The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1860-04-03
Education OF The Body.

dwelling, 1t evidently needs careful training
to develop its full capacities and powers The
senses are capable of education; even smell,
taste and touch much more hearing ard sight.
Our ordinary modes of education do not do
Justice to these powers, but on the contrary,
ordinary schooling, by confring children to
books and Withdrawing their attention from
visible objects, rather tends to render the SEN
scs less useful in conveying impressions to the V
mind. And it should bc 4 matter: OF consci-1
cnce. Our duty to our Creator demands cfus
to cultivate every talent lie has given. uch has
made the lilly of the field, the fowl Of the air,
not simply that we may NOW the one d own as
weed aud use the other as mark for target
firing. In, the vegetable and animal world,
and in the wonders of the earth and sky, He
has given us that which is worth seeing for its
own beauty, worth studying for the revelation
which it gives us Of his thoughts In the song
of birds, and in the music of the day breeze,
blowing through the garden in the cool of the
day, we, like Adam and Eve, may hear his
voice. And it will be to our shame if we suffer
tile wonderful organs, by which he has ren-
dcrcd lis capable OF taking note of all hls les
sons, to grow sluggish for want of use, to re-
main imperfect for want of training. -
For the development of the muscular frame
something moro is needed than manual labor
or simple gymnastc or calisthcnic exercises.
All true work must be such as fulhls Horace
Buslnclrs test it ui,lst become play. Tho
cheerful unbeudiug of tho mind is an essen.
.tial part of rest, whether from bodily or men,
tai toll. i haye known a man to go out after
a hard davis labor with his hands, and enter
into game of base bali with as much. zest as
his companion, who come out after aday's hard
studvinr over books. The student needed
both the muscular cxertion and the excitement
of the game; the mechanic needed only the
latter, but the beneficial effect was great :or
each. In perfect: system Of education we
should have, think manual labor, but also
many games of skill and strength to keep up
the tone of physical health by checrfnlness as
we'll as the muscular cxertion. To devise such
games as will best conducc to this end, with
out introducing the spirit of gambling, and
without stimulating to over txertion, is . dltfl-
cult pr6blem; and DIE solution will doubtless
vary with the situation Of the place Of educa-
ton. and with the#habits of thought ip the
students who are drawn together. q. tts: - :
Walkiugis, however, always available, and
i Il walk in u cheerful frame Of mind, with the
!? eyes open for beauty and the air attuhed to
natural melody, is no dcspicable gymnastic
exercise. 1t is rare to find an American man
or woman who cioys taking a walk. Our
excessive heatsin SUMMER and excessive cold in
! winter give us a, ready cxclse for neglcctingg
4 this exercise. But If we would know what the.
true endowment Of life is we must learn to walk.
:. WesLayc no lark to tempt us, by the exquisite
4 music Of lis morning hymn, to walk before
sunrise. nor nightingale, to lure us out to eye-
nina,S rambles :3tl,es sweet scented violet the
eary nriimrosc and tt-e traer:ilit thorn are ab-
Sant from, our hcdg,,cirows and our lanes. Yeti
an, slow to believe that our friends of the old
world have alig asseate, Sti iaotjons cnt doors
= a..,lT
sIss YOU ask for tic song. Of BIRDS have the
sonsssparroW tbe American robin fho cat.b;rd
the ,bss%a thrush. and the ,mockino.bird 10 f;lI
tho SsS6rninr bonrs Will, m,,sc tLe or;olo tEo
yircoss; the purplefncb and The .beboIinl s;ng
all dav, and after sunset ties,s;ld Emo. Of tbS
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