Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76Plough Quarterly • Winter 2015 21 Janusz Korczak  How can we assure a child’s life in the future, if we have not yet learned how to live consciously and respon- sibly in the present? Do not trample, hold in contempt, or sell the future into bondage. Do not stifle it, rush, or force it. Respect every single moment, as it will pass and will never again be repeated. After all, when tomorrow finally does arrive, we start waiting for the next tomorrow. Janusz Korczak (1878–1942) was a Polish- Jewish teacher and doctor whose selfless devotion to orphans in the Warsaw Ghetto earned him the title “King of Children.” In 1942, as the two hundred orphans under his care were loaded onto trains headed for the gas chambers of Treblinka, Korczak chose to accompany his charges on the ride that carried them to their deaths. Rachel Carson  What is the value of pre- serving and strengthening the sense of awe and wonder, this recognition of something beyond the boundaries of human existence? Is the exploration of the natural world just a pleasant way to pass the golden hours of childhood or is there something deeper? I am sure there is something much deeper, something lasting and significant. Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Whatever the vexa- tions or concerns of their personal lives, their thoughts can find paths that lead to inner contentment and to renewed excitement in living. . . . There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. Rachel Carson (1907–1964) may be best known for her 1962 book Silent Spring, which helped launch the environmental movement. But her legacy to children is The Sense of Wonder, a celebration of earth’s beauty. Mary McLeod Bethune  Our children must never lose their zeal for building a better world. They must not be discouraged from aspiring toward greatness, for they are to be the leaders of tomorrow. Nor must they forget that the masses of our people are still underprivileged, ill-housed, impoverished, and victimized by discrimination. We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955), an educa- tor and activist, was president of the National Association of Colored Women, founder of the National Council of Negro Women, and special advisor to President Roosevelt on minority affairs. i n s i g h t s on Childhood Sources: Janusz Korczak, Loving Every Child: Wisdom for Parents (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2007). Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder (Harper & Row, 1956). Mary McLeod Bethune, ”My Last Will and Testament” (Ebony Magazine, 1955). From WikiArt (public domain) Victor Borisov Musatov, Boy Seated