Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-02-19

est activity, we should aim at symmet
rical development, and sheuid net eyer
look or neglect the cultivation Of, thoss
powers which seem to be backward II
manlfesting themselves. or are sluggiss
or defective in their action. In fact. Il
is sometimes better to desots our .eeer-
gies to the sluggish powers exclusively
for time. and LET the more sctixe one.
take care of thsmselvsA But the deter,
mination of just what course to purss,
in each particular case depends upon the
state of development already attained
and calls for the exercise Of the highest
skill and judgment on the part OF the
teacher. " s.S
What art is his the spells to fad. -.
That sway. from mood to mood, the vii
ling mind"
Although the cultivation of the intel
iect is the department Of education with
which We. IS teachers In the public
schools. feel that We hare most to do, We
shoHld not overlook tho fact thst there
is another field in which we not oalyi may
labor, but in which we aust ao-eficieat
work. if we do our whole duty to shs ih:
mortal minds entrusted to our sars.
refer to the field of the Sensibiiities. u.
der this head we may distinguish st least
two classes: the Natural SensibiIities
and the Moral Sensibilities. Under the
former 1 will speak of the Natural Emo
tlons and Desires. and under the latter,
of the Moral Emotions and Moral Obli-
cation.
shall here attempt little more than
an enumeration of some of the sub-di-
visions of these mental states. out shall
treat of them more fully when we come
to consider the means of their deveiop>
ment and culture.
Under the head of natural emotions
may be named cheerfulness, joy, gladr
ness. melancholy, sorrow. grief, and q
sense of the beautiful, the sublime, and
the ludicrous; under the desires may be
named the instincts, the appetites, the
affections, and the propeusitiss; the last
including Curiosity and the desire for
happiness. knowledge, and fame. a
In this enumeration of particulars. 1
have made no attempt to give classi6
cation with reference to the order in
which these states of mind are developed,
except In the principal divisions of the
subject. 1t is evident that before We
can desire a thing we must form some
mental conception of the character Of
the object desired, showing conelnsively
that emotion must always precede desire,
And what is true in this respect in re-
gard to the natural is also true Of the
molal sensibilities. A sense Of moral
obligation must always be preceded by q
mental state of moral approval or dis
approval. u.
While ones usefHlness depends chiefly
upon his intellectual endowments and
the perfection with which they are eulti-
waited, his happiness is largely dspsndent.i
in fact, almost wholly dspendeht. upon
the condition of his emotions and desires.
What pleasures are lost to him who has
40 appreciatiye sense of the beautiful In
nature and in art. To him hovel is as
as a palace; and the loftiest
lights of the poetic imagination stir his
soul NO more than the painful ploddings
of the prosiest prose.
There is nothing that makes hfe'sI
abors SO light as spirit Of cheerfulness
and gladness. Not only do We thereby
keep sorrow and melancholy from our
OWN pathway, but also let in the golden
sunshine to bless the lives Of others
There is no department of education
IN which a teachers influence for good
,r evil is more marked than IN the cdlti-
ration of the natural emotions and moral
1t is here that the Oft
repeated maxim, As the teacher. 30 10
,he school," applies with double fsrcsi
'Or whether he gives any formal iRstruc-
;icn tending to the cultivation Of these
powers or not. he is, nevertheless, con-
tantly exercising a silent influence upon
lis pupils. How spirit of kindness
md cheerfulness, on the part OF the
eacher, lightens the tasks of the schools
'oom; and how heavily drag the weary
lours with teacher whose only smile is
frewn of hate, and whose kindest word
5 thunder tone of command or reproof.
The emotions, as we'll as The moral
are cultivated moro thor
'ughly and more surely by example than
~ preeept. Ere we are aware Of it, our |
,upils are copying whatever they sp- |
,rove in our habits and methods of |
hought; and too often, the first and |
most potent reminders we have of our |
aults are the distorted and exaggerated |
opies of them in our pupils. How soon |
ven the little ones learn to read the
mile or frown of the teacher, and ito
race the days disasters in his morning |
ace." We cannot be too careful as to
Iow we act and what we say before these
title ones, for their young minds are like
wax to receive, and like tablets of stone
o retain the Impressions made upon
hem. The little ones will one day be
he big boys and girls. and the lessons
hey have learned in the first few years
# school life will determine not only tho
haracter of their work In the higher
rades, but will largely influence the
'urity and worth Of their lives as men
nd women.
Only little child. but shl mother, whose
loving hands /