PRIMARY CHILDREN, LARES, PORTO RICO.
But the songs we sang impressed on these music-loving boys and girls thoughts other than those of love of country. Within a month after opening most children could sing "Jesus Loves Me," and the little primary children rarely failed to ask for this when given a choice. Later came "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and other religious songs. When they afterward heard from the Bible, read in Spanish and in English, the story of Jesus taking the children into his arms, the song had prepared for the story and the story made the song mean more. Nearly all learned to say, in Spanish or English or both: "Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
So the songs opened the way for Bible stories and Bible verses. The little first grade children studied about Abraham, and the others learned about David as a boy, a shepherd, a servant in the king's palace, a fugitive from Saul and as being King of Israel. Nearly all learned the Twenty-third Psalm and several of the Beatitudes.
We were afraid the parents might object to the religious songs and Bible stories and withdraw the pupils from the school. But they did not, not one, so far as we knew. Several told me that they wanted their children not merely to learn to read and to become intelligent Americans, but that they wanted them to grow up as good men and women and were glad to have them taught these things. During the last two months some time was given nearly every day, in each room, to Bible stories or Bible study.
CARNIVAL, SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO.
We soon found that our Porto Rican boys and girls know very little about study or attention or self-control and obedience. In most homes they do much as they please. In school they had been accustomed to studying out loud, to learning by heart without understanding, to reciting in concert, and to talking as much as they pleased. They are quick-tempered and apt to fly into a passion. They lack greatly in perseverance or "stick-to-it-iveness."
The schoolroom was a noisy, distracting place for a time; the playground was the scene of frequent uproars and even fights. They seemed to have no idea of playing together or following a leader or of organizing and keeping up games.
But they were kindly and friendly in spirit and most courteous and polite, much more so than most American children in similar schools. They certainly appreciated warmly what we were doing for them and were most anxious to do as the children do in American schools. They lacked the life and tendency to mischief of American children. After a few weeks there was little trouble about discipline or order, and they learned to control themselves better and to pay better attention. It took months to break the habit of studying aloud, and will take years to instil habits of perseverance and self-reliance.