Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-09-10
VOLUME mo. 20.

amateurs, who had devoted tChole mornin
to a most prying and probing dissection Q
the system within the walls of the chatsal
itself, and putting down all the results Q
their carefully conducted autopsy, shere wa
school composed of boys gathered from al
parts of the habitable globe, where each, b,
simply carrying over little of his mothe
tongue, might, in a short time, become
youthful Mezzofante, and take his choice o
many in return; school which, wisely es
chewing the service of books, suffered neithe
dictionary, gradus, grammar, nor spelling
book to be even seen on the premises;
school for morals, where, in educating thu
head, the right training of the heart was ne
yer for moment neglected school for th'
progress of the mind, where much discern
ment, blending itself with kindness, fosteret
the first dawnings of the intellect, and care
fully protected the feeble powers of memory
from being overtaxed-where delighted Alma
in the progress of her development, might Sc
curely enjoy many privileges and immunitie'
denied to her at home-where even philoso
ply, STOPPING to conquer, had become sportivt
the better to persuade; where the poets vow
was actually realzed-the bodily health being
as diligently looked after as that of the minC
or the affections; lastly, where they found M
fighting nor bullying, as at home, but agri
culture and gymnastics instituted in theil
stead"
70 such enconiums on the school were
added and with more justice than truth
commentator on old Pestalozzi him
self, the real liberality of whose sentiments
and the overnowings of whose paternal love,
could not it was argued, and did not, fail to
prove beneficial to all within the sphere OF
their influence. The weight of such supposed
advantages turned the scale for not few just
entering into the pupillary state, and settled
their future destination. Our own training,
hitherto auspiciously enough carried ON un-
der the birchen discipline of Westminster was
suddenly stopped; the last silver prize penny
had crossed our palm the last quarterly half
crown tax for birch had been paid into the
treasury of the school; we were called upon
to take formal leave of DIR. p. That
ceremony was not a pleasing one; and had
the choice of visit to Polyphemua in his
cave ; or to DIR. p in his study, been
offered to us, the first would certainly have
had the preference but as the case admitted
neither evasion nor compromise, necessity
gave us courage TO bolt into the august pres
ence of the formidable head-master, after les
sons and finding presently that we had
somehow managed to emerge again safe from
the dreaded interview we invited several class
fellows to celebrate so remarkable day at a
tuck-shop in the vicinity of Deans Yard
There, in unrestricted indulgence, did the
party get through, there was no telling how
many s'lady's-fngers, tarts, and cheese
cakes, and drank-there was no counting the
corks of empty ginger-beer bottles. When
these delicacies had lost their relish the tiMe
was come for making distribution OF our
personal effects. First went our bag of taws
and alleys, pro bono puJtico, in general
scramble, and then Jew's-harp for whoever
could twang it ; and out of one pocket came
cricket-bal for A, and out of another peg
top for B and then there was hocky-stick
for M, and a red leathern satchel, with book
strap. for N, and three books apiece to two
class-chums, who ended with toss-up for Vir-
gil. And now, being fairly cleaned out, after
reiterated good-byes and shakes of the hand
eiyen and taken at the shop-door, we parted,
(many of us never to meet again. they to en-
iov the remainder of half-holiday in the
hocky-court, while we walked home through
the park, stopping in the midst of its rumina-
ting cows, ourself to ruminate little upon
the future, and to wonder, unheard, what sort
of a place Switzerland might be, and what sort
of a man Pestalozzi
These adieus to old Westminster took place
OIL a Saturday and the following Monday
found us already en- route with our excellent
father for the new settlement at Yverdun.--
Tire school to which we were then travelling,
and the venerable man who presided over 1t
have both been long since defunct, and grati-
tude itself forbids that we should speak either
of one or of the other with harshness or disre-
spect oil piuoo mfieio We S'''g 'F
some very happy, if not the happiest days Of
life of him who-rightly named the father
of the establishment-ever treated us, and all
with whom we had to do, with unifol'.
qentleness and impartiality, To tell ll-li,'
tured tales out of school-of such school,
and after SO long period too-would indeed
argue ill for any ones charity, and according
lv we do not intend to try it. But though the
feeling of the alumnus may not permit us to
think unfavorably of the Pensionat Pesta-
1ozz; we shall not, OH that account suppress
the mention of occasional hardships and in
oonveniences experienced there, much less al
low word of reproach to escape our peh.-
The reader. with hnosuchsympathiest no to restrain
bis curiosity, will no doubt expect, If not q
da,a;led account, some outline or general
oronnd-plan of the system, which, alas we
cannot give him our endeavor to compre-
bend il as digested aohOie-proceeding Oh
certain data, aiming at certain ends, and pur-
suing them by certain means-has been en-,
t;ralv unsuccessful and therefore, if pressed
for more than we can tell, our answer must
be in the words of Cicero, Deprecor ne me tan
I ouau DLilosophum putet schOlnm sibi istdm erpti
catrum. But though unable to make out
if. indeed, there were any spirit of unity tt
be made out-in Pestalozzi's scheme, there
were certain manifest imperfections in the
composition of his plan of his edncation-im
HnN IN 4