Education stands for Character.-Pestalozzi. Character is a completely polished Will.-John Stuart Mill. The crown and glory of life is Character.Smiles. Character is moral order seen through the medium of an individual nature.-Emerson. The more we see of events, the less we come to believe in any fate or destiny except the destiny of Character.-Phillips Brooks. 66 'Though ruthless hands may tear them down These walls to us so dear, They'll not destroy the Characters That started out from here. Time's angry waves may lash the shore, And blot out all beside, Bright as the stars that shine above, AIMS IN CHARACTER BUILDING. "He who seek one thing in life, and but one, No great work can be accomplished without a definite purpose. The architect must have a plan. The artist must have an ideal. The reformer must see clearly what he would accomplish. The teacher must have a definite aim. He must see clearly what he would accomplish, and then, by wisdom and patience, labor to bring about that result. There are six things that it seems to me everyone who is engaged in educational work should strive to do for those who are under his care. DISCIPLINE. The first of these is discipline. I use this word in its true educational sense, that of strengthening the powers and faculties of the chiid in all things that are good and desirable. The difference between the ordinary nail and the tempered and well-fitted watch-spring is brought about largely by different treatment of the same kind of material. Discipline, well directed effort, will bring about comparatively as great a difference between the ordinary mind and the mind that is truly educated. "Patience and work," says the old proverb, "change the mulberry leaf into satin." It is discipline that strengthens the body and awakens all the powers and possibilities of soul. It is discipline that quickens the sense of sight so that the eye sees readily and accurately all that passes before it. It is discipline that enables the ear to distinguish between the most delicate sounds and the finer strains and harmonies of music. It is discipline that enables us to appreciate and enjoy the odors and flavors of flowers and fruits. It is discipline that develops the sense of touch so that, as in case of the blind, this sense may come to take the place of the other senses, even to telling the color of the rose. It is discipline that awakens the fancy and enables us to produce combinations marvelous and unique. It is discipline that arouses the imagination and sends it abroad in fields of invention, of discovery, of art, and of literature. It is discipline that strengthens the memory and makes it ready, active and tenacious. It is discipline that quickens the wits and invigorates the reasoning faculty, making it ready and accurate in forming premises and in drawing conclusions. The philosopher's stone has at last been discovered the thing that can turn the baser elements into gold. It is the well-disciplined mind.. It is for this that the student burns the midnight oil. It is this that writes our poems, lights our streets, and gives us every comfort of life. It is this that develops "Those long reaches of thought That pluck bright honor from the pale-faced moon, Or dive into the bottom of the deep, Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, And drag up drowned honor by the locks." There is a discipline of the heart, of the sensibility, also, and this discipline is of even greater importance than that of body or mind. An ounce of goodness will go farther than a pound of learning; or, as good old George Herbert puts it: "A handful of good living is worth a bushel of learning." The human heart is naturally indifferent and selfish. Something must be done to quicken. the finer sensibilities of our nature and bring |