Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-11-16

ly secondary in importance, Is regard
ed as the chief end Of education
whereas, the real object to be attain
ed. is not thought OF. We have .
great many advocates of practical
education; they regard each science
as practical, just in the proportion a.
il aids in the making Of dollars. and
cents. For instance, Arithmetic is q
practical" study, since il enables one
to make calculations, and hesce the
argument that girls need not study It
The mental discipline that il gives. OF
even the aid il lends in acquiring 9th
er studies, is never thought Of. Be.
sides. il seems never TO have entered
the Uranium Of some persons, that to
know something. is better than tc
know nothing. We ought to love
study for It's own sake; for the mental
training which il gives; for the rich
truths it reveals TO us.
The man unacquainted with science,
is surrounded by world Of beauty
and grandeur which he can never re.
alize. He regards the plants that
grow in his fields, only as so many
troublesome weeds; he looks upon the
great mass Of matter around him, bul
he sees no beauty or harmony in It.
and at eventide he easts his eye above
him, but the starry hosts wake no loi'
ty emotions; the moon and stars are
but $50 many lamps to light him
homo from his daily toll"
Not so with the educated man. II,
scizes with delight the most insignid
cant plant or flower. discovers the
class and order to which il belongs
end Is ready 10 give its botanical hisio'
ry. To him, all nature is full Of beau
ly and wisdom. the world Is q store
house OF knowledge. and he has only
10 partake OF It's sriches. Having stud
led the Geological world. the rough
stone and the tiny pebble. are objects
Of intense interest. In all nature h,
finds something worthy his careful in
yestigation; even n drop Of water i
teeming with animal life. In the or,
ganic world. he sees all things mad,
according To iaw. A few simple,
compose the whole; these arranged IL
mathematical order. constituting the
great law known in chemistry, as the
law Of definite proportions. make uT
the physical man. and the mcanesl
reptile: the towering forest trees. anC
the little, delicate flower; earth's greer
carpet beneath ones feet. and the va
pory cloud above US; ia short. the
whole mass of organic matter on ths
globe, and the ETHEREAL atmosphere
which surrounds it.
This kind Of thought gives real en-
joyment. and he who studies nature,
can hardly fail to grow better. as vel
rs wiser. When he gazes into the
blue. ETHEREAL vault. the "jewelled
canopy of heaven" and looks upon
the ten thousand bright suns, each
the center Of n system OF worlds: peo.
pied. perhaps. with angelic intelli-
gences. and the whole one system o.
systems. all revolving around the
same center,-what must be his emo
tionsl The scul must be groveling
indeed, and ill-deserving the seal i
bears. stamped with the divine image
of the Everything. iii thrill not with
indescribable emotions, and pay not
devout homage TO the Author Of the
Universe. One would suppose tha,
even the illiterate mediocre, who gazes
pensiveiy into the "blue arched brow
of night" would see something ol
grandeur and beauty there; something
worthy the attention of an immortal
mind. Yet how often ars you told
that astronomy is useless study; that
there is nothing practical" about IL
and il you reply that it elevates your
moral and intellectual nature, that il
expands and develops your mind. thai
you will forever be happier for having
possessed such knowledge. how often
do you realize that your remark is moi
appreciated, or your meaning under
stood.
And what does the unlettered man
know VI himscty Of that wonderful or
ganation of ours which lives from year
TO year, the casket Of that precious
gem--tho human soul? The man o.
science. having studied the motto
"Know thyself," lives that he may
learn. and learns that he may live
and when he contemplates the wisdom
which is manifested in the construc'
ton Of the human body, he feels of .
truth that 1--WE are fearfully and won.
derfully made" Yet knowledge o
this lovely science is deemed quite su
perlluous 10 the common mind; sc
much so that we often hear the re-
mark that none but physicians should
study physiology. A strange doctrine
| this! what can be more important thar
to know the laws of health? to be abl,
TO prevent disease. and TO remove j
when already contracted? Such as
sertion is plain confession of the ig
norance of the laws OF our being; 9th
erwise il would be universally ackowl
edged that all, and especially the
the mothers of our race. should pos
sess such knowledge. II would SAVE
a host of sighs and tears, pouree
forth over the victims of disease, ane
premature death. And especiall,
would it be of advantage to GU
"practical" economists, as il wollt
save many doctor BILL"
One item more, and / am DONE
Those who advocate the 'praclica
system" in regard to study. are gen
rally in favor OF "cconomizing," b.
employing cheap teachers: but | mus
say that they fail to accomplish thei
purpose. and deceive themselves il
IN the end. They contend that th
instructor needs to know cnly what b
intends to teach; therefore. high learn
ed. well qualified teachers are no
wanted, or needed. Now, my eco
nonical friends. suppose you were go
ing to listen to an evening lecture, o
agriculture, stock raising. or some
thing else. how much do you suppos
A