EVERYONE'S CHILD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1545, 14 September 1912, Page 10

EVERYONE'S CHILD.

AND LIFE'S BATTLE. THE ARCHIBALD LECTURES. Mr. G. 11. Archibald, extension Ice* turn- of tho Sunday School Union, and Miss II J. Archibald continued their eerics of lectures at tho Wesley Hall, in Taranaki Street, yesterday. The audience in tho evening wns a largo one. . Miss Archibald's Work. In the afternoon, Miss Archibald' Ice* tured on "ITow to Tell Stories to Children." She illustrated the value of storytelling in moral and religious teaching.' Its chief value was that it created a sympathy between the teacher and the child, which would help the latter to get at the truth: It helped in tho development of tho child's power of concentration, and it gave tho child a chance to get into the world of romanco and. imagination. Tho aim of the .teachershould ho not merely to get some children to listen for part of tho time; but to get oil of them to listen all tho tiino, and this could only bo achieved if thestory- were well told. It wns therefore necessary for the teacher to knew tlin story well, to tell it naturr.ily, and yet dramatically, with the u::e of a little gesture, giviiiK correct expression to anxiety, suspense, expectation, and satisfaction. It was a fact that if tho child could be interested it could readily place its hand on the moral of a story. Tho lecture was concluded with a touching little story. Mr. Archibald on "Adolescence," . Tho subject of Mr. Archibnld's address in. the evening was "Adolescpnce." Hβ dealt with the development of tho different qualities in the boy and girl, from infancy to early manhood, and pointed out the danger of arresting the growth of courage, loyalty, humour, and tho social instincts. The'ro were a good many people who were always happy so long as they were stopping something, but he would say to them in many cases "Don't." They might be doing α-dcal of'harm. Ho emphasised the valuo of the right kind of literature on -tho development of .character, and, while he was not here to adyocala Bible in schools, he believed that it was impossible to get along without giving children tho Bible- in the Sunday school.

As for the "Diamond Dick" literature, it probably did not do half tho harm with which it was credited, while "Punch" was surely a religious paper if it helped a, man to overcome a bad temper. He did not say:. Give all these books and papera. to the children. What was necessary wag ■to give'them the host-of the type to develop courage, loyalty, chivalry, and humour. Humour was an. immensely valuable thing. If it. were not for the sense of humour in Iho English Parliament, they would have had gnus there shooting one another long ogo. They would have them in Sydney yet. (Laughter.) Filially the lecturer dealt with aesthetic emotions, day dreams, and social instincts, and the duties of parents in making the home what it should be for their boys and girls.