Nebraska advertiser., 1860-11-22
GQNr8tIiamaE.

EduCatI0n-Phys aHd PFuden-
tiaI.- ama5
The Springfield Republican says that
ia tLat city the muscle movement among
he school-boys has lately taken a new
bturn. Before and after scheol, the boys
of the Court street schools 1neetiand ex-
hiBit their agility by running around
Court square from the time Of from 40 70
so seconds. The amusement is becoming
7 general, and Rot only-the boys, but the
/ sage occupants Of 1helDuniy property en-
Ejjoythe sports-hugeiy. e
F. This is exercise Of the right kind and
all ihe better for being out of doors. we
well remember that in our boyhOod days.
ranning, Jumping, wrt sting, pitching
quons, pulling stick" coasiiAg, sliding
on the ice, (skatss not being as common
fqhSn as new snow-balling andloahe6lit-
ale active and vigorous anasements occu-
pied the leisure Of school-boys before and
afteF school houFs, also At the r6cesses and
4he hoars interniission. Such exercises
were conducive 10 health and manly vig-
or, as the history Of by-gone generations
abundantly confirms. Besides these re-
creations, boys then in the rural districts
of the Commonwealth, were employed
before and after school hours, in the VIM
ter season, in dong chores" chOpping
and piling wood, feeding the cattle, hor-
ses, hogs, sheep and poultry, and other
useful deeds. These were the best kind
Of gymnastics-for they not only secured
physical exercise, in cold, stormy wealth
er as well as fair, but those last named,
trained the boys to habits Of industry and |
skill, which were and are serueeable TO 4
them in life as many can now testify,
both from experience and observation.
Farmers sons, formerly from the age
of five years 70 eight, attended school
summer and winter two terms a year,
each Of about twelve weeks; after reach
ing the age Of eight they could aidinfarm-
ing, and hence were kept out, Of school IL
summer TO work, attending afterwards
only the winter term of three months -
Thus,were blended school and work, IN
til the boys reached the age Of eighteen
or twenty whenlthey left school not un-
Frequently qualified some, of them to OBJ
tain a lieenee 20 teach a winter school il /
the country, Under this system of edu-
caion the name of one occurs to US, who
commenced teaching when he was nine
teen, and thus continued to do for several
winters with remarkable success, work
ing on the farm in the summer at sIS a
month, until he was offered situation in
an academy which, he accepted, where be
continued for many years, teaching with
great satisfaction 70 both Students and
fraslsess whieh be- ief, 7a ag prono.
ted sore elie
Nls1a1 shs last ss iy.dvsyears. much
has eas aps uulte5 ihs means for
common school culture as is claimed, and |
yet it is doubted by some whether any
better men ard citizens are made now
than by the old system. Then bat few
things we're studied and but little teaciI-
ing was done; now many things are sud-
led and much teaching i. done; then boys
and girls were required to overcome the
difhc6lties they met in their. lessons; now
theyaare helped by. teachers or more ad-
vaneed pupils, thus early paralyzing, as
it were, all self-reliance in the minds Of
children, and impressing them with the
convenience of depending on others eor
what they should know or be able 10 DO
for themselves. At the present dsy there
are quite too many studies 10 oar schools
and altogether too much teaching, with
quite too little mental culture, discipline
and training, as efeminate manhood
clearly demonstrates.
The old system had this advantage ever
the modern one, to wit: children were
taught some useful employment while GO.
ing to school, and hence while they learn
ed to spell. read, write ani cipher, they
were taught how to support themselves
by manual labor, meanwhile acquiring
the all essential habit Of induslry-with
right appreciation bf the iDportance
and the duiy os making a good use Of
time. Ia the large towns, villages and
cities. there are multitudes Of children in
the public schools, who enter them as soon
as the law win permit and remain there,
summer and winter spring and fail, an
til they are about sixteen years old, and
during this period acquirs no physical
habits Of industry. nor education enough
to fit them for any employment aboee
that Of manual labor, while they have Inn
Fbibed a prejudice against work, and thus
hsre eby ignorance and indolent habits to-
/ tally unfit, or disqualified, as II were. 10
take Gaze Of themselves OF to assist their