Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-06-11
THE SCH00L-H0ISE

lle OOlNeIocs VIC dC iiOh lhO
first to the last breath we draw-learners Of
the Good and the True, or Of the Evil and the
False. Every thing in the Universe that
comes within the reach of human contact pos
sesses an influence upon man. Natures
School House is beautifully adorned and mag
nitcently arrayed. All that we complain Of
in Society grows out Of mental inferiority;
but as man is introduced to the works Of Gre
alton admitted into the interior of Natures
School! House, he grows superior, and his en-
ioyments increase, MS do his virtue, his knowl-
edge, and his development.
All that is required is to open the eyes of the
blind that they may behold the beauty and
glory of Gods Great Kingdom 10 unstop their
ears that they may hear the melody Of Nature
and the music Of the Spheres; and to unlock
the gates of the Understanding that man may
be fled with the great thoughts and noble
sentiments inspired by true Enlightenment
But there are School-Houses on smaller
scale Every Household, every Church, every
Reading room, Library, and Lyceum, in short
every place in which intelligent beings congre
gate, is School House. where mind is Edu-
Gated, where shape and direction are given to
human destiny. These are chiefly the schools
for adult persons, and they have much, yea,
almost everything to do with the interests
and welfare of the people. In proportion TO
their efficiency, is the presen! generation i'm
proved, virtue promoted, and happiness in
creased
The Household however, is the School
House of the children in their earliest years,
when the most is done in the formation of
character. Same have thought that the prin-
cipal elements OF character are impaired du-
RUG the first seven years of life; if so, how
absolute is the influence of Humanity And
when we reflect that so much parental igno-
rance prevails in relation to the discipline and
development o: children; when we reflect
that more than half Of these Schools in even
our own land are most unfortunate for the
youth that are trained therein; when we re-
fleet that the fashion and aristocracy on the
one hand, and the privation and vice on the
other, render childhood's home most destruc-
tive to genuine worth and well-being, we are
sometimes led to despair of saving the whole
people from the evils under which Humanity
groans. But when we t1rn 10 another class OF
School Houses, and reflect that they can be
made as attractive and efficient in moral and
intellectual culture as W please, there is some
relief to the sad picture Of home and its dark
ness. In these Public School. Houses the
children of unfortunate parents can find relief
They can be made most pleasant Asylums tc
which they can fly for refuge from ugness
unpleasanlness, and depravity at home.
Home ought to be the Holy of Holes in
tie Great Temple of Humanity. Everything
within and without ought to be beautiful, pure
chaste and simple. No base thought, vile
feeling. nor vulgar action ought ever to invade
this sanctuary. Much care is taken Of the
Church, and no one is permitted to walk her
aisles with unsandaled feet; but how much
more care should be taken of the still more
t sacred temple Of Home, where the mind o
, every man and woman receives its first i'm
pressions! And yet, little thought is given Il
! this. Too many of these nurseries are ranl
with poisonous weeds. Too many Homes ar,
, filled with the deepest corruptions to whicl
the young are subjected.
But this is due to parental inferiority, ant
while the mature cannot be Suddenly trans
formed into angels we can open the door o
the Public School House and welcome the
children to house of heavenly refuge. wher
I the evil influences OF Home may be counter
dCtCu' 1bS ROOu 10 SIOuRCI ttihu tHc CNli
the true than the false. Tne young can b.
| readily attracted by the good and true, for tn
children would be nearly right If half chanc
were given them.
All hail, then, TO the Public School House
o and let no pains he spared to make it what
- should be. What are some Of the principle
that should direct in the building ofthese Gil
e adels of Virtue these temples of Human pro
$ gress. these pillars of the Republic?
S /. Its size should be ample for the accom-
mediation of all the children within wakn
: distance unless in case Of u large city, whcr
r there are more than can be advantageous
J managed in one building Five hundred, q
even one thousand. are not too many unde
). one roof, provided the institution be organize
h AS it should be.
!; 2. 1t should be as pleasantly located as pos
sibe, with ground enough for recreation, wall
d green plats, flowers and shrubbery. The il
9 fuence Of these cannot be estimated. The
t lend charm to all around, soothe the roug
temper. increase the general smabity, an
IS do what the rod could never accomplish, d
pose the pupils to good order This is high
q important to make the place attractive to a
!, those children who are unpleasantly situate
e at home.
8. The building should be directed by Al
l. chitectural skill. so as 20 subserve good last,
n convenience, comfort, aud economy. None
IS would be saved by patronizing good Arch
|; teet, who, under the directions Of good teacl
C er, should furnish the plan.
A. The building should be thoroughly vel
G tilated, and it is as easy TO secure this indi:
l. pensibie prerequisite to health, as it Is
.r make the school,room the generator of colo
ID coughs and consumption.
10 8. There should beas many school and r
citation-rooms as the number of pupils ms
require; two large reception halls, one for Il
males. and the other for the females, and C,
OF culated for play-halls when the weather is
We clement The school-rooms should be pro
10 ded with the most comfortable seats and co
il venient desks, all too neat to be abused. T
W floors should be kept clean, and if carpeted
all much the better. The walls should be hu
n with maps, diagrams. and black-boards !
IN within should be in good taste, and the doc