The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-04-13
For The CaI.J..

sage, or mountebank. STatford on tina A.
boasts her Shakespeare, Corsica her NapoIeen p.a' "
pare, and Down;ngville, away down Ems, in M
State OF Maine, her Major Jack DOWNING. po~
pei and Hercnlaneum live in perpetual memo.
the monuments Of the wrath of Vesuvius wliI.n
name Of WiDdham in Connecticut brings 10 ro,o,
lection the thrilling adventure of its inbabi,,,,.
with the army OF the Bull.irogs.
Tho power ofassociaiion not unfrequentIv -,
centrates within the compass ola nut shell ,bo >,
membrance of long series of events, which mich,
have engaged the attention or involved IN ,heiri,
sues the fate of millions. The name of Peter III.
Hermit at once presents panoramic view OF ,bo
Crusaders; and all The detailed narraiions of Wish
es and Witchcral, together with all the antdo,s,
of burning, hanging, SIC. are brought in magic "a.
view by the mention of the name Of Salem
The village of Norridgevile had, time out Of
mind been exception to the remark at tho besa
of this article. Its quiet in habiiants had followed
heir peaceful avocalions from generation TO gencr.
alton, each satisfied with that degree of renowu
which his father had enjoyed before him, and en-.
ulous only on the question Of who best sludd
mind his own business. Not that the people Of"
were whit behind their colenpo,
rares in The acquisition Of useful knowledge. The.
Village school house was a standing indication Of
their love of learning, and the Parson had no occn
sion complain that his instructions were either
unheard or unheeded. A steady, mono,onous ys,
progr essve uniformity had characterized the habits
and manners of tho people of NorsidgeviIlc No
remarkable event had trnnspirod. Mo Gretna Green,
elopement horrid murder had ever procureds a.
prominent mention of the name of the place in the
newspapers, and it might have remained to the
|Iat M 10 nnnoticsd Inv
Sung by the poe, had it been for the uniimely
Visit of n singular genius-a man OF extraordinary
Ia,tanments in an extraordinary science, a knowL
ledge Of which he proposed to imptrt IN seres of
lectures to the citizens of the village provided they
were willing to grant him the occupancy Of ,La
village church; aud as he assured them tho sc;s,co
was intimately connected with tho cultivation Of
good morals, the requisite leave vas granted, and
Z the good people OF Norrdgeville repaired With
1wohuering eyes and ears 10 witness and hear ihe
wonderful performance of the wonderful man.
Our lecturer proceeded to treat of the faculties Of
4 the human mind, and of the organs by means Of
(which they manifested themselves The chief
points of his doctrine the fol!owing-Thn
the calf is the organ Of :he body by which tho
mind of man exhibits it's activity; that the calf or
man Is moro complex thnn that of any other mem
Der OF the animal creation; that tho greatest variety
exists as well in the quantity of matter it con.
tains as in the e'epaton Of certain points that tho
better sort ofcalvcs are distinguished by the prom.
"enec Of peculiar elevations, and .hnt the different
lacultes of intellect and the different moral dIspo
sions ERE referable 10 the locations and magnitude
of the elevations pro,uberanccs of the calf that
.by n knowledge OF tins science which he drnom
mated calfo'osy, parents and teachers may be nbo
10 correct tho mo, al propensities of youth, and to
form perfect characters, by a very simple process.
gBy a steady and protracted pressure upon those
Rprotuberanccs ofthe calfwhch devclope the vicous
spropensites, and by application Of the air Pump
4 in such manner 10 increase the size of those
selevations which indicate the viriuous and useful
qualities and passions, the latter might be effectua
lily cultivated and trimmed, and the former wholly
;eradicaed In those families however which hahN
not The means Of obtaining the requisite philosopho
apparatus, our lecturer recommended "a the most
simple and rational corrective, that the subject
Should always wenr blue-stockiDgs, It being sup
posed that the component parts of the blue dye US
ed for cooring stockings possessed certain medci'
nal properties which adapted themselves, phsiolog.
icaly, when applied to the calf, to the moral ne
cessies OF the patient
For the purpose of demonstrating the correctness
on scientifically of the calves of several of his audi
tory, u in very rema kable manner described the
prominent trats of character for which eacb had
been distinguished thereby greatly increasing tho
|aston'shment of the people, though by the way
some were so ncredulous TO hint The possibility
that he had obtained by common report beforehand
Ia knowledge of these traits. And otIiors were so
uncharitabIe as to suggest that the whole system
was n fabrication got up for the purpose Of money
making, inasmuch for every calf he examined
and for every chart he gave, he exacted fee.
BE that as il may, the subject created very great
sensation, and considerable excitement prevailed
on the question whether department should NOT
be instituted in the village school for the purpose
of instruction in the science OF culfology.
Nothing decisive however was concluded upon
and he subject light have been allowed TO rest,
had it not been that after tho departure of the lee
urer it was revived, pro and con, with much zeal
by two champions OF an tagonist interests and feel-
ngs, who upon a pathological examination were
found to possess between them an aggregate of all
the bumps and protuberances which develope an
r.