The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-04-04
Prom The Chicago Inter-o Ocean

the kindergarten Was held on Satur-
day afternoon in the parlors Of the First
Presbyterian Church. There was quite
large attendance. The meeting Was
called to order by Mrs. Putnam.
Miss Eddy read the following esasy
on Kindergarten Culture Intellectual
ly Considsrsd:'
I wish to present 10 you to-day the
intellectual phase OF the kindergarten
culture. leaving out Of sight - much
a. possible all other benefits. There
fore. IL shall be my aim ~ gather, fivu
all sources within my reach, such mat
ter a. wall throw the most light on the
subject.
We have sesD, In . former converse.
tion, that true education must begin
by overcoming matter--thst the soul
diffusss itself through the different or
gans Of the body--thst OF tasting.
nourishmsnt being the nrst necessity
then hes-ing perhaps, seeing, feeling,
etc. slowly, and by impressions from
without on these different soul organs
there being nothing in tue mind
which has not passed into IL through
the senses. There 10 manifested o de-
sire to repeat these pleasurable expe-
riences, to exert each one OF these or
gsns, TO test their strength In what We
call play--this stretching OF the soul,
this projection of mind into matter
Playful activity becomes the germin-
al point for future development. since
the exercise Of the body exercises all
OF the soul organs, as 1t were. Is il
not Of the utmost importance that
whstevsr 10 given or done TO the child
should have Q meaning or an intelli-
gent aimt The chief organ OF the
body which serves TO carry out the
plans and combinations Of the mind,
being the hand. Froebel seixes upon
the child's craving to use its hands in
grasping. touching, tearing, pounding,
to claim its attention by connecting all
instruction with the use OF the hands.
DIR. CLARK gives us reason for this,
from Q physical standpoint. and it will
have the more weight since il was not
written with reference to the kinder
gsrtsn training:
"A large majority Of the world are
right-sidsd and right-handed. The
right hand and right arm are moro obe-
dent to the will than tho left, aud so
are the right leg and the right foot.
The cause OF this will be found in the
fact that the left brain decussate and
and cross to the opposite sides OF the
body thus tho right brain animates
and controls the left hand the left
brain animates and controls the right
hand. The left brain and right hand,
the right brain and left hand develop
together the one aids tho growth and
development Of the other. The growth
and action Of tho hand are a. necessa-
~ TO the development Of the brain as
is to the development Of the hand. II
| is enough for US TO know that in some
way the growth, training, and employ
ment Of the hands Of the young aid In
the building Of the brain. Gut OF In
infancy an arm, or conhne ID TO inac
tien, and there will be less brain In &C.
tive life. One Of the most eminent oi
living Psychologists has proposed the
systematic training OF the left hand fol
the purpose Of making the right brair
equal TO the left, thus increasing the
intellectual power OF the race. Wha'
10 trus OF the hand is true of all tho
other organs Of the body. They and
the brain develop together by rcoipro
| cal action. Thus IL 10 necessary fol
the building OF . perfect brain that sl
the organs OF the body shall have {
harmonious development by sppro
pirate exercise" Now the occupation
and games Of the kindergarten NEE
all Of these requirements for the build
ing Of o perfect brain, the left hand be
ing brought into use almost equal,
with the right in the majority Of thu
occupations.
The aim Of all this 10 that chang
may be produced in matter, In the in
dustries aud arts; for since God j
wise and good. We may expect the af
rangements Of creation In regard h
man to be calculated a. o leading oh
ject 10 excite his various powers TO &C
tivity"-(Coombe). This 10 true life
the eIsrtion of power which gives 10,
in existence, work In its true sense
which is blessing and not curse.
But Froebsl says slso, ITO remods
the world 10 the task Of humanity. -
For God, when lac said, let ne max
man ia our own image" endowed u
with His own creative spirit. The
this matter must become spiritualize
that ID may become embodied thought
as in o creation OF art. Intelleetui
development proceeds according 10 di,
tinct laws. Our late Professor Heave
says, NO small part OF our thinkin
10 the simple reproduction OF what be
been in some form already before N
4 mind" The process Of thought 10 in
possible without comparison. In O
der to compare, there must be dife
epces. Those differences the most di
tipct, form contrasts or opposites, whic
Hsd Q coppecti,n in that which resen
bles both. Thinking, then, is a col
nection of opposites IN the mind. Thi
Froebel calls the law Of equipois
which many thinkers before him ha'
recognized. There exists nothing
which this Law will not apply: for II
stance, the interior and exterior Of an,
thing connected by the thing itsell
man connects unconscious nature vii
God or the absolute consciousness,
partaking of both. One propositie
piesupposes a counter position, a. lig
and darkness, good ASd bad, right on
! wrong. In nature the centrifugal m
centriyetal forces. inhalation aud exh
tion, the left brain aud right hand. q
right hrsin aud left hand. etc.
Recpgnizirg this Law, IL is Fros be
undenied merit to have reduced q