Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-04-17
HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT.
Difficult to Get Good Theories Put into
 Practice-Teach the Children.

Difficult tO Get Good Theories Put into
 Practice-Teach the Children.
 Every writer on education, from Plato to herpert Spencer, has advocated physical ac- Ilvlty as means of attaining that full orbed ana harmonious development of all parts of the human economy so essential to robust, vigorous health.n Theorists, then, are agreed upon this as the ultimate aim of every kind of physical exercise But we all know how dlncu.t 1t 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 pnyslcal, forms no exception to other the orles 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. f 1t IS really a good theory, it's own practical example proves the fact. "Wisdom is justified of her children.n
 Here is always the difficulty-to get hold of the motives which will influence men and women in such way that they may finally be possessed by the Hove of symmetry ill 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 propor- tlons of Apollo or the beauty of the Venus of Milo not clothed in the fashions of the day. Many men and women staggering along un- 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 s'vale of tears" They do suffer, and deservedly, but only because they do not use their own wills to conform their conduct to his good will as revealed in the constitution of their own be- ing. It is useless to set forth to such people the truths of health, the glad tidings of de- iverance from many of their ailments by the natural remedies of air, exercise and food. The doctrines of health have always been preached, and men 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 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 B. l.. Richards in Popular Sci ence Monthly.