Page:Saunders - Beautiful Joe, 1893.djvu/154

Rh colleges, that really are wonderful, we're turning out more criminals than any other civilized country in the world, except Spain and Italy. The cause of it is said to be lack of proper training for the youth of our land. Immigration has something to do with it too. We're thinking too much about educating the mind, and forgetting about the heart and soul. So I say now, while we've got all our future population in our schools, saints and sinners, good people and bad people, let us try to slip in something between the geography, and history, and grammar that will go a little deeper, and touch them so much that when they are grown up and go out in the word, they will carry with them lessons of love and good will to men.

"A little child is such a tender thing. You can bend it anyway you like. Speaking of this heart education of children, as set over against mind education, I see that many school-teachers say that there is nothing better than to give them lessons on kindness to animals. Children who are taught to love and protect dumb creatures, will be kind to their fellow-men when they grow up."

I was very much pleased with this talk between Mrs. Wood and Miss Laura, and kept close to them, so that I would not miss a word.

As we went along, houses began to appear here and there, set back from the road among the trees. Soon they got quite close together, and I saw some shops.

This was the village of Riverdale, and nearly all the buildings were along this winding street. The river was away back of the village. We had already driven there several times.

We passed the school on our way. It was a square, white building, standing in the middle of a large yard.