Mrs. Franklin's Address 151 



act as if, for example, they thought that teaching the 

 life of Botticelli or Giotto was teaching a child how to 

 draw. Speaking as a parent, I should like to put in 

 a plea for that much-neglected individual. Professor 

 Lloyd Morgan spoke of the power that was in the 

 hands of the governess in the early years of the chil- 

 dren's lives; surely there is a greater power in the 

 hands of the children's parents. Still, it is only too true 

 that they in their ignorance very frequently crush out 

 in their children the innate enthusiasm and desire for 

 knowledge. As an example, let me quote the following 

 conversation overheard on a coach. A lady and three 

 gentlemen, obviously cultivated people, passed some 

 willows in flower. Said the lady: "What are those?" 

 Said the first gentleman: "I don't know." Neither 

 did the second gentleman. " The local name is 

 palm," said the third gentleman; "I don't know their 

 proper name." " But ", said the lady, " what do they 

 turn into ? " Third gentleman, who was the best in- 

 formed: "Oh! they turn into trees, very nice trees." 

 Lady: "But have they any leaves?" Third gentle- 

 man : " Yes, nice green leaves." Lady : " The chil- 

 dren say that they were told at school the other day 

 that all trees have some kind of flower; is that true?" 

 Third gentleman: "Well, you might suppose so, but 

 of course it isn't so." Lady: "Oh! I thought they 

 couldn't have understood what they were told. I 

 shall tell them what you said." 



Parents are too much inclined to think that it is in 

 their province to pick and choose exactly what chil- 

 dren should learn. When one looks upon education 

 as the science of relations, and that I consider is a 

 very inspiring thought, one realizes that the children's 



