The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-12-08

a more perfect science shall unfold It's
lildcn mysteries, God is infinite aud his
work Is perfect. lie has made everything
80 point 10 him, that we might learn to
hyo, and adore laim, aud if We would bct
Eft our Thoughts occasionally eff from this
SENSUAL wqrid, and behold the God in na-
;ure We should be better men and women
shan VIC are. We should think less OF
gold aud silver aud popularity, and act
more like rational creatures exercising the
higher faculties of our being, and restrain
ing apd controlling the carnaf aud scnsRai.
The advantages to be derived from the
study Of Nature rs disclosed BY science,
are many. We caR eRly speak OF two or
lhrce. ISt Is tends TO lesson our love
for the things of time sEd sense, tG SUBJ
due our carnal and. SENSUAL natures, and
30 cxalt our higher iHteliectual and spirit
nal being. The mind is eyer active. 1t
will think continually about something, IN
spite of all our exertions to prevent It,.
II more iueiues to think of self aud sense,
shan anything else, because vea.e selfish
aud sc Usual beings, Now if We would
control the sens9al part of our nature aud
elevate the igteleetual and moral, we
tnust fill our minds with such nobler
1hop9hss ana subjects for contemplation,
40 will feed, amuse and delight our souls,
and thus keep them from continually
swelling Apon low and groveling pursuits.
The study Of nature tends to cultivate
ebservation and meutaI tastes. 1t fur
liishes the mind with subjects for thought
aud contemplation which are innocent
pure apd ennohing, teading TO lift the
iniud apd feelings upward towards the
God of Natnye.
There are mary persons who cannot see
the reason or use of giving children an
education. Teach them to read write
aud cipher, and to do business" they say,
rand that is sufficient; for if you do more,
you will make them indolent aud spoil
lhew sor work !" But it is a question,
~hethcr we are to spend all our time IN
Evrking to lay up money Are we brutes,
or intellectual creatures destined to i'm
YAegtahty2 lfthe kstter, then upon which
pa. of our nature should we bestow the
most time, attention and labor; the sens
ual, or The intellectual ard spiritual! The
object of educa -irg youGie persons should
be to make noble men aud women of them,
and not daadies and Airts. There are many
young persons, il must be acknowledged,
Rho have beea 10 school scrra after term,
and year after Yegr, (bnt neTer educated,
eth T at home or clscEhere) and in con-
sequence have tqrncd out to be idle shift
isss, gooaf for pothing drones and slug
CARDS. This however, was not the effect
Of education, but rather the ,cant of it
If parents do not train their children to
right habits, and teach them the inesti-
nable value of time, cultivate in their
minds desire for learning, and give them
high aud exalted views Of life, its aims,
its importance, its responsibilities, and
excite their ambitions to noble deeds it
is q4ite possible, if not highly probable,
that tbs more schooling they receive, she
worse it will be for them and if they
grow up to be anything better than droncS,
dandies aud flirts, ,hey may think them
selves fortunate in having escaped the ter
rib.e evils of an unwise and lnjudicious
early management Education does not
consist wholly in 6lling the mind with in
formation, or with knowledge of facts
and principles, but, as the word signfes,
i is the edaciRJ CT leading the nInd out,
developing and strengthening its powers
and insulting into it right habits and
principles. Education in its primary sig
lihcation, has the same relation to, or con
nection with true manhood and nobility,
that the foundation of house has with
The superstructurc. 1t is the most es.
sential and important part. 1t is that
upon which the whole rests, AMI with out
which the superstructure is like cob
house that tumbles down before it is com
pleted. Many young person blasts the
hopes of fond parents and becomes vic.
iQus and profigate even before he COM
pletes his academic course, and because he
was not rightly educated Their home
education was neglected; they attempted
to build without laying the foundation
and those who thus do, are destined soon
or or later 10 ultimate failure aud disgrace
Nor does education consist solely, a
some seem to suppose, in the stu ly Of po
liteness aud in the cultivation of good
manners, There are some parents whose
chief aim, with respect to their children,
seems to be, to teach them how to behave
before folks, or how TO act their part wei
in fashionable society; aud to accomplish
this they send them to the dancing -schoo
10 learn the latest apd most approved air,
of gait and fashion-how to walk straight
how to act gracefully, how to laugh and
talk prettily; in short, to acquire the so
called graceful aud winning manners