The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-13
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1864.
OUR SCHOOLS.

Inc dOOfb Oh our SCHOOLS VIII soon De re-
opened for the admission Of scholars, and the
youth Of both!sexes may then be seen, with as
many books as they can well carry, going or
returning from the establishments where they
are 10 be taught the important principles
necessary In after life. When II is considered
that adults are learners, and men and women
are daily gathering new knowledge, 1t may not
be amlss TO say word about the interesting
little men and women who toll so hard over
their Iessonsi The first six years Of childs
life should be spent in forming the body and
organs Of sense, by exercise and healthful play
in the open air Much OF the education Of
child, IN the lnceptive stages ofexistence, may
be impaired by conversation, and his mind
may receive much information Of valuable
kind through the medium of the senses.
The best authorities agree that at seven
years Of age child may spend from one to
two hours at his book at eight, three hours
and 90 on till he Is fifteen, at which period the
mental powers begin to be developed, and
then six or seven hours may be given to study.
There ls possibility Of children having too
much to do, too many lessons to learn, too
many books In hand. This can be tolerated
whom the mind enlarges, and the capacities are
augmented; but faithful teacher, who com
bines zeal with knowledge, who has perhaps
On acquaintance with physiology, and an
experienced judgment, will give the little man
or woman short and easy lesson, and require
il 70 be got we'll, rather than puzzle the deli
cate young creature with too much, which
must be acquired imperfectly,
This Is . simple thing in ITSELF Every one
knows 1t, or thinks he knows 1t. But there
have been children to whom existence has
been made burden because they could not
-4enrn their lessons fast enough, and their over
taxed brains suffered sadly, asleep and awake
in order to perform their difficult tasks. Thi:
il no excuse for the idle and lazy mischief
makers, who must be driven to school, an(
never willingly prepare lesson; nor yet I
dictation to judicious teachers how to act, bu
q suggestion founded on observation. Chill
dren should have plenty Of exercise. They
should not be confined, but allowed those
recreations that develop the strength and in.
crease the power of each organ Of the body, as
well as the brain and nervous system.
Let those who deem these remarks com
mon-place think for moment whether it Ii
not In the first steps in life that the child Il
@made or marred." Children of q tender ag,
are physically injured all their lives by tot
much confinement; and this may have mis-
chleyous effect, as much in a PHILADELPHIA
school as In an English cotton factory. Be
sides, the brain of the child is injured by pre-
mature application, and If he does not sinl
into an early grave, he becomes an intellectu
dwarf or imbecile driveller-good for nothing
These remarks are important TO the paren
who sends TO the teachers care the child c
his iOndest hopes; 70 the teacher who want
TO discharge faithfully the important duty d'
Volvingupon him to the child-for the alterni
tive may be healthy body and mind throue
life, or diseased, weak frame and sickly il
tellect; to our country, for we want to have
race Of physical and intellectual giants, wi
viii be alike distinguished in the field and
the cabinet.