 Harriet Tubman (see Cottonwool, Fairy Tale) “Tales fix attention upon Conduct. ––The Bible (the fitting parts of it, that is) first and supreme; but any true picture of life, whether a tale of golden deeds or of faulty and struggling human life, brings aliment to the growing conscience. The child gets into the habit of fixing his attention on conduct; actions are weighed by him, at first, by their consequences, but by degrees his conscience acquires discriminating power, and such and such behavior is bad or good to him whatever its consequences.” * “…always tell them of beautiful ‘Golden Deeds,’ small and great, that shall stir them as trumpet-calls to the battle of life.” * “But (having taken the example of Macbeth) it must not be supposed that reason is malign, the furtherer of ill counsels only. Nurse Cavell, Jack Coruwell, Lord Roberts, General Gordon, Madame Curie, leave hints enough to enable us to follow the trains of thought which issued in glorious deeds.” * “In giving children the knowledge of men and affairs which we class under 'Citizenship' we have to face the problem of good and evil. Many earnest-minded teachers will sympathise with one of their number who said, –– ‘Why give children the tale of Circe, in which there is such an offensive display of greediness, why not bring them up exclusively on heroic tales which offer them something to live up to? Time is short. Why not use it all in giving examples of good life and instruction in good manners?’ Again,–– ‘Why should they read any part of Childe Harold, and so become familiar with a poet whose works do not make for edification?’ Now Plutarch is like the Bible in this, that he does not label the actions of his people as good or bad but leaves the conscience and judgment of his readers to make that classification. What to avoid and how to avoid it, is knowledge as important to the citizen whether of the City of God or of his own immediate city, as to know what is good and how to perform the same. Children recognise with incipient weariness the doctored tale as soon as it is begun to be told, but the human story with its evil and its good never flags in interest.” * “They say stories like that make a boy grow bold Stories like that make a man walk straight.” ~ Rich Mullins Examen: My job is to “leave the conscience and judgement of (my class of) readers to “make that classification” of good and evil. How does that feel? Can I wonder with the class about humankind’s perennial questions, let them follow “trains of thought” without trying to shape their response? ~~~~~~~ Tales fix attention: Charlotte M. Mason, Home Education, 1:337. ...always tell them: 1:340. But (having taken: Charlotte M. Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education, 6:141. In giving children: 6:187. They say stories: “Lyrics | Rich Mullins | Boy Like Me/Man Like You,” accessed July 18, 2024, https://lyrics.lyricfind.com/en-GB/lyrics/rich-mullins-boy-like-me-man-like-you. Day 99 Glorious/Golden Deeds meditation/100 days copyright Laurie Bestvater 2025
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