Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-10-08
DANGER OF ovEKrAxisa THE MIND.


from six to thirteen-the character of the
mental and physical constitution will deter
nine, for the most part the amount OF men
tai exercise The teacher may safely require,
the other circumstances mentioned In this
connection having more influence at sub.
sequent period. Six hours is the usual
! length of school day, summer and winter
for old and Young, bright and dull. For the
Youngest, and for all not favorably organized,
this is certainly too long. A feeble child,
six years old, not only deprived of its liber-
| ty of motion six hours in the day, but sub
iected to an unwonted toll of mind, is in
danger of sefiojis injury, if we know any
thing of natures laws, or may be taught by
the light of experience. True, the length
of the school day does n OF necessarily de-
termne the exact amount ofmental exercise,
but the connection is sufficiently close Tor
our present purpose. With the older chill
dren, six hours may not be too much, pro-
vided their physical health is good. Under
the very common practice of giving lessons
that must be learned. if learned at all, out
of school, the period of study Is heightened
by some additional hours, generally IN the
evening. Thus, the closing hours OF the day
instead of being given up to agreeable eX-
ercise or pastime, calculated to bring into
activity the moral affections that have been
dormant the rest Of the day, to renew the
mental energies, and prepare the system
for sound and refreshing sleep, are painful
ly occupied in coming the unwelcome task.
Weary and dispirited, the youth goes to
his bed in state of nervous excitement,
his brain swarming with images of lines,
numbers, quantities, places and times, winch
give rise to disagreeable dreams, and I'M
pair the restorative effect of sleep. These
evening studies are decidedly wrong. II a.
ny priociple of physiology may be consider
ed as established, it is this, that to insure
sound sleep, active mental exercise should
be avoided for some time before it is sought.
If mental occupation is desired out OF
school, it would be better to have 1t in the
shape of reading adapted to the taste and
age, whereby another object would be OF
tanned. We should ever bear in mind that
education is means, not an end, and en-
deavor to impress the truth on the youthful
mind. One Of the most important of these
ends is, to create a love for intellectual
pleasures and pursuits; but we might as rea-
sorably expect the penitentiarv convict to
be charmed with that labor which is impos-
ed upon him for punishment for crime,
and be prepared by it for future life OF
honest industry, as to suppose that books
which are associated with the idea OF toll
and task-worl can ever become a source OF
rational qualification. If, while plodding "a
long the tedious road of learning, the pupil
is allowed occasionally, by means of judi
clous reading, to catch glimpse of its high
er ends and rewards. it will sweeten his
toll, and impart new value and signifi-
cance to the wearisome pages of his school
book Besides; We must not forget, that,
where taste for reading exists, the means
for its qualification will be found; and the
teacher, especially, must not forget that his
textbooks will have far less to do with the
| formation of The man, than those which fur
nish the recreation of leisure hour. | am
not sure that reading aloud from some in
structive and entertaining book might not
proftably occupy some portion of school
time, for the purpose of exciting healthy
mental activity, and forestalling taste for
the miserable trash of our time, which is
chiefly patronized by the young.
1t is especially after the twelfth or four
tecnth year. that the process Of education
is driven forward with rapidity dangerous
both to the mental and physical health 1t
is the period when the deficiencies of child
hood are to be repaired, when competition
excites the efforts of the youth and the en-
w of his friends, and the prospect Is filled
with pleasing hopes and ambitious schemes.
If to these inducements we add another,
more vulgar but not less common, that OF
obtaining the maximum result from the CIV
en- expenditure, we shall have the most u
sual reasons for this pernicious overstrain-
ing of the tender mind Surpass, outshine
these are the potent words ever ringing in
the ears of many an ingenious youth; and
if he break down in the race the calamity
is regarded as a mysterious visitation of
Providence rather than daring violation
of a natural law.-DR. RAY.
E% We find the following in the edltori-