Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1844-11-14
TOO EARLY TO SCHOOL.


mean, to be sent to school at too early an age.-
practice the contrary Of this threatens to be pro.
duotive of serious, not to say irreparable mischief
Parents are often too anxious that their children
shood have Acknowledge Of the alPhabet, dfspellng
reading, geography, and other branches Of school,
learning at very early age. This is worse than |
tempting them to walk Too early, because the or.
Unlikely to be injured by it is much more impor-
tant than the muscles and bones Of the lower ex-
tremities. 1t may do irremediable mischief to the
brain. That visions is yet too immature and feeble
to sustain fatigue. Uatil from the sixth to the
eighth year Of life, the seventh being perhaps the
proper medium, all its energies are necessary for
its own healthy developement and that Of the 9TH
or portions Of the system. Nor ought they to be
diverted, by serious study, or any other purpose
Tre exercise is as essential to ahe health and Wig
or Of the brain at that time of life at any Others
bat it should be the general and pleasurahle exer-
else of observation and action. 1t ought not to be
the compulsory exercise Of tasks. EaTay prodigies
Of mind rarely attain mature distinction The reas-
is plain their brains are injured by premature
toll, and their general health impaired; Were pa
rents fully sensible of this, they would no longer
overload the brains of their mere babies will study
any more than they would their half organized
muscles and joints with unmerciful burdens OF brick
and mortar. They would even know that the lat
ter would be the least destructive practice OF the
two. Instead Of seeing infants confined to naction
in crowded school-rooms, with saddened looks,
moist eyes, and aching heads, we should then meet
them in the gardens and lawns, groves and pleas
ure grounds, wholesome air, beaping, laughing,
shouting. cropping flowers, pursuing butterflies,
collecting and looking at curious and beautiful in
sects and stones, listening to bird SONGS singing
themselves, admiring the bright blue arch Of the
heavens, or gazing at thnkening folds Of the thun-
der cloud, and doing all other things fitted to pro-
mote health, develope and strengthen their frames,
ami prepare them for the graver business of after
life And instead Of pale faces, faccid checks and
h--Ns e NlV
fesh firm muscles land full and we'll rounded limbs,
Exercises and pastimcs such these constitute the
only {" Infant School" that deserves to be encour-
aged nor will any other sostr encourage
ment when the business of education shall be tho
roaghly understood. The brain of infants will be
then no longer neglected as matter Of little i'm
portance, skim muscle, and bone bsing thought pref
erable to it.
0atke contrary, it will be viewed in its true
character, the ruling organ of the body and the
apparatus of the mind. and its training will receive
the attention it merits. l repeat-and the repeti-
ton should be persevered in until its truth be ac-
knowledged and reduced to practice-that most Of
the evils of education under which the world has
long suffered, and is still suffering, arise from the
mistaken belief, that in what is called moral and
intellectual education, it sthe mind that is exer-
cised, and notsthe BRAIN Nor will the evils cease,
and education be made perfect, until the shall
be exploded. Knowing nothing Of the nature of
the mnd and supposing it to be- as spirit, some
| what impressive, we are neither 'apprised nor APP
| prehensive that any degree Of action will impair
it. Indeed we can form no conception Of an injury
done to it as separate essence. Perhaps the most
rational beliefis, that itcan suffer none. But the
case il different respects organised matter.
We witness daily injuries done to it by unjudiceus
exercise Nor is there perhaps any portion Of 1t
so easily ruinously deranged by excessive action
asthe brain, especially the half formed and highly
susceptible brain of infants Let this truth be re-
allied, and faithfully acted on, and human suffering,
from hydroeephalus, ricketts,, pfrenitis, iocy, ep-
iepsy, madness, and other cerebral affections, will
be greatly diminished. It would be infinitely wis
er and better 10 employ suitable persons to SUPER
iHtsnxs the exercises and amusements of children
under seven years of age, in the fields, orchards,
and meadows, and point out to them the beauties Of
nature, than to have them immured in crowded
school-rooms, porting over horn books and primers,
coming words of whose meaning they are ignorant,
and breathing foul air.
Italy and the Pope.-The latest accounts from
Rome represent that city to have been in re-
| verish state-the Pon+if refusing to conccde any
thing to the wishes OF the: people How long the
Papat government will be able to hold out in resis
lance to the popular desire for change in the as
pect of things, it is not easy to decide The indi-
cations are that The people determined to achieve
revolution of some sort, and to lessen their bur-
dens The Papal government is sixty.seven mil
lions of dollars in debt, and that debt increases at
the rate ola million Of dollars year. The Papal
government Sin poor credit, and it is not easy for
it to effect loan. We have been informed on good
authority that the church property is all under
heavy mortgages and that capitalists refuse to make
loans for the benefit of the See of Rome. The
downfall of Rome is an event which cannot be far
distant. We hope that when the day arrives, it
will open the eyes of many who are now deceived
in their belief, aAd deluled to the ruin of their
souls.--.N Y. Evangelist.
The Bible IN Public Schools.-The Irish Catho-
lies maintain that the object of Bishop Hughes and
Kenrick and those who act with them, in their in.
reference in systems of education, is not the
expulsion Of the Bible from our Public Schools
And yet it appears from officiaa.report on-the
subject, that there are Six WARDS, having THIRTY
ONE SCHOOLS, in the city of New York, in all the
Public Schools Of which not enc BIBLE is to be
found 1t also appears that the ground on which
these Public School Houses are built, from which
the Bible has been expelled has cost the Americans
in the city Of New York, NINRTY.sEvEN THOU
SAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. So much for the
establishment ami maintenance Of schools from
which the Christian religion, far as its basis is
concerned, is excluded! And who have brought
about this deplorable result! Who have expelled
done this work of moral treason? This is the work
OF FOREIGN sEcrAR1ANIsM planting itself in our
mtist, forming political alliances, and attaching it.
self to the fortunes Of party that seeks to perpet
Uate its power al the expense Of every thing
else. It is this treason to the Bible, virtue, and
patriotism. that has quickened into life the princ
pies Of the Native American party, and given those
principles power against which no sectarianism,
though backed by tie sanctions and revenues Of
Rome. can stand. There is a conscience in man
that Will new and then speak out and make itself
N 0nft