Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-09
HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT.
DIflcult to Get Good Theories Put int
Practlce-Teach the Children.

Difficult to Get Good Theories Put into
Practlce-Teach the Children.
every writer on education, from Plato to
Herbert Spencer, has advocated physical ac-
tivity as a means of attaining that full orbed
and harmonious development of all parts Of
the human economy so essential to robust,
vigorous health" Theorists, then are agreed
upon this as the "ultimate aim of every kind
of physical exercise" But we all know how
difficult it is to get the best theories put into
practice. They may commend themselves as
the very best but they fall far short of their
good to men till they can be made working
theories In this respect the harmonious
development" theory, whether mental or
physical, forms no exception to other the
cries. But once get hold of some motive by
which to induce even a few individuals to put
theory into practice, and half the battle is
won. If it is really good theory, its own
practical example proves the fact. "Wisdom
is justified of her Children
Here is always the diiiiculty-to get hold
OF the motives which will influence men and
women in such way that they may finally be
possessed by the 'love of symmetry in form"
which has such "a deep moral significance"
You may preach the doctrine to children,
and your words will be like the idle wind.
Even our young men and our maidens will
prefer snug fitting garments and handsome
raiment covering bad form to the proper
tions of Apollo or the beauty of the Venus of
Milo not clothed in the fashions of the day.
Many men and women staggering along I'M
der burdens of Ill health, self imposed by
neglect Of the simplest natural laws, will
give your beautiful theory small thought
They will pursue their phantoms of wealth
and ambition, while they hug the delusion
that they suffer by Gods will in this "vale of
tears" They do suffer, and deservedly, but
only because they do not use their own wills
30 conform their conduct to his good will as
revealed in the constitution of their own be-
ing 1t is useless to set forth to such people
the truths of health, the glad tidings of de-
liverance from many of their ailments by
the natural remedies of air, exercise and
food. The doctrines of health have always
been preached, and mon have not needed.
Let us begin, then, with children and edu-
cate them to these high truths. But with
children we have to use authority or play
upon motives. If we use authority merely
the idea of harmonious development will be-
come distasteful to them. They will break
away from authority and break with the
theory at the first opportunity of liberty. |
Put them at what we elders call play and |
they often accomplish of their own free will |
what we with difficulty get out of them by |
force. Now say that, by their various ath- |
letic organizations young men are doing |
this very thing for themselves that children |
do in play. They establish in the colleges |
system of training for their various sports
which affects not only the members of the
higher institutions of learning, but which
reaches almost every young man in the land,
Professor E. l. Richards in Popular Sci
ence Monthly