The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-06-18
written for the Rutland GIoBEl,
simplicity of Character In Educn.
ton.
40. II.

The word that best expresses all that is
most to be regretted in men and society in
the present era is simplicity. A clear and
rational definition of the word is important.
Simplicity is the highest sense of character.
II Is a quality rare and for which praise is
vidual who is allowed to be quite simple,
whose life is quite transparent and unosten-
tatious. Where is the person who is or
knows how to he to the world just what he
is to himselfY Every life we meet with is
more or less obscure and dull Few
characters unfold themselves, yielding an
unobstructcd passage to the eternal cur
rents of life. Its uniformity is broken by
many a stubborn knot, and many n great
dead rotten place, showing how any but
the highest motives struggle with each
other, till they twist the individual out of
shape, and how the Indulgence burrows in
to its own flesh.
This is no curious observation. It is a
painful fact it is the prevailing mortifica-
| 'i'h. ~ EiNNo "a tinBt vi SdttItSb W CNCI
ones life. 1t is thing talked about more
than anything. Nobody is open, natural,
frank enough for us. Every other person
is a restraint upon us, such as we do not
like to own, because it does not make us
better. We feel ourselves to be such re-
straint upon others, in spite Of ourselves.
1t pcrplcxes lis more than anything, that
We find it so hard to he simple. Every
child rcbukcs us. The bright boy, who
darts by us in play, calls tears into our
eyes and awakcns sad memories, remcm-
ORANGES of things unrcalized, of beauty,
which we were beginning to be, but are
not. Every individual knows too well
that he is not quite clear in his own mind ;
that he is not quite consistent; that he is
not open where he meant to be; that his
tongue is sometime palsicd when his heart
would speak that he cannot march man.
fully up and look every truth in the face
now awed by appearances when he sees
through them now taking shelter behind
them, smothcring his reason, but still does
not see the lack of simplicity. 1t is this
want of simplicity that has made the poets,
who are the voices of the sincere life OF
humanity, sigh SO romantically for the
peasants cot, and the ignorance of child
hood.
1t is for teachers of youth, to consider
the malady and find cure. The teacher
may reply, 81 know not how to teach sim.
plicity." True enough, for efforts in that
--a :" nnth;..e,. mr. afFact
ation-and the worst kind of affectation |.
the affectation of simplicity, He that trie,
to be simple, is affected nOr, if he never
was before True virtue does not know
itself; but it is not ignorant on purpose
1t is sheer mockery to instruct another in
the art of acting simply in any given cir.
cumstances. Let an individual try to &C,
simple himself; and with reason and thu
best good will on his side, and with all
possible longing to be frank and natural
he is instantly arrested by an invisible
arm, as of magic, so that he can do no
thing but blush and be the self same ovei
again. One cannot unlearn his own life
one cannot fear his own awkwardness and
be graceful, one cannot constrain him.
self to be free. If friends conduct strikes
us as not being simple, it is idle to tell him
how to alter it. The root of the difficulty
lies too deep. 1t is the character which is
at fault, and the creature of affectation is
as true as his character. Therefore tn.
tor cannot teach a child simplicity, or more
properly he cannot preserve him in his
simplicity while he misteaches him in any.
thing. He cannot take care of this separ-
ately. Nothing can be done for lhead or
heart which it does not feel. 1t stands OF
falls with the only perfect education, from
the first of the whole man. Let all the
processes, studies, stimulants,,of early cdu-
cation be wisely subordinatcd to the proper
end of the childs being, and simplicity will
take care of ITSELF otherwise 1t refuses to
stay.
In our next we shall consider simplicity
in its more general Specification. 8.