Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-10-19

tant whistle; and the rafting of wa.
eon On "A bridge near by may be mista-
ken for distant thunder.
So likewise with sight. An object is
first placed near the eye, then recedes
till it dwindlcs away to mere speck.
We Judge of size by d stance and vice
versa. So if we Judge size by IA false
ly assumed distance, the judgment is
erroneous. Thus if a building many
miles distant is judged near, then we
Judge ii to be smaller than it really is;
on the other hand, if an object really
near be placed by the mind in the dis
lance, ii looms up in size much larger
than it is. The same applies To meas
urement of distance from C. falsely as
sumed size of objects Like errors are
made in acquired percepts, when we
Judge distance from intensity of color,
an assumed size of other equidistant
objects, from the number of interven.
ing objects, etc. But in each of these
cases there is a lack of knowledge of
something on which the mind bases its
judgment in forming the percept. A
building is judged, not from knowl-
edge of it, but of some similar one, and
this erroneous assumption is made the
basis OF an erroneous percept.
As may be inferred from what pre-
cedes, every acquired percept is formed
by process of reasoning. 1t is, in fact,
a process OF
INDUCTION.
Ii involves comparison, association
and inference. 1t is process of put
ting data together to form completed
whole. 1t differs only from the philo-
sophical process of generalization in
that the data considered are different.
In the latter process the knowledge
gained by all the powers and processes
OF the mind are taken as data upon
which to base a general law. For eX-
ample, we see that all unsupported bod
les fall to the earth. We see that a
plumb-line is DETECTED from vertical
position when near large mountain.
We see that two bodies free to move.
as floating bodies on perfectly calm
water with no air or water currents to
interfere, will gradually approach each
other. We observe and deduce the
fact that the moon moves in a path
such as it would if it were drawn to.
ward the earth by some attractive force.
So with the earth and planets about the
sun. From these data. variously de.
rived, the mind passes by inference
since it knows no opposing fact, yet
knows so many pointing in the same
direction-to the general proposition
that every particle of matter in the uni
verse attracts every other particle. BY
observing the rapidity of approach of
bodies of known mass and distance
from each other, also the deviation
from a straight line of bodies moving
under the influence Of gravity and an
other force which Is known, we deduce
the law OF the inverse squares and thus
establish Newton's law of gravitation.
By such processes are all the great laws
Of modern science established, in pro-
cess the same as that employed by the
child in his earliest years in the forma-
ton of acquired parison
and Judgment, or inference.
THE PERCEPTIvE POWERS
of the mind, as stated in the first arti-
Gle of this series, are the earliest devel-
oped; and therefore, the early period
of CT ildhOOd should be taken up in
teaching the child how to gain com
plete and accurate knowledge of things
through the direct media of the senses.
Hence. the object method, in the hands
of skillful teacher who is familiar
with the processes and order Of mental
development. is productive of highest
and best results. Written ard oral de-
scriptions of objects are an invaluable
aid to the teachers work, in the earlier
periods of school life.
Require the child to express in Ian
guage what he knows of certain things.
This knowledge may be then supple
mented by the teacher, at the same
time requiring the pupil to verify the
new facts by examination and expert
ment. BY this method two ends are
gained.-incroased and more accurate
knowledge of things and increased
power of expression.
BY this discipline in early life to
learn properties of things completely
and accurately the pupil will be armed
with a power which will enable him to
grapple successfully in after life with
great problems. while those not thus
disciplined will be quite unable to en-
counter them. The great object to be
attained, then, in the kindergarten and
primary grades, is quickness and keen
ness of sensation. and completeness and
accuracy Of perception.
Another point to which we may with
profit refer is the
ATTENTION.
The attention is the power of holding
the mind to one thing 70 the exclusion
of other sensations which are constantly
thrust upon the mind and tend to dis
tract. 1t depends wholly on the degree
of activity or inactivity of the mind.
If the mind is in passive state, sensa-
tons flood the mind through the ave-
nuaS Of tho soncas apd nrnd,toa Hoot;p n,