Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1857-04-24
The Culture Of the Mind is Always Re-
taincl

The Culture OF the Mind is Always Re-
tanned.
The following remarks or bishop Potter,
OF New York. In hi. address n the stu
dents ol the State Normal School At Albany.
mr., highly suggestive. and u,por'on, young
or old, teacher or pupil, can fil TO b. in
structci by them. Il is quito certain,
whether we al rcslifo the fact or not, that
the manners, morals and taste. Of the young
asc improved and elevated, or degraded and
corrupted hy the conycration and habits OF
those who are placed over them as teach
crs. Tho necessity, therefore, OF select
ing teachers or high character. good habits
aud refined manners, as we'll as the impor-
tancc Of fllius the minds ani memories Of
tho young with the choice thoughts and
pure sentiments Of our best poets arc among
the most valuable Of educational influences.
Bishop Potter has ~ plainly illustrated
thc-' point. in the following extracts, that
We feel satisfied our readers will thank Us
Tor the room thcy occupy. lie says:
"Ofall the daily lessons YOU can sot be-
fore them, the best and most valuable is the
pryscuc, or beautiful character oh il
j, clamc,r-chancier in the parent, char
actcr in the trlchcr-vhich works upon
the young, drawing IL into q resemblance
Of ITSELF and doing more 90 improve their
minds, their hearts, and their manners, than
can be effected by most diIiscnt insiruc-
ton in mere book knowledge.
take the children and youth who lave
often collected together in a rural school.
aud not one of whom, perhaps, las ever en-
joycl the privilege Of familiar communica-
ton with a person of real refinement aud
cultivation and what wonder II must b.
to them, and what blessing, 10 find them
-clyc. daily looking upon, listening 70, con-
,cr.ins with teacher who sccm- superior
being being invested with q wonderful
charm, from the geutIcnc.s aud dignity Of
hi, o., hcr manner. the elevation Of hls
sentiments. the swcc,n1s, and gravity Of
his speech and the wide range Of his
thoughts
They behold human character in more
engaging form than acr before and while
they admire, thcy learn To initiate. They
perceive that there i. something more tx.
ccllsnt than their coarse manners sand sloy,n.
u speech and they become chastcucd and
refined under the daily example almost with
out thinking Of Il. The teacher reasons
with caution aud discrimination in their
presence, kindIcs int, admiration Of some
lofty trait Of virtue, or expresses horror at
some instance Of meanncss, cruelty or de-
pn,ity or exercises patience and tender
nts. toward. some inGrm and hayward pu-
pil, or points out something cSlulsitely
beautiful in thought and sentiment and
character; aud rs they look ou aud listen,
,hgy bsgin 70 feel more deeply what isnobIc
and what !, mean; they begin to perceive
what it is 20 reason accurately.
The character and dcmeanor Of the
teacher is a new revelation Of goodness AMI
wisdom, and they are glad To become dis
ciplc. their intellectual and moral nature
catches a glow, Is pot into hcalthlal cNcr-
else, aud they gain more by kind Of inlcc-
ton and TRANSMISSION from the one superior
character than they could acquire from the
greatest amount Of mere cold and barren
lessons. Accurate and vigorous instruction
there must Of course bc-withouJ that it Is
mere folly and impcrlinrnce to pretend to
the higher influences Of which have been
speaking. but the higher the culture Of
the teacher, the better be will know how
10 make that instruction pleasant and cilec-
tive and how to throw over it and around
it beautiful and touching lessons for tic
heart, the Iancy and the taste.
&" md il we conceive that IN that rustic
school. to which have referred there may
be some youthful heart pregnant with &C.
las,ial fire. some mind with slumbcrins
powers, only needing to be rightly touched,
we can easily $50 that a thoughtful genial
teacher would be the one to call forth such
a spirit, and to teach it the exercise Of It's
faculties; while mere mechanical task
master would very likely Supply it, aud
seal it up in everlasting torpor. Had we a
child Of our own TO confdc to the care OF
teacher, how much we should desire that
the teacher might be competent for some
thing more than a mere dull routine OF vcr'
bal drilling-how mach we should wish
that ho nigh, have something reflective
about him-that be might know how to
a~st the conceptions Of the pupil-ihat he
might be able 10 call attention to a bciuti-
iul thought. ora beautiful scene in nature,
and so to kindle the feelings and magma
ton, to wake up the soul Of that young
disciple!
"It is through the manners, more than
in almost any other way, that we continually
impress and influence, iayorably or unlavor-
ably. those who are about US. We cannot
always be speaking. We cannot always 10
engaged in expressive action. But even