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Article ESSAYS ON EDUCATION.—No. II. ← Page 4 of 4
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Essays On Education.—No. Ii.
As a second illustration of my argument I may instance the occurrence of a tempest ; when , at the first flash of lightning , the child ' s attendant begins mechanically to scream , and , on hearing the rol ! in » of the thunder , drops in trepidation from her hand the work on ivhich she may be engaged , to abandon herself wholl y to the workings of her distempered fancy . The child , who is compelled to remain a witness of tins most extraordinary conductconcludes immediatelthat terrible
, y some cirsaster , if it have not already befallen , is about to happen to him and hence so coupled in his untutored mind is the idea of danger with the indrscrrbable sensation produced in him b y an exhibition to ivhich he is unaccustomed , that the probability is that a tempestuous day will for some tune forward , nay , very possibly during the whole term of his '
evlstance , be to Him a day of fear , of horror , and of tribulation . Another Habit , too , not less prevalent among nurses and servants , than it is pernicious in its effects to children , is the very reprehensible one of menacing them when they cry , or prove in any way disobedient , with the speedy coming of ghosts and hobgoblins ; for , however they may succeed in temporarily appeasing them by the employment of such violent means it is at the very dear price of their victims' peace of mind and future tranquillity .
In this manner is the heart of the child progressively vitiated , and his mind enervated and impaired by the error of assi gning to him hirelin ° -s as his primitive guardians and preceptors . Even in his language may be discovered the nature of the society to ivhich he has been accustomed he having insensibl y imbided , by association and the force of example ' various extravagant phrases , vicious expressions , andungramatical terms ' of which lie cannot afterwards divest himself without an immensity of labour and attention often do here
. How we the questions mooted — whence did that child derive the expressions he makes use of ¦> Hoiv is it that he speaks not as ourselves ? The answer will be found a ready one : —how else should it be but because he associates constantly with other people , and is accustomed to look up to them far more than to his parents ; because he enjoys with them a greater share of liberty , and knows that they are far more read y to converse with him . Such then being the where is the wonder that
case , he should learn with greater facility their mode of speaking than that of his own parents ? Wlii !" how many are the motives ivhich should induce a mother not to allow her children to be withdrawn from the shelter of her maternal win" - ¦ _ Enough , probably , having been here said to form the subject ° ofa single essay , however little it may appear if measured b y the importance ot so vast and fertile a theme , I shall defer any further observations for another paper .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Essays On Education.—No. Ii.
As a second illustration of my argument I may instance the occurrence of a tempest ; when , at the first flash of lightning , the child ' s attendant begins mechanically to scream , and , on hearing the rol ! in » of the thunder , drops in trepidation from her hand the work on ivhich she may be engaged , to abandon herself wholl y to the workings of her distempered fancy . The child , who is compelled to remain a witness of tins most extraordinary conductconcludes immediatelthat terrible
, y some cirsaster , if it have not already befallen , is about to happen to him and hence so coupled in his untutored mind is the idea of danger with the indrscrrbable sensation produced in him b y an exhibition to ivhich he is unaccustomed , that the probability is that a tempestuous day will for some tune forward , nay , very possibly during the whole term of his '
evlstance , be to Him a day of fear , of horror , and of tribulation . Another Habit , too , not less prevalent among nurses and servants , than it is pernicious in its effects to children , is the very reprehensible one of menacing them when they cry , or prove in any way disobedient , with the speedy coming of ghosts and hobgoblins ; for , however they may succeed in temporarily appeasing them by the employment of such violent means it is at the very dear price of their victims' peace of mind and future tranquillity .
In this manner is the heart of the child progressively vitiated , and his mind enervated and impaired by the error of assi gning to him hirelin ° -s as his primitive guardians and preceptors . Even in his language may be discovered the nature of the society to ivhich he has been accustomed he having insensibl y imbided , by association and the force of example ' various extravagant phrases , vicious expressions , andungramatical terms ' of which lie cannot afterwards divest himself without an immensity of labour and attention often do here
. How we the questions mooted — whence did that child derive the expressions he makes use of ¦> Hoiv is it that he speaks not as ourselves ? The answer will be found a ready one : —how else should it be but because he associates constantly with other people , and is accustomed to look up to them far more than to his parents ; because he enjoys with them a greater share of liberty , and knows that they are far more read y to converse with him . Such then being the where is the wonder that
case , he should learn with greater facility their mode of speaking than that of his own parents ? Wlii !" how many are the motives ivhich should induce a mother not to allow her children to be withdrawn from the shelter of her maternal win" - ¦ _ Enough , probably , having been here said to form the subject ° ofa single essay , however little it may appear if measured b y the importance ot so vast and fertile a theme , I shall defer any further observations for another paper .