Qlljc .farmer's iHontljIn faisitor. 



1.59 



From the>Newark Advertiser. 



Physical, Mental and Social Education.— Our 

 Hoys and Girls. 



''The mind is not the man." 

 " The heart must have Us teacher, as well as the head.'' 



A frienil who has two sons, tine intellectual 

 boys, who ure rapidly advancing in their studies, 

 complains, nevertheless, that Ihc system under 

 w liieh they are taught, is deficient in several es- 

 sential particulars, lie says that his hoys neither 

 walk erectly or speak distinctly. These are in- 

 deed serious objections; and the case of our 

 friend is by no means a rare one. Most of our 

 systems of education are sadly defective in the 

 matters alluded to. Too little attention is paid 

 to physical development. The mind is nursed 

 to the injury of the body. The mental flame is 

 kept burning, and often at the expense of the 

 physical nature. The teacher fancies that he 

 has accomplished his task when he has induced 

 the pupil to progress to a certain extent in a cer- 

 tain period of time ; but be is too apt to forget 

 that unless the physique he strengthened and de- 

 veloped, the boy is apt to become a sickly and 

 effeminate young man, and however highly edu- 

 cated, to be unfit, in fact, for the active and ar- 

 duous duties of life. Why is it that we see so 

 many of our students pale, thin and shadowy? 

 Does it so often happen that the highly cultivated 

 in a menial point of view, are deficient ill mus- 

 cular strength and physical stamini? Is it not 

 quite as important to encourage and fortify the 

 one as the other? Is not manliness of frame 

 quite as essential as precocity of intellect ? Of 

 what avail will mental accomplishments prove 

 unless they be associated with health, energy, 

 activity and a capacity to undergo toil ? 



These things should be more considered by 

 teachers. Parents, too, are apt to lose sight of 

 then]. Who cannot point out among his friends, 

 tine polished and cultivated minds; but with the 

 physical man stunted, dwarfed, and stoop-shonl- 

 dered ? And so too, with the gentler sex. The 

 figures and attitudes of our girls are sadly neg- 

 lected. How few of the young and beautiful 

 walk erectly with dignity and grace! They con- 

 tract a habit of bending over while engaged in 

 their studies, and this is not counteracted by any 

 system of physical development. One might 

 suppose that the object was to contract the chest, 

 and thus to deform, anil provoke disease, while 

 it should be to develop that portion of the hu- 

 man frame, and thus not only to beautify the 

 figure, but to give strength and firmness to the 

 whole body. How often is the remark made — 

 " she is a beautiful creature, but what a pity it is 

 that she cannot hold her head up ;" or " that her 

 walk is so ungraceful" — or " she's a charming 

 girl, but bow feeble her constitution." 



Tne voice too, and the power of articulating 

 distinctly — how sadly they are neglected. An 

 organ that is so essential, so important, so capa- 

 ble of producing agreeable or disagreeable ef- 

 fects ; thai in many cases is regarded as an in- 

 dex of temper, disposition and character — how 

 little attention is paid to training, controlling, 

 and educating it. How many persons stutter, 

 slammer, articulate indistinctly, speak too rapid- 

 ly, or in a tone so low as to render it almost im- 

 possible to hear them. The defect in each case 

 is most serious, and in almost every instance 

 Diay be traced to an error in education. But in 

 early lite all these defects may be remedied by 

 the adoption of a proper course. Stammering 

 is, in a great multitude of cases, readily curable 

 in youth. But let the habit strengthen with 

 time, and its eradication uill bo found extremely 

 difficult. So also with rapid and indistinct 

 speaking, ami with monotonous drawling. These 

 may seem trifling matters to the superficial. In 

 many cases they make or mar one's fortune for 

 life. 



What is nobler than an erect, manly, graceful 

 port — what is more delightful in man or woman, 

 than a clear, fill, round and melodious articula- 

 tion,? What higher compliment could be paid 

 to a teacher, than to see a group of hoys or girls 

 passing from their studies — all with the ruddy 

 glow of health in their cheeks — the fire of ani- 

 mation in their eyes, and ease, vigor ami grace 

 in their movements and altitudes? Or 'alien, 

 too, at a public examination, in I r litem enun- 

 ciate clearly, calmly, distinctly and harmonious- 

 ly? And what on the other band, could tell 



more fatally against a system, than to witness in 

 contrast to tins picture, a group of thin, pale, 

 bent, and awkward boys ami girls, with drawling 

 or stammering voices, hesitation in the tone, in 

 the manner, and the looks? Surely this subject 

 is an important one, and entitled to a serious 

 consideration. We may have an odd prejudice, 

 but in our intercourse with our fellow creatures, 

 nothing impresses us so favorably as a frank. 

 easy, yet modest maimer, a clear, full look of the: 

 eye, a distinct and yet not boisterous employ- 

 ment of the tongue. All these Can readily he 

 inculcated in the young. 



But, if a chilil, when put to a teacher, is natu- 

 rally timid and nervous, and instead of being 

 coaxed and persuaded into a more resolute spirit, 

 it is intimidated and lyranized over, he will gel 

 Horse instead of better; he will lose all his self- 

 p'-.-ession, and the very idea id" a lesson or a 

 lecture will terrify him out of the proper exer- 

 cise of his reason. The business of education 

 is at once arduous and responsible ; and to dis- 

 charge the duties of a teacher properly, requires 

 no little philosophy. But the whole course of 

 life is affected by early training — the manners, 

 the morals, and the habits. Too much care can- 

 not he bestowed upon the physical development, 

 as well as the moral and mental culture. The 

 form, the voice, and the gait should not be over- 

 looked or neglected, for a due attention to these 

 is almost as essoin ial as the grace, vigor, and 

 education of the mind. 



Domestic Education. — The time is coming when 

 domestic duties are expected to he performed 

 upon scientific principles ; and we are bound to 

 employ every means in our power to make our- 

 selves acquainted with the sciences pertaining to 

 our domestic affairs. A knowledge of chemistry 

 and dietetics, in a cook, is invaluable to a family. 

 Information regarding the laws of health, and 

 life, and mental philosophy, is absolutely neces- 

 sary to the proper rearing of children. The suf- 

 fering I have seen and experienced for uaut of 

 knowledge, and the almost incredible advantage 

 gained by the application of a few practical 

 ideas, makes me very desirous for others, as 

 well as myself, that we should have "more 

 light." 



1 think, however, it is not proper that we 

 should always be in performance of the sober 

 duties of life. Nature does not bestow all her 

 care on the sturdy oak and mountain pine, but 

 adorns the landscape wilh an endless variety of 

 fanciful colors and forms, enlivens the whole 

 with music, and the frolicsome play of animated 

 beings. Nor did she fail to implant in the hu- 

 man mind faculties harmonizing with the beau- 

 ty, melody, and gayety of external nature, which 

 find a legitimate sphere of action in ornamental 

 horticulture, vocal and instrumental music, &c. 

 — Gen (sue Farm a: 



£!c.lf df.pende.nci:. — Most young men consider 

 it a misfortune to be born poor, or not to have 

 capital enough to establish themselves at their 

 onset in life ill a good business. This is a mis- 

 taken notion. So far from poverty being a mis- 

 fortune to them, if we tray judge from what we 

 every day heboid, it is really a blessing: the 

 chance is more than ten to one against him who 

 Starts with plenty of money. Lei any man look 

 back twenty years and see who began business 

 at ihat time with abundant means, and trace 

 them lo the present day; how many have be- 

 come poor, lost their places in society, and air: 

 passed, hy their boon companions, wilh a look 

 which plainly says, " I know you not." 



Adversity. — It has been truly said that in 

 medicine, the chief tonics are bilier. The mis- 

 fortunes of life are intended lo ool as such. 

 When a long series of prosperities have left the 

 energies of our nature il lati ve — when the sun 

 has shone so lotfg anil so brightly that we bask 

 thanklessly in its beams, and with scarce a con- 

 sciousness of its beauty — tin n comes on the 

 lowering sky of the approaching tempest— then 

 comes on sickness, the loss of friends, pecuniary 

 lusyep, di-appoiiited hopes, unexpected Fi urs— 

 and theil ii is that the dormant potvei** iof'-out 

 noble facilities are stimulated — our sympathies, 

 our fortitude, our reliance on God. 



Never too old to Icaru. 



We extract the following from an article which 

 appeared some months since in the Portland 

 Orion, which forcibly illustrates, by a reference 

 to well autheuiicaied facte, the principle that 

 mnn is never too ot/l to learn. 



.Socrates, at an extreme old age, learnt to play 

 on musical instruments. This >votild look ri- 

 diculous for soon: of ile- rich old men in our 

 city, especially if they should take into their 

 hands to thrum a guitar under a lady's window 

 which Socrates did not do, hut only learnt to 

 play some instruments of his time, not a guitar, 

 for the purpose of resisting the wear and tear of 

 old age. 



Onto, at eighty years of age, thought proper 

 to learn the (.'reek language. .Many of our 

 young men in thirty and forty have forgotletl 

 even the alphabet of a language the knowledge 

 of which was necessary to enter college, and 

 which was made a daily exercise through col- 

 lege. A fine comment upon their love of let- 

 ters, truly. 



Plutarch, when between seventy and eighty, 

 commenced the study of the Latin. Many of 

 our young lawyers, not thirty years of age, think 

 j that nisi prius, scire facias. &c, are English ex- 

 pressions; and if you tell them that a know- 

 ledge of the Latin would make them appear a 

 little more respectable in their profession, they 

 will reply that they are loo old to think of learn- 

 ing Latin. 



Dr. Johnson applied himself to the Dutch 

 language but a few years before his death. 

 Most of our merchants and lawyers of twentv- 

 five, thirty, and forty years of age, are obliged 

 to apply to a teacher to translate a business let- 

 ter written in the French language, which might 

 he learnt in the tenth part of the time required 

 for the study of the Dutch— and all because they 

 are too old to learn. 



Colbert, the famous French minister, at sixty 

 years of age returned to his Latin and law stu- 

 dies. How many of our college learnt men have 

 ever looked into their classics since their gradu- 

 ation ? 



Ogilby, the translator of Homer and Virgil, 

 was unacquainted with the Latin and Greek "till 

 he was past fifty. 



Franhlin did not fully commence his philoso- 

 phical pursuits till he bad reached Ids fiftieth 

 year." How many among us of thirty, forty, and 

 fifty, who read nothing hut newspapers for the 

 want of a taste for natural philosophy! But 

 they are too old lo learn. 



Accorso, a great lawyer, being asked why lie 

 began the study of law so late, answered, that, 

 indeed he began it late, but he should therefore 

 master it the sooner. This agrees with our the- 

 ory, that healthy old age gives a man the power 

 of accomplishing a difficult study in much less 

 lime than would be necessary to one of half of 

 his years. 



Drijdcn, in his sixty-eighth year, commenced 

 the translation of the Iliad; and his most phas- 

 ing productions were written in his old age. 



We could go on and cite thousands of exam- 

 ples of men who commenced a new study, and 

 struck out into entirely new pursuits, either for 

 livelihood or amusement, at an advanced age. 

 Hut every one familiar wilh the biography of 

 distinguished men, will recollect individual cases 

 enough to convince him that none hut the sick 

 and indolent will ever say, / am too old lo study. 



When the question was asked hy a traveller 

 from a foreign country, passing in the stage- 

 coach, — " What is the cause of the enterprise and 

 prosperity of New England '-''— the answei was 

 given by one whose gyp rested upon the steeple 

 of a church and upon a school-house. — "These," 

 said he, •'account for the enterprise and prosper- 

 ity of New England. The house of God first, 

 and the sehool-hou e next; — the one the result 

 of the other, and both going hand in hand lo 

 enrich and bless '.he whole community." 



Ile that has never known adversity, is but half 

 acquainted with others, or with himself. Con- 

 stant success shows us hut one side of the world; 

 liir, as it surrounds us with friends, who will tell 

 us only our merits, so it silences those enemies 

 from whom nlone we can learn our defects. 



