New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-10-19
Boarding School Discipline.
From the New York Times.l

From the New York Timesl
Probably one of the most important mean
| in the formation of characters in the youn
Of both sexes Is school discipline. Man
| parents, in selecting school for their chill
dren. make the mistake of looking only fo
institutions where the utmost is undertaken
to be done in the way of examining til,
minds OF pupils with mere book learnin
| as If success in life depended entirely upOI
the acquisition of information found il
books. OF course, we do not wish TO b.
understood as undertaking the importanc,
of mind well stored with useful facts; bu
we must not lose sight of one of the chic
objects of SUPPLEMENTAL discipline. Tn,
mind and body both need discipline. There
fore. in selecting school, parents should
pay great attention to the subject Of healthy
discipline, and should incline to favor thai
institution where. in addition to the usefu
information impaired to the pupil, he il
instructed or disciplined in habits which
tend toward the formation Of good ch arac
ter. In this respect the boarding school has
advantages superior to other schools, for
the boarding school or institute is a little
| world in itself, and in it the pupil has to
encounter many OF the trials that tese:
every one in life.
We knew there are many parents who,
| while willing to trus: their BOYS 20 the
boarding school, and while admitting the
| utility OF throwing them on their own re.
sources, demur quite strongly to the idea Of
their girls leaving the comforts Of home
and going to boarding school, where, in a
very great measure, they will be left TO shift.
for themselves. Yet it is often the case that
girls just becoming young ladies, especially
IN our large cities, need more of healthy
discipline than do our boys jus. becoming
young men. Nor 10 it TO be supposed thai
| in Snnf nf h. Cd, rs
ladies We lose sight Of the effect 81 home
influence, or, in other worde, OF home ex-
ample; but home has its surroundings and
its society which retard very much the for
nation of those habits of order self-reliance,
self-denial, and moderation in all things
which are 60 essential to the formation OF
true, womanly character. Too many fathers
and mothers, although they understand and
are willing to admit the necessity Of the
enforcement of general rules of discipline in
the government of the household, yield to
the wishes of their children, aSd break in
upon these necessary rules.
Moreover, parents are very often dis
posed to believe their own children 20 he
models of good behavior, and that they can
be allowed to violate rules of discipline
without any injury 20 themselves; but in
this they err, and err grossly. As rule, in
our Large cities, the girl, or il you please,
the young lady from fifteen to nineteen
years OF age, needs the most careful watch.
ing over. and the enforcement of healthy
discipline. At home it is sometimes very
difficult and unpleasant 10 enforce that dis
cipline, for it may be that we have only one
person upon whom to enforce il. 1t would
be much more difficult for the instructor,
and much more distressing for the soldier
it the manual Of arms were taught TO each
soldier singly. So girls, as well as men,
submit to discipline more readily when
drilled together, and the discipline then
takes stronger hold upon them.
Again, it is important at that age that
our young ladies should have as little OF
society influence as possible to distract
their attention from their studies. And can
our young ladies live, move and have their
being in large city, and breathe ito social
and not "come ont" as the
phrase is, before their time. Young gen.
tlemen, friends of the family, will drop in.
and often at unreasonable hours, and re-
quest the pleasure OF taking walk with
Mamie or Fannie, as the case NAV be. and
the chances are that the walk is taken. and
the young lady comes homes thinking
somewhat of her escort, or at least not
much Of her studies. Or take an
other case: When the young lady should be
in bed, We too often find her i'll the ball
room, whirling around in the dance in the
arms of her Charles Augustus.
Now, this is not fancy picture. bu. il of
every day experience; and it is no easy mat
ter for parents to stop the practice as long
as the opportunities are SO frequent. AT
the boarding school, the opportunities for
this kind of life are entirely wanting. The
principal, having number of pupils under
his or her charge, must, for the general
1enett of all. strictly enforce proper dis
,ipline, and each young lady pupil, although
unwilling TO admit the necessity of en-.
forcing discipline against herself personally.
will admi. that necessity for the general
benefit OF all. Hence they one and all sub
nit to early rising. early going 20 bed. tidi.
hess in dress and in keeping their own
'ooms in order. regular hours for study and |
'ecreation. and to rules of discipline in
many other matters which will occur 20 per.
ons of experience and thought. Parents |
hould be careful not to underrate the i'm. |
'ortant effect of boarding school discipline. |
An extraordinary incident recently took |
lace in Munich. On the will of q rich |
catholic lady who died was inscribed the |
ollowing: This, my last will and tesla
nent, is not to be opened except in the |
presence of the chief judge, the head of the |
'atholic faith, and the head of the jewish |
congregation" These gentlemen, on open
ng the will, learned that her property had
een assigned to Jews. her words running
S follows: During the whole course Of my |
fe l have given my best attention TO inves-
lgate the various creeds, and / have seen
hat the Jewish religion is the purest of all;
mong all nationalities have never noticed
ny possessing such good and upright feel
1gs as the Jews. /, therefore, bequeath
5000 thalers to the heads of the Jewish
congregation, to be distributed to such Of
heir charities as they please" The will
srminates with these words: ANY person
tho may presume to disobey my injunc-
ons, and depart from the exact terms of
~ viii, that part more especially connect
d with the good of the Jews, may the
lrses inscribed il the Book Of their Law
EST upon them"