The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-10-28
THE PERRYSBURG JOURNAL.
For the Journal.
RepetitiOn.

The young man who is an accomplished
skater, became so through determined, perse-
vering effort. When he first put on his
skates and attempted to rise to an erect pos
ture, he not only found himself on his back,
but admitted to an exhibition Of fireworks,
free of expense. But by repeated effort he
finally succeeded, and now he glides over
the ice with an ease, velocity and voluptu-
business of motion, which is equaled only by
Ahe swoop of the noble eagle.
| Whence this improvement? Simply from
an education of the muscles, and continued
repetition was necessary to perfect that
education. Had he been content with two
or three efforts per winter, he would never
have been able to perform that graceful and
manly exercise.
The blacksmith, tailor, shoemaker, machin-
ist--in short all our mechanics have acquir-
ed their skill through patient, unremitting
repetition. The task, which at first was
performed bunglingly and with great labor,
is now, after the proper organs have been
duly trained or educated, executed with
neatness and dispatch,
The organs of special sense and those of
touch, are improved and perfected by being
frequently called into action. BY iudicious
exercise, the eye becomes quick and keen as
exemplified by the sailor; the ear more acute
as evidencedTby the musician; the nose
more sensitive as shown by the physician =;
the taste more exquisite as manifested by the
gourmand, and the touch more delicate, as
illustrated by the fingers of the child in pick
ing up the broken threads at a spinning
jenny. Indeed, it is law of our nature
that constant repetition is indispensable to
success, in any and all the active duties of
life.
1t is as indispensable to the education of
the mind as to that of the physical system.
The mind works by a material organ, the
brain, and that is subject to the same law
which governs the other organs of the body
To enable the brain to act Nith facility and
efficiency in any required direction, its ener-
gies must be taxed regularly and frequently
to the accomplishment of the desired object.
The lawyer becomes successful by the trial
of many causes the minister eloquent by
many preachings and the doctor skillful by
extended practice. Were they to put forth
effort, only occasionally, all history and OBJ
servation teach us, they would never exceed
mediocrity in their professions
So is 1T with our youth attending school ;
if their efforts are frequently interrupted BY
absence from the school room, they can
never become scholars The mind may ap-
prehend scientific truth when first present.
ed, but unless startling, it will make but
slight impression and be soon forgotten.-
The impression mnst be deepened to become
permanent; this can be effected only by
repetition, and repetition can be secured
! only by constant attendance.
We see this great truth strikingly exempli-
fed in districts where schools are in session
but portion of the year. The boy may
attend four months, each winter, from the
age of five to twenty-one years, (six years of
ten months each) and yet fail to acquire a
familiarity with the ordinary branches of a
common school education. Had he devoted
these six years to unbroken study, from the
age of eleven to seventeen, he would be
comparatively, an educated man. And four
months uninterrupted attendance, is incom-
paraby more valuable than the same amount
scattered throughout the year.
Were parents to reflect upon this great
and immutable law of our being, until they
fully realized its truth and importance, there
would be less of irregularity in attendance
than now affiicts our schools. Justice to
themselves, their offspring and the commu-
nifty, demand from them, its serious consid-
Grafton.
BY statistics in the Vineyard Mass. } Ga
zette, it would appear that an uncommon
mia CO visits regards unOrta1ity in tho Il