Northern star, and Warren and Bristol gazette. [volume] (Warren [R.I.]) 1826-1830, 1826-12-02


upon the disposition Of the mind /,
melancholy or cheerfuIness. Child
hood is naturally cheerful, and the flo,
of ideas at that period Of life 10 conse
quently rapid. Nature-has wisely o,
Gained that il should be so.
As the ideas ofchildren are Few, an
as the course Of these ideas is rapid,
follows that the same ideas must fre
quently pass through the mind. Her,
likewise, | observed wise proyisi OF
made by nature for the cultivation o
which the strength of the other facul
ties ultimately depends. Incapable Of
long and fixed attention to any object, /
repetition ofthe same ideas is absolute
iy necessary to the due operation Of
these powers. This circumstance
believe to be very little attended to.
We jadge too much Of the minds oi
children by our own oui ideas, ex-
ccpt when under the influence of some
of the exhilirating passions, flow in
slow succession. The frequent repe-
tition Of the same Ideals to us unnatur.
al, aud consequently irksome hence
we rsshly conclude that it must be the
same with children. We therefore,
iJudiciously press new ideas upon
them before the mind is prepared for
their reception. and by doing SO we
often render Inaccurate conceptions ha-
bituai.
Viewing the subject in this light. I
consider the multitude OF little books
that are now given to children at an
early aye, as 50 many destroyers of
their faculties. If the conceptions have
not acquired yigour by being exercised
on material objects. before they are
employed on those emotions which il
is the business Of fiction to describe,
greatly apprehend that they will never
be cultivated to perfection. The only
books, therefore, that are fit for chill
dren, are such as convey clear, just and
accurate ideas upon subjects to which
The attention at that period ought chief
" to be directed. Nor will the books
that are best calculated for aiding the
infant mind in the requirement of just
ideas, be Of any use, unless the ideas
they give be permitted to make a due
which they never can do
at superficial glance.
The half conceptions which a child
forms from the best books that can be
put into his hands, may prove equally
injurious to its mind, az the erroneous
ideas conveyed by works that are less
judlcious. By frequent aid repeated
pcrnsals it IS, and by these alone, that
a child can attain a clear and distinct
Of the meaning Of even
The most tliA.ng story /: nor will this
appear to the child, as It
would do 10 us, tiresome and insipid,
unless its appetite for novelty, has
been excited by too frequent gratiica.
ion.
Observe with what delight an infant
listens to the same tale that has been
IN hundred times repeated by his nurse,
md hundred times is heard with eve.
y new delight, in the limited number
IF the childs's ideas and in the veloc.
ty with which they pass through the
mind, we may see the cause Of this un-
,stiated pleasure received from the rep4
.tition of the same foolish tale. To
these oral communications books sue.
,eed 4; and it wonld be well if both tales
md books were always calculated to
assist the opening faculties, TO awaken
he benevolent, affections, to give pro- |
Der direction to curiosity, and to in
'pire an early love Of knowledge and
,irtue. In the " Evenings at home or
Juvenile Budget" all this appears to
ne to be eflectedin its utmost extent
md am we'll convinced, that a child, |
Who, from the time ofits being able to
cad for itself with pleasure, till its
.ighth or ninth year, is restricted 10
hese books alone FORTS literary amuse-
nsnt, will, at the epd ofihat period. be !