Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-08-13
G0nfational.
No. 9.

are sent to school and confined to the hard
seats of the school room at too carly an
age. This is often productive of the most
disastrous results. and it is in direct oppo-
silion to every principle of common sense,
reason. philosophy, physiology and hu-
lnanity. Many parents send their young
children to school. and give as a reason for
doing so, desire to be rid Of the care and
trouble of them, for portion of the time
This ex cuse is at once selfish and unwor-
thy of any one who sustains the sacred,
holy and responsible relation Of parent
Is it not selfish to burden the teachers for
your own convenience? and is it not cruel
to have the child confined to the stified air
Of the school room, and its tender frame,
confined to the hard seats merely that you
may be rid for time Of what you consider
burden? Again. young children often
require much Of the teachers care and at
tention, and the older scholars who can
be benefited by the school are neglected.
We have taught winter schools in villages,
where. apparently. every child in the
neighborhood that could walk, was sent to
school, and we have been under the neces-
sity of taking time. in crowded school
where it required all the time allotted to
our duties as teacher, without occupying a
portion of it in the capacity of a nurse, to
arrange pallets for them, and to attend to
those wants which properly belong to the
mother The school room is not designed
fa. nursery &c. &c, :i:ose VINO are constantly
demanding attention to their physical
wants. end they who convert it into one,
are doing their children and the teacher a
great wrong.
Some children manifest precociousness
of intellect unusual for their years, and the
ambitious parent. instead Of seeking to aid
in their physical development, and thus
secure to them a permanence of mental
strength, crowd their minds, at the ex-
pense of their health. and in violation of
all the laws of health; and the fearful re-
suit is, that, those children, who, in early
life gave great promise of future usefulness,
are either hurried to an early grave, or the
exhausted powers give way. and they sink
below mediocrity. The brain, the physi-
cal organ of the mind, cannot be overtaxcd
in early life with impunity. but by doing
so the foundation for future imbecility or
mental arrangement is laid. Allow us to
introduce testimony on this point When
Plinly Earl was .he resident physician at
Bloomingdale Insane Asylum, he remark
ed that there were more patients brought
there from having their minds overtaxed in
early life, than from any other cause. nd
that infant schools were o curse to the
country.
This testimony is corroborated by the
observation and experience of many. who
have witnessed the unhappy effects Of too
early oYertaxing the minds Of children, in
the early decline OF their mental powers, OF
in the total overthrow of their minds, thus
defeating the very object aimed at. and
causing the unhappy victim OF misguided
ambition to be the sufferers in after life.
So much difference exists in the physi-
cal as well as the mental abilities Of child
ren, that it is difficult matter to give
rule for the proper age for children to COM
mence attending school - but we believe
that but few children ought 10 he subject
ed to the rigid discipline and the confne-
ment of the school room prior to the nge
of seven or nine years, but their education
should. by no means. be neglected until
this time.
The mother is the natural instructor of
the child. For this she should be quail
fed. We purpose to speak of this at great
er length in future number.
In conducting the education of hildren,
we should, as in other things. follow the
motions of nature. and nature must be
right. for &C od is her author" The man.
ifestations of the child for the reception Of
knowledge should be watched. and every
opportunity embraced to train the opening
dawDing intellect One of the first dispo-
sitions manifested by the child is to notice
to observe. This should be encouraged
by affording it objects. DC. for this pur-
pose, and by directing it's attention to
them. So soon as the child begins to talk
it asks questions. and manifests q dispnsi-
tion to be inquisitive. This is often re-
garded as irksome, and instead of the
child being encouraged to follow this die
tate OF nature to obtain information, it is
met with rebukes and reprimands, nay, Of
ten with punishment. This is wrong in
the extreme. Not only should the inter-
ogatoriss of the child be cheerfully and
promptly responded to. but care should be
taken to adapt the explanations to the ca
pacitiss of the child. 1t is often the case
that children ask questions which their pa
rents are unable to answer. and rather than
acknowledge this ign orancs the child is
met with the rebuff, "children should not
ask questions" or lyon cannot understand
it now-wait until you are older" or some
other rsbuke which is calculated to dis
hearten and discourage the child. We
cannot but condemn this course-en entirsly,
utterly condemn it. The mother who il
qualified to properly perform the duties OF
that sacred relation. and who duly sppre-
ciates her responsibilities, will not only
be willing. but will take pleasure in stor-
ing the mind of the child with useful in
formation. Ideas and impressions are the
more lasting the earlier they are received.
This 10 conceded to be the case by ell wri-
tors on mental philosophy. What the
child first learns will never be forgotten,
hence the necessity and benefit OF availing
ourselves of FIRST opportunities for impart.
ing Instruction and of being careful to ;m-
part what we attempt to correctly.
Great care should be taken not to make
any erroneous impressions on the mind of
the child. ss it is by far more difficult to