The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-07-02

of children in question. Undoubtedly,
children belonging to the uneducated
classes are, as rule, much less suscep-
tible to this kind of stimulation than
those who have from infancy been sur
rounded by an atmosphere of culture.
and who are constantly under a kind
of kindergarten influence at home. For
such children the hours should be the
briefest one-half to one hour at most.
For the street urchin it is by far the best
place possible, and for as long time as
may be, for his home life will certainly
counteract any danger of over stimula-
ton.
From the age of seven to twelve ap-
pears to be a period of less danger from
overwork, partly because the period of
most active development has passed and
the natural dislike to study is strong, and
the changes which usher in adult life
| have not fairly begun ,and also the studies
allotted to this age seem to be better
| adapted to the powers of the pupils. But
from age of thirteen on to eighteen comes
time of special danger, when many a
| promising youth of both sexes is perma-
nently crippled. Girls suffer more often
than boys, since, out of school, their
lives are less active and their physical
development is under less favorable sur
roundings. 1t is during these years that
to most children, who have any mental
activity, comes the awakening to the ap-
prehension of what study means, and
the thirst for knowledge is felt, and then,
too, is the pressure put on by parents
and teachers to hurry the child forward
as rapidly as possible to the close of the
school period, that the business of life |
may begin. The child's own ambition,
too, is engaged, not to be distanced by |
its fellows.
With the desire for knowledge, there is |
often a lack of ability to concentrate |
thought, and in the effort to fix atten- |
ton and master the task for longer hours |
than the strength is equal to, signs of |
overstrain appear. The eyes ache with |
slight use, dull headache is common, ap-
petite becomes capricious and the child |
has bilious attack, stays out of school |
for few days, rests and begins again,
fresh; to have the symptoms repeated |
with variations until the long vacation |
brings continued rest. Or the signs of |
overstrain may be limited to sensitive
ness of the eyes and occasional head |
aches. The occulist is consulted he |
finds astigmatism," which signifies |
that the eyes are not quite symmetrical, |
and require constant muscular effort to
accommodate them to each other, with |
the accompanying headache as a danger |
signal. Glasses are prescribed and rest !;
with relief, but, if the overstrain had |
not been there. the astigmatism would |
not have appeared. Or the remon-
STRANGE of nature may be in some other |
function which should carry the same |
lesson-relief from some of the work.
This of course means shorter daily |
hours of study and longer course. 1t
is constantly asserted that the most sue
cessful students and literary men find
six hours day of work as much as can
profitably be INDUCED in, and this by /
trained workers, in the maturity of their
powers. Our children of tender years,
and imperfectly developed brains, are
expected to do within one or two hours
of this period, for all their student years,
is it strange that so many OF our boys
and girls, when they come to Yale or
Harvard, Vassar or Wellesley, fall by
the way, or graduate crippled, because
when young they were handicapped by
too heavy weight? We do not serve our
domestic animals so; they run wild and
free until they have reached adult years,
and the tender growing muscles are
spared severe labor.
am aware of the difficulty involved
in this problem. The popular idea that
children should uot waste their precious
time in play is a relic OF the monklsh
and puritan days when the body was
considered thing to be mortified and
kept down. 1t is coming to be looked
upon as next to the mind, the most mar
velous work of the Creator, fit temple |
for the Holy Ghost, and the image OF
God which dwells in each human form,
is charged with doing some worthy work
in regenerating this world. Hence how |
important that the physical manifestation
of this soul should be in perfect health |
for the work of the Master. How many |
an one in the heat of the day has
mourned his or her imperfect work, from |
an imperfect body dating from the school |
or college days. ;,
A most important move in the right |
direction is in mingling physical labor |
with mental effort, and this innovation |
should include girls as we'll as boys, and |
mechanics or housekeeping cares should |
take the place of some of the hours OF |
study, and not be added to them. The
results of mechanical training will be of
eminent practical value in forming the |
| hands to skilled use of their muscles. |
| This training, even If never neeued In
practical life, will be no insignificant ele-
ment in rounding out the general educa-
! ton, Just as many studies that are not
directly useful in life are most valuable
| in training the mental faculties to skilled
labor.
These remarks apply to modern edu-
cation in civilized countries generally,
and l believe are based on sound physi-
ology. They apply here with special
force, as the climate is unsuited to severe
| exertion, and what would be admissible
/ in a more bracing region would be
mistake here. I know that many care
full thinkers are in sympathy with this
| line of argument, and if I have in any
degree stimulated thought or awakened
interest In the subject, shall feel that
your time has not been taken in vain.