Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-07-24
CHILDHOOD'S APOSTLE.
The Final Triumph of One Who
Was "All for Others

Pestalozzi was the Apostle Of Child
hood. He was born AT Zurich in l7i6.
His father was an oeulist, who prac-
ticed in the city. Young PestaozM re-
ceived fair education, though he was
not at all a bright boy. Indeed, in or
biography and writing he proved q
confirmed Ounce. AS he grew up TO
manhood, he entered the ministry. He
entered the pulpit of country congre-
CATION, but pursued by his native awk-
wardness, he stuck fast in the sermon,
Striving to relieve his confusion, he
burst out into a laugh. This would
never DO"
He then thought of law But he was
as unfit to practice law as to preach the
gospel. AT last ii was determined to
send him lo an institution of practical
agriculture, He was dreamer again;
he did not become practical farmer,
Oddly enough, he became teacher!
He opened a school at Neuhof, In
Berne, for poor children. Although
he failed in being preacher or a farm
er, he established quite new epoch in
teaching. Yet he had not been taught
to teach. He had every thing to learn,
but rothing to unlearn. He had TO
make his own system, But he was for
tilted and strengthened by abundant
love for children. Education with him
was coming in mental contact with
them. For education, in fact, is the
descent of the higher mind into the
lower mind, and implies mental SYM
pathy and contact, The plan which he
had formed for the education of those
poor children embraced agriculture,
manufacture and commerce. II was
an industrial school, where hand labor
and head labor were combined
II lived, he says, for years to-
gether in circle of more than fifty
pauper children; in poverty did share
my bread with them, and lived like n
pauper myself, to try if | could teach
paupers to live as men, But his work
was not appreciated.
For several years sat amongst my
pupils, like the owl among the birds.
! was cast away by men, and their
sncers followed after me. Wretch
that thou art, they exclaimed, thou
art less able than the meanest laborer
to help thyself and yet thou fanclcst
thyself able to help the peoplc0 "
In teaching the children, Pcstalozzi
had no books, Now that wcare crammcd
with books, this will be thought mar
velous. There was plenty of sympa-
thy, but no booksl All this Pestalozzi
learned by experience. He had IA long,
uphill fight. He himself was very
poor, and his pupils were paupers.
But the lower their condition, the
greater was their need of education.
He and they must work for their liv-
ing. Happy thought! The blessing of
work. and the blessing of education.
These went hand in hand.
In fine weather the teacher was out
in the fields with the pupils, working
upon the soil, and in wet weather and
in winter he taught them from his own
mouth the lessons of life. He also
taught weaving and spinning and
other useful arts. After five years eX-
perience the first school failed and was
shut up. Pestalozzi was too poor to
carry it on any longer.
The press was open to him, and he
made use of it. He published his
Leonard andGertrudc, and the book
was received with universal admira-
ton. He next published his "lnquir-
les into the Course of Nature in the
Development of Mankind. Ills prep
aration of this volume occupied him
for about three years. Heretofore Pes
talozzi had been batlled but not beaten,
i'm his efforts to be a school master.
Another opportunity was about to be
presented to him. The tempest of rev.
olution was sweeping over Europe.
The French Republican army had burst
into Switzerland, and set up the Helye-
tian Republic. The Canton of Inter
walden stood out against the demo-
cratic enthusiasm. The French seized
their capital, Stanz, and burnt TO the
ground. 80.
BE my brother. or | will kill you"
was the motto of the friends of the
people. Great misery ensued through
out the canton. Men, women and
children wandered about unclad and
unfed. Pcstalozzi was sent TO help
them.
Il united in myself, he said, the
Offices of superintendent, paymaster,
steward, and sometimes chambermaid,
in a half-ruined house. / was sur
rounded with ignorance, disease and
every kind of trouble. The number Of
children rose to eighty, all of different
ages: some were full of pretensions;
others were Injured TO open beggary;
and all, with a few exceptions, were
entirely ignorant. To educate, to de-
velope these children, what a task.
And vet | yentured upon il"
Pestalozzi began to educate these
children? How did he succeede Re-
member. it is the schoolmaster that
makes the school, and educational sys-
TENS are good just as they are admin
istered. He had no books, but he
taught the children how TO initiate
words. From words he proceeded to
sentences. and then he taught the chill
dren the meaning Of them. For words
and sentence were but the signs OF
things. lie thus put ideas into their