Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-10-18
From The hassdchu sits Teacher.
A " ORD On EDUCATION.

In the present state of society, when
schools are SO common. and education is
so much talked about there are to many
who Notwithstanding the years which they
nave spent at school, have only super
tclal knowledge of the most common
branches of education for while they
have studied nearly every thing, they
have thoroughly learned comparatively
nothing.
10 meet the wants Of these superficial
scholars, IN almost every State fashona-
bic semlnaries are established. which re-
sembles variety store, where one can
buy everything, from a penny-wbistle to
spy glass, or even a telescope; there.
the pupils are taught everything. from
Greek to the simplest kinds of embroid.
cry, from geology to music and thus be-
lug compelled To seek variety. acquire
only little from one thing. aud still less
from another. Thus they come home
with what they call FINISHED education"
aud 1t were wei! if their literary attain
ments should be labelled This side up
with care for if any one a little wiser
than they should attempt to question
them they would soon show the brittle
ness OF the conteuts
is considered as making no advancement
in her education, unless she studies, at
the same time, German an Italian, alge-
bra aud astronomy, singing and painting
dancing aud drawing, composition and
crotchet work, together with being able
to execute well OH the harp and piano :;
and as the consequence of this, there are
now few thoroughly educated women, but
many smatterers. They have so much to
occupy their minds, that they forget al
most always to day what they learned
yesterday having undertaken too much,
they lose as fast as they gain.
One who can spell aud write his own
language correctly, or who has entirely
mastered one thing, whether mathematics
or whatever else, has a more solid educa-
ton, and viii be more likely to succeed
i'll life, than one who can jabber bad
/ French. or coujugate incorrectly, verbs
in dozen different languages, whether
| living or dead and who consequently is
not proficient in his own toug e
\ scholar who has been brought up on
thorough system, knows what he is talk
ing about when lie talks; says what he
intends to say by it he has learned to
discipline his mind has obtained clear
ideas. can write sensibly and correctly,
and it. in any of the duties Of after life,
/ he is called upon to make decision in
any peculiar circumstances, he can think
accurately. because his mind has already
been trained in the right way he holds
the clue to labyrinth of knowledge, and
has the capacity to study properly. Such
one is easily distinguished from the i'm
perfectly educated man. who, to use the
words of Boiling broke, ''rattles on as
meaninglessly as All alarm clock"
" The law # divorce in some of our
States is very lax but in Germany it i:
more easy matter to obtain a divorce
than in any State in our Union A re
cent letter from Germany, speaking OF
this subject, says
AS you are probably aware. divorce
may be obtained in Germany for the mos
trifng cause ; as, for instance, mere dis
agreement 1t is, in fact. matter o
pleasure. and is of every day occurrence
In Pastor Kuntzs (Berlin) congregation
alone. there were, during the last year
ninety applicants for divorce. To tn
present law upon this subject they attrib
ute large portion of the immoralt,
among the people, and efforts are making
to obtain law similar to that in Englant
: and America. A paper from one of tn
most distinguished German theologian:
on this subject, will be read at the aE
preaching general annual meeting of th
: German Church, to be held at Frankfor
: on the Main, and at which | expect to b
present.
:, 1t has often been theoretically declare
| in England and America, what would
] the result Of lax law ON the subject c
divorce. and you will reeollect that ther
: was discussion on this subject in til
5 British Parliament last winter l ca
t state what are the practical results of sue
a law in Germany this is acb nowledge
: TO be the great cause Of the present In
D morality. IL the city of Berlin, on
eighth Of the children born yearly are