The sun., 1889-04-28

PestaIozzi.
The useful series OF treatises bearing on
education. published by c. W. Bardeen fSyra-
cuse. n. W is now supplemented by Life ot
ItstalOzzi TO which, we are told, will presently
be added an autobiography OF FrGbel The
book before us Is translation OF the latest
edition OF a life OF tho distinguished philan-
thropist and educator. by Baron Roger De
Guimps, one OF his bost known disciples This
is the story Of man who deserves to be ranked
with Howard and with Tolstoi among the well
wishers and benefactors Of the human race,
who devoted all the working days In
long life OF eighty years to the re-
generation OF the people by improving the sys-
tenn OF their elementary education, who loved
the poor and ignorant, in spite of their Vices
and their ignorance. and who made 1t his busi-
ness upon earth to redress their lack Of knowl-
edge, and to extinRuish their evil inclinations.
For their sake he essayed half q dozen voca.
tions before he distinguished that In which he
was qualified TO serve thom best; for their sake
he tried to be minister OF the Gospel, a law
yer. o farmer, a manufacturer. and. for their
sake, he ultimately became an author. jour
nalist, and schoolmaster. He has not been
canonized like st. Francis D'Assissis and ST.
1gnatius but he would scarcely be deried an
honored place in tho Comtist Pantheon. He
has earned the kind of fimmortality-that which
the gratitude OF posterity bestows, and which
George Eliot describes in memorable passage
OF the Spanish Gypsy"
Pestalozzi was q descendant Of an italian
family. which, obliged to leave their country
In the middle OF tho sixteenth century. be-
cause they have adopted the faith of the Re-
formers. settled in Zurich. Hero the subject Of
this biography was born in 1746. younger
son of q surgeon and occulist. He was
mothers son, his father dying when he was 5
years old. and his mother being woman OF
singular intelligence, who devoted her whole
thoughts and energies to the education
Of her children. One who knew him
well later said that in Pestalozzi there
was as much of the woman as the man. 1t was
probably his mothers influence and the les
sons Of his home that taught him to discover
the serious deficiencies Of the educational
methods which then Prevailed. and, for that mat
ter. still prevailed too commonly. and enabled
him to hit upon the proper substitutes 1t was
ut the age OF 2S after he had been by turns
clergyman. a lawyer, and u farmer. and after he
had child OF his own lwho was named Jacques,
apparently after Rousseau that he hit upon the
outlines Of the right system OF education. - Do
not" he wrote at this time, cause q school
master to try to produce fruits prematurely;
lot child be rs free as he can be. encourage
liberty. calm and good humor. Whatever you
can teach him from the nature OF things them
selves. do not teach him by words. Leave him
to himself to see. hear, find. stumble, rise again
and be mistaken. Give no words when action
or decd Is possible. What he can do for him
self let him do. Let him be always occupied.
ever active. md let the time when you do not
worry him be by far tho greatest part Of his
childhood You will como to learn that nature
teaches him better than men, When, however.
you see the need for accustoming him to
obey, then prepare yourself most carefully
to perform this difficult duty in his free educa-
tion. Think that. II constraint deprives you of
the confidence Of the child. all your care has
been in vain. Win his affections be necessary
to him; let him have no companion more
cheerful and pleasant than yourself. and let
there be no one whom he prefers 10 you when
he is inclined for fun" These views. which
contain the germ OF the modern reform OF edu-
cation, begun by Pestalozzi and carried out
more thoroughly by FrGbel, are obviously
in part by Rousseau and in part op-
posed to the latter's injunctions There Is
no doubt that Pestalozzi practised what he
preached. In 1882 he wrote. My son is more
than II years old. and he cannot read nor
write but that does not trouble NO." 1t must.
Jacques or Jacobli, was both physically and
O failure. He succeeded neither
in his studies nor in business. and. after suf-
fering from various maadies. he died at the
age Of 29 Nevertheless, while his sou was still
n child. and the result of the experiment In his
case was uncertain. Pestalozzi undertook to
educate twenty-five poor children, number in
creased in 1878 to eighty Two years later the
had to be abandoned, all OF its
private resources having been OK
hausted. The principles however. which
inspired the undertaking had borne fruit; his
very mistakes. by throwing new lights upon
the problem which he desired to solve. had only
strengthened his convictions. " can say" he
wrote at this time, when his philanthropic
efforts had reduced him to poverty that 1t is
by my own misery that learn to understand
the peoples misery and its causes. rs those
more happily placed could not do. l was never
more deeply convinced OF tho fundamental
ruth upon which built my enterprise than
when l saw IL crumble around me-" So
Door was he, after abandoning his
school that he could not eyon afford |
% buy paper. and wrote his touch
ng story OF village life. LEONARD and Ger
rude" between the lines OF an old account |
book. Strange to say Berlin publisher gave |
pestalozzi six dollars page Tor this story. 1t |
s. on the other hand, by no means strange
hat after publication the book should have
,licited from the Economic Society OF Berne a
etter OF congratulaton with gift Of fifty
iorins and a gold medal OF tho same value.
This simple narrative, replete with educational
uggestions, and tho three supplemental vol
INES published aiterward made PestaloZzl
amous. In 1907 he published his - Fables" q
ew Of which We reproduce.
THE MUSHROOM AND THE HERB.
The mushroom said to the herb: i sprang
lp In a night. while you take whole season to
.row." True" answered the herb. while
IN increasing in value You appear and reap
,ear hundred times In your perpetual USE
TIE TWO COLTS.
Two colts. as like as TWO peas. fell into differ
mt hands. One was bought by q peasant,
rho could not soon enough yoke him to the
ough he became a sorry horse. The other
oil to q groom. who took great care OF him and
rained him, until he bocame fine courser.
ull OF strength and spirit.
FOOLISH INFERENCE.
BY the banks of a stream thero grow somo
plendid poplars and some puny oaks; whence
ohm Peter concluded that tho poplar was a