St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-03-12
Some Rambling Thoughts.
(Copyrighted.l

ldtLer-uHv SClcHSS 10 tue ~hSNN w thS SUI
roundings upon living creatures. Go
among the TERRA del Fuegans and you
will find enormous chests and very feeble
legs, as a consequence Of almost constant
padding in canoes; visit the Esquimaux
and they will be found able to stand
almost unclothed in the most rigorous
weather, because OF layer OF tat evenly
spread under the skin by nature as
protection against their climate. In
Africa vast regions, too utterly malarial
for Europeans to live in, support natives
in most lively and thriving fashion. To
close our proofs regarding the influence
OF the dwelling place, go now to the
tropical islands where all things grow in
profuson and almost without labor on
the part OF man, and you 6nd-what?
Men and women too lazy to exert them
selves and therefore amounting to
almost nothing as an influence in the
world. But all this refers to the bodies
of men. AS to the mind, tell me what
moulds the stolid, plodding, stupid ways
of the Russian Moujik !? His surround
ings. The selfreliance of the English
man? Surroundings.
Come another step! Though you are
neither Fuegans nor South Sea Islanders,
Moujiks nor Britishers, but just plain
Americans, you cannot escape the influ-
ence of environment any more than a
clam can escape from the sea. These
laws are at work here as well as every
where else and you admit it in your
general conversation. You will say:
What poor chance Tom has; he is
being raised among dirt and neglect"
You think of surroundings being OF inhu-
ence, just as you probably think of
death; something that is absolutely
certain for everybody else, but only
dreamily certain for you. Herein are we
slow of heart; we fail to recognize that
we are in a world as genuine, actual
part OF it, and that the laws influencing
it are the laws influencing us. 1t is in
this direction | ramble this week, still
continuing the thoughts on education
that have gone before.
J BY natures kind arrangement we are
not brought forth hundreds at time in
a hive from one common queen bee, but
in small, very small, groups, whereby
each individual in the family may secure
the care necessary for creature so feeble
at birth and yet so potent in possibili
ties To bring before your vision the
lamentable results where the personal
touch is lacking it is only necessary to
mention he spiritless and monotonous
lives of asylum children. A few children
OF varying ages under one authority is
the normal condition of things. We
must therefore even look upon the
teacher OF 40 or so children as occupying
an unnatural position that should call
tor our best sympathy and wisest CO.
operation. 1t is absolutely unfair to
expect her to counterfeit all influences,
home and street, that work against high
motives and moral attempts.
am not deluding myself with the idea
that these words are to enter only the
homes of ease and refinement. They
are to 90 into thousands where it is not
always easy TO make both ends meet ;
where life has possibly rasping inhu-
ence upon the overburdened mother and
the overworked father; where the
"qulver-full' OF children is blessing very
thoroughly disguised And because such
American life and future American pro-
gress, must be very plain here. dare
to say from knowledge of both ends of
society, that it is quite as possible, if not
more so, to find in such homes the virtues
of patience and perseverance, of self
torgetfulness and tenderness, of love and
unity, developing under hard conditions,
rather than under the influence of bound
less wealth and opportunity. So the
poverty of the home where even the lamp
is dispensed with so as to save expense is
not left out in these suggestions.
The main thing is, the spirit of the
home. Even il illiterate and hampered
by vices, parents real love for the
things that are pure and right will out
weigh all things else. If unwholesome
thoughts and purposes are merely
covered with veneer of book knowledge
and department, the parent can never by
mere instruction outweigh the uncon-
scious evil pull of his character upon the
children summering and wintering with
him. cannot do better than include
portion of a letter just received from
very pure minded and noble young doc
tor. He says in substance: las look
back at my home life in early childhood
remember my grandmother always
appealed to me by her gentleness and
kindness and personal cleanliness and
attractiveness. Still | knew quite well
that she was lacking in frmness, letting
| her desire that everybody should no