The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-05-28

it life it is alive, for it moves" Hell
teacher then asked her if the bird ate, OF
slept, or walked, or could feel. "No,'
she replied but still seemed hardly con-
WINGED that the magnet did not give lie to
the bird, until she was shown its effect
upon a needle.
This led TO 40 explanation of attraction /;
and she soou afterwards showed her dis
position to apply all new words in as
many senses as she can, by suddenly en-.
bracing her teacher, and saying. 81 am
exceedingly attracted TO you, because you
are always so kind"
A little reflection upon the mental pro-
cess by which she converted a term ex-
p~ressive Of a physical relation into one
expressive of a mental emotion will ex-
plain the difficulty which many persous
find in understanding how she ever learn
ed abstract terms, aud words %signl6ca!ive
of mere emotions.
Laura, of course, cannot convert those
terms which usually express physical re.
lations into terms expressive of moral re-
l~alions, so easily as other young persons
can; but in her case, as in theirs, the
mental process is d natural and almost in
voluntary one. All children GO through
with it without any special instruction,
and use m%eiaphorical language long be-
fore they know what a metaphor Is.
The teacher playsa much humber part
in the intellectual development of children
than he is usually supposed 10 do his in.
fluence in the formation OF moral charac-
ter may be greater; but loo often he las
bors upon the former to the neglect of the
latter.
On the same day referred 10, she was
speaking about something which recalled
the past, and asked, Why was | not al
ways so good ?" Not receiving an i'm
mediate answer, she added, "PeopIe can
not always do right, as one mar did who
lived many years ago. Doctor says no.
body ever does right always, as Jesus
Christ did" Her teacher told her that
we must always Try 10 do perfectly right,
and then we should grow better and bet
ter. She then asked, "If we are perfect,
shall we be like God ?"
The following extract from her teach
er'S journal will show how minutely her
little faults are noted and how they are
"Sunday, Nor. l0M. Laura went TO
church with me in the morning. In the
afternoon, | left Jane Damon with her,
permission 10 stay a short time
When | returned Laura did not welcome
as usual, and made some objections to
walk which | proposed; but she was
soon ready for it. | learned from Jane,
hat Laura had done something that she
had promised not 10 tell me. |
asked Laura why she was not willing
hat should know everything that she
lid while | was away. She said, Il was
afraid you would replove me- l asked
her if ever spoke unkindly to her when
she had done wrong. No. replied she,
very emphatically, EYou never blame
Why did l pull The wire 2 | an
swered, that l thought pIayfulness and Gu
made her do it; that it was not
wrong 10 be curious and playful but that
/ was wrong TO try 10 conceal from me
when she thought she had done mischief.
] did not know it was 10 conceal said
she. told her it was best for me to know
what she did and thought, that | might be
able TO advise her. Il knew it was
wrong 10 pull! the wire Jane had told
also that Laura was unwilling that she
should leave her, ard made several very
unpleasant noises. alluded to this when
with Laura, and she said, { was
lot inpatient BUT said |, Jane
laid you made some bad noises
lid ~ she began to say, hes!tating>
when | said, Did you not make
loises ? and she replied, L believe | did
lot ~refrain from making bad noises
was now obliged to leave her for a
hort time. When | cane back, she was
Tot inclined to say much, and seemed try
ng TO force a smile. BY This time, the
headache which had followed me all day
became quite severe, and 1 left her again
or a while 10 her reflections. 1t is the
irsl time that she has attempted 10 deceive
ne. She was afraid, perhaps, that she
lad done some injury 10 something. She
ould have no fear that { should speak Sc
'erely 10 her, for | never blame her 10
he least. Generally, when she is doing
r saying any iiule thing tina! | disap,
rove, | simply stop 1t at the time, and af-
srwards speak of the thing abstTactiy.~- {
he will apply my remarks to herself and
, the circumstance, but without any On. I
Ieasant excitement of feeling and she res
,embers them a long time. I
Many times she has said, 'Icannot I
9 perfectly good, as Jesus Christ was t
have told her that every one should try
!, be perfectly good. and never be willing
do wrong even in a IiLlIe thiug,-ex> (
to her that perhaps it was a de-
ire to appear perfectly good which {
her to conceal that which she 6
,as afraid was wrong.