The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-27

and. whom In the town Of Cheshire. whore
his uncle was then at the head Of an academy.
he obtained the position OF VILLAGE schoolmhs-
ter in November, 1925. he began two years
course OF school reform such az had not been
seen before and has not been since in
New England. He anticipated most Of
the changes afterward wrought BY Hor-
ace Mann and others In the public
school system. and. without any intimate
knowledge OF what had been done by
Pestalozzi In Switzerland. he followed the
same ideal path. and accomplished similar
results In his small field OF action. SO marked
was the success OF the young reformer In the
eyes Of intelligent observers. that they began
to praise Il In the newspapers. The atten-
ton Of tho Rev. S. J. May who had been
for some years pastor OF q society In Brook
Ign. Conn.,. and whose niece Alcott subse-
quently married. was directed toward this su-
perior school No doubt Alcott suffered dur
ing his reforming years as schoolmaster In
Chesire from q suspicion. which even then was
we'll founded. that he was not sound in the'or-
thodox faith. He was more or less obatructed
by the petty. carpipg spirit Of the munity.
Emerson said many years later, speaking Of
his friends conversations: Mr.. Alcott is al
ways Don Qulxote. and his audience is always
| Sancho Panza-" But. at first the earn estness
affection, and superiority OF the young teacher
carried Nil before him. The adult persons who
witnessed the progress OF hir school were AS
| tonished ut what they saw and heard. for he
taught as one having authority. and not as
the scribes.
| Mr.. Sanford suggests that they would have
been still more surprised II they could have
| read some Of the reflections this Connecticut
| Rousseau was setting down in his private
| journal. We can discern In them the germ Of
| that radicalism In which Alcott was to lead for
| q long period his brethren OF the Transcen-
dentalist school OF opinion. Thus. under date
| OF Dec. u. 1926. we find in his diary passage
which has bearing on tho question OF scrip
tural authority. although dealing apparently
with books in general: 1t is not from books
entirely that instruction is to be drawn. They
should lie by us for occasional instruction
only. When doubts and uncertainties arise
they may sometimes explain the difficulty and
point to the truth. Frequently. however, they
may lead us astray: they are I'm perfect. Ad-
herence to them has been the cause, and atill
continues to be. OF perpetuating errors
among men, and that to an alarming
extent Ideas when recorded in a book. carry
with them kind OF dignity and certainty
which awe many into implicit belief. They
often impose the most irrational and alb
surd conclusions on the peaceful understand
ing. 1t dares not doubt: fear keeps 1t ignor-
ant: authority lifts her head and commands
instant belief; reason thus hushed into silence
sleeps in serene repose. To think for herself
is denominated pride and arrogance. Millions
OF human minds are in this state OF slavery and
tyranny. How shall they escape? Rebel
Think for themselves: lot others grumble.
Dare to be singular: let others dsride. Follow
reason: let others dwell In the land Of enchant-
mont. Be men: let others pratte. Practice:
let others profess. Do good: let others define
ATT. lat har Whafeoavar
thy hand flndest to do. that do with all thy
might and let q gainsaylng, eliminating
world speculate on thy proceeding"
The effect produced by Alcott at this time on
highly intelligent men may be inferred from a
letter written by the Rev. Samuel J. May. who.
as We have said made his acquaintance while
he was keeping the Cheshire school Mr.. May
says Il have never but In one instance been
so Immediately taken possession Of by any
man ever met in life. He seemed to me
like a born sage and saint He was a radical
in all matters Of reform: went to the root Of
all theory. especially the subject Of education.
mental and moral culture" MIR. May sug-
eested comparison between Alcott and
Pestolozzi There is no doubt that the method
Of instruction which addresses the chids
sensations and conceptions directly and forms
his mind by constantly exercising his powers
instead OF making 1t a passive receptacle. was
as original with the one as with tho other
But Aloott added q mystic. Platonic tinRe to
his system. which was not so evident in Pas
talozzis. In one respect the two reformers
were alike. Alcott like Pestalozzi. as the |
record OF his successive schools at Cheshire.
Philadelphia. and Boston show. was con-
stantly at q disadvantage In dealing with
affairs nor was he ever SO fortunate as to find |
q coadjutor. who could supply the practical
ability to match and complete his own IDEAL |
ism. Hence tho brevity OF his success in every |
place where he taught and his frequent re- |
movals from town to town and from State to |
State. But the best men and women every |
where aided his plans. rejoiced in his sue |
cess. and knew how to pardon his failures. |
Among the consequences Of the Cheshire
school the biographer would reckon not only
Mr.. Alcotts self-exlle from Connecticut.
first to Philadelphia and afterwnrd to Boston.
but his courtship and marriage. his fortunate
domestic life. and all tho literature with which
his daughter Louisa has delighted the hearts
OF the children whom her father was 80 eager
to instruct and amuse. Shortly after their
marriage Mrs. Alcott wrote to her brother:
" My husband Is tho perfect generalization Of
modesty and moderation. am not sure that
we shall not blush into obscurity and contem-
plate Into starvation" There were times in
their career when this misGivng seemed to be
on the point OF lulnl ment, Dut the end was
fortunate. and the wife and mother deserved
all the praise bestowed upon her by her hus-
band in his old age.
".
By the autumn OF 1884 Bronson Alcott's long
D eriod OF apprenticeship was over. and he be-
gan with the opening Of his famous school at
the Masonic Temple. to be a conspicuous per-
son in the New England capital. Under the
OF DR.. Claiming and other
friends. then OF great influence. he became for
awhile a Boston favorite. He was a school
master. but was Milton. and Milton was
still the most renowned poet for the Boston
ans. partly because 1t had Just been discov-
Bred that he was Unitarian. The literary
product OF Millions school, as DIR. Johnson
'cof1ingly remarks. wac a small history OF
poetry written in Latin. but the product OF the
Masonic Temple school was two books that
made stir In their day, namely. the Record
II School. edited by Miss Elizabeth Peabody
md the Conversations with Children on the
Gospels. edited by Mr.. Alcott himself. The
after work caused such com otion in Boston