The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-04-13

much account no hor ~
She resumed her smoking and we resumed
our journey" lirrs
70 The following are extracts from the
late lsmented William L. Crapdal's work,
entitled, "Three Hours School q. Day"
DISGUST Win KSowLrpcr. Tho system
Of six hours school day kills the body and
kills tho mind. by keeping The scholar con-
fined 30 many hours 10 day. we kill tho
body; by besetting an inextinguiShable feel.
ing Of disgust with everything that pertains
to the acquisition Of learning from books,
We kill tho mind. -'e
The THE FOR EXERCISE. Tho natural
laws show that the exercise 90 imperiously
demanded by childhood and youth should
be had at the very time they are now contin.
ed in tho schoolroom, In the afternoon. As
IN enthusiastic Fren,hman might say, that
il is the time for Won grand" exercise, for
the "a hours. Shutting them up, therefore,
Is contrary to law.
IRREoULARIrY or ATTENDANCE. From one
end Of the State to the other, complaints
come up Of the "irregularity Of school at.
Tendance" and In some quarters 1t has been
pronounced by school authorities ono of tho
% alarming" signs Of the times. But Il 10 o
cheering, not on alarming symptom II Is o
certificate to the integrity Of nature. 1t
shows that by this process tho natures Of
children have not been transformed into
s,olidity. Tho children cannot stand it.
They got rid Of what they regard rs impris.
onment, by excuses-when they can-by
truancy when they must. They do not
know why, but they know the system is too
much for them-that it is repugnant.-
This is oil wrcng, for children delight in
school Properly managed, il is as delight.
ful 10 them rs any other recreation to which
they can be treated. BY tho very laws Of
their being, children and youth are inquisi-
tive. They want to KNOW oil about it.
Hence they delight in the acquisition Of
lacts-of things ncw-of things unknown.
PLAY.Rooys NECESSARY. Wherever thero
are children, there should DO play house
or play.room, with windows secured from
breakage, for the use, o. tho children in oil
sorts Of weathc. which render outdoor play
unpleasant, Improbable in the way OF wear
and tear Of clothing, or exposing their health
10 injury. On these days the children need
the exercise as much as on pleasant days;
they need to " holler" that their lungs may
bo exercised while this arrangement will
relieve tho older, mcmbers Of tho house hold
from racket which is not supposed to do
them my. good. Il may DO such an arrange
ment would cost little monoy md trouble;
if tho money is not to DO had, that Is on end
OF the argument. but TO those who can com.
mand the triae that would bo necessary, I
would say, you have no business to be in
charge Of o lot Of children, if you can not
take as much special pains with their ednca-
ton rs you would with that of fancy
Shanghai, or with that ofa pet colt for those
children to ride.
PREcocIoUs CHILDREN. Are we told that
these unofiending though not uncomplaining
or unresisting victims, do really study dur.
ing those six hours are actually deyoting
that period to mental labor' Then ought
the system to be abandoned instanter For
this Il what no child or youth can endure,
and maintain the integrity ofhis constitution.
This 1t is which compels 80 many parents
10 walk beside the graves OF bright" chill.
dren-"t too good tor EARTH" etc. who do
study six hours day in school only to bo
transferred from the head of tho class' to
the headstone Of the silent tomb. Tho
hopes OF parents aro blighted; they feel
keenly the loss Of one from whom they ex.
pect so much Of happiness in brilliant fu.
ture and they wonder why It is so!" this
is il, again, which makes your philosophers at
ten and fifteen, your blockheads ut twenty
five and forty. The fire of their energies Is
burnt out while, by the same process, the
furnace which should feed the flame for life,
is made wreck. Electricity Is tho power
of the man. Study Enthusiastically ex.
hausts-that force, while ut the Same timo
1t is doing little to rcplcnish H. a
No, no he who compels or permits an
intelligent child - ono with positive de-
velopment Of tho electrical temperament
and intellectual faculties - who is consc-
quen,ly fond Of mental activity, and whose
mind acts with celeriiy and energy to
study in school.room six hours day, is
a destroyer OF the fairest of Gods works.
He Is destroyer ofa well-developed hu.
man being; q destroyer the highes, forms
Of human usefulness and happiness. He
10 curse 10 tho race and better, far bet.
tor, that he had Z" never been born"
No SOUND MIND IN AN Uxsouxp Bopr.
Now the consummaie folly OF this business
Of school education is in the idea, ,ha, the
highest interests aud integrity Of the body
can be sacrificed, and al the same time tho
highest interests and integrity ofihe mind
be maintained. Here lies the root Of tho
folly. BY quack educators with faces rs
long and rigid as their brains arc siolid-
We will be told: at is very well, all this
talk about the body; but il Is ihe mind
The immortal mind ~ whose interests We
are seeking 10 promote! II is the mind
which is tho man; The body is oino conse-
auence compared with the condition Of tho
mind.p And 20 in School education tho
body Is substantially forgotten. l say for
gotten" claim right 10 this inference,
when the natural laws ofihe body-in the
school system now in vogue are hourly,
daily, yearly systematically irampled on.
repeai, iha, The inference from, The action
of parents and teachers. who, In school
education, iramplc on the laws OF the body,
is, either that they forget, or that they deny
their existence. They are, OF course. in
capable OF The crime Of knowing and jisrc-
garding them. For every ,yro in The sci-
encc OF man knows tha, 20 blended and in-
iertwined are The relations of body and
mind, that The integrity OF one cannot be as
sailed and tho integrity ofihe oiher remain.
II IS true that the body is moi immortal; that
il is the tenement Of tho mind during its
stay on earth bu, Il is equally and forever
true ,ha, the condition Of tbs occupant is
ever affected by the condition Of the iene-
ment. Nature and revelation unite In this
,a.,;vrony uopce thav Je y,aJo thc WI M