Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-10-28
Nallg J'ir9iaian.
The Body and tho Mind
with cunning arl the brain. too hu"l wrought
ftrAs On lis, II. aud l. destroyed lay thought


Parents and teachers are, we trust. beginning
to realize the important connection which exists
between tho body and tho mind. Tho condition
ot the latter IL, i'll great measure, dependent up
on the condition nl the former. II rurely happens
tln thcon can he vigorous and the other feeble.
although there nro exceptions. The mind is Ia
the body Whit the flame is to the candle, ind tho
one cannot exist without the other. To be in ex-
ccllcnt health; mentally, we should bcin whole
some state physically. And thus IL is That pa-
fentS, WHEN taxing the minds Of their children.
should also through the agency of exercise. proper
diet, suitable socinl compnnonship, and all other
auxiliarcs, endea,or to strengthen aud ortily the
physical nature. But this solemn duty is. we
frnr, too often neglected. II not unitcqnently
happens that the vain aud the selfish. through
sense of false pride, rremntu,ely force the minds
OF their children, and exhibit them to the world
ms prnlgics Tie triumph however Is brief far
the mental faculties thus stimulated, soon become
onirchlcd aud the intellectual wonder depencra-
tcS Into comnlon-rlace human being. We ean-
not imagine mere respensiblr post than that Of
II guardian ar teacher. especially the latter, To
him is coniilcd the minds and the hearts Of the
young, SO as to mould and develop them, mny
seem best, ns we'll for this life, as for TINT which
is to come. Nothing is more plastic than youth.
nid nothing l. more easily misdircctcd, Train
up chill IA the way he should 20. and when he
s cid hr will not depart from it, This is an old
impressions madr in early life, whether moral or
mental, lInser with us. TO some extent NJ least.
until aye aud care sienl upon us. and Death sum.
in"u us 10 tle last account. How essential then
that the mind shoull hc properly cultivated that
thr intellectual faculties should hc wisely devil
"red, tina, the moral nature should h" watched.
guarded, AMI ma,urcd. in spirit Mt once humane
liberal. and enlightened. This duty. moreover,
cannot he fully discharged unless the ply steal ma
tnrc lc also duly cared for. II is stated that the
young tau shter of II distinguished citizen If Bos-
ton. who applied herself night and day to study,
t. obtain medal NJ n recent S'honl Exhibition,
succeeded in the ohicrt Of her ambition. hut TINT
ever since she hns been in condition bordering
on insanity, in consequence of having ovcr-tasEed
the braun. This cnsc may seem singular aud
startling. lu when the facts are duly considered.
il is hv no means calculated to excite surprse.=
The wonder only is. that with our present system
Of ovcr-t,aung and o,cr.,nskng the Young, 80
many escape the calamity Of imbocility or insnnl-
ty. The mind is hnstcncd like II ho-housc plant.
II is forced like horse under the lash To speak
Nay, in many cases schildr"n arc supposed Ia pos-
scss Ike mental faculties. and all arc placed on
the same platform. M allowance is made for
relative rapacites for example or training nj
home, aud for the thousand circumstances which
enter into, develop and make up human chnrae-
ter. The cid beaten track is pursued aud the
idea Of physcal deleloumrnt, IN connection with
mental, appears 10 hc totnlly disrcgnrled. II
docs not enter into the calculation. 4 distingnish
cd writer insists upon the necessity of keeping
the brains of the young fellow, as it WERE for KEY
cral of the frat years ot existence. The mischief
pcrlctrated by II contrary course, in the shape of
lad health. peeyish temper. and incurnblc ynnity
is inrnlrulalle. And what advantage can it be
that child knaWs more at six year. old tlnn its
compcrrs, especially if this is to be gained at n
sacrifice of health which may never be rcgained'
There may he some excuse for this early book
work in the ease of those children who are To live
iy manual labar Il il worth while, perhaps 10
run the risk # some physical injury to them hay
ing only their early years in which we can teach
them j. acknowledge. The clnncc Of mischief,
too, will be les. being more likely to be counter
acted by their nlter.liir. But for child, who is
t" he 1T bopk worl ir the first twcuty-onc years
Of is Ntr what FLY i, i To- exhaust III the least
nr,tal energy, which after all, is It's surest i'm
poncnf
We repeat that AIR whole system is wrong
The connection which exists between the body
md mind il not duly weighed and considered. -
lnic"A. we think it quite probable that Gpur-ihs
oi the mental maa lies that occur, nrc Httriln'a-
BILE to our ialse de oi clurati,n, while il il
equally certnin, that muay human beings hurry
Themselves into premature i,rnNcs, because they
merta k the mental powers and neglect the ply
tcal. The human mind is, after NIL, finite nnd
imperfect II may very readily hc oycrstram"l,
Ncrcxcrted, md exhausted Mental cxcitcmcnts
are always dangerous. No one can tell how long
hc will be able 10 bear them. or nj what point the
equilibrium will be lost, and Reason totier from
her throne. The true course is, t. strengthen the
body, while we cultivate the mind. Both should
be watched nuriured and provided for--tor GER
tain it is. that if the body BE- neglected, mud the
mind be oyertlsked, both will suffer- IhHo. In
qUHer.