The Normal Record. May 1896

              THE NORMAL RECORD.
in wood, his character is just as much
strengthened as at other times when he is
taught to tell truth with the tongue, that
other organ of expression.
To a casual observer, a series of Naas
models appears as a collection of fine woodwork, some of it being wood modeling, the
rest joinery of remarkably fine execution.
To the pupil these models stand as a substantial reminder of a long and happy acquaintance with the tools, to which he (or she) looks
back with pride and affection. To the teacher
they have still another aspect. He sees in
them a seri?s of stepping stones that have
led his pupil out of a mist of undefined character, up into firm possession of truth, cleanliness and kindred virtues; an acute aesthetic
sense, a love of labor and a respect for the
workman; a sturdy body, a soul to match,
and incidentally a "general manual dexterity."
Dr. Soloman did not select wood sloyd as
his hobby then squeeze these educational
values into it. He decided upon the requisites first and built the system to answer
them. His selection of wood work as the
particular means is the outcome of half a lifetime of faithful experiment with many kinds
of work.
In America, this Swedish sloyd, more or
less modified, is widely in vogu? as the mode
of manual training for the upper el°mentary
school. It is inexpensive and adapted to
both sexes. In the Pacific Elucational
Journal, September, 1895, the reader may
find a description cf a model sloyd equipment.
Sloyd is now being taught in San Jose (Normal), Los Angeles (Normal), Santa Barbara,
San Diego anl Stockton.
Stockton, Cal.
The Ideal Past.
SAM w.  iisnws.
We are all, more or iess the victims of that
illusion which leads man to idolize and idealize
the past. How often have we heard men
declare, how frequently have we read the
statements of editors, writers and authors,
how many times, perhaps, have we ourselves
imagined that the present is in many respects
far inferior to the past; that the world is
growing worse, instead of better; degraded
instead cf elevated; ignorant instead of enlightened; that man, in a word, is fast losing
the standard of excellence to which his
fathers attained, and is on the downward
grade, both physically, mentally and morally.
Whence comes this strange illusion? Well
is it for us that it is but an illusion. What a
dismal, dark and dreadful future would lie before us if it were based on truth. If humanity were indeed on such a downward
course, where would it all end as the centuries
added their quota to the general degradation?
If year after year man's supreme possession,
his humanity, were to be gradually lost, never
to be regained.
A noted example of this peculiar trait of
the human mind is found in the supposed
scarcity of great men; mountains of wisdom
and integrity towering above the common
clay around them; land marks of statesmanship, pointing out tho straight and narrow
way of political prosperity; prodigies of
genius from whose fertile minds have flashed
mighty marvels of usefulness. Such has
been tho nature of the human mind in all
ages. Man is never content with what he
has or with his surroundings. Overlooking the
genius within his midst, he must search elsewhere for his ideal. The future, being as yet
an unsolved problem, offering no examples
except in the realm pf fancy, he is forced to
fall back upon the past.
It is an old saying, but it is a true one, that
familiarity breeds contempt. In the men
among us to-day, we see, not their brilliant
qualities standing out clear and distinct, how-
over great they may really be. Why is this?
Simply because men of to-day are ranged
against each other like lines of battle. Working, mayhap, from the same motive, and with
the best c f intentions,yet because of differences
of opinion, proceeding in different ways, men
grow suspicious of each other. Each one
thinking that his way and his alone is right,
fearful lest the other may in some manner
circumvent him and spoil his plans, each is
naturally lowered in the estimation of the
other.
Man, being by nature imperfect, is bound
to make mistakes, and the people seeing so
clearly and experiencing so fully the effects of
his misdeeds, lose all sight of his brilliant
qualities in the multitude cf his imperfections.
Thus it is that man loses the estimation of
his fellow men.
But in the case of men of past ages, it is
far different. They in their time, to be sure,
were looked down  upon.     When the mighty