The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1849-11-02

selFes WHICH is supposed necessarily 10 De
long to the young, and which. education
makes no pretence to remedy. It conse-
quently exists amongst the learn'd and the
highly-taught accorsding to tho accustom
ed fashion of instruction, and influences
their actions, to as great an extent as
amongst the more ignorant and unenligh-
tened .......-- ~.
By which Of the common systems of in
struciion, for instance. in vain young
girl to be made aware of the fact, that
while believeing herself captivated by her
first love, and fancying him an object of
affection, she is only captvated by his
hatterng attentions, and charmed with the
idea of being an object of affection herself?
that she is in reality only charmed with
the idea of being preferred before others;
and thus the deeper the impression she has
the power to make, the more ardent and
t devoted the attachment displayed by her
lover, the greater is the qualification to
her own vanity and self-love?
1t is precisely this mistake, so frequent
{ ly the result Of pure ignorence as regards
the motives. powers, and passions which
, habitually influence our common nature,
that makes shipwreck Of so large an
amount of human happiness in the mar
red state. 1t is the fact of entering upon
that state prepared, and expecting to re-
ceipe rather than to gige-to be the pam
pered, cherished, hattered one, rather
than to cherish, bear with. and, if pro
foundly admiring be tlattering, then to
flatter another.
If in the outset there should be so great
a similarity in the symptoms of these two
emotions, or tendencies, as to excite the
inquiry--where lies the difercnce?- -their
results are so strongly marked by contra
dlctory elements of character, rs to draw
out, through the whole experience of lie,
Ia set of feelings and habits entirely oppo-
, sci to en- ch other. In one case these are
greedily bent upon receiving-in the other
benevolenyly disposed to give out peryetu-
{ ally from fountain nexhaustablc as life
i self. In one case there is constant de-
mand--in the other, u no less constant
| supply, In one case there is self for the
centre of all good-in tha other, self is for
gotten in ministering 10 the good of a be
, ing who is more than self In one case,
, kindness attention, solicitude, are watched
for, demanded as right, and only borne
without, by sorrow, reproaches, and tears;
in the other they are dispensed like the
sunshine and the dew-cqually natural,
| generous. and spontaneou, but not che less
) essential to the verdure and the beauty of
| life. In one case, the insatiable receiver
D sits like bloated idol on a mystic shrine,
gloating over rich offerings presented
therein the other, the heart itself pours
forth its secret wealth, and asks for no re-
turn beyond those of welcome and accep-
| tance. ..-.;. .'.
Jnstin proportion then as It's more bles-
sed to give than to receive; and Just in
: the same manner is the act of loving,
generously and devotedly, superior in all
the clements of true nobility and true hap
pness, to that common, mean and despi-
t cable passion, which deserve no better
name than grecdiness for being loved;
| and justin proportion too. at these distinct
5 elements of character differ from each 9TH
! er, is itimportant to learn in early life how
to Distinguish them each from the other,
| both in their outward manifestations, and
in their secret influences upon tee happi-
ness or misery of life.
: When education shall have mastered q
. few difficulties of this description, it will
indeed have become worthy of its name -
When educators shall have turned their at
, ten.ion to subjects Of this naturc-when
, they shall even have dreamed that it is
t desirable to do so-when they shall have
, entertained, though but a faint idea of the
fact, that the springs of human conduct
arise more out of this class of feelings, than
out Of problems in algebra, or Latin roots,
or even living language in any Of its va
rled forms. they will have advanced one
|, step towards that blessed era when moral
cultivation seall assert its claim to be re-
, garded in connection with intellectual
Even then, the long years in which intel
lect alone has been the direct object of the
educator in systematic training, will have
to be recovered by that neglected portion
Of our nature, ont of which spring the mo-
tives Of all human conduct--out Of which
spring happiness and misery-good and
!. evil. All the long years in which this has
been neglected will then have to be made
up for BY ten fold earnestness and effort,
;, before that equal balance of mind, that
harmony of character, and that consisten-
cy Of action can be looked for which con
stitute man fittin recipient forthe higher
influences of religion. and which, idstead
of frustrating the great work still remain,
!. ing, to be done, is like the preParatian of
the soil before the scattering in OF precious.
seed.
/ When tits winter remember the poor.