Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-11-19

important and universal manual opera
tions, II is on the average, perhaps, inc
most imperfectly executed. There are
many men who can peg shoes, or do fine
sewing, or play a violin for many hours
together but there are comparatively few
who can write many consecutive letters
without great fatigue. On the contrary,
the extent TO which its powers can be de-
veloped Is shown in the manipulations of
iugglers, and in very many important me.
chanical operations
The subject Of physical education isnow
attracting universal attention, and its i'm
portance is generally admitted. II has,
however, been too exclusively considered
in relation TO health, and instruc-
tion has been confined principally
to the development Of the larger
muscles of the body and increase
of general strength This is all right 50
| far rs it goes, but 1t ought not TO be for
| gotten that in the emergencies of life the
| hand plays by far the most important part
| of all the members, and that to enlarge its
powers, is 10 add directly 20 the resources
| of is possessor. If legs are lost, skllful
| hands can supply partial substitutes. If
| ewes are extinguishcd, the hand If educated
can still supply the physical necessities OF
the blind. II hearing fails, the hands re-
place spoken Language by an inferior but
Ineligible language of signs, but If the
hands arc lost what can In any measure
compensate for this overwhelming Calam
ity9 The feet can only In measure take
the place of hands after, many years of
practice, and immunity from the severe
labor of walking; and II Is very doubtful
whether any adult could ever succeed in
| making toes do the work of fingers, al.
| tInnUh 4 ,billrat horn without ormq hnVp
been known TO do so.
What excuse can there be, then, for neg
| lccting the carly and careful instruction
| of both hands. We are not speaking of an
| impIactCablc thing when we say 1t is pos
siblc TO rear children SO that whatever one
| hand can do the other may do equally well
| We know this has been accomplished in
many notable instances, where the disa-
| bility of the left hand has been rGctifCd,
in spite of all obstacles arising from bad
habits acquired in childhood We have
| seen surgeons transfer nm instrument from
one hand to the other during an operation,
whenever convenience required it, with
| out the least awk kwarduess. We have seen
| craftsmen using both hands In colOring
| drawings, an immense advantage both to
rapidity of work and cvenness of shading,
| We have see woOdmcn chop timber fright
or loft handed" and one carpenter who
used "A hammer or saw with either hand
| with nearly equal ihcility In all these
cases, the use of the left hand In common
with the right gave very much greater
efficiency.
We have seen many instances of chill.
drcn whose parents were foreigners, grow
ing up among children of American birth
and speaking the language of thciI
| narpntS or of their DlaVmatps with equal
Facility, and we are confident that the two
languages arc acquired in such cases as
easily us one would be. The same ease
would undoubtedly attend the learning t.
use either hand lor all necessary manipula
tions, SO that no fear that both would be
| come awkward need be approhcnded.
Thus the resources of those dependent
upon manual labor for subsistence would
| be nearly doubled, much time and expense
| would he saved in the requirement of arts
| specially requiring the employment of, the
| left hand, and the superior grace and
dignity attending complete and sym
| mctriCal development would be in much
| larger measure attained
Much more might be said in regard tc
the education Of the hand, but as thi,
article Is only intended TO arouse the at
tention of thinking people to radical
defect in physical education, we may ap,
propriatcly close our remarks with the
| Following quotation from that admirable
poem "Tho Hand and its Work." by Mrs
| Hale.
| IAN wants that from our nature rise,
liIo's common cares, the hand supplies
II tonds aud clothes our myriad race,
| And forms for each resting place;
| Aud coasoess ministry doth Keep
| From cradle dream to coffin sleep"
| --,S'iSNfiHC IuSglrlD.