CHARLOTTE M. MASON
Reading edition
LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO. Lᵀᴰ PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD 1897
The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved. Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. At the Ballantyne Press
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PARENTS’ NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL UNION THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE AFFECTION AND REVERENCE WITH WHICH THEIR EFFORTS INSPIRE HER
Ambleside, November 1896.
PREFACE
The following essays have appeared in the Parents’ Review, and were addressed, from time to time, to a body of parents who are making a practical study of the principles of education—the “Parents’ National Educational Union.” The present volume is a sequel to Home Education (Kegan Paul & Co.), a work which was the means of originating this Union of Parents. It is not too much to say that the Parents’ Union exists to advance, with more or less method and with more or less steadfastness, a definite school of educational thought of which the two main principles are—the recognition of the physical basis of habit, i.e. of the material side of education; and of the inspiring and formative power of the Idea, i.e. of the immaterial, or spiritual, side of education. These two guiding principles, covering as they do the whole field of human nature, should enable us to deal rationally with all the complex problems of education; and the object of the following essays is, not to give an exhaustive application of these principles—the British Museum itself would hardly contain all the volumes needful for such an undertaking—but to give an example or a suggestion, here and there, as to how such and such an habit may be formed, such and such a formative idea be implanted and fostered. The intention of the volume will account to the reader for what may seem a want of connected and exhaustive treatment of the subject, and for the iteration of the same principles in various connections. The author ventures to hope that the following hints and suggestions will not prove the less practically useful to busy parents, because they rest on profound educational principles.
CONTENTS
BOOK I
THEORY
CHAPTER I
PAGE
THE FAMILY 3
CHAPTER II
PARENTS AS RULERS 12
CHAPTER III
PARENTS AS INSPIRERS (PART I) 20
CHAPTER IV
PARENTS AS INSPIRERS (PART II ) 29
CHAPTER V
PARENTS AS INSPIRERS (PART III) 39
CHAPTER VI
PARENTS AS INSPIRERS (PART IV ) 48
CHAPTER VII
THE PARENT AS SCHOOLMASTER 58
CHAPTER VIII
THE CULTURE OF CHARACTER (PART I) 66
CHAPTER IX
THE CULTURE OF CHARACTER (PART II ) 79
CHAPTER X
BIBLE LESSONS 88
CHAPTER XI
FAITH AND DUTY (PART I) 96
CHAPTER XII
FAITH AND DUTY (PART II ) 111
CHAPTER XIII
FAITH AND DUTY (PART III) 122
CHAPTER XIV
THE HEROIC IMPULSE 134
CHAPTER XV
IS IT POSSIBLE? 143
CHAPTER XVI
DISCIPLINE 160
CHAPTER XVII
SENSATIONS AND FEELINGS (PART I) 169
CHAPTER XVIII
SENSATIONS AND FEELINGS (PART II ) 181
CHAPTER XIX
“WHAT IS TRUTH?” 192
CHAPTER XX
SHOW CAUSE WHY 201
CHAPTER XXI
HERBARTIAN PEDAGOGICS 211
CHAPTER XXII
THE TEACHING OF THE “PARENTS’ NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL UNION” (PART I) 220
CHAPTER XXIII
THE TEACHING OF THE “PARENTS’ NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL UNION” (PART II ) 228
CHAPTER XXIV
WHENCE AND WHITHER (PART I) 242
CHAPTER XXV
WHENCE AND WHITHER (PART II ) 250
CHAPTER XXVI
THE GREAT RECOGNITION 260
CHAPTER XXVII
THE ETERNAL CHILD 271
BOOK II
ESSAYS IN PRACTICAL EDUCATION
CHAPTER I
THE PHILOSOPHER AT HOME 283
CHAPTER II
“ATTENTION” 303
CHAPTER III
AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIMENT 312
CHAPTER IV
DOROTHY ELMORE’S ACHIEVEMENT: A FORECAST 320
CHAPTER V
CONSEQUENCES 346
CHAPTER VI
MRS. SEDLEY’S TALE 355
CHAPTER VII
ABILITY 367
CHAPTER VIII
POOR MRS. JUMEAU! 376
CHAPTER IX
“A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!” 386
CHAPTER X
PARENTS IN COUNCIL (PART I) 395
CHAPTER XI
PARENTS IN COUNCIL (PART II ) 405
CHAPTER XII
A HUNDRED YEARS AFTER 413
NOTE 429
BOOK I THEORY
PARENTS AND CHILDREN