[Sidenote: Backwardness]
Let us take an illustration from a case just as it actually happened.
Will Taylor was sixteen years old. He was physically perfect, yet
scarcely able to do work in the fourth grade although actually in the
sixth. His father enjoyed outbreaking trouble. The home was just then in
turmoil over the disgrace of the eldest daughter. Mr. Taylor’s love for
getting even with fate somewhere would be satisfied if he could force a
combat between Will and his teacher, Mrs. Brown. Mrs. Brown’s control of
her school was excellent. Her friendship for the children was genuine.
Some of them told her that Will’s father had “put him up” to disobey her
and see what would happen.
Will was so much under his father’s influence that he openly and
purposely disobeyed Mrs. Brown. He forced an issue. She punished him and
he hurried home from school and told his father, whereupon his father
rode furiously to the schoolhouse in order to arrive before Mrs. Brown
left after school. He keyed up his anger on the road by uttering curses
as he went. During the two following days Taylor’s threats were so
serious that the board of education met with Mrs. Brown to discuss
matters. Taylor had demanded her resignation or threatened to make life
miserable for her.
She decided finally to go to his house and _make_ him see the truth.
When she announced her decision the members of the board said they
almost feared to have her encounter such a man. But she went to his
house. He was not at home, he was on his way home from the county seat
where he had been talking against Mrs. Brown to the county
superintendent.
On the arrival of Mrs. Brown at the house, Mrs. Taylor met her with
tears over the disgrace of her daughter.
Mrs. Brown forgot her own trouble in her sympathy with the mother. Her
words were so helpful to Mrs. Taylor that she asked Mrs. Brown to repeat
them to the daughter. This, Mrs. Brown was doing when Taylor returned
and, unseen by Mrs. Brown, entered the room where she was trying to
point out a hopeful course for the daughter.
A real insight into Mrs. Brown’s character was thus given to Taylor. He
came forward and apologized to Mrs. Brown for his behavior, dictated a
letter to the county superintendent telling him that all was peaceably
settled and that Taylor was ready to support Mrs. Brown. He further said
that Will should go to school and be obedient. Thereafter the Taylors
were staunch friends of Mrs. Brown. This good woman treasures the
incident in her memory with great satisfaction, and often relates it in
public with good effect.
“In brief, the truth is that savageness begets savageness, and
gentleness begets gentleness. Children who are unsympathetically
treated become relatively unsympathetic; whereas treating them
with due fellow-feeling is a means of cultivating their
fellow-feeling.”
—_Spencer_.