The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1839-08-10

meaning sounds. Children are now to be found
in almost every part of the country who read with
great propriety and who write, speak, and spell
correctly, who have never spent moment over
smelling books, and but little time in any way
for learning TO read, write, or spell.
Third, by family cabinets, embracing some
simple articles Of apparatus for trying expert
mems in chemistry, natural philosophy, and
other departments of science, children at an early
age store their minds with many OF the most i'm
portant and fundamental principles OF useful
knowledge, which furnish them, on all occasions
in future life, with valuable stock on hand, or
with important instruments for conducting any
department of science, or any branch Of business,
but, above all. the business of farming. Lord
Brougham somewhere very correctly remarked
that ii we were deprived of what we learn I'M
der three wears of age, we should be the most ig
norant beings upon the face Of the earth.
Fourth, habits of industry and attention to
business are most successfully cultivated by these
domestic collections and instruments of knowledge,
so eagerly sought and so industriously used by
all children, if permitted by their parents. II
time ana the OCCASION permitted numerous ex-
amples might be given of young persons with
habits of un,ring industry, and Of the strctest at
tenon to any business they might undertake,
uoluntarily acquired by their perseverng and ca
ger pursuit after science afforded them by these
natural and agreeable instruments Of knowledge.
Fifth, the study of the works of our Creator is,
perhaps, the best protection OF morals which can
be provided for the young. Rarely, if ever, have
young persons or old persons, with the taste for
studying the works and laws Of our Creator, been
found in the ranks Of vice, or addicted to habits
of dissipation. AS every person, without excep-
ton, when child, has taste for this study it is
a fair conclusion that, if that taste was encourag-
ed and cultivated in children by their parents
and teachers they would seldom, if ever, lose it.,
or substitute for it love of vice and dissipation,
now Fastening thousands to ruin.
Sixth collections made by young people for
their domestic cabinets furnish them with mate
rails for similar collections in schools, lyceums,
and many places of more public resort. Court
houses, town-houses, hotels, steamboats,, canal
boats, the offices of railroads and canals, also the
offices of lawyers and physicians, post Offices,
stores. and even BARRIERS shops, have sometimes
been furnished with these instruments of useful
AMI entertaining knowledge from the specimens
collected or prepared by children during their
early scientific amusements.
Seventh, the diffusion Of knowledge over the
globe has already been greatly advanced by the
materials Of family cabinets Specimens taken
from them have been sent to nearly every mis-
sonary station upon the globe, and to numerous
other schools lyceums, andindividuals in the four
quarters Of the earth.
Eighth, the children of farmers enjoy peculiar
facilities for collecting family cabinets, and great
inducements to improve them. Free from the
exctements and temptations of cities, and sur
rounded with the works Of our Creator in great
profusion, variety, and beauty, the children Of
every family in the country whose parents will
permit them may, in the course of single sea-
son, make collection Of great value and beauty.
BY the combined efforts Of parents and children,
such collections have sometimes been made in
the course Of a few years, which have been
valued by lovers of science at one or two hun
dreI dollars and would not be sold for still lar
ger sum.
In some sections of our country, especially
among the German farmers in Pennsylvania, a
CABINET OF NATURE AND ART" is TO be found
in every family, aided by Social LycEuMs," or
weekly meetings of neighbors, for the improve
ment of each other in various departments of
useful and entertaining knowledge. Such, it is
hoped and believed, will be the case in every sec
ton and IN every family of our Republic, atleast
by your friend, JOSIAH HoLBRooK.