A. R. Darling (died 1899)

DARLING

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 9/21/2009 at 22:23:06

Bellevue Leader, Bellevue, Jackson County, Iowa, December 14, 1899

DIED-

A. R. Darling

The death of Mrs. A. R. Darling, long expected though it has been, came as a shock to the community. She has filled an important place in Miles society and in Jackson County educational circles during the past forty years, teaching almost constantly during that time and entering with zest, energy and good judgment into public affairs. Scarcely a town product but has felt the effect of her influence in a greater or less degree. She was ever willing to help the promotion of enterprise, and, it must be acknowledged by all, her advice was usually along well chosen ground and generally contributed to the ultimate success. Mrs. Darling was not a woman to follow; she desired always to lead. This strong trait of character was apparent in the management of the Miles Select School where no educational system but her own was followed and where the plans of teaching were singularly original with the teacher. A pupil entering the school had no need of new text books. He went into the school “bookless;” but left it at the end of the term with a complete set of manuscript ones which he had written in the course of study. History, Grammar, Geography, Physics, etc., all were written, each in blank book allotted to its use, and the suggestions and the references it contained were gleaned by the teacher from hundreds of lessons previously given and the research of years. Her mind seemed an inexhaustible store room of knowledge. The pupil never asked a sensible question but he received an intelligent answer.

The great principles of analysis embodied her school work, and the boys and girls who received her instruction learned to reason out the problems given to them in a most remarkable manner. Certainly her methods were most successful in the development of young minds. As a teacher of teachers, Mrs. Darling reached the zenith of her ability as an educator. Perhaps no instructor in the state was so thoroughly capable of quickly preparing young teachers for the school room. They learned with amazing rapidity the essential knowledge of practical teaching and were so thoroughly informed of all topics liable to come up in teachers’ examinations that-we believe-not more than one or two of her students was ever known to fail in securing a certificate.

It has been said by her friends that Mrs. Darling would never give up the active labors of her life until death overtook her. The words have been proved true. Increasing age could not lessen the volume of work which she took willingly upon her shoulders. The absolute strength of nature with its unselfish attributes was most clearly shown during her last illness, when, fully resisting her condition she retained the brilliancy of her intellect and used her power with ceaseless energy along the line of duty. The knowledge of approaching death did not change her course. She continued in the shadow as she had been walking in the sunlight.