MR. C. J. COOKS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2157, 25 May 1914, Page 6

MR. C. J. COOKS.

'»« Ui W? vUMn Ci Sir,—lt. is tho 'misfortune of your country readers that they don't know who people are. Hence, never having Siearti of Mr. Cooke, I may unwittingly tread in his torus. His letter in yoti'r issue of tiie 11th strikes iiio as tho one word of horse.-sense in a wilderness of piffle. I hope he won't* mind my saying that to the true cdiic&tor there's no such thing as "teaching." He "roads" with pupils, and his one function is elucidating comment. Nothing would induce mo to "teach" quadratics unless I had full license to call old Todlmnter a prosy creature; or "Euclid" unless I could say he got his theories from stonemasons and "faked" his proofs.' How can I "teach" such a text as "Blessed are tho poor in spirit," unless I am allowed to explain what the Greek word for "poor in spirit" really means?

To my mind, if a tea-cher solemnly read extracts from'the Bible and refused to answer questions, Iγ. wuiil descite so much comment that there- would bo trouble. If Mr. Cooke is a teacher, what does he do when boys ask him whether the story of Jci.ah and the v/halo is true? [See Matthew sii, 40, "The beHy of tho tthata'-'J Probably what I did oiicej said its was no more my business thasi answering mediesl questions, and referred the boy to his Spiritual advisers. I couldn't do that if liihki reading was compulsory; at any rate, I. wouldn't; I would sooner resign. I hope Mr. Cooko ivill write more and at more length. It may be ray stupidity, but I se«m to understand him, aiul 1 can't follow tho personalities and small details of other writers on the same side. They don't seem to go to the root.— -I am, etc., WAIRIMA.