Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-04-17
RATTLEBORO, VT, FRIDAY. APRIL IT, 1885.

.ion Of the child's physical nature but culti-
vate to the best Of your ability each and all,
In such manner that there shall be one har.
monious whole, one symmetrical man or wo-
man, the animal nature being In subjeciion
to the intellectual, and both In subordination
TO the moral.
1t will be readily seen that the education
here described cannot be obtained at school
wholly, or even mainly. No teacher Of any
school can do more than supplement or finish
up what has been begun at home and ty 9TH
ers. Good and faithful instruction by par.
ents and guardians, with proper discipline
and correct examples-these are the things
which lay the foundsions for such characters
as honor God and bless the world Gases
have indeed occurred in which persons Of un-
fortunate paIentage and with unfavorable
surroundings, have, by rare native force Of
character, aided by powerful influences prov
identially interposed pushed their way up to
positions Of honor and renown; but those
have been exceptions, not the rule. In q
large majority Of cases the foundations Of re-
spectacle aud useful lives have been laid in
the home and by parental instruction and dis.
cipline.
No child should be permitted to attend
school before the age Of five or seven years,
and believe the latter to be better for the
average child. The practice Of sending chill.
dren to school for the purpose of getting
them out Of the way, as many parents do is
pernicous one. The truth is, every child
should be in his or her parents way-that is
the proper place for children; they should be
nowhere else, by day or by night except with
the parents' permission. Indeed, the parent
should be the child's principal instructor, not
only before entering school, but after that
time-even up 10 the period Of legal majori-
ty. do not say that the father or the moth.
er should give their son or daughter a syste-
matte course of instruction in literature and
science but do say that both father and
mother should instruct them in the rudiments
of those branches OF learning which will be
more fully unfolded to their minds at school
they should instruct them concerning the va
rious objects about them which attract their
attention they should answer the multiiudi.
nous and sometimes puzzling questions which
children are liable to ask or, IL it be impos-
swered, let the child be so informed. Do not
prevaricate do not deceive him do not lie
to him for by 80 doing you will give him
lessons which will be remembered after you
are dead and forgotten. And, Furthermore,
parents can and should teach their children,
by precept and example, those things which
are more important than literature aud science
the graces Of q virtuous and Christian life,
kindness, meekness, Rentleness, patience, be-
nevolence, truthfulness, honesty, charity and
chastity.
But, if life and health be spared, the time
will come when the child must attend school,
and here let your interest and influence be
felt in his or her behalf Do not criticise the
teacher or the school until you know more
concerning both than most parents know con-
cerning the teachers and schools which they
profess to patronize but visit them at least
twice during each term, and thus manifest
your sympathy for and interest in the person
employed to be the teacher Of your children
Encourage your children, also, by rendering
them such assistance as you can without dim
nishing their feeling of personal responsible.
ity In the matter. So conduct yourself to-
wards them that they shall see and feel that
you have deep interest in their work and
that you rejoice in their progress.
believe that every child should be taught
the clements, at least, OF the natural sciences,
and this work should be encouraged, and to
some extent carried on, both at home and at
school. Elementary works on anatomy, phys.
iology, chemistry, mineralogy, geology, zo0l-
and little inst ruction from a competent per.
son, any youth Of ordinary capacity may
learn enough concerning those subjects to be
able to pursue them at his leisure in after
years. In this work parents can render i'm
portant service Parents" said the late
President ChAdbourne, should see that their
children acquire q love Of nature. They
should encourage them in the study of natu-
raj Objects-plants, stones, minerals, animals
and insects" would not speak disparaging.
ly Of languages other than our own, nor
would treat lightly knowledge of the high
er mathematics but for persons in the COM
mon walks of life believe a knowledge Of
natural objects to be the more important
1t is quite plain that the education here
recommended cannot be effected by the ef-
forts Of single person. 1t will need the
combined labor Of both parents, aided by the
faithful cooperation Of the best teachers. The
combined labor of both parents-alas how
seldom do we see this. Shame be to the man
who suffers his already overburdened wife to
struggle on unAssisted in the holy mission of
rearing their offspring 10 the ways Of virtue,
intelligence and usefulness and still greater
shame be to him who, refusing or negecting
to aid in this God-given work, adds the still
greater sin of opposing Efforts or a vicious
example. Exactly here, believe, lies
source of great evil During long life, sew
eral of the earlier years Of which we're devot-
ed TO school teaching in country towns
boarding around, as was the custom in those
days-and more than fifty years spent in the
practice Of q profession which has brought
me into an acquaintance with the inside
workings Of many families, l am fully per
suaded that a great majority of those who
fail to become useful and respectable men,
bers of society, fail because Of the failure of
parents and others to faithfully and properly
discharge the duties resting upon them. Yes;
our children will be educated by somebody,
and somehow there can be no doubt about
that. But by whom? and how2 Shall they,
by the wise and faithful endeavor of parents
and guardians, be educated up to virtue, in
telligence and happiness? Or, by the unwise
and faithless neglect of parents and others
shall they be educated down to vice, igno-
rance and misery? "What shall the harvest
be ?" J.Hs.
West Brattleboro, April T. 1885.
where Time is Money.
The fast mail train put into operation on