The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1850-09-19
PEASANT LIFElN GERMANY

The moral, intellectual, and physical
condition Of the peasants and operatives
OF Prussia, Saxony, and other parts OF
Germany, Of Holland, and Of the prot
estant cantons Of Switzerland, and the
social condition Of the peasants in the
greater part Of France, is very mucl,
higher and happier. and very much
more satisfactory, than that Of the peas.
ants and operatives Of England; the
condition of the poor in the North Ger
man. Swiss and Dutch towns, is rs re.
markabIe n contrast TO ,ha, of the poor
Of the English towns as can well be
imagined; and the condition Of the
pourer classes Of Germany, Swiizer-
land. Holland, and France is rapidly
improving. The great superiority Of
the preparation for life which n poor
man receives in those countries l have
mentioned, to that which a peasant or
operative receives in England, and the
difference of the social position Of n
poor man in those countries to that Of
a peasant or operative inEngland seems
sufficient 10 explain the difference
which exists between the moral and
social condition Of the poor Of our own
country and Of the other countries l
have named. In Germany. Holland,
and. Switzerland, q child begins its life
IN the society OF parents VINO have been
educated and brougIi; up for years in
the company OF ienI"o'' aud gentleman.
~ professors, and in the society anu uu-
der the direction Of father who has
been exercised in military arts, and
who has acquired the bearing, the clean
and orderly habits, and the taste for
respectable attire. which characterize
the soldier. The children of these
countries spend the first six yesrs of
their lives in homes which are well
regulated. They are during this time
accustomed to orderly habits, to neat
and clean clothes, and to ideas Of the
value Of instruction, Of the respect due
to the teachers, and Of the excellence
Of the schools, by parents who have, 10y
their training in early life, acquired
such tastes and ideas themselves
Each child at the age Of six begins TO
attend a school, (which is perfectly clean.
well ventilated, directed by an able and
well-educaied gentleman, and superin,
tended by the religious ministers and
by the inspectors of the Government
Until the completion Of its fourteenth
year, each child continues regular daily
attendance at one Of these schools, daily
strengthening its habits Of cleanliness
and order, learning the rudimems o
useful knowledge, receiving the primer
pies of religion and morality. and gain
ing confirmed health and physical en-
crgy by the exercise aud drill Of the
school ground. No children are lef
idle in the streets Of the towns; no chill
dren are allowed 10 grovel in the gut
ters; no children are allowed to make
their appearance at school dirty, or IL
ragged clothes; and the local au'ho,i,ie
are obliged to elo,he all whose parent
cannot afford to clo,he them. Ih'
children Of the poor Of Germany, Hoi
land and Switzerland acquire stronge
habits Of cleanliness, neatness aud IN
dustry at the primary schools, than 'h
children Of small sbopkeeping classes G
England and they leave the primar
schools Of these countries. much bette
instructed than those who leave ou
middle class private schools. Ate
having learn, reading, writing, arithm'
tic, singing, geography, history and tt
Scriptures, the children leave q,
, schools, carrying with them into III
; habits OF cleanliness, neatness, ord'
!. and industry, and ~akened inieiiec
: capable Of collecting truths and reaso'
!, ing upon them