The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-11-27


lurmis,s, 10 join the master & his increasing
number Of friends acknowledge their error
and rcciprocate congratulations on the uncX-
peciedly happy result ottho whole oi'lhs sim
guIar affair." We say the whole; for before the
company broke mp, word was brought by one
Of The larger scholars, who had gone over 10
! Widow Murvn's during the meeting and just
returned, that the sick hoy there had fallen in
to quiet Sleep attended by gentle prespir-
neutrality-suspicious. which the gratiicd doctor
ut once pronounced to be plain indication
HAT the disease was going of, by what he
technically termed resolution. And the re-
suit, in this case Mt least, went TO prove the
doctors skill in prognoslics. The boy, oilcr
| that night, was consigned, by his departing
| physician, to tho care only of his grateful
mother, who, within n fortnight, had the I'M
sreakabIe happiness ofsccing her darling son
restored to health and his sill loved, but now
mere temporarily pursued studies.
| or the remainder of young Amsden'S ca
rGer in this district, little more need be added.
/ Compared with the trials, vcXations, and la
/ hors Of the past, he now found hutn path Of
/ flowers. The recent misfortune in his schools
/ the consequent infatuated moycmcntto over
| throw Incorporating rs all oycrwrought perse
cuIions usualydo, tnstoudofmjur him, were
the means Of turning the popular current
in the estimation of nearly all around him,
which he otherwise would have failed to OBJ
tain. Being no further troubled with the in
judicious interference OF parents, or tho ms
behavior Of their clildrcn,-thos0 two evils
which too often require the best part ola teach
cr's time and attention TO meet and overcome
them, he had nothing TO do but instruct his
pupils. And by no means unprolilabiy did
the latter use the opportunity thus afforded
them. From arough,wild uDthiuking set of
creatures, who could appreciate nothing but
animal pleasures or physical porwess. they
became rational beings, ambitious for The ac-
QUESTION OF knowledge, and capable OF intel
lGctuul pleasures. A new standard of taste
aud merit, in short, had been impCrcepUbly
raised among them; and the winter that Locke
Amsdcn kept school became an era in the dis
rict, from which commenced visible and
happy change in the whole moral and intel
leCtuul tone OF its society.
Nor were The advantages which attended
his cXertions in this place wholly on one side.
In teaching others, tie master himself was o.
ten taught. Questions were daily pat to him
even hy children in their nbs, which led him
to reflection research, 4 discoveries of truths,
which,thruugh schuluras he was he found,
to his surprise, he had before overlooked, aud
which otherwise might never have occurred
20 him;-discoycrcs, we repeat, of important
truths, in almost every study OF his school,
and particularly in those of ouhography, or
thocpy, and ctymo!ogy, those sadly neglected
branches which require Il philosopher to teach
them undcrstGndingly, but which are yet, Of.
tCnCr Than otherwise, entrusted To The teach
ing Of an ignoramous!
In what is termed physical cducaliou, al
So, he here received hints, which led him To
the adoption of much more correct and en-
Iarced views than any he had before enter
tanned. His attention, indeed, had never been
directed to the subject; and he had therefore
continued to look upon it as did others around
him, either MS matter OF litllc Importance or,
ut best, as ono which bad no Legitimate con
nection with popular education. But the
painful and alarming occurrences which we
have described, as arising from the want Of
ventilation in his school-houso, taught him Il
lesson which could not be disregardcd or ca
silly forgotten; caused bin to give an earnest
consideration TO this hcc in al! lis bearings,
whether in relation TO ventilation, length Of
confinement to study, or ease of position; and
forced upon his mind the conviction, tIat
physical education, or an observance of those
laws of life which eau only insure the hCulth
of the body, and the consequent health Ot'thc
mind is, as truly ms any other, part OF AN
instructors duty for the performance ot'whjch
before high Heaven, he will be held RESPONSE
bic.