Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-08-01
THE SCHOOLS OF swIrzEnLANp.

letter. on the schools of Geneva, SwitzerS
land, to which place considerable mum.
bsrs of boys are sent from this country
From this letter, We make the following
extracts
The price oftuition per annum. at each,
falls little short of $3.50, including wash
ing and necessaries. Every branch of
study is variously prosecuted in these es.
tablishments under accomplished masters.
while the physical education of the pupils
is made matter of unceasing and syste-
matte obligation. For example. at Mr..
Roediger's school, where have placed
my boys, the pupils have play ground
as large very nearly Sas Washington
Square. with all sorts Of gymnastic ap.
paratus, nine-pin alley. &c. and here
they play to their hearts content, not
apart from. but in company with their
teachers, who lay aside the pedagogue and
convert themselves into boys for the time,
with a good will which would be surpri-
sing to one who did not know how much
of timber and elastic boyhood survives in
these ripe European constitutions.
The sport OF the pupils is not only am
ply fos;cred and directed, their health is
also carefully promoted by the general
discipline Of the school. They go down
every day 10 the Rhone to bathe, OF course
under watchful care; they go twice a week
to swimming school upon the lake, to
practice swimming; they rambIe all about
the delicious neighbol hood, in short ex-
cursions with their teachers they make
long pedestrian tours in the summer va
cation across the Alps they sometimes
visit Italy. sometimes some German city !;
they invade the Businesses Of the Jura !;
they ride on mules and donkeys they
pluck the wild straw berries they drink
at The wRvside fountains ; they eat the
bread and honey Of the mountnincers, rs
they pause To avoid the monday sun !;
they inhale all day the untainted air Of
those grand solitudes and they sleep At
night in barns, or chalet. a sleep so sweet,
am told. that every angel who waits on
health and innocence. urquestiOnably con-
spires 10 minister TO it. AT home they
are subject to the best influences. The
teachers and pupils all make one family.
They have games, and stories. and plays.
to amuse themselves with. after night-fa
and Of Sunday evenings. they have charm,
ing concerts. in which all voices are taught
to irin and lift up to God the incense Of
grateful hearts for oil the goodness he
showers upon them. Music, | think. is
ono Of the ncccssaries OF Mr.. R IS school.
However, all the schools provide the best
instruction in this respect.
Another point of interest, ia the extreme
good manners nouri> he'd by these institu-
tions. All the pupils arc made gentlemen
in department. Instead OF the tyranny
auI oppression which is complained of in
th. English schools, and to some degree
in our own, the most rigid and exact
courtesy from each 10 all, and all to each,
is here insisted on. ~ son OF Judge Van
,IerpooI, "C New York, who is at DR.. Hac-
cias' school, told me that on his joining
the school he was startled to iud himself
the object of so many deferential atten-
items on the part Of the older pupils. He
could hardly believe such amenity com
patible with the boyish bosom, and half
expected to sec the beautiful illusion sud
denly dissipated by sly punch in the
ribs, or the compulsory descent Of his hat
over his eyes, all in the way of good ,fel
lowship. Certainly it is very lovely to
see youth preserving its ingenuousness-
to see boyhood wholly unused to the
coarse and brutal commerce of the great
world and from all that | can learn,
really think these schools do everything
possible to secure that advantage. The
whole tone Of society around them. too
strikes me as highly auspiciuls in this re-
gard.
The Life Illustrated. in commenting on
the above, asks :-'' Is there any reason
why tUe cannot have such schools ? -
Should the state Of educational science
among US be such, that thoughtful, wise
parents, shrink from placing their sons Mt
An American school. and traverse wide
seas to find An institution where some-
! thing else is inculcated besides indiges-
tion where obedience and freedom are
not found irreconciIable where as much
| is done for heart. taste, and manners, as
for the poor faculty of calculation Year
| by year the practice OF sending children
abroad for education increases, and it will
continue to increase until our 6agher
schools are radically reformed.
CHARCOAL FOR SwGEE.-lt is not per-
haps generally known that one Of the best
| articles that can be given to swine, while
| in preparation for the tub, is common
charcoal. The nutritive properties are so
great that they have subsisted on it with
out other food for weeks together. Geese
| confined so as to deprive them of motion,
and fed on three grains OF corn per day,
and as much coal as they can devour,
have beceme fattened in eight days. The
hog eats voraciously, after little time,
and is never sick while he has a good sup
ply. 1t should always be kept in the sty,
and be fed to the inmates regularly like
other food. -
HoRN>A1L-A REMEDY.--Last spring