Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-07-13
STORY OF A FAMILY.

OF idC SCHOOL committee oil w oDurn,
Mass, for the last year:
A short lime since there appeared
in the N. Y. Independent an article
upon the family of the Rev. J. w.
Ward Of Abingdon, Chairman of
the Legislative Committee on Educa-
ton, which we give entire, premis-
ing IT with the remark that the rev.
erend gentleman assures us that
thoroughnesS is his magical wand of
success:
Some weeks since | visited the
family of a pastor, and member OF
the Massachusetts Legislature, Rev
J. w. Ward Of Abingdon. In this
family there are FIVE children, who
have been mo,herless seven years
The four eldest, three sons aud a
daughter, between the ages of nine
and sixteen years, are the prodigies
Of these times. At the family wor-
ship the father reads from the French
Bible, one son from the Hebrew, the
daughter Of twelve years from the
Latin, another son from the Greek,
and the youngest, nine years Of age,
from the Hebrew. They all give
readily free and correct translatons
of the most difficult passages in the
Bible. Their varied knowledge is
astonishing. They seem TO be equal
ly at home in solving difficult pro-
blems in mathematics, and discussing
the doctrines of religious sects, as
well as in giving the locality and OPP
inlons of authors and public men in
this country. The father has been
almost the sole instructor, and has
trained them TO be particularly use
ful in the garden and kitchen, in
dependent of servants, and cheerful
and social in an unusual degree, in
The family circle.
IL there is a family exhibiting
such propriety. intelligence and gent
us, or father more devoted to the
welfare of his children, an interview
would compensate for long Jour
ney. Gov Everett, years since, in
his message, mentioned the Learn
ed Blacksmith Burritt' as an example
to the youth of the State and ! am
sure the boy and girl in this family
who, when under ten years of age
have conquered three languages, anc
in addition are exact, and generally
/ intelligent, are more worthy of men
! iion and imitation
We add TO this letter Of the rev
] erend gentleman, written in reply I,
= communication asking further in
I formation upon his system.
! SENATE CHAMBER, March, 1855
D"- f'rHr Pear .sr,-,-In on
swer TO your communication receiy
ed yesterday, | would say, that as to
the corrections in that newspaper ar
ticlc, DO not recollect precisely
what languages the different mem
bers of the family read, as they often
change, but daughter, know, read
not from the Latin, but from the Ger
man or Hebrew. We sometimes
use, at family prayers, the Hebrew,
Greek, Latin, German, French and
English.
In answer 20 your question
]. How much do they learn be-
fore six years of age Reading,
writing, spelling, and some geogra-
ply and arithmetic.
2. How many hours Of study p
; From two to six, before six years OF
age.
3. What physical discipline p
} All kinds Of house work and garden
work, for boys and girls alike, to-
gether with The use of balls, kites,
, dolls, jumping, walking, running,
| cutting and saving wood, &c, thus
} filling up the hours not devoted to
} study or intellectual sports.
4. Diet: They use no tea or
coffee, very little meat or butter, but
( mostly vegetable diet, aud milk,
= eggs, syrup, &c. ; still, meat and
, butter are not prohibited.
t 5. In summer they generally re-
r tire at dark and remain in bed ac-
: cordibg TO age, from about eight to
D twelve hours. They generally rise
2 about daylight, unless the days are
/ very short. In winter they sit up
4 later, and read or amuse themselves
}, in the eSnIng.
= 6. | gradually increase the hours
G Of study from the time they begin ia
e study, when they may not study
a more than two hours per day, though
: when sixteen they may be engaged
in study and recitation eight or nine
1 hours, though not generally so much
y | consider six hours of close study
o enough for children.
s I. When they commence He
n brew, | make that the principal study
e and they attend to il the whole day
o | consider one principal study enough
u lol suidh ShiIuitn, aih wv 'N' H"J
y enough for older children. VIII
c only one or two, Trey become mor'
# interested in the study or studies
:, and have less confusion and disirac
IS ton of attention. The children will
:. however, naturally be making som'
t, progress in arithmetic, geography
II history, &C., though not by any de
g finite course Of study. They study
t, Hebrew three years Then Greek tw'
i years then Latin two years. The.
e finish one, then take another, bu
IS when they take the second a HUI
5, daily reading in the first is required
l. so that il may not be forgotten an'
when the third is taken, little read