teaching
that the first Co-operative Society was formed at
Rochdale in 1844.
The Rochdale pioneers who formed this co-operative
society consisted of a few weavers who put together,
in small sums, a capital of £,2%^ and witli it they
bought necessary articles of food, as flour, meal,
butter, sugar, etc.
At first these members attended at nights in turn to
sell the groceries to each other at cost price. The
idea of thus co-operating has so spread, that now co-
operative societies are found in nearly all manufacturing
districts, and these stores are not limited to provisions,
but extend to all branches of trade, and also include
wholesale buying and manufacturing businesses.
(2) Aim and Result. To help each other by mutual
co-operation, and to promote truthfulness and honesty
in business.
{a) By providing goods in the purest state possible.
{h) By doing away with the "middleman"; the
consumers get any profits which may accrue.
{c) By ensuring proper conditions of labour and
wages for those who are engaged in the
various branches of business — thus employer
co-operates with employee and vice versa.
THRIFT 155
As a result the conditions of working class are
raised by their own mutual efforts. Ready-money
payments being compulsory, much misery caused by
accumulative debts is avoided, while the fact that
money can be invested by members encourages thrifty
saving.
2. Savings Banks.
Post Office Savings Banks. These are banks
worked in connection with post offices and are under
Government. They were started to encourage the
poor to save in small amounts — one shilling and up-
wards can be deposited at any time— and are also
a result of co-operation.
Yorkshire Penny Bank, as its name suggests, is a
bank with branches in all districts in Yorkshire, and
in which any amount from a penny can be deposited.
It was promoted by several Yorkshire gentlemen,
who co-operated to put into the hands of the poor
a means of saving against a '* rainy day."
3. Friendly Societies^ Sick Cluhs^ etc.
These have all helped to improve the circumstances
of the working classes in times of sickness and
adversity. They are self-supporting — all members
contributing a certain sum at fixed periods ; and in
the case of sickness, a member is allowed a certain
allowance. Thus all co-operate to provide for the
needs of each one.
i:;6 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
BLACKBOARD SUMMARY
Thrift. Meaning — proper use of time, labour, and
money, etc. — without waste.
Where co-operation helps thrift : —
1. In the home. Co-operation of parents in making
plans.
Co-operation in household work.
2. In the form of —
(i) Co-operative Societies. First society formed
in 1844 by Rochdale pioneers, inspired by
Robert Owen.
Aim, To provide goods in a pure state.
To do away with *' middleman."
To secure proper conditions for work-
people.
(2) Savings Banks. Post Office Savings Bank and
Yorkshire Penny Bank.
Aim, To encourage people to save in small
amounts.
(3) Sick Clubs, Friendly Societies, etc.
Aim, Working people provide for themselves
and others for times of sickness and
distress.
AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 157
CO-OPERATION
ILLUSTRATED THROUGH HISTORY
American War of Independence.
Introduction. At the time of the accession of George III,
there were thirteen British colonies in America, stretch-
ing" in an unbroken line from Nova Scotia in the north
to Florida in the south.
The four New England states, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island,
were founded by Puritans in the seventeenth century.
Of the three middle states, two. New York and New
Jersey, came from Dutch into English possession, and
the third, Pennsylvania, was a Quaker colony, founded
by William Penn.
There were six southern states, Delaware, Mary-
land, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and
Georgia.
Virginia was founded by Protestants under James I,
and Maryland by Roman Catholics in the reign of
Charles I.
These thirteen states were very varied in their
religion and social life.
The northern states were, in general, of a demo-
cratic, and the southern of an aristocratic spirit.
The states had little or no intercourse ; a governor
and officials for each separate state were appointed by
the Crown.
There was no co-operation at all for the good of
the states as a whole.
Grievances which caused the war. The colonists
wished to trade with the French and Spanish settle-
ments, but they could sell their productions only in
158 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
British dominions. This was to crush all rivalry with
England. Then, attempts were made to tax the
colonies.
In 1765 a Stamp Act was passed. This meant that
every legal document, to be valid, had to be written
on stamped paper brought from England.
Englishmen in England were taxed by their repre-
sentatives in Parliament ; but those who had settled
in America were not allowed to have representatives,
so they refused to be taxed.
The Stamp Act was so unpopular that it was re-
pealed, but later one was passed which taxed tea.
Events. In 1773 ^^^ people of Boston threw into the
sea the tea which the traders were about to land.
In 1774 all social and religious differences were
sunk, and the colonists, for the first time, banded
together against England.
They sent deputies to a congress at Philadelphia.
This congress demanded the repeal of the Acts taxing
the colonies, and determined that all colonists should
act together under the title of the United Colonies.
They saw that in their union lay their strength.
Each state, acting separately, would have been
crushed easily ; but all working together, they were
a power to be reckoned with.
They raised an army, and appointed George
Washington commander-in-chief. He showed great
resolution, patience, and skill in training his motley
army to co-operate together.
The war began.
In 1775 there were two skirmishes at Lexington
and Bunker's Hill.
In 1776 the English troops, under General Howe,
evacuated Boston, when the colonial army marched
upon them.
4 July, 1776, the Congress issued a Declaration of
Independence of the United States of America.
AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 159
In 1777 Washington was twice defeated. Then
came a great change. A British army, under General
Burgoyne, had to surrender to the American troops
at Saratoga.
This was the turning-point of the war. France
and Spain recognized that the colonies, all working
together, had good prospects of gaining their inde-
pendence, and openly helped them.
In 1781 Lord Cornwallis, who had tried to defeat
the American army in the southern states, and was
working his way to the north, had to surrender to
Washington at Yorktown. This brought the fighting
to a close.
In 1783, at the Peace of Versailles, the independence
of the United States was acknowledged.
George Washington was elected the first President
of the United States.
Results. From the time of the union of these states,
the development of wealth — agricultural, mineral,
and manufacturing — has been unequalled.
Previously there was little or no commercial inter-
course between the states. Since then, the interchange
of the products of the different states has grown to
an enormous extent. This interchange is co-operation
for the good of each state, and for the good of the
states as a whole.
i6o CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
BLACKBOARD SUMMARY
In the reign of George HI were thirteen states.
Grievances. The colonists could trade with only
British dominions.
Taxation without representation.
Events, 1774. Congress at Philadelphia, Union,
for the first time in the history
of the colonies.
All worked under one leader,
George Washington.
1 Evacuation of Boston.
Result.
1775-
1776.
4 July. J Declaration of Independence.
1. Unequalled development of wealth.
2. Co-operation for the first time for the
good of the whole.
FORMATION OF A SENTENCE i6i
CO-OPERATION SHOWN
IN THE
FORMATION OF A SENTENCE
Introduction. Commence the lesson by asking children to
think about something. Then, by questioning, deduce
that no one can tell what they have thought about,
unless they put their thoughts into words — forming a
sentence. After several examples have been given,
children will supply definition —
"A sentence is a complete thought put into words
to make sense."
Now we will find out something about these sen-
tences.
Parts of a Sentence.
1. In all the sentences given there was something
spoken about, e.g. birds, children, flowers, coal, etc.
A name is given to this part of the sentence. It is
called the subject^ and it is one of the two main parts
of a sentence.
2. Now, having found the subjects, we must say
something about them.
Using those given by children we get the words —
fly, learn, grow, burns.
These words form another part of a sentence called
the ''telling part " or the predicate.
Now putting together these subjects and predicates.
Do the sentences they form sound complete and
sensible? Yes. Therefore we see that these two
parts are necessary in every sentence.
3. These short sentences are such as little children
use. Now we will build up a longer one. We will
take this sentence to begin with —
" The bird hurt its foot."
What is the subject?
M
i62 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
What is the predicate ?
Would the sentence sound complete if I said — The
bird hurt?
Which words complete the action ?
We can enlarge this sentence by adding other
words to it.
We can say — (a) Something about the bird, and so
enlarge the subject.
(b) Something about where the foot
was hurt, and so enlarge the
predicate.
Ask children for these, and build up the long
sentence from the short one we began with —
"The little bird (flying quickly past the house) hurt
its foot (against the ivy-covered wall)."
The added parts are called ''adjuncts" of the
subject and predicate.
So we see that the parts we have added have co-
operated with the main parts, and formed a longer
sentence.
We see, therefore, that words can co-operate, as
well as people, when used properly.
Exercise. Let children give sentences with —
(a) Subject and predicate only.
(b) Sentences showing words co-operating with
subject.
(c) Sentences showing words co-operating with
both subject and predicate.
FERTILIZATION 163
Standard III.
CO-OPERATION IN NATURE
Fertilization.
Apparatus. Provide each child with a simple flower ; pre-
ferably one with only one pistil, e.g. wallflower. The
children are to refer to their flowers as the lesson
proceeds. (They are not to be dissected, as this is
contrary to the teaching of the school. '* They
murder to dissect.")
Refer to the fields in spring and the gardens all
through the summer, one mass of briUiant flowers.
From previous lessons we have learnt that the aim
of every plant is to make seeds from which new
plants can be obtained.
Wordsworth's quotation on the blackboard says —
**The flowers, still faithful to the stems,
Their fellowship renew ;
The stems are faithful to the root.
That worketh out of view ;
And to the rock the root adheres
In every fibre true."
Before the fruit containing the seed is produced we
must have root, stem, leaves and flowers ''all work-
ing together" or "co-operating." The root and
leaves produce food, which is carried by the stems to
the flowers which bring forth the fruit.
" All are needed by each one :
Nothing is good or fair alone."
Emerson.
By referring to our flower we find it is composed
of sepals, petals, stamens, and pistil.
The stamens bear the pollen ; the pistil holds the
ovules which are to become seeds.
Now tell the story of how Mother Nature makes
these stamens and pistils work together.
i64 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
The end of the pistil or stigma is usually sticky, so
that when the anthers burst and release the pollen, if
any falls upon the stigma it is retained there.
The pollen grains now begin to grow, sending out
a little tube (the moisture of the stigma encouraging
growth), which, on passing down the style, enters
an ovule in the ovary.
This gives life to the ovule, making it into a young
seed, from which, when ripe, a new plant can be
reared.
Mother Nature wishes to help all she can to make
new seeds. She is not content with just hoping the
pollen will tumble on to the stigma. She helps —
I. By Insects, which come to fetch the nectar from
the flowers. (Examine the flowers to see where the
nectar is stored.)
In order to obtain it, the insects are compelled, on
entering the flower, to brush the pollen on to their
bodies. On leaving the flower, the insects, passing
the stigma, leave upon it some of the pollen. (Here
the story of either the wild arum or the snapdragon
might be told.)
Some flowers require pollen from another flower.
This is carried by insects ; sometimes by gardeners
by means of a brush. (The story of the fuchsia or
other pendent flower might be told.)
The flo-wers co-operate with the insects by attracting
them — {a) By smell.
(d) By bright colours and stripes — white or
yellow for night insects.
This "working together" of insects and flowers
explains how it is, directly the flowers appear in the
spring, the insects venture forth. Refer to the bees
busy among the crocuses on a bright sunny day in
early spring.
There are some trees which flower long before the
insects dare venture out from their winter's sleep, so
they have neither honey nor scent. They are helped
■petal
stameTv
— ■pistil
sepal
fIL
stigmxL
anther
(\l| holding poV^TV
HU ^
Stamen (eniargedj
styhe
Ovary
fwlding ovules
SECTfON OF P/ST/L
(enlarged^)
tabes froTTt
the. pollen^
pollen grains
on the sUgrna^
Ovules
i66 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
II. By THE Wind. It shakes the tree, scattering
the pollen and carrying it from flower to flower.
The flowers help 'the windhy keeping back their leaves
until the pollen has been scattered.
Refer to the lines in " The Voices of Spring " —
*' See the yellow catkins hanging," etc..
From our lesson we learn all the diff'erent parts of
plants, working with the insects and the wind, form
for us perfect seeds.
*' God made all the creatures and gave them our love
and fear.
To give sign, we and they are His children, one
family here." Browning.
BLACKBOARD SUMMARY
(to be built as the lesson proceeds)
The pollen fertilizes the ovules and makes them
grow into seeds.
The style, being sticky, retains any pollen scattered
upon it.
Pollen is scattered by —
1. The opening of the anthers.
2. The insects.
3. The wind.
The flowers help —
1. The insects^ by attracting them by {a) Smell,
{b) Colour.
2. The wind., by keeping back the leaves until the
pollen is scattered.
PHYSICAL DRILL
169
Twenty tninutes.
Standard IV.
CO-OPERATION TAUGHT THROUGH
PHYSICAL DRILL
Warriors of the golden cord marching on together,
Now we tramp and now our feet rise and fall together.
EXERCISES.
L Forming into class.
IL Arm flexions and
extensions.
Arms upward, side-
ways, and downward,
stretching to numbers.
Left arm upward, right
arm downward stretch.
in. Balance move-
ments.
Hips firm, heels raise,
knees outward bend.
Arms stretching and
bending in, knee bend
position.
Necessity of order and some
one to guide.
Each individual must co-
operate with her fellows so
that order may be maintained.
"All are needed by each one :
Nothingisgoodorfair alone."
Heart and lungs— chief or-
gans. Working arms expand
chest, give heart and lungs
more room to work, i.e. limbs
co-operate to help internal
organs.
Children know that this
exercise requires more thought
and concentration. Here both
sides of the brain are needed
to work, both co-operate in
sending messages to arms.
Exercises must be repeated
more than once in order that
the full benefit maybe obtained.
Here wehave several muscles
brought into play, chiefly those
of the trunk, all working to-
gether for the same end. Exer-
cises in balance position difficult,
but very efficacious.
I70 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
IV. Shoulder - blade
exercises.
Arms sideways and
upwards, raising in two
movements.
Trunk forward bend,
arms forward bend, arms
fling.
V. Trunk exercises.
Trunk forward and
downward bend.
Trunk sideways bend.
VI. Marching.
Quick march.
Tip-toe march.
Skipping- step.
Slow step.
Minuet — bow.
Chest fully expanded — more
air can enter lungs, thus more
oxygen to lungs and blood,
which is made purer, and makes
body healthier. Thus we see
how it needs all to work to-
gether to gain desired end.
These exercises must be re-
peated five times. All muscles
of trunk are worked, internal
organs are moved, and freer
play given to body.
Every part of body brought
into play in marching.
With co-operation of music,
dancing much easier.
All parts co-operate to make
movements pleasing to the eye
— eyes, feet, hands, and grace-
ful bend of body.
i L yl
THE COTTON INDUSTRY IN ENGLAND 173
Standard II. Last Quarter,
CO-OPERATION
SHOWN IN THE COTTON INDUSTRY
IN ENGLAND
Introduction. Many articles of clothing- are made from
cotton. Refer to child's pinafore, etc. ; all made from
cotton, although known under various names.
What cotton is and from whence it comes. Cotton
grows on a plant in the pod which bears the seeds.
Cotton will not grow in England, but requires a hot
country ; therefore if we were not friendly with the
people of hot countries such as United States of
America, Egypt, and India, we should not be able to
get any of the raw cotton. We must, therefore, co-
operate with these people. The plant needs very
careful cultivation. The pods are picked, the down
separated, packed up, and sent to our country. Show
a picture of a cotton plant and sketch a ripe pod.
This is not ready yet to be made into our clothing,
but the people in the hot climate cannot do any more
towards it. Other people must co-operate with them,
in order to produce the finished goods. We in
England do so, and the bales of raw cotton are sent
to England to be manufactured.
Where manufactured and suitability of locality. The
Lancashire and Cheshire coalfield is the home of the
cotton industry. Coal and a great amount of water
are necessary in the manufacture, and there is a good
supply of both in this locality. Thousands of men
are employed, not in actually manufacturing the cotton
alone, but in helping towards that end. Coal mining,
. iron smelting, making machinery, etc., are industries
which must be carried on in order that the cotton can
be manufactured, and thus men in all these employ-
ments co-operate in the making of our pinafores.
174 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Liverpool is a convenient port for the landing of
the raw cotton and also for sending off the manu-
factured goods.
Towns engaged in the manufacture. Manchester is
a very large town with large mills and warehouses
in the cotton trade. How many tb-ousands of
people here alone would be without work, if our co-
operation with the cotton-producing countries should
cease !
Other towns engaged in the cotton manufacture
are Oldham, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, and Stockport.
Recapitulation. .Question on chief points connected with
cotton industry and chief towns engaged in the
manufacture.
CO-OPERATION 175
Standard VII. 17 December, 1906.
Edith Blakemore.
Age tivelve years,
CO-OPERATION
The word *' co-operation " is made up of two Latin words
— "co," meaning together; and ''opus," meaning work.
Thus co-operation means working together. We cannot
work together unless we have one aim, because if we have
not we shall hinder each other. The aim of every one
ought to be to help each other, and if every one worked
with that aim they would be gaining help for themselves.
The result of co-operation is harmony. If everybody
co-operated, there would be harmony all over the world.
Tennyson says harmony follows co-operation in these
lines —
*' When shall all men's good
Be each man's rule, and universal peace
Lie like a shaft of light across the land ? "
We find co-operation in nature, in plant life, and among
the animals. These lines show how the plants co-
operate—
*' The flowers, still faithful to the stems.
Their fellowship renew ;
The stems are faithful to the root,
That worketh out of view ;
And to the rock the root adheres
In every fibre true."
The bees especially show co-operation. They choose a
queen, and they all work together loyally under her and
for her good. Shakespeare says —
** So work the honey bees.
Creatures that by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom."
They are an example of the good of co-operating.
*'The colours all working together make one perfect
light."
176 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
There should be universal brotherhood amongf our-
selves. If there is, we shall all be practising altruism,
and therefore we shall all be happy, because helping
others gives pleasure to ourselves. Before we can co-
operate with others we must have co-operation in our-
selves. Our mind and soul must work together, as
Tennyson says —
** Let knowledge grow from more to more.
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before."
Our history lesson this week is, **The American War
of Independence." It teaches co-operation. The colonists
knew that if each state fought separately they would all
be beaten, so they all banded together and showed that
** Union is Strength." The best way to be thrifty is to
co-operate. Each one ought to do the work he can do
best. There is an old story about a man who was dying
and he wanted to share his possessions among his sons.
He gave his lands to one, his money to another, and his
horse to another, and so on. He said, '' I do not want
each one to take away his own part, because one will be
no good without the other." To illustrate this, he sent for
a bundle of faggots, and taking two or three sticks
separately he broke them. Then putting them all to-
gether he tried to break them, but he could not. *' Thus,"
he said, " I want you to keep together, and then you will
be much stronger than otherwise you would be." The
co-operative societies now found all over England are the
result of men banding together to work for the common
good.
CO-OPERATION 177
Standard V.
Gertrude Aldham.
Age eleven years.
CO-OPERATION
This week we have been learning the following lines by
Wordsworth : —
*'The flowers, still faithful to the stems,
Their fellowship renew ;
The stems are faithful to the root,
That worketh out of view ;
And to the rock the root adheres .
In every fibre true."
These lines show how the single parts of a plant co-
operate to make the perfect plant. Besides co-operating
in a single plant, nature co-operates in every way. The
sun comes out at the proper time, the dew and rain come
to refresh the flowers, and the darkness falls at a regular
time to give flowers and human beings rest. We can
take a lesson from nature and co-operate with each other.
We all need each other, however independent we may be.
If there were no postmen to bring our letters, we should
never receive them. No one could write letters if some
one did not make paper, pens, and ink. Emerson knew
our need for each other. He said —
" All are needed by each one :
Nothing is good or fair alone."
It is for this reason that so many co-operative societies
have been formed. Instead of one man getting the profits,
they are shared among all the members. We co-operate in
school. The teacher helps the scholars and the children
help the teachers. Froebel showed teachers the value of
co-operating in school. He said, ^'Let us live with our
children."
He was fond of children and called his school the
** Children's Garden."
178 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
The different colours co-operate to make a perfect white.
We have a song that tells that if we work together we
shall be like the colours, and have pure characters like
the pure white light.
Before the American War of Independence all the states
were formed of different characters. Some were merry-
making cavaliers, others were solemn Puritans, some
were strict Roman Catholics, and others were Quakers.
Separate, they could have done nothing against England.
United under George Washington, they became one
nation under the title of United States of America, and
gained the right to trade with whom they pleased, and to
form their own laws.
1
CO-OPERATION 179
Standard VI. 17 December.
Irene Westcott.
Age tivelve years.
CO-OPERATION
The meaning of co-operation is a working together for
one aim. We have to work for the good of all. Emerson
says —
** All are needed by each one :
Nothing is good or fair alone."
Unless we co-operate there will be no harmony in the
land. Tennyson gives the end for which we should all
work in these lines —
" Ah ! when shall all men's good
Be each man's rule, and universal peace
Lie like a shaft of light across the land? "
We always find co-operation in nature. In plant life
the rock, root, stems, and flowers all co-operate to make
a perfect plant, as Wordsworth says in this quotation —
** The flowers, still faithful to the stems.
Their fellowship renew ;
The stems are faithful to the root,
That worketh out of view ;
And to the rock the root adheres
In every fibre true."
Co-operation is always found in a hive. The bees do
the diff"erent work in turns. When the bee that is fanning
the queen bee is tired, then it will change its work with
some other bee. They all work together for the good of
the hive and the queen. Shakespeare says —
*' So work the honey bees.
Creatures that by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom."
i8o CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Colours co-operate to make light. The following- quota-
tion illustrates this, '* All working together makes one
perfect light."
Our history lesson, which was on the American War of
Independence, is a really good illustration of our thought.
There were thirteen states in America which were occu-
pied by colonists. There had been some trouble between
these colonists and the English for a long time. George
Washington knew the colonists would be defeated if each
state fought separately against the English, so the
colonists united together and called their country the
United States of America. It is said that "Unity is
Strength." If we want to be thrifty we must co-operate.
About the beginning of the nineteenth century the country
was in a dreadful condition ; wages were very low, and the
prices of goods were very high. A man named Robert
Owen got some of the poorer class to band together and
formed a society to buy provisions at wholesale prices and
sell them as cheap and as pure as possible.
This was the first co-operative society and was formed
in the year 1844.
CO-OPERATION i8i
Standard IV,
Edith Webb.
CO-OPERATION
Co-operation is the thought we are practising this week.
It means working with others. There ought to be co-
operation in our homes and schools. We shall most likely
be successful if we co-operate. Things in nature co-
operate ; the wind does when it scatters seeds, and the
rain and sunshine do when they nourish the trees and
flowers. This poem of Wordsworth's shows co-operation
in nature—
"The flowers, still faithful to the stems.
Their fellowship renew ;
The stems are faithful to the root,
That worketh out of view ;
And to the rock the root adheres
In every fibre true."
There is co-operation in animal life — even the bees co-
operate ; one bee couldn't fill a hive with honey itself,
all the bees have to co-operate before the hive is full.
Shakespeare tells us in the following lines that a lesson of
co-operation is shown to us by the bees —
" So work the honey bees,
Creatures that by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom."
King Arthur's knights had co-operation when they went
to seek for the Holy Grail. Even the letters of the alpha-
bet co-operate when they make words, and the words when
they make sentences. The grains of sand must co-operate
to make land, and the drops of water to make the sea.
This song shows it —
" Little drops of water.
Little grains of sand.
Make the mighty ocean
And the beauteous land."
i82 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
There ought to be co-operation in the army and navy,
for if there were not and they were at war, they would be
sure to lose. This story shows how some raindrops had
co-operation. It was a very hot day and a farmer was
standing" in a field of corn looking very miserable. " I
wish rain would come," he sighed, because his corn was
bending and looking thin. Up in the sky a raindrop
heard him and resolved to go down and water his corn.
But, thought the raindrop, I cannot water all that corn.
So it went and asked some other raindrops to come down
with it. The next morning the farmer went to look at the
corn again and to see if any rain was coming, and while
he was looking up, a little raindrop fell on his nose. It
was the same raindrop that had asked the others to join
it ; then all the others came down and watered all the corn.
So we see what a lot of good we can do if we co-operate.
Above all, our mind and soul have to co-operate. If they
do, we shall be in harmony.
CO-OPERATION 183
Standard III. 1 2 December.
Lois Watkin.
We have been talking about how nature puts life into
the seeds.
The pollen from the stamens must grow down into the
ovules. When an insect goes in the flower for the nectar,
some of the pollen sticks onto its body, and it on leaving
goes past the pistil and some pollen grains are left on the
sticky stigma. The flowers attract the insects by their
bright colours and sweet smell. The wind helps the
flowers to scatter the pollen. Some trees cannot wait for
the insects waking from their winter sleep, so they ask
the wind to help them. The wind blows the pollen onto
the stigma. The trees help the wind by not having their
leaves until the poUen is scattered. Our lesson shows us
how the flowers, insects, wind all co-operate to put life
into the seeds.
Standard II.
Ida Thompson.
Age eight years.
Co-operation means helping and sharing. It helps us
to kill some of our dragons, such as selfishness and
greediness. We are having a Band of Mercy this after-
noon. We all say our pledge and take hold of hands to
show that we are going to help each other to keep it.
King Arthur wanted his knights to co-operate, so he made
them all promise to join together in trying to help others.
We know a story which shows us co-operation. It is
about one raindrop getting others to fall to the earth with
him and make a shower, so that the farmer's fields would
be watered and the farmer would be happy.
or \
1
TEMPERANCE
Ah ! little recks the labourer,
How near his work is holding him to God,
The loving labourer in space and time."
TEMPERANCE 189
Stafidard VI. One Week's Work.
CENTRAL THOUGHT:
Temperance.
** Not only to keep down the base in man,
But teach hig-h thoughts and amiable words,
And courtliness."
Daily Talks. Temperance is moderation. We must
be temperate in our thoughts.
This is most important, because our every word
and action depend on and result from thoughts.
Whether we eat or drink, work or play, a thought
has caused that action. Shakespeare knew this.
He said —
*' There's nothing either good or bad.
But thinking- makes it so."
Wordsworth calls thoughts "silent laws." He
says —
'' Some silent laws our hearts will make,
Which they shall long obey ;
We for the year to come
May take our temper from to-day ;
And from the blessed power that rolls
About, below, above,
We'll frame the measure of our souls.
They shall be tuned to love."
Tennyson, in his ** Idylls of the King," wrote the
story of King Arthur and his band of brave knights.
They all made a promise that they would be temperate
in thoughts and speech and actions. This was their
promise —
" Not only to keep down the base in man.
But teach high thoughts and amiable words.
And courtliness."
I90 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
They also promised to be temperate in speech in
these words —
" To speak no slander, no, nor listen to it ;
To honour his own word as if it were God's."
Of all the knights, and they were the bravest of
the brave, only one succeeded in keeping his vow.
This was Sir Galahad, who had pure thoughts only.
Tennyson describes him thus —
" My strength is as the strength of ten.
Because my heart is pure."
Sir Bedivere, the last of the knights, who was with
King Arthur at the end, had to fight against the
intemperate thought, covetousness. King Arthur had
twice commanded him to throw into the lake his
famous sword, Excalibur. Twice Sir Bedivere dis-
obeyed him. The third time, to keep back the
covetous thought, he had to close his eyes, 'Mest the
gems should blind his purpose." Then he conquered
his desire.
We can follow the example of the knights of King
Arthur, and try to have pure thoughts only, that
spring from the higher self. If we do not admit any
impure thoughts, then we shall be true to our higher
self. In the play *' Hamlet," Polonius gives to his
son Laertes, from whom he is parting for a long
time, some advice.
He says his son must not desert his true friends ;
he must not quarrel readily ; but if he must fight, be
brave. He must dress according to his rank ; he
must neither borrow nor lend ; then above all this,
he must be true to his higher self. He says —
'*This, above all, to thine own self be true ;
And it must follow, as the night the day.
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
Scripture. Last six Commandments teach temperance
in thoughts. Christ said, " Whoso hateth his
brother " has broken the sixth Commandment, for
he has murdered him in his heart.
TEMPERANCE 191
History. Reig-n of Anne.
Life of Marlborough — his great successes in the
War of the Spanish Succession — Blenheim, Ramillies,
Oudenarde, Malplaquet.
Though he conquered the intemperate thought
fear, he had others: avarice, selfishness — which,
unlike Sir Bedivere, he did not conquer.
Geography. Holland — physical features, industries,
people, and towns.
Temperance a characteristic of the Dutch. "The
Dutchman is slow in promising, but he always keeps
his promise."
Their temperate character has been determined by
the long struggle against the Spaniards, and their
perpetual struggle against water.
Reading". Account of Marlborough, from Warwick
History Readers, pp. 20-32.
Story of Sir Bedivere, from Longmans' New Supple-
mentary Readers, "Tales of the Round Table,"
pp. 151-60.
Writing. Essay on " The Dutch."
Account of Marlborough.
Essay on Temperance.
The Story of Sir Bedivere.
Grammar. Formation of sentences containing words
temper, temperance ; intemperate, intemperance ;
showing how used — example : to he temperate ;
to have temperance.
Domestic Economy. Temperance.
Usual meaning, ' ' Abstinence from alcoholic drinks. "
Action of alcohol o;i food and on blood. Evil of
drunkenness. From what intemperance in drink
springs — intemperance in thoughts. Whether we eat,
drink, work, or play, a thought has preceded that
action. These actions will be temperate or intem-
perate, as our thoughts are.
192 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Standard VII.
Bertha Stott.
Age thirteen, half-timer.
TEMPERANCE
Temperance means moderation, or to be evenly balanced.
Self-control is another word for temperance.
We must be temperate in our thoughts, words, and
actions, also in eating" and drinking. If we eat too much
we shall have indigestion, and if we eat too little we shall
be ill. If we drink too much tea it will harden the inside
of our stomach. Drinking beverages with alcohol in
them poisons the blood and weakens the brain. There is
temperance in work and play. We must do our work first,
and then we shall have earned our play. We must be
very careful about our speech. To keep us from speaking
harshly we must put a curb on our tongue. "A soft
answer turneth away wrath." The most important things
that we have to be temperate in are our thoughts. They
are the most important because thoughts lead to actions.
" There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes
it so."
If we are temperate in all these things we shall know
what it is to keep within bounds, not to go to extremes,
and to have moderation.
For examples, we could take the Puritans and the
Stuarts. The Puritans thought too little of pleasure, and
they thought it was wrong for a child to look at a picture-
book on Sunday. The Stuarts were just the opposite.
They went to extremes with pleasure. They thought too
much about it.
TEMPERANCE 193
Ada Highley.
Age t7velve.
TEMPERANCE
Temperance is our thought for this week.
It means moderation, or keeping within bounds, or
equally balanced, and another name for temperance is
self-control. We have to be temperate in our thoughts,
words, and actions. We have to be temperate in eating
and drinking, because if we eat too much we shall have
indigestion, and the people who eat too much are gluttons,
and drinking too much is just as bad as eating too much.
It is still worse to take too much of the beverages which
contain alcohol. Alcohol poisons the blood and weakens
the brain. We have also to be temperate in work and
play, because if we work and do not play our brains will
be dull and we shall not be able to do some of the best
work which is set before us. We need exercise and fresh
air, and that is why we have to go out and play. There
is a saying —
'' All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All play and no work makes Jack a trifling toy."
We have to be temperate in our speech, because some-
times we come out with nasty words and talk when we
should not talk, and this is not putting a curb on our
tongue.
It is most important to control our thoughts or to be
temperate in our thoughts, which lead to actions and
speech. Shakespeare says —
" There is nothing either good or bad.
But thinking makes it so."
The result of this is, if everybody was temperate there
would be harmony in the world. The Stuarts show us a
very bad example of intemperance, for they wanted too
much pleasure.
The Puritans were just the opposite, for they always
o
194 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
wanted to be working, and they did not believe in pleasure.
Sir Galahad is an example of one who had temperance.
Indeed, all the Knights of the Round Table had to take
a vow, and this is it —
'* Not only to keep down the base in man,
But to teach high thoughts, amiable words.
And courtliness."
We have to use God*s gifts, one and all, wisely and
well.
Last Sunday was Temperance Sunday. In the churches
and chapels sermons were preached on drink, urging
people to abstain from intoxicating drinks. The ministers
were saying how dangerous it was to be intemperate in
drink.
TEMPERANCE 195
May Dennis.
Age twelve.
TEMPERANCE
We generally use the word temperance as meaning
abstinence from drinking alcoholic liquors. Alcohol is a
poisonous liquor that will deaden the will. The result of
this is drunkenness. Temperance societies have been
formed by people to put down this evil. I am a member
of one, and we make a pledge or promise that we will not
drink any intoxicating drink. We try to persuade others
to join and make the same promise.
Intemperance in drink is a great evil, but intemperance
in thoughts is greater. All our actions — eating, drinking,
work, and pliay — must have a thought at the back of them.
So these actions will be temperate or intemperate, as our
thoughts are. Shakespeare said this in these lines —
*' There's nothing either good or bad,
But thinking makes it so."
Some people think a great deal about getting know-
ledge, and they try to get all they can. They spend
almost all their time getting more and more knowledge,
and they neglect nearly all other things but this.
This is not what we have to do. We have not only to
look after the mind, but we have to look after the soul and
also the body. If we do not look after the body we shall
have bad health. We must not, however, think too much
of the body. If we think too much about eating and
drinking we shall be wanting to do nothing but eat,
and our lives will be useless. Some people think about
nothing but their soul. They think if they go away and
live by themselves, they are good. This is not the way to
act. We ought to go amongst people and try to make
them good as well.
196 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Elsie Baines.
A^e ten.
TEMPERANCE
We are practising temperance. Two other words which
mean the same are — moderation and self-control. People
should be temperate in all things — in pleasure, dress, eat-
ing, drinking, and talking.
The tongue can make a lot of mischief. In beer, wine,
and spirits, there is something called alcohol. This
poisons the blood and ruins the health. Also the minds
become dull and unfitted for work. We can practise
temperance in our school by having self-control over eyes,
tongues, and fingers.
Having no control over our fingers leads to stealing,
and the eighth Commandment is broken. We have
examples in King Arthur's knights, who had to keep this
vow —
'' Not only to keep down the base in man,
But teach high thoughts, amiable words,
And courtliness."
Other lines of poetry to illustrate this, written by
Tennyson, are —
*' To speak no slander, no, nor listen to it ;
To honour his own word as if it were God's."
This teaches temperance in words — to be careful what
we say about other people. The ninth Commandment
illustrates this. On Monday we were told about a race
of people called the Spartans, who once lived in Greece.
They were very brave and temperate people. Then in
the history of Wales we read about a prince named
Llewellyn, who killed his favourite dog Gelert in a fit of
temper. We had a poem read to us about this. He had
no self-control, but afterwards was greatly ashamed of
himself.
So we see that intemperance in anything causes much
trouble and unhappiness, not only to one person, but to
many.
HARMONY
No one can acquire for another — not one ;
No one can grow for another — not one.
The song- is to the singer, and comes back most to him ;
The teaching is to the teacher^ and comes back most to him."
Walt Whitman.
or THE "*^ ^
UNIVERSITY
OF
i^UFORNAJ
HARMONY 199
Standard VII.
HARMONY
Extracts frojyi poems already learnt.
** Let knowledg^e grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well.
May make one music as before."
Tennyson's In Memoriam.
*' While with an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy.
We see into the life of things."
Wordsworth's Tintern Abbey.
*' Ah ! when shall all men's good
Be each man's rule, and universal peace
Lie like a shaft of light across the land? "
Tennyson's Golden Year.
Read to children ''Orpheus and his Lute" (Shakespeare).
Daily Talks. Ethical teaching. Harmony is a blending
together to make one perfect whole. When all work
"for the joy of the working" there will be a single-
ness of purpose, and that purpose should be as
Tennyson says, for "each man's good."
Harmony in ourselves is the result of each part of
us being cultivated in a right proportion —
" That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before."
The three parts of us which require food are —
i. The Body — food, light, air.
ii. The Mind — knowledge,
iii. The Soul — reverence.
200 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Our parents feed the body ; the mind is fed at
school with reading and thoughts ; but only ourselves
can g-ive food to the soul. Wordsworth says —
*' We'll frame the measure of our souls,
They shall be tuned to love."
By the discovery of steam, electricity, etc., man
has become master of great powers ; but still he has
within himself a greater power than these — harmony,
which Wordsworth says, if combined with the power
of joy, will make one see '* into the life of things."
Tennyson gives us an ideal in Sir Galahad, "whose
strength was as the strength often, because his heart
was pure," so he was the only one of the " Knights
of the Round Table " who saw the Holy Grail, or
who saw into the life of things.
Where possible the '' Thoughts " will be introduced
into the following subjects : —
Reading. Orpheus and his Lute.
Story of Sir Galahad, from "Tales of the
Round Table " (Longmans).
'* Tintern Abbey," from Wordsworth
Readers.
English. <
Composition. Essay on Harmony.
Story of Sir Galahad.
Biography of Wordsworth — typical poet
^ of Nature and Harmony.
History. The aim of Nelson and Wellington
in the Peninsular War (period of history
taken) was to preserve the "balance of
power."
Geography, Italy — physical features.
Harmony of colours, climate, scenery, and
the effect upon the people by making them
excel as artists in music, painting, and
dancing.
HARMONY 20I
Domestic Economy. Home life. Each one has
her own duties to perform to keep the home
in order, i.e. to produce harmony. Neglect
of duties — even one small duty by one mem-
ber—brings disorder.
Music. Singing of songs, part songs, and
unison songs.
*' Folk songs," where greater expression
is given to words by suitable music, e.g.
sea songs, nature songs. National songs of
other nations show expression of harmony
between people and surroundings.
Physical Training. Combination of movements
to produce harmony.
i. Physical exercises,
ii. Minuet.*
iii. Other rhythmic movements.*
Harmony and rhythm were first associated
with the dance — it is the "poetry of motion."
School Games. Here harmony must be preserved if any
benefit is to be derived from the play. Give-and-take,
good temper and courage, concentration and patience,
are all included in harmony.
* ii. and iii. with music.
202 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
Matilda Robinson.
Ag^e tivelve years.
HARMONY
Harmony is a blending tog-ether of parts to make a
perfect whole. We find harmony in colours. All the
primary colours blend together to make a pure white light.
There is harmony in sound. We call this harmony music.
Mozart had a great longing for harmony in sound. He
showed it when he composed a great many of the best
pieces of music. We find both harmony of colour and of
sound in nature. Wordsworth felt this harmony and was
always wanting to be with nature. Emerson was the
same. He was so full of love for nature that he wrote a
piece of poetry called '' The Apology." In it he made ex-
cuses to his friends for his absence. He said —
'' Think me not unkind and rude,
That I walk alone in grove and glen ;
I go to the god of the wood
To fetch his word to men."
We can all see this beauty in a rippling stream when
there is green grass and trees on each side, and the sun is
making it sparkle as if there were little diamonds in it.
We can all see the birds and how beautiful they look, and
we can hear them singing so sweetly. Like nature, we
can be in harmony ourselves. To do this we must let our
mind and soul grow together. Tennyson says so in these
words —
" Let knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before."
HARMONY 203
Gladys Briggs.
Age eleven years.
HARMONY
Harmony is a blending together of parts to make a
perfect whole. We can have harmony in sound, which is
music. Mendelssohn felt this harmony, and expressed it.
Longfellow wrote about a man called Hiawatha. He
influenced men, women, animals, and nature herself.
When he sang or played he softened the hearts of men by
the pathos of his music ; he could stir the souls of the
women to passion or melt them to pity, and he could
charm the brook and the animals to silence. Longfellow
said he sang of peace, which is only another name for
harmony. We can also have harmony in colours. The
seven colours all blending together make one perfect white
light. White is a sign of purity. There is harmony both
of sound and colour in nature. We can see this harmony
in the woods in any season of the year. In the spring-
time, when the trees are just beginning to leaf and the
grass is green, there is harmony. In summer-time, when
all the flowers are blooming and the trees are darker green
and the sky is blue and the stream is rippling, there is
the same spirit of harmony. In the autumn, when the
brown leaves are all getting blown about and there are the
lovely sunsets, there is the same spirit again. Wordsworth
felt this harmony, and sometimes the flowers made him
happy and at other times sad. The daffodils made him
happy. He says so in these lines —
" And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."
He said that flowers made him sad in these lines —
" To me the meanest flower that blows
Can give thoughts that do often lie
Too deep for tears."
204 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
We can have harmony between ourselves. Tennyson
says this in these lines —
" Let knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before."
Steam, electricity, and water are powers. We know
what great things these can do. Wordsworth says that
harmony is a great power ; it can help us to see into the
life of things. Sir Galahad was the knight of King Arthur
who did see into the life of things. He was pure in
heart.
HARMONY 205
Edith Aldam.
Ag-e ten years.
HARMONY
Harmony means being in tune. The first thing we
must have harmony in is in sound. Sounds in harmony
make music. There can be harmony in colours. The
seven colours of the rainbow are examples of this. They
all blend together and make one perfect light. The third
thing we must have harmony in is within ourselves. Our
mind and soul must agree. Tennyson's lines about
harmony are —
*' Let knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell ;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before."
The food for our soul is reverence and the food for our
mind is knowledge.
There are some colours which do not harmonize, but in
Nature they do. The bluebell and its green leaves is an
example. Wordsworth considers that harmony is a great
power in these lines —
*' While with an eye made quite by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy.
We see into the life of things. "
We ought to have harmony in the house, at school, and
everywhere.
There is a proverb which says — ** It takes two to make
a quarrel, but one can always end it."
War shows there is not harmony between two countries.
They disagree and then war results.
Tennyson's Hues to illustrate harmony are —
" When shall all men's good
Be each man's rule, and universal peace
Lie like a shaft of light across the land ? "
2o6 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
There are two of the Beatitudes which teach harmony.
They are —
** Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God."
" Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called the children of God."
There was harmony in the *' Home at Bethany," where
Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived. Jesus often went there
to rest. One of Sir Edwin Arnold's poems which teaches
harmony is —
** Have goodwill to all that lives.
Letting" unkindness die, and greed and wrath.
So that your lives be made
Like soft airs passing by."
In school a child can try to make harmony in her class.
LIST OF POEMS
SUITABLE FOR ETHICAL TEACHING
** Let us be content, in work,
To do the thing- we can, and not presume
To fret, because it's Uttle."
E. B. Browning.
" For furthering- such increase of knowledge on this matter, may
we beg the reader to accept two small pieces of advice ?
" The first is, no wise to suppose that poetry is a superficial cursory
business, which may be seen through to the very bottom, so soon as
one inclines to cast his eye upon it.
" We speak of that poetry which Masters write, which aims not at
'furnishing- a languid mind with fantastic shows and indolent emotions,'
but at incorporating the everlasting Reason of man in forms visible to
his sense and suitable to it ; and of this we say, that to know it, is no
slight task, but rather that, being the essence of all sciences, it
requires the purest of all study for knowing it." Carlvle.
ON THE POETRY MEMORIZED 209
ON THE POETRY MEMORIZED
The following is a list of the poems that have been learned
by the children. They have not all been memorized in one
year, but at various times in their school life. They may not
know them all verbally correctly ; but having once learned
them, they will recognize them when they meet them again
as old friends, and be glad to renew their acquaintance.
Having once learned a poem or part of one, as much use
is made of it as possible afterwards, so as to impress it
on the memory by association, as well as to enforce the
teaching for which the poem was chosen. I ought to say
here that the children are not kept entirely to this serious
kind of poetry ; they know and enjoy Kipling's verses
from the Jungle Books, R. L. Stevenson's, Eugene Field's,
and, as a great treat occasionally, Edward Lear's Nonsense
Verses.
I do not agree with those teachers who take a year
to study one poet's works. It is not the poet and his
teachings that are so essential for the child, but certain
moral truths ; and it is much more valuable, and certainly
more interesting to see what many minds have said
about the Central Thought that is being studied, than to
confine the children to one author, for a poet wanders
from one subject to another. His mental breadth is too
great for a child to follow. It is better to take one idea
and impress that thoroughly on the child's mind, enriching
it with many examples. Our children's school lives are
so short. Could they be extended even for a couple of
years, the same objection would not be so strongly made.
2IO CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
POEMS MEMORIZED
I.
2.
3-
4-
5-
6.
7-
8.
9-
lO.
II.
12.
14.
15-
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23-
24.
25-
26.
27.
28.
29.
30-
31-
32.
33-
Selections from '* As You Like It."
,, ,, various plays of Shakespeare.
" The Boy and the Angel " . Robert Browning.
** Pippa Passes " (selections) . . ,,
''The Epilogue " .... ,,
'' A Child's Thoughts of God " E. B. Browning.
''My Kate"
Selections from " Tintern Abbey " . Wordsworth.
,, ,, " Ode to Immortality " ,,
,, ,, " To my Sister" . ,,
,, ,, " She was a Phantom " ,,
*' Daffodils by Ullswater "
" The Primrose of the Rock "
Part of "Peter Bell"
"The Tables Turned" .
" Ring out Wild Bells " . . . Tennyson.
Selections from "The Idylls of the King" ,,
,, ,, " The CEnone " . ,,
,, ,, " The Princess " . ,,
" In Memoriam " . ,,
„ " The Golden Year "
Verses from " The Jungle Book "
"L'Envoi" from "The Seven Seas"
" The Recessional "
" Puck of Pook's Hill " (last poem)
" The Arrow and the Song "
Selections from " Hiawatha " . . ,,
,, ,, "TheLadderof St. Augustine " ,,
Lines on " Drudgery " . . . George Herbert.
Selections from "The Ancient Mariner" Coleridge.
" Sir Launfal " (selections) . . Lowell.
Part of " Each and All " . . Emerson.
"The Apology" .... ,,
R. Kipling.
Longfellow.
SHORT NOTES ON SOME OF THE
CHARACTER STUDIES
** Keep thy soul's large window pure from wrong"."
E. B. Browning.
CHARACTER STUDIES 215
ABOU-BEN-ADHEM
This is a poem written by Leigh Hunt, in which he
shows us that love for our fellow-man is love for God.
It illustrates Christ's teaching- that " Inasmuch as ye do it
unto the least of these My brethren, ye have done it
unto Me."
Abou-Ben-Adhem awoke one night from a deep sleep,
and saw an angel in the room writing in a book of gold.
He was not afraid, but asked the angel what he was
writing. "The names of those who love the Lord,"
replied the angel. Abou, on being told that his name
was not there, said: "Write me as one who loves his
fellow-men." The angel wrote and vanished. The next
night he came again and showed the names of those
whom God had blessed. And lo ! Ben-Adhem's name led
all the rest, thus making it plain to Abou that God
accepted as love for Himself, love given to our fellow-men.
y
SIR BEDIVERE
Sir Bedivere was the last knight to be with King Arthur
before he died.
He was loyal and sympathetic, but one fault spoilt his
character and also the last hours of his master's life.
The magic sword Excalibur was given Arthur by the
Lady of the Lake.
Before he died he wished to return it ; but as he was
too feeble to throw it into the middle of the lake himself,
he asked Sir Bedivere to throw it back into the water
whence it came.
But the richness of the sword tempted the knight, and
he hid it in the marshes. When he returned, the king
asked him what he had seen. He knew by the answer that
he had not thrown it.
A second time he yielded to temptation.
The third time the King became very angry, so Sir
Bedivere obeyed, and the sword was received by the hand
that gave it to the King.
If Sir Bedivere had only had self-control, what a comfort
he might have been to the King at the end I
2i6 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
ALFRED THE GREAT
Alfred the Great was born at Wantage, in Berkshire, in
the year 849. He ascended the throne in 871. He fought
and won many battles with the Danes. His victories, and
the success of his whole career, were no doubt due to
the order and method he observed in the carrying- out of
his plans. This is shown up clearly in contrast with the
recklessness of the Danes. Alfred recognized that good
order was the foundation of good government. He
organized a national militia, and built a fleet, as he
saw that the failures of the Saxons to repulse invading
tribes was due to an unmethodical, unprepared mode of
procedure. He drew up a code of laws, by which people
could regulate their lives. He appointed good judges to
see that justice was done. He is rightly called "The
Great" because his aim was high, and he was so orderly
and methodical in all his plans.
^/
CORDELIA
The character of Cordelia in the play of ''King Lear"
forms an ideal one for us. All through the play her char-
acter shines out against the wickedness of her sisters. She
possesses all the virtues that, as Tennyson says, '' lead life
to sov^ereign power," and we see the result in her gentle,
loving disposition. Her father said of her: '' Her voice
was ever soft, gentle, and low, an excellent thing in
woman."
In the division of her father's kingdom her courage and
self-control are evident. She would not tell her love for
her father for the sake of gaining a portion of his lands ;
her sisters might flatter him, but Cordelia would "love
and be silent." Later on she proved her love by her
gentle, tender care of the father whom her sisters had so
sworn they loved, and so basely deserted.
CHARACTER STUDIES 217
COLUMBUS
Christopher- Columbus, the celebrated navigator and
discoverer of the Western World, was born in the city of
Genoa about 1446. He spent most of his life on the sea,
and became one of the most skilful navigators of Europe.
He was convinced that by sailing across the Atlantic in
a westerly direction, new countries would be discovered.
In order to undertake this enterprise, he needed money
and the patronage of a sovereign. His proposed voyage
was looked upon as absurd by many of the Courts of
Europe ; but, undaunted, he persevered, and at last Queen
Isabella of Spain fitted out three small vessels for the
enterprise. Columbus showed his self-reliance in not
allowing the treatment he received by almost every one
to turn him from his purpose. He set sail, and for many
days all went well. Then murmurs arose among the
crew. His self-reliance was wonderful ; not only did he
remain true to his former opinions himself, but he infused
courage and hope into his faint-hearted and refractory
sailors. At last indications of land appeared ; and in
August, 1492, he landed safely on one of the West
India Islands — San Salvador. Thus to the self-reliance
of one man do we owe the discovery of our Western
World.
ST. CHRISTOPHER
St. Christopher wished to show his zeal for God by
doing something very arduous, and so he went to a
hermit and begged to be given some hard duty. The
hermit told him to build a hut by a stream and carry
people across. Poor Christopher was most disappointed
at having only this simple drudgery to do — such a very
ordinary, simple thing. But it was an order, and he re-
solved to obey it to the letter. For a long time he per-
formed his monotonous task, until one night a child asked
to be carried across. In mid-stream the child was so
heavy that Christopher became exhausted, and with diffi-
culty reached the other side. Then the little Child, Who
was the Christ, declared Himself, and Christopher felt
rewarded for his steadfastness to his duty.
2i8 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
DAVID AND JONATHAN
David's great feat of killing the giant Goliath drew
Jonathan greatly to him. The Bible says, *'The soul of
Jonathan was knit with the soul of David," implying that
they loved each other. They made a covenant that they
would be brothers, and as a sign, Jonathan took off his
robes, sword, and spear, and gave them to David.
There came a time in the lives of these two when
Jonathan had an opportunity of showing his friendship,
and although it was possible that he might get into
trouble with his father, Jonathan proved true to David.
After a time, however, they agreed to part, and made a
solemn oath to God that David and h.is children should
always be faithful friends to Jonathan and his children.
SIR GARETH
Sir Gareth was one of King Arthur's knights. To
attain this position he had to make a promise to his mother
that he would work in the King's kitchen for a year and a
day without telling" who he was. He had to do the meanest
kind of work, and much joking went on at his expense ;
but this he took all in good part. He did his work as
cheerfully as possible, so that no one would know that it
was not the kind of work to which he had been accus-
tomed. In other words, he performed his work of
drudgery, as in the sight of God, and so ennobled his
work that George Herbert might have thought of him
when he wrote : —
" A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine ;
Who sweeps a room as for Thy laws,
Makes that and the action fine."
CHARACTER STUDIES 219
THE DEERSLAYER
The Deerslayer is a character in one of Fenimore
Cooper's books. Many boys have read this book ; they
love the stirring- adventures in it. The Hind was a
Canadian frontierman, and whilst rescuing- an Indian girl,
was captured. He was condemned to be tortured; but so
well known was he as a man of honour, that the Indians
allowed him to pay a farewell visit to his friends, relying"
solely on his promise to return at the end of two days.
He had ample opportunities to escape during those two
days, and his friends urged him to do so ; but the Deer-
slayer's ''word was his bond," and he returned to the
Indians to await with fortitude whatever fate might
be in store for him.
DUKE OF WELLINGTON, 1769-1852
Arthur Wellesley was born in Dublin. He was educated
at a military college in France and entered the British army.
In the same year that Wellesley was born in Dublin,
Napoleon Buonaparte was born in Corsica. Buonaparte,
by the year 1804, had made himself Emperor of France,
and by 1808 was master of continental Europe. Then he
occupied Spain and Portugal, and made his brother King
of Spain. The Spaniards could not cope with the French
army and appealed to Britain for help. In 1809 Wellesley
landed at Lisbon, and took command of the British and
Spanish forces. He defeated the French at Douro and
Talavera, took the stronghold Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz
from the French, defeated them at Salamanca and Vittoria,
and finally drove them out of the Peninsula altogether.
Napoleon was forced to abdicate, and went to Elba as
prisoner in 1814.
In 1815 Napoleon escaped from Elba to his old guards,
and entered Paris as master of the country.
The British, Belgian, Dutch, and Hanoverian troops,
under Wellington, and the Prussians, under Blucher,
assembled in Belgium. June i8th, 181 5, a battle was fought
220 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
on the field of Waterloo, and the French army was utterly
ruined.
Napoleon tried to escape to America, but was captured
and sent as a life prisoner to St. Helena, where he died
in 1821.
This victory virtually ended Wellington's military career.
Honours were showered on him from all quarters.
The remainder of his life was devoted to statesmanship.
As a statesman, he held a lower place than as a warrior.
He could calculate perfectly the power of an armed bat-
talion, but not the power of an armed opinion. His
soldiers had perfect confidence in him as a warrior, but
the people did not trust him so implicitly as a statesman.
As soldier and as statesman, his courage and integrity
were beyond question. Tennyson says of him —
** Remember all
He spoke among you, and the man who spoke ;
Who never sold the truth to serve the hour,
Nor paltered with Eternal God for power ;
Who let the turbid streams of rumour flow
Thro' either babbling world of high and low ;
Whose life was work, whose language rife
With rugged maxims hewn from life ;
Who never spoke against a foe ;
Whose eighty winters freeze with one rebuke
All great self-seekers trampling on the right :
Truth-teller was our England's Alfred named ;
Truth-lover was our English Duke ;
Whatever record leap to light
He never shall be shamed."
CHARACTER STUDIES 221
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
It is just one hundred years since Benjamin Franklin
made his name and mark in America. Although only the
son of a poor tallow-chandler, yet by his perseverance,
courage, and self-knowledge he rose to be an honour
and help to his country. Being apprenticed to his brother,
who was a printer, he had access to many books, and at
thirteen years of age began to write for the press. His
name is associated in many ways for the good and
advancement of his fellows.
He set on foot the first public library in Philadelphia.
He started the first fire insurance company.
He raised subscriptions for a public academy.
He proposed a plan for the union of American provinces.
He discovered the identity of electricity and lightning.
America sent him to England to represent her at a con-
troversy, and afterwards to France, and in both countries
his sterling worth was fully recognized. One of his last
acts was to sign a paper for the abolition of slavery.
He was most orderly in the management of his time and
used to keep a time table, to which he adhered most strictly.
He rose every morning at four, and retired at 10 p.m.
When he woke he asked himself, " What good shall I do
this day?" In the evening, '*What good have I done
this day?"
SIR GALAHAD Z^
Sir Galahad at the outset of his career obtained the
shield which could "only be hung round the neck of the
worthiest knight in the world." His life was one of con-
stant battling with the evil forces of the world. He was
able to draw the sword from the sheath which Sir Bors
and Sir Percivale failed to do. It was girt about his waist
by a strange gentlewoman, and she told him that the arm of
the knight who wielded it should never grow weary, and
that he should always have joy in his heart. Sir Galahad
was able to do many acts. He cured King Pelles, and after-
wards an old cripple. He did not desire the life of this
world, and was told that he should "find the life of the
222 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
soul." After the vision of the Holy Grail, the story says
he was borne by angels into heaven. He said of himself —
" My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure."
Harmony between mind and soul made this knight pure
in heart, and of him could be said —
*' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
HYPATIA
Hypatia was a great teacher who lived in Alexandria
about fifteen hundred years ago. She was the daughter
of Theon, a great mathematician. She studied in Athens
and learnt the philosophy of Plato, which she practised
and taught afterwards. At that time the Christian religion
was the religion of the Roman Empire ; but as the Romans
were only nominal Christians, they persecuted all those
who did not call themselves by the same name.
Cyril, the Bishop of Alexandria, was jealous of the influ-
ence of Hypatia over the people, and especially that she
had the friendship of Orestes, the governor. Cyril insti-
gated some fanatic monks to attack her ; they had already
destroyed all the art treasures and Greek learning they
could lay their hands upon. She was murdered while
driving to one of her lectures, and was dragged by these
monks and the rabble to a Christian church, where she
was torn limb from limb.
SIR HENRY IRVING
The greatest actor of modern times attained his fame
by his steady perseverance. Bram Stoker says that al-
though Irving saw the great possibilities of the "Merchant
of Venice" as a great spectacular play, he would not under-
take it until he had seen the Jew in his own land, and in
his own dress. He persevered and persevered to gain the
likeness to the real Jew in his acting. Before he produced
" Faust," he travelled all the way to Nuremberg to see
for himself what would be the most suitable and picturesque
setting for the play. He did nothing in slipshod manner.
He persevered to make every detail perfect.
CHARACTER STUDIES 223
JOAN OF ARC
Edward III had claimed the crown of France through
his mother, the daughter of the French king. As the
French did not acknowledge his right, he began a war
with France which lasted a hundred years.
In 1346 a terrible blow was inflicted on the French at
the battle of Cre9y. They rose and struggled on, until
in 1356 they went down under another crushing defeat at
Poictiers. The war went on, and in 1415 France was
again laid prostrate at the battle of Agincourt. France
was wrecked, devastated. Deliverance was now to come
from a simple peasant maiden, Joan of Arc, who was
born at the village of Domremy. She had never learned
to read or write, but spent her time in spinning or minding
her father's flock. As she worked, voices within her bade
her be diligent in work and prayer, for she was to do a
great work. When she was seventeen, the voices told
her that her mission was to save France from the English
and set the Dauphin on the throne. At first the Dauphin
treated her request that she might lead his army as mad-
ness, but at last he yielded to her wish. She set out to
Orleans, which the English were then besieging.
When the English saw her at the front of the French
army they thought she was a witch and were terrified.
She made her way into Orleans, and, once in the town,
fought so stubbornly that the English were forced to with-
draw. The whole city was ablaze with bonfires, and the
streets rang with the cry *' Welcome to the Maid of
Orleans!" She then begged the Dauphin to go to Rheims
to be crowned. He feared for his safety, for the English held
all the strongholds which lay between him and Rheims.
Joan bet to work and succeeded in taking these. Then
the Dauphin went to Rheims and was crowned. All
through the campaign Joan had obeyed the voices within
her, and at every step had been victorious. Now they
bade her go home, for her mission was accomplished. She
begged permission of the King, but he would not let her
go ; she was too useful to him.
Then success deserted her. She fell into the hands of
the French Duke of Burgundy, who was fighting against
the King, and was sold by him to the English. They
224 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
made her undergo a long trial ; and though they could
find no fault in her, they condemned her to death as a
heretic and witch. Charles — King as she had made him —
allowed her, the saviour of France, to be hunted to death
without making an effort to save her ; and on the 30th of
May, 143 1, she was burned to death in the market-place
of Rouen.
SIR LAUNFAL
The story of Sir Launfal was written by James Russell
Lowell. On a perfect day in June, Sir Launfal remem-
bered a vow he had made to find the Holy Grail. He
bade his servant get ready his golden spurs and richest-
mail, and said he would never sleep in a bed until he had
begun his search. He slept on rushes and dreamt that
he set forth to seek the Holy Grail. As he went along, he
saw a leper who moaned and begged. Sir Launfal loathed
him and thought he was the only blot on that lovely
summer morning. He threw the poor wretch a piece of
gold. The leper did not touch the gold, and said he
would rather have a crust or a blessing from a poor man,
than gold given so unlovingly. Then his dream changed.
It was winter and Sir Launfal, who had grown old, re-
turned to his castle to find preparations were being made
for Christmas festivities, and another was in his place.
He turned and wandered to a desert. His clothes were
thin and old, and he had only a crust of bread. Again he
saw a leper, who begged an alms. Sir Launfal pitied the
leper, and shared with him his crust, and broke the ice of
the river that he might give him a drink. Then there was
a change in the leper ; he stood before him glorified, and
said —
*' Thou hast spent thy life for the Holy Grail ;
Behold, it is here — this cup which thou
Didst fill at the streamlet for me but now ;
The Holy Supper is kept, indeed.
In whatso we share with another's need."
Then Sir Launfal awoke, and said he had no need to go
away in search of the Holy Grail, he could find it in his
own castle.
CHARACTER STUDIES 225
LEONARDO DA VINCI
This great artist, mechanician, and inventor lived in the
fifteenth century, that wonderful period made memorable
by the lives of Joan of Arc and Christopher Columbus.
Leonardo had such a high ideal of the mission and person
of Christ, that he longed to impress upon the world this
divine conception through his painting. He painted '' The
Last Supper," but was twelve years before he could satisfy
himself with the face of the Christ.
Michael Angelo and Raphael learnt much from him ;
but while they gained honours and the world's applause,
he died almost unknown. He has been called the Fore-
runner, because many things that he started were finished
and perfected by others, who got the credit. He was full
of ** ideas."
Although his ideals were high and his talents great, yet
nothing he did seemed perfected. Even his great picture
showed signs of damp in his lifetime, and his equestrian
statue was destroyed by the mob. He nearly invented a
flying machine, but a servant was killed in trying it. One
picture though remains in all its beauty — '' Monna Lisa."
LINCOLN
The famous President of America was born in 1809.
He acquired arithmetic during the winter evenings after
a hard day's work. He mastered grammar during odd
moments, while he was keeping a small shop, and he
studied law when following the business of a surveyor.
He put into practice the maxim " A change of occupation
is rest." He never missed an opportunity of improving
himself. No wonder he became one of the greatest of
presidents. And he always had time to give to others
when they needed him. He mapped out his time and
made the most use of his opportunities. He was a true
patriot and worked hard for the welfare of his country.
He issued the proclamations freeing all .slaves of the
Union, after freeing the slaves in the rebel states. It was
his great force of character that kept the country at this
226 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
troublous time free from foreign complications. It is said
that his second inaugural address as President is one of
the greatest speeches the world has ever heard.
In a speech made after he became Ambassador to
America, Mr. Bryce quotes the story of him that "on
one occasion early in his career, Lincoln went to a public
meeting, not in the least intending to speak ; but presently,
being called for by the audience, rose in obedience to the
call and delivered a long address, so ardent and thrilling,
that the reporters dropped their pencils and, absorbed in
watching him, forgot to take down what he said. At the
dedication of a soldiers' burial ground at Gettysburg, he
said a few plain words which did not seem to have an
extraordinary effect on his hearers, but sank into the heart
and conscience of America and Europe."
He was shot by an actor at the age of sixty-five years.
SIR THOMAS MORE
Sir Thomas More was a brilliant writer and orator, a
distinguished statesman and judge.
He was born at the end of the fifteenth century, and left
school when he was fifteen years of age. He was first a
page in the house of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who
predicted a great future for him. His wit and conversa-
tional powers were even then beyond the ordinary. He
studied law at Oxford, and afterwards became a member
of Parliament, and was knighted. Henry VIII thought
most highly of him and gave him many honours. But
although he was a great celebrity in public life, it was in
the family circle that he shone the most. He educated
his daughters most highly, and they were his great friends.
It was against his desire that he became Lord Chancellor,
for it would take him more away from home.
When the King married Anne Boleyn, More would not
take the oath of allegiance to the King as Head of the
Church, and was tried for treason and executed.
A beautiful story of the home life of Sir Thomas More
has been written by Miss Manning, which I am sure
would interest all boys and girls who love history and
good reading.
CHARACTER STUDIES 227
SIR ISAAC NEWTON
l^
Isaac Newton was born on Christmas Day, 1642, at the
village of Woolsthorpe in Lincolnshire.
In his early years he was not at all a bright scholar,
and showed no signs of any future greatness.
He was fond of using tools and making models —
amongst them a clock, a windmill, and sundial.
When he grew up, he made many wonderful discoveries.
He found out the nature of light and the force of gravita-
tion. Then the wonders of the heavenly bodies attracted
him, and he spent night after night studying them through
his telescope. Then came a great trouble.
When Newton had been at work for nearly twenty years
studying the theory of light, his little dog Diamond upset
a candle on his valuable papers and destroyed them all.
Instead of punishing the dog severely, as most men would
have done, he simply said, ''Oh, Diamond, thou little
knowest the mischief thou hast done ! "
We could have no more fitting illustration for our
Thought "Self-control," than Sir Isaac Newton.
ROBERT OWEN
Robert Owen, the pioneer of the Co-operative Movement,
was born in 1771 in a little Welsh village. His parents
were poor, but very highly respected.
At school he was very clever, even brilliant, and at
home he was particularly good-humoured and obliging.
Between the ages of nine and nineteen he was engaged
in retail shops in London, Lincoln, and Manchester. At
nineteen he began as a manufacturer for himself, and at
twenty-eight, finding business not good, he went as a
manager to New Lanark. Here, as in Lancashire, he
found the factory hands and the workers generally in a
very wretched state of poverty and crime — poor wages
and dear food made them dishonest and unable to lift
themselves out of this living death. Robert Owen deter-
mined to alter the lives of these working people, or rather
to make them help themselves and each other to alter the
228 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
existent state of things. He taught them the necessity
of cleanliness, and also how to co-operate in the purchase
of articles of food at wholesale prices and afterwards to
sell these purchases to each other without the cost of the
'* middleman."
Thus he established the rudiments of the co-operative
system, and he urged the workers in other large centres of
factory life to do the same, and, as a result of his efforts,
the Rochdale pioneers opened the first co-operative stores
in 1844.
Owen opened schools for his people, and was one of the
first teachers to get pupils to practise self-discipline. He
died in 1858 at Newtown, his birthplace.
PERSEUS
Perseus was the son of Danae and the god Zeus. He
was saved, like Moses and Jesus, from death when a
baby, and brought up carefully by his mother. The ruler
of the island, wishing to get rid of him, sent him in quest
of the head of Medusa. Although Perseus knew why he
w^as sent on this errand, yet he had such confidence in
himself that undismayed he set out, for he knew also that
as long as he worked on nature's lines, all would go well.
As he foresaw, he was befriended, for the nature nymphs
gave him the helmet which made him invisible, the winged
sandals which bore their wearer through the sky, and the
wallet. Hermes added his own curved sword, and Athena
a shield of polished brass. Thus armed and protected, he
was able to bring the head of Medusa to the cruel King.
It was while returning with this head that he saved the
maiden Andromeda from the dragon. He married her
and brought her to his mother and then returned the
helmet, sword, wallet, and sandals to Hermes, and the
Gorgon's head and shield to Athena.
CHARACTER STUDIES 229
THE STORY OF PIPPA
(Taken from the Poem *' Pippa Passes,"
BY R. Browning)
Pippa was a poor little Italian girl, who had to work
very hard as a silk winder in one of the silk mills at
Asolo. She was always bright and happy, because she
put joy into her work.
New Year's Day was the only holiday she had in the
whole year, so Pippa resolved to go for a long walk and
have a happy time. First she went up the hillside and
entered a beautiful garden and stood before a large house
where some rich people lived.
They had everything money could buy, but had no joy
in their lives, because they had done wrong. The ragged,
barefooted girl heard them talking, and saw by their faces
they were miserable. Now Pippa was a very sweet singer
and sang beautiful words that she had never learnt from a
book. The voice within told her the words to sing. Seeing
the unhappy look on the faces of the man and woman,
Pippa felt she must sing. Her sweet song went to the
man's heart, and he knew how wicked he had been and
resolved to be a better man. During the day everywhere
Pippa went, her sweet singing made people know the
difference between good and bad.
When Pippa's holiday was over and she was going to
bed, the following verse came into her mind : —
*' All service ranks the same with God ;
His presence fills our earth ;
Each only as God wills, can work."
Pippa knew that the verse meant that she was only
a poor little silk winder, but that if she did her work
well and put joy into it, then her work would be divine.
Q 2
230 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
ROBERT OF SICILY '
Robert of Sicily is a character in one of Longfellow's
poems. The poem opens with King- Robert in church.
He is attending vespers in all the pomp and magnificence
of his kingly office. As he listens to the prayers, one
passage, which is constantly repeated in Latin, catches his
ears, and he asks for a translation of it. It is — " He has
put down the mighty from their seat, and has exalted them
of low degree."
King Robert sneers and remarks that "no power can
push him from the throne," and then he falls asleep. On
awaking, a great change has taken place for him. The
church is in darkness, and instead of his costly robes, he
is now only half clothed in rags. He makes an eff'ort to
get out, and at last manages to arouse the sexton, who
thinks the King is either a drunkard or a beggar.
Reaching the castle, he finds the change is there also,
for another king, his counterpart, rules in his place, who
laughs when Robert addresses him as an impostor and
who orders him to be taken and dressed as a jester, which
is to be his future position.
The poem continues the account of all the hardships
which accompany poor Robert's downfall, especially as in
his position as jester he forms part of the new King's
retinue on his way to Rome to keep Easter.
On Easter Sunday, the jester awakes with a new feeling
within him — that of the Christ, of goodwill to all men,
and, kneeling on his chamber floor, he realizes the meaning
of all that has happened.
The King and his followers, with the jester, whose heart
is now full of humility and love, return to Palermo, and
there the angel, who has usurped the throne for the tim e,
tells King Robert that as he has now learnt the lesson of
goodwill, he is once more to assume his former office as
King, which he does, prepared to rule his people with none
of his former pride and arrogance.
CHARACTER STUDIES . 231
JOHN RUSKIN
John Ruskin was born in that famous year 18 19, when
so many of our great people were born ; among them,
Queen Victoria. His mother made him ''take pains"
with everything he did, from his early childhood. She
forced him to learn long chapters from the Bible by heart
as well as to read through every syllable of it aloud. It
was very hard and trying, but Ruskin said it made him
"patient, accurate, and resolute." He was a great
teacher and writer, and in all he did he showed the result
of his early training. He took twenty years to write
Modern Painters^ a book in five volumes, which he wrote
because he felt and knew he had a message to deliver.
He wrote some of it in Italy, and he says in speaking of
his work afterwards that it was "Serious, enthusiastic
worship, and wonder, and work : up at six, homeward the
moment the sun went down. " He, like other good teachers,
had self-reverence, for he says : " God is not in the earth-
quake, nor in the fire, but in the 'Still Small Voice.'"
He founded the St. George's Guild, and the laws of the
guild are all taught in the thoughts we take' in school.
Every boy should read at least the first part of Sesame and
Lilies^ and the girls the second part.
232 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
COURTESY
PHILEMON AND BAUCIS
A long- time ago an old man and his wife, Philemon and
Baucis, sat at their cottage door, enjoying the sunset and
the quiet cool evening before bedtime.
They were very poor and had to work very hard for
a living. But they were contented and happy.
Suddenly they heard the shouts of children and barking
of dogs, which seemed to come nearer and nearer.
They both expressed their sorrow at the rudeness of the
village children, especially towards strangers.
The noise came nearer, and two strangers came to their
gate. The old couple greeted them kindly, and, bidding
them welcome, offered them food — apologizing for the
small quantity.
The pitcher containing the milk seemed miraculous,
for it supplied as much as they required.
The old couple even gave up their bed to the strangers,
out of their kindness of heart.
When morning came, Philemon went a little way with
the strangers, and saw to his surprise a great lake, where
the village had been, and a fine mansion in place of his
humble cottage.
Philemon and Baucis lived there, doing all they could
to help others.
One day they could not be found ; but in front of the
mansion were two large trees, an oak and a linden, with
bouglis entwined.
As they waved to and fro they seemed to say, '' I am
Baucis." '* I am Philemon." "Welcome, welcome,
stranger."
So ended the lives of the kind old couple.
This is only a fairy tale, but what lessons in "Courtesy "
can be learnt from it !
CHARACTER STUDIES 233
SOCRATES ^
Socrates, a great Greek philosopher and teacher, was
born near Athens in 469 B.C. Though ugly in appearance,
he must have had a beautiful nature, for he was greatly
beloved by the youth of Athens, whom he instructed in
the great truth he taught, ** Man, know thyself." His
method of teaching, which was by drawing from them,
by questions, facts about themselves, which they had not
realized they knew before, set them to find out more about
themselves. Amongst his pupils were Plato, Alcibiades,
and Xenophon, all great men in their own particular
sphere. Socrates served as a soldier for some time ; but
afterwards settled down in Athens, where he continued
teaching in the market-places and gardens all those who
cared to join his school.
In 399 B.C., he was charged with not believing in the
gods of Athens, Apollo, Jupiter, etc., and also with leading
the young men to think as he thought, was found guilty
and put to death, much mourned by his many pupils and
friends.
Plato has written much about Socrates, and given
a full description of the hours preceding his death and
the memorable talks he had with his pupils. People who
have studied his teachings say that he taught the same
truths as Shelley, Wordsworth, and Browning; but because
he was not teaching in the same way, and the very same
things as the paid teachers, he was misunderstood.
234 CHARACTER FORMING IN SCHOOL
/
THEOCRITE
Theocrite was a poor workman. He worked very hard
in a ding-y cell, and only earned a very little. Yet he
was always happy. He sang- over his work and praised
God the whole day. Near Easter Theocrite thinks of the
Pope, praising God in the grand cathedral at Rome, and
wishes he could be there to praise in that "great way."
God grants Theocrite his wish. His place in the cell is
taken by the angel Gabriel, and Theocrite becomes the
Pope. He wears the grand robes, hears the beautiful
organ, but thinks so much of his position that he forgets
to praise God as he used. He, perhaps, repeats words of
praise with the beautiful choir, but they are not from his
heart.
One day he hears an angel speaking to him, telling him
how disappointed he is. He was doing more work for
God while joyfully singing over his daily work in the
cell; but now God "missed that little human praise."
The praise of the organ and choir were not involuntary
and from the heart.
SIR WALTER RALEIGH
Sir Walter Raleigh was a great courtier and traveller,
who lived in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. He was
trained as a soldier, and spent much of his time in France.
As a soldier he was noted for his bravery and courteous-
ness. He found much favour at Queen Elizabeth's Court.
The influence of his refined nature was very great, and his
graces and accomplishments pleased thfe Queen. Once
meeting the Queen near a marshy spot, and seeing her
hesitating to proceed, Raleigh instantly spread his rich
cloak on the ground for a footcloth for Her Majesty — an
act of politeness which Elizabeth never forgot. His polite-
ness was innate, and a result of his fine thoughts and
character.
CHARACTER STUDIES 235
G. F. WATTS, R.A.
G. F. Watts, R.A. , was one of the greatest artists of
our day. He never painted just for profit, but always with
a purpose. He took as his motto, "The utmost for the
highest," and in all his works this thought influenced him.
He had self-reverence; he listened to the ''Still Small
Voice," and it was because he followed its guidance that
he was able to paint pictures, not only beautiful, but with
a deep meaning. Another way of expressing self-reverence
might be "The utmost for the highest." Some of his
best-known pictures are —
"Hope."
" Love and Death."
"The Slumber of the Agres."
" Diana and Endymion.
"Sir Galahad."
■^fc."
He was a very great portrait painter, and was able in
his pictures to show the character of his sitters. Many of
his pictures he left as a gift to the nation.
OF Ti; . -r
UNIVERSITY 1)
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