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laborious duties of village errand-man and weaver; a service for which the consciousness that he was the trust and stay of an orphaned family gave him strength. Upon his solitary errands to St. Gall, and elsewhere, he used to recite to himself the instruction and counsel which his father had given.

Krüsi might have passed his whole life in his father's monotonous calling, had not a benign Providence given him an indication which had the most important consequences for his entire future. We shall permit Krüsi himself to tell the story, in the words of his own "Recollections," pp. 2-4, which give other and deeper views into his mind at that time:·

At the highest point of the pass, where the road turns away from toward Trogen, my life also took another direction. While earning my living as day laborer and errand-man, I was carrying, one cold day in 1793, to the establishment of Zellweger, with which I afterward came into very different relations, a great bundle of yarn from the mountain. As I stopped to rest, all dripping with sweat, at the very summit, a relative met me, who was then treasurer of the town, one Herr Gruber. After the usual greetings, the following conversation ensued, which I yet remember as the turning point of my life.

Gruber." It is warm."

Myself." Very warm."

Gruber." Now that schoolmaster Hörler is going away from Gais, you have a chance to earn your bread a little more easily. Have you no desire to offer yourself for his place!""

Myself."Wishing will not help me much. A schoolmaster must have knowledge and I have none."

Gruber." What a schoolmaster among us needs to know, you at your age can very soon learn."

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Myself. But how, and where? I see no possibility of it."

Gruber." If you wish it, the means will be easily found. Consider the matter and decide upon it."

He left me. I now had abundance of matter for reflection. But no ray of light came into my mind, although the natural sunlight surrounded my body with brightness and warmth. I scarcely felt my load as I proceeded along the ascents and steeps of the road. Whatever has fallen to my lot since that moment, I look upon as the fruit of this conversation.

Since my leaving the day school, where I had learned and practiced only reading, learning by rote, and mechanical copying, and while I was growing up to adult age, I had so far forgotten to write, that I no longer knew how to make all the capital letters; my friend Sonderegger therefore procured me a copy from a teacher in Altstätten, well known as a writing-master. This single copy I wrote over as often as a hundred times, for the sake of improving my handwriting. I had no other special preparation for the profession; but, notwithstanding, I ventured, when the notice was given from the pulpit, to offer myself as a candidate for the place, with but small hopes of obtaining it, but consoling myself with the thought that at least I should come off without shame.

The day of examination came. An elder fellow-candidate was first called before the committee. To read a chapter in the New Testament and to write a few lines, occupied him a full quarter of an hour. My turn now came. The genealogical register, from Adam to Abraham, from the first book of Chronicles, was given me to read. After this, chairman Schläpfer gave me an uncut quill, with the direction to write a few lines. "What shall I write?" I said. "Write the Lord's Prayer, or whatever you like," was the answer. As I had no knowledge of composition or spelling, it may be imagined how my writing looked. However, I was told to retire. After a short consultation, I was, to my wonder and pride, recalled into the room. Here chairman Schläpfer informed me that the whole

committee were of opinion that both candidates knew little; that the other was best in reading, and I in writing.

The other, however, being over forty years old, and I only eighteen, they had come to the conclusion that I should learn what was necessary sooner than he, and as moreover my dwelling-house (the commune had then no school-house of their own) was better adapted for a school-house than his, I should receive the appointment. I was dismissed with friendly advice, and encouraging hopes of increased pay, if my exertions should be satisfactory.

Much attention was excited by the fact that my fellow-candidate, eight days afterward, took a situation as policeman, in which he received three gulden a week, while the schoolmaster, who was obliged to furnish his own school-room, had to satisfy himself with two and a half.

Krüsi, becoming schoolmaster at the age of scarcely eighteen, was destined to bear a responsibility almost greater than that which he had so lately laid down. This will easily be understood when it is known that, with his small knowledge of school matters, he had to manage and teach more than one hundred scholars, of various ages and both sexes, in the small school-room. In this situation many would have labored only for their money, as is unfortunately the case at this day even with better instructed teachers; but Krüsi's conduct in this respect may serve as a model. As soon as he had adopted this profession, it was his most earnest effort to live worthily of it, and to fit himself for it in the best possible way; a work in which pastor Schiess, his parish minister, materially assisted him, both with advice and help. Within a few years his school had the reputation of being the best in the canton; and he had the pleasure on Easter Monday of seeing his scholars take the six highest numbers in writing-a study on which the utmost value is placed. Krüsi had been laboring in his vocation now for six years, with zeal and faithfulness, when Providence destined him for another field of labor which he could not have foreseen, and which places the modest man in a situation to exert a wide influence upon the whole school system of our native land. The storm of the French Revolution broke out. In the year 1799, foreign armies swept across the plains of our fatherland, and encountered each other in murderous conflict; even the mountains and high alpine valleys did not escape from the bloody game. Poverty, hunger, and lack of occupation were especially severe in the eastern part of Switzerland; many parents could not maintain their children. Sympathy awoke in the hearts of the nobler men in the less severely pressed portions of the country; and from many sides. there flowed in liberal gifts, often accompanied with the offer to receive and bring up needy children. Such an invitation came to pastor Steinmuller from his friend Fischer, in Burgdorf, who was then intrusted with the reorganization of the Swiss schools. The wish was at the same time expressed that he would also send a teacher of

the requisite capacity and character for receiving a training as teacher and educator, and for undertaking the care of the children then in Burgdorf with certain benevolent families. Upon the communication of this invitation to Krüsi, he made no delay; an inner voice urged him not to let pass this opportunity for obtaining a further education. Twenty-six children of both sexes assembled for the expedition. Krüsi, as leader of the troop, was provided with twenty-four thalers for the journey, thirty leagues. Pastor Steinmuller, and bailiff Heim, of the district gave him a testimonial, which we may insert here as a noteworthy trait of the condition of the times:

· come.

FREEDOM! EQUALITY! To all municipal authorities to whom these presents shall Citizen schoolmaster Hermann Krüsi is traveling hence from the canton Säntis to the canton Bern, with twenty-six poor children, whom he is taking to Burgdorf, where sympathizing benefactors will support and care for them for a time. It is my earnest and hopeful request to all municipalities, and especially to their citizen presidents, that they will kindly afford all needful help to the above named children and to their leader, sent forward by my means as above; that they will, as far as possible, kindly provide for them rest and refreshment at noon, and lodging at night, without pay. For such benevolent assistance, may the Lord bless you.

Gais, January 20, 1800.

Thus asks and wishes

JOH. RUD. STEINMULLER, Pastor.

I join in the above request to all citizen presidents and citizen members of municipalities of all communes and districts, to which these needy children shall come, on their way hence to Burgdorf; and am fully convinced that all benevolent persons will, without further recommendation, assist the poor caravan to reach its destination as easily and successfully as possible.

The provincial under-bailiff of the circle of Teufen,

SAMUEL HEIM,

Of the journey itself we need only remark briefly that Krüsi, with his troop, was everywhere received in a friendly manner; and in many places they were entertained gratis, and even received gifts of money. His "Recollections" give an account of this. It deserves to be mentioned, as remarkable enough to remind us of the widow's cruse of oil, that, at Krüsi's arrival at Burgdorf, he was in possession not only of the twenty-four thalers with which he had set out, but of fifteen gulden besides; of which he retained the latter, but sent the former back to the authorities of Gais.

From Fischer, at Burgdorf, Krüsi received a most friendly welcome, and commenced his school. The former, however, soon after died, and Krüsi would have been left quite alone again, had not Providence pointed out to him a new path, by means of the appearance of a man whom he followed with entire confidence.

This was Pestalozzi, whose labors at his estate of Neuhof, and in Stanz, are among the noblest facts of history. It was when already of adult age that Pestalozzi, with warm enthusiasm and profound

love, had conceived the idea of becoming an educator and teacher of the poorer classes, then deeply degraded both in intellect and morals; and giving to education in general a more natural direction. After Fischer's death, he therefore invited Krüsi to form a connection with himself, and with him to conduct the school which he had established in the castle of the place. This school, which Pestalozzi had at first commenced only with little children, was soon changed into an educational institution of a higher grade, which, by means of the entirely new direction of its operations, met with great success. Joy and pride must have filled Pestalozzi's breast, as he soon saw, one after another, young and talented men-Tobler from Wolfhalden, previously a tutor in Basle, Buss from Tübingen, Niederer from Lutzenberg, previously a pastor in Sennwald-full of enthusiasm, leaving each his sphere of labor and resorting to him as trustful disciples to a master who yet could reward them with no earthly treasure except a treasure of rich experience and of deep knowledge of the human heart.

The assemblage of these three Appenzellers will remain remarkable for all time. Each of them developed his own side of the Pestalozzian idea; and they were for a long time the ornament and strength of the institution; and, after subsequent successful labors in independent spheres of occupation, they all died within the same year. Krüsi's letters during this period to his early friend Kern, who is yet alive, and who lived in close personal relations with him for nearly forty years, are also of value to the student of human nature. What he wrote of Tobler, "he possesses my entire respect and love, for I recognize in him uncommon talent as a teacher, and goodness of heart," proved entirely true. Tobler had with enthusiasm taken up particularly the idea of Pestalozzi's "Lienhard and Gertrude;" that of replacing mothers in the position originally designed for them, of educators and instructors for early childhood. Seldom has any man labored with as benevolent and unostentatious a desire for the good of his fellow-men as he, although he was often rewarded by misunderstanding and ingratitude.

Niederer, also, besides immoveable integrity and warm feelings, possessed a far-seeing keenness of understanding, which had already appeared in his correspondence with Tobler, and which at a later period was displayed in the development of the method with so much power and breadth that even Pestalozzi himself had sometimes to yield to the clearness and thoroughness of his views.

It is astonishing to see with what uniformity these men, assembled from different directions, followed their new path. This was truly a power from on high. What else could have enabled the former

errand-boy and village schoolmaster, Krüsi, to say in his letters to his friend, even before Tobler and Niederer came to Burgdorf,—

"In short, the enterprise advances. The seed of a better education, one more adapted to human nature, is already sown. It will bear fruit which as yet no man, not even its discoverer, the noble Pestalozzi himself, is expecting."

The self-denying spirit and lofty views with which Pestalozzi's assistants at this early period were imbued, is powerfully shown by the fact that Krüsi and Buss, being allowed a salary of about $125 a year each from the Helvetic government, appropriated the whole to the support of the institution, receiving from it only board and lodging.

We will here introduce Pestalozzi's own account of Krüsi's previous labors. It affords a valuable view of his character and gifts as a teacher, as well as hints of the general methods of teaching in those days, and of the power with which Pestalozzi's ideas, even in their then undigested and obscure condition, seized upon the minds of ignorant but earnest and unprejudiced men :

Krüsi, the first of the three, whose acquaintance I made, had past his youth in a different kind of employment, whence he had acquired that variety of practical abilities, which, in the lower stations of life, so frequently gives the first impulse to a higher degree of development, and by which men, who have been in this school from their earliest childhood, are enabled to become more generally and extensively useful.

In his twelfth and thirteenth years, his father, who carried on a petty traffic, used to send him, with a small capital, amounting to about six or eight pounds sterling, for the purchase of different kinds of merchandise, to a distance of ten to twelve miles; to this employment he joined the trade of a sort of public messenger, carrying letters and executing various orders for the people of his village. When he grew older, he filled up his leisure days by weaving, or other daily labor. At the age of eighteen, he undertook the office of village schoolmaster at Gais, his native place, without any kind of preparation. He says himself that he did not know the signs of punctuation, even by name; ulterior knowledge was out of the question, because he never had any other instruction than that of a common village school, which was entirely confined to reading, writing copies, and learning by rote the catechism, &c.; but he was fond of children, and he entertained the hope that, by means of this post, he should be enabled to gain for himself that knowledge and education, the want of which he had felt very oppressively, even in his expeditions as village messenger; for, being commissioned to buy a variety of articles, of artificial preparation, and of strange names which he had never heard in his life before, such as ammoniac, borax, and so on; and being at the same time placed in a responsible situation, in which he had to remember every, even the most trifling order, and to account for every farthing; he could not but be struck with the idea, what an advantage it would be, if every child could, by school instruction, be brought to that degree of ability in reading, writing, ciphering, in all sorts of mental exercises, and in the art of speaking itself, which he felt he ought to be possessed of, even for the discharge of his miserable post as village messenger.

Even so soon as the first week, the number of his scholars exceeded one hundred. But he was by no means competent to the task he had undertaken,

A village, or, rather, a cluster of hamlets on the highest and most airy part of the canton Appenzell, celebrated as a place of resort for persons of consumptive habits, on account of its excellent milk, of which, however, the patients take only the whey.

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