Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-05-30
For the Patriot.
JOUR- BEST EDUCATORS.
BIZ [. VIRGINIA rREscH.


OF her influence, its effects and its Deficiencies.
Like her, the second. Nature has powerful forces,
and lasting impressions, bat unlike the mortal moth
er, she has no deficiencies Like God her sire, she
rs perfection,-she comes fresh from his hand, and
ner teachings like Ris, glow with inspiration. Her
lessons like His mercies, are ''new to Us every
morning." Man is trinity, be has physical, a
moral, and an intellectual nature, and to each of
tnese she ministers alike. She does not, like man,
who hss sought out many inventions, leave one
portion of this trinity to deaden and decay, and
stimulate another into forced and heeting life.
Her system of development too, is gradual. As the
gray dawn ard rosy tints of twilight, gently train
the delicate retina of the eye to behold the full glo
ries of sunrise, and the broad blaze of meridian
brightness, so che unfolds one after another her
mystic tablets, each revealing the increasing radi-
ance OF the Great Source Of all moral and intellect
ual light. In every minute atom we see definite
purpose, and TINS we learn that ourselves, mere
atoms of divinity, have each our definite duty to
perform. From every mountain top our thoughts
are pointed to the path to Heaven. In every brook
that murmurs at our feet is taught lesson of the
mighty law of Progression. The crystal spring
bursting from therocks like pure, good actions from
stern and rugged hearts, will teach that the bright.
est and most beautiful thoughts spring often from
the toughest exteriors Then every tree that waves
to the breeze, has each It's distinctive lesson The
willow bending low its hexie branches waileth,
"dust to dust"-the poplar, shooting upward its
green spire, cries like hope, Look aloft the
great oak, breasting sturdily the wind and storm.
shouts "Be strong, "-aDd the planetree stretching
abroad her white arms over the stream, calls softly
saying, "behold how Gods goodness overshadows
all the river Of TimeI |" Nature in herself so love-
y teaches us to love the beautiful She says
Gay love it like mother it will bless,
And teach ihee patience when thy h Fart is lonely;
The angels love it, for they its dress,
And thou art made little lower only,
| Then love the beautiful"
To make our minds beautiful, we must throng
them with images of lovelness; to make them per-
feet we must contemplate perfection. "0ur Thoughts
are the chisels which carve the statuary of our
soula" If they dwell habitually upon lovely OBJ
jects, sweet sounds, pleasant words, and good &C.
tions the forms they create will be harmonious and
beautiful but thoughts of wrong will as surely pro-
duce distortion and deformity Says DR.. Chan
ming, "The perfection of the mind is to have pro-
pensty to seek agreeable and interesting objects
to have the attention turn spontaneously to the
beauties of Nature to excellencies of human char
acter, and to Gods Projections" Where the inHu-
ences Of the mother, and those of Nature coincide,
and elucidate each other, there can be no happier
system of education for the youthful mind. By
combining her forces with those of Nature, the
mother may render her influence thousand times
more lasting and profound. She may lead her boy
whose impetuous and passionate nature, threatens
daily to plunge him in some reckless course which
shall make shipwreck Of bis soul, to expend his
ardor 10 climbing the mountain threading the for
est, and breasting the rapid river. She may keep
her daughters heart pure and unspotted from the
world" in the midst of indictments to vanity and
fvolity by occupying her mind With lessons OF the
lilies of the field, and the shells upon the shore.
She will often then turn aside from their more alb
sruse studies to point them to that brilliantly ilu-
minated book which the Great Teacher is unfold
ing upon the hills, iDstructing them to
"soar with the bird and futter With the leaf
Dance with the seeded grass in wavy play,
Sail with the cloud rock with the dreaming pine,
And learn Of nst5re all the live long day."
And when they question her as to the great First
Cause, the source Of all these things, she will not
refuse to explain, well as in her power, the char
acter and designs of the mighty Author. There j.
no more hardening process than that which remain
Indifferent to the inquiries of childhood, or refers
them to chance. 1t comes like the northern blast,
chilling and congesling the gushing spring, and
worse than this, it forms an ice about the souls
fresh fountains, which not all the rays of Summers
suns can melt IT makes the young child little
atheist, with poetry 10 his soul all is hard icy
materialism. To him, Nature is comparatively
"sealed book, her wonders and her beauties give
no play to his slumbs ring fancies rich and glow
ing tints to bis sleeping faculties. When such
one arrives at maturity, if he possess ordinsra
mind, be will become Only dull and dreary plair,
should he be gifted spirit his nature will take the
semblance of "mountain soul, that throws its bag
gard cliffs in mockery to Heaven" Neither will b.
what they might, and ought to have been. TIL
good mothers lessons in this respect will be felt,
and acknowledged throughout life. We read that
Sir Walter Scott, when almost infant, one
thunderstorm. Search being instituted, the little
fellow at last found, seated upon grassy bank,
and as the lightning cleaned and flashed above
him, he clspped bis tiny hands, excaiming with
shouts of innocent intantine glee,-Ohi bonnie,
boRnieI" This juvenile admiration for the great
and exalted displays of Nature, became with him
when grown to manhood, very passion, and it in
spired most of the grand and sublime portions Of
his works. His early training had been such as to
bring forth the good 10 him, his love Of Nature
deepened his love to God, aud his works and ac-
tons attest the predomnsnce of these principles in
after years. With Byron, unfortunately, the case
was different He possessed, If possible, more
profound appreciation Of the sublime and beautiful
than Scott, but he bad no gentle, guiding hand to
lead him to the true appreciation. Whatever Of
sublimity and grandeur is found upon bis pages, We
may trace to bis linRerngs among the Alps, and his
favorite retreat, the SUNNI. Of ozark Lochnagar."
To such spirit, well might "JurA answer from ner
misty shroOd for bis character jagged and abrupt
pOughed by she lightning Of bis powerful passions,
and wrapt in the cloud-rsek OF gloomy misanthropy,
answered well TO her terrible shadow ss IL rose
amid the tempest, or barred It's cliffs to the trans
lent sunshine In many Of his productions there is
that wild and savage loneliness which woald seem
to be the genuine offspring OF such scenery. He
passes before Us en- embodiment OF the scene, 10
the fierce vail Of his Maynard spirit we hear the
wind-shriek through the gorges, and We behold the
sunlight Of bis genius sporting iEe agmentary rain
bows over the dark precipees and seething cssa-
raets OF bis passions. Much indeed does bis char
acter resemble slumbering volcano, projecting
It's cliffs like quenehed batteries against earth and
Heaven," with the smouldering Ere In It's heart,