The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-01-07
Unconscious Tuition.
BY REv. FBEDERIc p. HUNTINGTON u. D.
From Bdrnards american Journal cf
Education.
Frr.-ff-..-F

human structure, which serve as media for
expressing and carrying on this unspoken
and unconscious influence so that Il shall
represent exactly what we are. That is, to
atone for the defects Of language, and
moreover, TO forestan any vicious attempts
we might make at deception, the Creator
has established certain signs Of his OVID
which shall reveal, in spite Of our will, .he
moral secret
One Of these is the temper; or, rather, |
that system Of nervous network, by which |
temper telegraphs it's inward changes to the
outward world. The temper itself, in fact,
lis one Of the ingredients in our compost
tion most independent Of immediate and
voluntary control. Control over 1t is
gained by the will only through long and
patient discipline and SO it is an ofectual
rsvealer Of our real stuff. It acts 80 sud
denly, that deliberotion has not time to
dictate its behavior; and, like other tell
tales, Il is 80 much in hurry, that an after
thought fails 20 overtake the first message.
Il lets the hidden man out and pulls Of his
mask. This temper is doing its brisk pub
Hshing business in every school-house. No
day suspends It's infallible bulletins, issued
through all manner Of impulsive move
ments and decisions. Every pupil reads
them, for there is no cheating those pene-
trating eyes. He may not stop to scruH-
nize, or even state 60 himself impression,
swt, him. 20 ha-
comes a part Of himself BY the balm or
the irritation, by the sweetness or the sour-
ness. by his tncit admiration or his ugly
resistance, he is being fashioned under that
ceasele.s ministry. II is either the dew Of
genial skies enriching him. or it is the con.
tinual dropping Of very rainy day, which
Solomon himself compares to "conten-
tious woman" though he probably had not
a cross school ma'am" in his mind Nor
are these formative phases Of temper con-
fined to the two extremes commonly
suggested, OF anger and nmiability. They
run through an endless variety Of delicate
intermediate shndings. They partake Of
the whole circle Of dispositions They are
as many as the degrees Of virtue and vice,
honor and shame. Every teacher moves
through his school and conducts his eEer-
oises, a perpetual and visible representation
to ell under him of some sort Of temper.
When he least thinks it, the influence keeps
going out. The sharpest self-inspectiOD
will scarcely inform him, moment by
moment, what it is; but his whole value Rs
guide aud companion to the young is
determined by it; his whole work is colored
by t. Penalties imposed in passion are
proverbially the seeds of fresh rebellions,
and the relative impressions Of milder
moods are no less certain. Whatever tenn
per you have suffered to grow up in the
gradual habit Of years, that will get q daily
revelation over your desk 8s visible as any
map on the walls.
Another instrument Of this unconscious
tuition is the human face. There is some
thing very affecting in the simple and
solemn earnestness with which children
look into their elders faces. They know
by an instinct, that they shall dnd there an
unmistakable signal Of what they have TO
expect It is as if the Maker had set up
that open dial Of muscle and fiber, color
aud form, eye and mouth to mock all
schemes Of concealment, and decree a GER
tain amount Of mutual acquaintance be-
tween all persons, as the basis OF confidence
or suspicion. All the vital spirits Of brain
and blood are ever sending their swift
demonstrations to that plblc indicator
Ii is the unguarded rendezvous Of all the
imponderable couriers of the heart II is
the public playground of all the fairies or
impB of passion. II you come before your
pupils, after dinner, your countenance
gross and stupid with animal excess, do you
suppose the school will not inBtinctively
feel the sensual Oppress 2I, and know
SileuTe by his looks? A 'Jacher has only
partially comprehended the familiar powers
Of his place who has left out the lessons Of
his own countenance. There is a perpetual
picture which his pupils study as uncOn-
sciously as he exhibits it. His plans will
misoarry, IL he expects a genial and nour-
ishing session, when he enters with face
blacker than the blackboard. And very
often he may fail entirely to account for a
season Of rapid and sympathetic progress,
which was really due to the bright inter
pretatiOuB and COnciliatOry overtures glanc-
ing uuoonsciously from his eyes, or subtly
interwoven 10 the lines Of frankness and
goodwill about his lips. The eye itself
alone, in its regal power and port is the
born prince Of O schoOlroom. He answers
score Of questions, or anticipates them,
by q glance. THE human cOuutenRnce, u
It has been said, lis the painted stage and
natural rObing-roOm Of the soul. It is nc
8luBlt AEooaB DuL "uIAIODHh Oh GObLuuGH
innumerable. Our seven ages have their
iveries there, of every dye and cut, from
the cradle TO the bier; ruddy cheeks, merry
dimples and plump stufing for youths
line and furrow for many-thoughted age;
carnaion for the bridal morning, and
heavenlier paleness for the new-fOuud
mother. All the legions Of desires and
hopes have uniforms and badges there al
hand. It is the loom where the inner mar
weaves, on the instant, the garment OF his
mood, to dissolve again into current life
when the hour is past. There it is that
love puts on it's celestial rosy red; there
lovely shame bushes and mean shame looks
earthly; there hatred contracts it's wicked
white; there jealousy picks from IFS own
drawer lie bodice Of settled green; there
anger clothes itself 10 black and despair in
the graynsss Of the dead; there hypocrisy
plumbers the rest, aud takes all their dresses
by turns sorrow and peni,enoe, too, have
sackclOth therei and genius and inspiration
in immortal hours, enoinCtuFed there with
the uusought halo, stand forth in the
supremacy Of light
What then2 Can a man look otherwise
than nature made him TO look Can hJ
reconstruct his feGtures2 Can he resolve
his face into beauty by purpose7 reply
nature made his countenance 10 reflect the
spirit Of his life. It 10 common maxim