Milford chronicle., 1893-05-19
A Plea For The Dun Boy.
A SERMON 10 rEAcHERs.


The boy Of the text'' is to be considered
10 the light of a genus as well as that Of a
nersonality, and as such, includes all those
types or species characterized, after hnal
differentiation, by mental obluseness with-
out special reference to age, size, sex or
"previous condition of servitude.
Every teacher think, has the honor tol
know the subject Of this sketch, and further
Acquaintance may not be thought desirable
/ assume, however, that our knowledge OF
him is superficial; that we do not know him
as we should, aud this is my excuse Tor
bringing him to your notice here. for
further knowledge Of him may result ia re-
ciprocal benefit.
In our ideal conception Of the hero OF
this tale" we reproduce too frequently only
the dull eve. the low brow, the slow move
ment the seeming obstinacY, these ana
other traits, subject to more or less modih-
cation, do not greatly endear him 20 rs, On
the contrary, he is our befe nor veritable
thorn in the flesh a cause Of constant dis
lcourapement If not al times, Of absolute
despair; the reason for his existence IS, a
deep aud dark mystery capable OF a partial
solution only when we admit the couclusienl
sometimes reached, that his sole mission on
1 earth is to keep us from becoming Aope-
lessly optimistic, there Is so little else anent
our profession to perplex go worry u.s. But
4 it is my purpose TO enter flsa for tue Gun
boy, because know he is ot-la misunder-
stood. sometimes abused and n - mis-.
understood and abused not iN Y i9snsiy, I
! fear, ruined I shall try to 6eak a good
word for him because I think if4 chief bus
mess of the teacher is with b 9hand because
I believe in him, in the potAnhality Of his
being for good and great tlkngs. think Of
many men eminent in literature aud science,
/ Waiter Scott. Isaac Newq6u, Liebiq, for in
stance, who was considefed duilards in their
youth, and I look up9h my dull boy, aud
with the pity for Dlin that fills my soul,
there comes anotler feeling akin to awe,
arising from a sepse Of fearful responsibility,
I for it Is the serlous business Of my life to
bring out the l3tent intelligence Of his being,
/ and perchance iadd ore more 10 the mighty
/ intellectual forces Of the world.
! The duh boy is a slave, bound in fetters
\ forged by heredity Il may be, BY lack Of
1 proper training, by physical defects ana the
teacher must be his emancipator.
( hope now to be able to give some hints
+ in regard to the means by which this great
task may be accomplished, and the possinil-
/ tiles of the child's nature realized. To TINS
/ end ktree bye- requisites at least, are Of I'M
+ portance.
First an intimate acquaintance with hu-
man nature, or, rather with child nature ilol
I there is a vast disparity between the gene
\ ric and the specific, here) with its powers
]
/ tues, ard its, alas, quite universal faulls'
with its intuition and feelings. and varying
moods. Second. the ability 70 answer IN
part al leastthe great questions involved 10
education2 What is mind2 What are It's
capabilities and linits2 What is its compar-
! atiye condition at given agel Finally what
are its relations TO the physical orRauismf
! aud what relation do objective facts bear tol
subjective or mental phenomenal And
third; A knowledge Of thoroughly rational
methods Of education capable alike Of logi-
cal aualysis and a practical application,
methods having for their aim the harmo-
nious and complete development Of body
mind and morals
/ II IS not my purpose to attempt any elab-
orate treatment Of the intricate and profound
subjects referred TO here. have only timer
\ aud ability to make a few general remarks
I in a desultory way, along this line, aud with
some further reference 10 the subject N
hand
! have notion that there may be, after all
no such thing as mental inequality; that 10
4 mental potentiality, every man is the peer of
( difference lies not 10 the quality Of tie IN
teliect but ia the nature and coudition ot
I the only means of instrument by which the
mind fnauifests itself to tie outside world
/ the powers Of expression and reception.
4 particularly language and the senses OF
which tile brain IS merely tdu6lioA ~ N~A-
tire. The mind Of the philosopher, IN the
I absolute may not be better than the mind o.
the duliard OF even the idiot There is an
/ iatimation Of the truth Of this in the fact
that strong minds on account Of diseased
brain have become able 10 display only rud-
Inventory evidences Of intelligence.
"A slight pressure upon the brain VIII re-
duce a bright mind 70 stateiof imhecility
I A rough illustration viii perhaps show my
meaning. Two men equal iu every respect
physically have AZ equal task assigned them,
I say the digging of a trench. TO one IS given
good sized spade, 10 the other q spoon
The results at an end Of an hour il tue
i former case will be the work Of a man, in
the latter case, the work of child ia SO tar
as amount and value are concerned. The
/ sole difference was 10. 10 the men, but "a
the means by which the end was sought TO
some men ia this life,-to our dull Dob
are given imperfect or weak instruments
lundeveloped brains, weak nerves. detective
bodies Under wise manipulation fortuu-
ately it is possible 10 improve greatly the
4 imperfect instrument aud often times 10
transform It into one Of beauty aud power
But an this Is introduced to show that Tie
basis Of real education Is the body iclud-
ling the seuses aud the brain. The health of
the whole lbody) effects the mind through
the brain Hence the necessity Of edncat-
ing the body and every orgen belonging q
Il. Train the hand. the eye, the ear the brain