NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
17 
NEW INTEREST IN THE CHILD 
Inspiring Theme of the Rev. E. J. Prescott of Gloucester, in 
Address Before Parents-Teachers’ Association. 
Rey. E. J. Prescott of Gloucester 
was the speaker at the December 
meeting of the Manchester Parent- 
Teacher association held in the As- 
sembly hall of the John Price school 
Wednesday evening. In spite of the 
inclement weather an unusually large 
attendance heard Rev. Mr. Prescott, 
who is well known as a minister and 
public speaker. He chose as his sub- 
ject, “The New Interest in the Child.” 
The change in the attitude toward 
children was the point the speaker 
took up first. ‘Formerly,’ Mr. Pres- 
cott said “the child was regarded as a 
depraved little animal; now we are 
beginning to realize the infinite possi- 
bilities of the child’s brain. By the 
theory of evolution there was once no 
real childhood. The codfish at birth 
has the heritage of generations of 
codfish already instilled in his being. 
The newly hatched chicken stepping 
to the ground from the shell imme- 
diately performs the function of hens 
from ages back, that is, it begins to 
scratch the ground for food imme- 
diately without any teaching. A child 
born unto the world is absolutely 
helpless and it is only as his brain 
unfolds that he may be taught the 
things of everyday life. In teaching 
the children we, too, are growing with 
them. 
“According to the old idea, as soon 
-as a child was born it was placed in the 
- care of a nurse. 
When the boy or 
girl reached a proper age he or she 
was sent to school to be cared for by 
the teachers. Upon its return home 
the nurse cared for it again while the 
mother was attending clubs or card 
parties. So the child grew, the 
teachers caring for it at school, the 
professors at college and afterwards 
caring for itself. Meanwhile the 
nurse, teacher and professor were 
growing in mentality through the con- 
tact with the child and the mother was 
standing still. 
“Now, however, the mother and the 
father watch the unfolding of the 
child‘s personality with greater inter- 
est than before. They are joining 
with the instructors and nurses in a 
contact which must be broadening for 
all. The Parent-Teacher associa- 
tion is proving a great help to those in 
charge of the children to understand 
and enjoy each other as well as the 
child.” 
Mr. Prescott spoke of how little we 
are really instructing the child. “His 
intellect we attend, but the great emo- 
tional side is entirely negiected and 
the ‘piay’ side too much so. It is 
true that recently an interest was 
shown in playgrounds but it too oiten 
happens that they are located in out- 
oi-the-way places as in Gloucester.” 
As he expressed it, “the playground 
might as well be in Marblehead.” 
“The children should have a place 
to meet in wholesome play, a place 
centrally located where all may come. 
*Men and women of different creeds 
and denominations should and could 
work together for this end and for the 
town’s good.” Rev. Mr. Prescott 
spoke of Father Sullivan, who left 
the Catholic priesthood to join the 
Unitarian denomination _during the 
last year. Fr.. Sulivan has said that 
the Protestant churches do not come 
to meet each other enough and that 
the Catholics and Prostestants do not 
work together as they could for the 
common good. 
“There is not a teacher who is not 
benefited by watching the growth of 
the children under her. A_ teacher 
has an immense responsibility and a 
great opportunity for good.” ‘The 
speaker dwelt upon the great respect 
we should all feel for the professioa 
of teaching and expressed -it as his 
opinion that the teachers are under- 
paid. He said the parents of these 
days appreciate the teachers more 
than formerly because they are better 
acquainted. Rev. Mr. Prescott’s ac- 
count of an old-fashioned “visiting 
day” at schools was most amusing 
and called forth hearty applause from 
those whom the speaker’s words car- 
ried back to a country school where 
the visiting day was more to be 
dreaded than Judgment Day. ‘That 
the schools to-day are better than they 
ever were before is generally accept- 
ed. The constant criticism in maga- 
zines and newspapers, means that we 
have had a glimpse of a higher ideal 
toward which we are constantly 
working. 
At the conclusion of his address 
Mr. Prescott spoke of the moral de- 
velopment of the child. “As a man 
thinketh so is he.” Therefore any sug- 
gestion that there is the slightest pos- 
sibility that the boys and girls may 
grow up into anything but true, noble 
men and women should be kept from 
the children’s mind To say to a boy, 
MANCHESTER 
A movement at the local high school 
which is worthy of the highest com- 
mendation is the distribution of two 
towels to each pupil. One towel is to 
be laundered each week and the towels 
must not be borrowed. At the end 
of the year the pupil must return his 
two towels or pay the sum of ten 
cents to the school for same. 
The Folk Dances of the Nations, 
held in the ‘Town hall last Friday ev- 
ening in aid of the Beverly Hospital 
and the Manchester District Nurse 
Fund was one of the most novel en- 
tertainments given here this winter. 
The work was under the direction of 
Mrs. George Dean, to whom much of 
the success of the affair must be ac- 
credited. There were folks and 
country dances by about twenty of the 
young women and older girls of the 
town and dances by the small chil- 
dren, which were greatly enjoyed. The 
tambourine dance, the Dutch dance, 
the Morris dance the castanet dance 
and a ballet dance by out-of-town 
girls were unusually good. Among 
the dancers were Miss Helen Bennett 
of Beverly Farms, Miss Priscilla Por- 
ter of Salem, Miss Esther Lynch of 
Beverly, Miss Margaret Dennison of 
Salem. About $200 were cleared. 
The preserves which were not sold 
were sent to the Beverly Hospital as 
a gift from the Manchester Woman’s 
club. 
Why go out of town when Floyd 
sells all that is pleasing for the child- 
ren. * 
“Oh! you'll never amount to any- 
thing; you’re no good” is the vilest 
speech that can be made. I impress 
the boy with the fact that there is 
good in him, that he can amount to 
something. In helping the child to 
find interesting work we live again. 
Philosophers from the time of Christ 
through the ages of Plato, Spencer, 
Fiske and Darwin up to the great men 
of to-day have told us of the beauty of 
the child’s mind ‘And a little child 
shall lead them.’ ” 
That Rev. Mr. Prescott’s address 
was enjoyed was demonstrated in the 
hearty applause he received and in 
the number of men and women who 
crowded up to meet him and say a 
few words of appreciation. The 
songs, ‘“Mammy’s Li’l Boy,” “Forget- 
me-Not,” and “Lovely Night” render- 
ed by the Girls’ Glee club were worthy 
of great commendation. 
A social hour was spent with the 
committee who served tea, sandwiches 
and fancy crackers. 
