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COMPENSATIONS OF THE
TEACHING PROFESSION.
(The following is a paper read be
fore the F’arent-Teacher Association
4
at Bradley, Ga., and is published by
request. I
Of the making of many books con
cerning the knotty problems which
confront the teacher, there has been
no end; and truly it is a most exten
sive field of thought, and one whose
frequent and conscientious discussion
is advantageous in many ways—for
“by others faults wise men correct
their own.” But as we journey along
the road of school life, let us turn
aside for a moment from viewing the
rocky places along the way and rest
and revive our spirits in the contem
plation of the roses —roses of compen
nation, which we find in every lit
tle crevice between the stones.
No other laborer in the great vine
yard of God has more exhaustive or
constant demands made upon his
courage, energy and patience than
does a teacher; no field of labor pre
sents greater difficulties; and yet,
those of us who have faithfully faced
these difficulties day by day, month
by month and year by year, know
that the compensations, however un
obtructive upon the eyes of the worlo
are, in the heart of a true teach
er, commensurate with difficulties.
And, for every little cloud in the
sky, there is also a star which shines
steadfastly and eternally.
In the first place, the privilege of
facing and overcoming the difficul
ties of teaching is, in itself, no mean
compensation. As did the fabled
giant of old, we grow ten times
stronger when even we touch the
earth; and to each of us, without
doubt, there have come moments
when sciiool and all that in it is,
seemed ‘‘of the earth, earthly.” And
yet, when we have come to the end
of many imperfect days and sat
alone with our thoughts, we have
in our inmist heart of hearts, felt
a consciousness of compensation. We
fel(4‘hat we had contributed our share
toward the uplift of the citizenship
of our beloved county. Beyond the
rude xuncouthness and sullen out
ward demeanor of the boy who made
the day one of constant anxiety and
effort to prevent friction, we see the
preciousness of his immortal soul..
This is a vision which is not given
all to see. We know the joy of
sympathizing with the heart of child
hood, regardless of rough exterior,
and we have the satisfaction of hav
ing done our best to help the child
entrusted to our care to rise above
the obstacles of heredity and environ
merit.
Let us take the case of Bill Jones,
kaown far and wide as a schoolroom
hindrance, and impediment to law
and order in any form. Throughout
the day we find that Bill conscien
tiously lives up to his reputation. We
ask Bill to stay after the others have
goue. This he does, sullenly. In the
quiet of the afternoon we talk to
Bill. One look into his eyes con
vinces us that to moralize would be
futile, and so we talk to him con
cerning the interests of his daily life
his plans, his ambitions. His coun
tenance gradually brightens. We are
getting beneath the hard upper crust
into the finer, deeper subsoil of his
nature. In other words, we are on
the way to Bill’s heart. We learn
of his every day life, often, alas, of
the pity of his home surroundings.
Theu we begin to understand that
even Bill has aspirated to do well in
the world. After a while we win
from him the spontaneous acknowl
edgement of his own shortcoming
and thp voluntary promise to try to
do better.
Bill may be troublesome even so
soon as the next day and so on thru
the next days, but he will be trying
trying hard. And who is there among
the teachiug brotherhood and sister
hood who will fail to realize that
even in the typical case of Bill Jones
there is a twofold compensation in the
broadening of our sympathies and
the giving of the helping hand to a
little brother?
Should school life be compared to
a garden, the garden in question
would be a very large and wonderful
one, wherein would grow all manner
of odd little plants. At first they
grow in riotous confusion and it is
the privilege of the teacher to try
to bring about the orderly and har
monious development of each little
soul in the garden spot of the great
Husbandman who loves them all,
straight and crooked, strong and
weak, beautiful and ungainly.
To do so is a slow and laborous
undertaking. It means a long pull,
a hard pull and a pull altogether ot
one’s forces of ingenuity patience
and tact. And sometimes the garden
er feels lonely and unappreciated. Af
ter a little season, however, the lit
tle weak plant begins to grow strong
and the ungainly ones more and
more symmetrical, and a glow of
pride comes to the gardner’s heart
The joy of accomplishment is his,
and even in the far distance of the
future he catches a vision of fulfill
ment and of effort nobly crowned.
The children whom he cared for so
diligently have become men and
women of staunch, courageous char
acter. This is a compensation well
worth while.
To be regarded by parents as a
trustworthy leader of their little chil
dren is a compensation well worth
while. While it is true that there
are parents in whose hearts all sym
pathy and appreciation seems to be
lacking, there are others who be
lieve in us and cooperate with us in
trying to make of their sons and
daughters citizens in every sense
worthy of the name. These parents
are not only a present comfort and
encouragement, but it will be pleas
ant to remember them hereafter.
Best of all, however, is that com
pensation which comes in the like
ness of appreciation from the hearts
of the children themselves. Often
this is shown through their patient
and praiseworthy efforts to do bet
ter each day. Sometimes it is
shown through little material gifts..
Tlie tninch of flowers picked by
childish fingers because of your love
fir their fragrance and beauty, tiie
samples of their own and mothers’
cookery and needlework, but best of
all, the beautiful childlike love which
offers the gift to ‘my teacher.’' Who
among us does not recall the rceent
Christmas season, when the birthday
of the dearest little child of all the
children was made beautifully signifi
cant to us because our own little
children, whose hearts were the em
-0
bodiment of the true Christmas spir
it? Many among our acquaintances
no doubt, received rare and costly
gifts, but with none of them went a
greater leaning and deeper joy than
came to us, as teachers, with the
little gifts and good wishes from our
children.
And when we come to leave them
to go into another garden no com
mendation from our school officials,
no public applause of the visible por
tion of our work can compete in coAi
pensation with the sincere wish of
the little bright-eyed girl— “We all
love you best of all teachers, and we
wish you’d come back and teach us
again,” or the bluntly chivalric ap
proval in Bill Jones’ remark: “Learn
ed more this year’n I ever did.”
We may have been footsore and
weary from traveling over the many
scary places; our souls may have of
ten chafed under the relentless de
mands of routine and system; we
may have longed for some token of
appreciation from the great, busy
world which was passing by, but
here, at the end of the way, is our!
compensation. Not with financial
profits are we repaid, not with the
plaudits of the world, but witli the
appreciation of the heart of a child.
Therefore, as sowers in the field
of the master, let us be hopeful and
faithful, not weary with well doing,
inasmuch as our labor in the Lord
is not in vain.
We may sometimes see the glory
of our work but dimly through the
tears of disappointment, but “they
that sow. in tears shall reap in joy,”
and if by and by, after we have la
bored longa nd faithfully in the little
fields appointed unto us, “we shall
come rejoicing bringing in the
sheaves.” Therefore kuowing the
compensation which even now is
ours, and the greater one which is to
be —
‘‘Let us then be up and doiug,
With a heart for any fate —
Still achieving, still pursuing,
to labor and to wait.”
—Mary Jo Barron.
The Winder Newi, Thursday, March 23, 1916.
Has Eight Children.
Mrs. P. Rehkamp, 2404 Herman
St., Covington, Ky., writes: “I have
been using Foley’s Honey and Tar
for nearly two years and can find no
better cough syrup. I have eight
children and give it to all of them.
They were subject to croup from ba
bies on.” It is a safe and reliable
medicine. Sold everywhere. Advt.
s '".OO^BMHLOOHOES^^
YOU CAN SAVE MONEY BY i 1 Jg\
WEARING W. L. DOUGLAS SHOES FOR MEN
VALUE GUARANTEED I 1
For 33 years W. L. Douglas name has stood for . ||l] j3U
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W. L. Douglas shoes are made of the most carefully selected j s 3 hoes N in Vh°e
leathers, after the latest models, in a well-equipped factory at Jwfegly k world.
Brockton, Mass., under the direction and personal inspection MJBjk ®PY®,?^IP
of a most perfect organization and the highest paid 1 $3.00 $2.50
skilled shoemakers; all working with an honest \ 52.00
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W. L DOUGLAS $4.00, $4.50 and $5.00 £ \m/ i
SHOES are just as good for style, fit and wear Mf blar /£:;*•”
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only perceptible difference is the price.
w. l. douglas $3.09 and $ 3 - 50
SHOES hold their shape, fit better and .feT"**!■ |vav&
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None genuine unless W. L. Douglas
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•I. L. SAUL V ------ wwrtßo 7
We Give Profit-Sharing Goijrons
Reduce the HidhCost of Living
A by Tradin'? with
_S. T. MAUGHON, FANCY GROCERYMAN
CALLTQOAY AND INVESTIGATE HOW YOU CAN PROCURE BEAUTIFUL' AND USEFUL
ARTICLES BY REDEEMING OUR COUPONS AND CERTIFICATES ISSUED WITH .
EVERY CASH PURCHASE. OR ON ACCOUNTS TO BE PAID BY STH.OF MONTH.
for La Grippe
Coughs
use F OLEY’S
Honey
and Tar
For 33 years
the Standard Cough Medicin
Take No Substitute for
Foley’s Honey and Tar
Sold by all Dealers.
48 acre tract in the City of Winder.
Will sell reasonably.
20 acres with the necessary buildings, in the Town of
Statham Own er has bought and moved to a larger
farm in another vicinity and will sell at a sacrifice.
BARROW REALTY & DEVELOPEMENT CO.
show when the astigmatism is properly corrected.
Come in and let me give you a
FREE DEMONSTRATION.
With this new instrument. Nothing but prescription work. Lens
ground to fit each individual case. Frames repaired and broken
lens of any kind duplicated on short notice.
v v. Ti . | OPTOMETRIST
J. L. Whitley Winder, Ga.
There is more Catarrh in this section ot
tlie country than ail other diseases put
together, and until tlie last few years
was supposed to be incurable. For a
great many years doctors pronounced it a
local disease and prescribed local reme
dies. and by constantly failing to cure
with local treatment, pronounced it inciu
able. Science has proven Catarrh to be a
constitutional disease, and therefor* re
quires constitutional treatment. Hall’s
Catarrh Cure, manufactured by F. J.
Cheney & Cos., Toledo, Ohio, is the onlv
Constitutional cure on tin- market. It is
taken internally. It acts directly on tlie
blood and mucous surfaces of tlie system.
They offer one hundred dollars for any
case it fails to cure. Send fc.r circulars
and testimonials.
Address: F. J. CHENEY & CO.. Toledo. O.
Sold by Druggists, 75c.
Take Hall's Family Fills for constipation.
The Wise Fool.
“It nine tailors to make a
man,’’ quoted the sage.
“Maybe,” commented the Fool.
“But it only takes one woman to
break a man.”
In spite of the fact that talk is
cheap, some people never waste any
words.
Only a fool would allow the coin
vantage to turn a hole in his pock
et.