Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-13

Young Froebel lost his mother previous
to his first birthday, and hence never knew
what it was to- live within the influence Of
maternal love. although he believed him.
self to have inherited her artistic and i'm
aginative spirit
His father was a clergyman in charge of
several small churches scattered through
out the district. and was gifted with many
of those qualities that win the esteem of
children. although in the case of his own
son he had failed to bestow that warmth
Of sympathy and tenderness for which the
childish heart so ardently yearns-
When the boy was in his fourth year
the father married second wife, and at
first 1t is said that "the new mother re-
Quilted the warnings Of his childlike love-"
but her affection was turned almost into
hatred when her own son began to claim
her maternal care. Under her hard rule
little Frederick was not only neglected,
but treated with actual unkindness. until,
at the age of ten years. his mothers
brother had compassion on him and took
him into his own family.
This uncle. occupying a post of some
widower. who had lost his only son, and
was glad to find an object of affection in
: his sisters child. Here the child. amid
plenty and kindness. prospered for five
the town and enjoyed for the first time the
healthful companionship OF other children
of his own age.
Close Observer of Nature.
Amid these delightful associations his
whole nature expanded. He showed no
great aptitude for study except in arit!l-
nett i. but he began to be a close observer
OF nature. He took great delight in ZACH
ing plants and animals, and on account OF
this inclination. as well as in his ;.ppre-
citation of companionship, lay the source Of
two of his strong opinions concerning the
education Of children.
Before he was four years old he lived in
a htIilf ho
shadow of church. SO that no sunbeam
could enter it. He was kept indoors by the
housemaid. who was too busy to care for
him otherwise. Here his chief amusement
at one time was to watch some workiaen
from a window as they were repairing the
church. and his practice was to use what
pieces of furniture or other objects he
. could move to initiate them in their build
ing. but he was baf11ed by their unsuitable
character. 1t is said that 1t was the recol-
lections Of this unqualified instinct which
suggested to him. in later years, that chill
dren ought to be provided in their play
rooms with materials for building.
In his fifteenth year Froebel was ap-
prenticed to forester. Three years later
he entered the University of Jena. where
his principal attention was bestowed Upon
the natural sciences and mathematics. In
his twentieth year he was driven, by pow
erty and disgust, to his home again. The
next year his father died. and he con-
trived to make living for three successive
years afterward as civil engineer and
secretary of several agricultural estates.
At length he repaired to Frankfort-on-
the-Main to learn the duties of an architect.
Here" says Mailman, in the preface to
lis little work on Kindergarten Culture,
"his destiny overlook him. While wait
ing for an opening ne earned his bread by
giving private lessons, became acquainted
with the teachers of the Model School, and
was introduced by them to its principal.
GruEer.
In his autobiography. referring to his ex-
rin in al Aeha ct
met here a number of young men. who en-
gagged in cheerful and candid conversation
of which life and its vicissitudes soon
formed the burden. I spoke frankly, gave
rot know myself." or said Gruner, you
must give up architecture; 1t is not for
you. Become an educator. We need a
teacher in our school. II you agree to It.
you shall have the position" This propo-
sition Froebel at length accepted, and his
career as an apostle of the new education
was begun.
Froebel drew his inspiration from Pesta-
lozzi. Gruner had been a pupil of the
great Swiss reformer. and in 1905 Froebel
spent a vacation of two weeks in Pesta-
enthusiasm for the latter. In 1SOS he again
went to Yverdun. taking with him two
pupils. the sons OF wealthy family at
FieIkfcrt. Here he studied and taught
under the direct influence of Pestalozzi,
although not in his institution.
While his sojourn at Yverdun tended to
ircr tease his admiration for Pestalozzi yet
1t did not make him a blind. contented fol-
lower, of that great teacher. With an
original turn of mind, and unaccustomed
to respect any authority except that of
clear insight, he esteemed Pestalozzi as
the discoverer OF new principles and meth
eds of teaching. but he believed that these
needed a broader scope and more general
application in order to rise to the dignity
of a system in the education of human
beings.
To establish such a system on the basis
Of morality and reason, religion and hui
ma nifty became the single object Of his