12

Effects of Periodical Labors.

[Jan.

alone neglect that instrument (the brain) which they daily use-by which they range over the world, and which by study is so much consumed."

In the language of our author, it seems little short of madness.' The balance of health can be maintained, only when mental exertion is proportioned to bodily activity.' 'One is too learned, when it is at the expense of health. To those who ignorantly, or fondly imagine that the mere flights of the immortal being, can have no influence on its humble and mortal companion, we commend the remarks of Tissot, which are quoted by Mr Madden.

To comprehend the influence of mental labor on physical health, it is only necessary to remember, in the first place, that the brain is in action when one thinks; secondly, that the tendency of continual action is to produce fatigue, and that fatigue deranges the functions, because every debilitated organ performs its duties imperfectly and irregularly; thirdly, that all the nerves proceed from the brain, and precisely from that part of it which is the organ of thought, the common sensorium; fourthly, that the nerves are one of the most important points of the human machine, that they are necessary to every function, and that when once their action is deranged, the whole animal economy suffers from that derangement.'

We have rarely seen a work which combined sound theory with convincing practical illustration more happily for its great object than the Infirmities of Genius.' We earnestly commend it to the attention of all our readers who are called to think, whether they possess genius or not; and especially to those whose example is constantly operating upon the young. We feel confidence in assuring them. that the faithful practice of its maxims will save them many an hour of bodily and mental suffering, and many an occasion of deep regret, or life-long repentance.

We cannot but hope to secure the indulgence of our readers for some of the defects in our own work, by quoting the following account of periodical authorship.

'The result, however, shows that the compulsory toil of a periodical composition has a greater influence on health, than voluntary labors to a far greater amount. This opinion is corroborated by an observation of Dr Johnson, no mean authority on any subject connected with literary history. He that condemns himself to compose on a stated day, will often bring to his taste an attention dissipated, a memory embarrassed, a mind distracted with anxieties, a body languishing with disease; he will labor on a barren topic till it is too late to change it: for in the ardor of invention his thoughts become diffused into a wild exuberance, which the pressing hour of publication cannot suffer judgment to examine or reduce. There is no labor more destructive to health than that of periodical literature, and in no species of mental application, or even of manual employment, is the wear and tear of body so early and so severely felt. The readers of those light articles which appear to cost so little labor in the various publications of the day, are little aware how many constitutions are broken down in the service of their literary taste.'

1834.]

Pleasures of Labor.

13

[For the Annals of Education.]

THE PLEASURES OF LABOR.

MR EDITOR; As you have manifested some interest in institutions for combining manual labor with intellectual pursuits, and diminishing in some degree an evil so generally prevalent, viz. the ill health of literary men, I trust that the results of experience upon the subject, from however humble a source, may be acceptable to you. As I have spent the past season in one of the most distinguished institutions of this kind in the country for the express purpose of becoming acquainted with the system, I thought that among all the theories at present promulgated, it might not be inappropriate to give the result of some little observation.

The fact that bodily exercise, regular and systematic, tends to produce health, none I presume will question. Suffice it to say on this head, that I never saw one hundred and twenty more strong, vigorous and healthy young men together, in any place or circum

stances.

They labor three hours each day. I do not consider this a sufficient amount of exercise to ensure health; but they take, I believe, as much, or nearly so, as is taken in other ways, such as walking, sports, &c, by the students of colleges and academies where this system is not practised. As much I mean as good scholars' do; not as some do who are no scholars, but spend their whole time in play.

The principal subject, however, on which I wish to remark at present, is with respect to the disposition with which labor is performed, because it is exciting some attention at present, and because some persons, in high stations too, entertain notions which I believe to be founded entirely upon error.

So far as my observation has extended, the hours of labor are looked upon with pleasure. So far from considering labor an unwelcome task, they delight in it; and so far from envying those who are too delicate or fastidious to engage in the same employments, they entertain for them a feeling of compassion, or the most profound contempt. I knew one young man, whose pecuniary affairs were such that he was obliged to leave the institution for some months in order to raise funds to pursue his studies, (for except mechanics, they only pay their board by their labor,) who was solicited by his friends to leave the manual labor school and enter one of our first colleges, they offering to furnish the necessary funds. He was a young man of great promise, but he declined, declaring that he would rather work his own way as he could, than conform to college customs. Did he consider labor as drudgery? I

14

Opinions of Literary Men.

[Jan.

believe that, in the school of which I speak, fortynine out of fifty, at least, would prefer decidedly to labor every day, could they be excused at their pleasure. Indeed, I do not know one among the 120, who would not. The fact is, the plan commends itself to every man who becomes practically acquainted with it.

It is a fundamental law of the human constitution, to desire that every thing we do may be of some use. What for?'— is the first interrogatory of a child when requested to do something, the utility of which he does not at once perceive. And it is only by much effort, or by bad example or precept, that the order of nature is reversed, and rational beings come to take delight in nonsense.

*

One of the leading periodicals in our country has recently given a very decided opinion in opposition to the general introduction of manual labor into our literary institutions. The whole force of the writer's objections rest solely upon this principle-which is assumed altogether gratuitously, that the labor is performed as a task, that the student goes to it for the same reason that the culprit goes to the gallows - because he cannot avoid it. It needs no other evidence than is afforded by this assertion, to satisfy me that the writer is entirely unacquainted with the subject of his review, except theoretically. He reasons only a priori, and thence, concludes that it is an irksome task to work. It may be to him, from his peculiar habits or feelings; and it will doubtless be to many who have lived lives of bodily inactivity; and to many others who despise labor. To those who have such habits or feelings, it is not indeed strange if manual labor is an 'irksome task' But to one who accustoms himself to viewing things in their true relations, it is not so. To me, the idea of a learned man's advocating the principle that mere child's play is better adapted to engage the attention of a reflecting mind (which every student should possess) than what is useful to himself or others, is superlatively ridiculous. However, I do not place my dependence upon any theory however obvious; but simply upon facts. If the statements I have made do not satisfy every one, that manual labor in connection with study is pleasant as well as useful, I hope they will examine for themselves, for they are certainly not aware of the state of facts, among those who are familiar with manual labor.

A COUNTRY TEACHER.

EDITOR'S REPLY.

We insert, with pleasure, the remarks of a Country Teacher,' and we regret that some of those to which he replies, found a place in the Christian Spectator. In consequence of the failure of our

* See Christian Spectator for September, 1833.

1834.]

Benefits of Gymnastic Exercises.

15

last number of this work, we met with them but recently, and must take another opportunity of expressing our views concerning them. In the mean time, we would observe to our correspondent, that the opinions of another may appear superlatively ridiculous' to him, without any decisive evidence against them; for this appearance always exists, where the constitution, or the habits of mind, or of body, produce great differences of character and feeling. The western hunter regards the laborer with contempt; and to the infidel, the belief in Christianity appears superlatively ridiculous.' We would add a few questions in reply to his What for.'

Is the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Is strength of more value than money, or furniture, or provisions? If so, that course which adds to the strength and the health of the body, and invigorates the current of life, need not shrink from the question,What for?'-so long as it is not in itself wrong. We will submit a simple statement of facts to our correspondent, and to others who agree with him.

The Editor of this work was reduced to a state of debility in Paris, some years since, (the result of years of disease,) in which he was incapable of labor, and could walk but a short distance. He was directed by his physician to go in a carriage a mile and a half, to a Gymnasium, or place of gymnastic exercise, daily, and was there committed to the care of a judicious gymnastic trainer,' as he might be termed. This gentleman ascertained his strength by a few cautious trials, and then commenced a series of exercises, whose only object was to acquire strength, and to gain skill in using the limbs. He was made to walk on a mast laid horizontally, in order to teach him to balance himself, and to bring all his limbs into action; to climb a rope, at first a foot or two, and then more, as he could bear it; to suspend himself by the arms, and mark by the watch, how long he could remain; to hold out a weight at arm's length, increasing gradually the weight and the time; to throw a weight, and a variety of exercises too numerous to mention. Each of these was a new experiment on his strength and skill, and each followed by rest. At this period, he was unable to use any solid food, except four or five ounces of bread daily; and yet, at the end of a month, he gained the power of lifting forty pounds more than at its commencement. He could walk to the Gymnasium, exercise an hour and a half, and return on foot, without so much fatigue as a short walk had caused him previously; he could sustain an ordinary diet, and do a part of his ordinary business. He did not earn a farthing in coin. We leave it to our correspondent to calculate, how much he really earned, in saving his physician's bill, and in being enabled to gain twice as much as his support, for five years afterwards, instead of living a life of idleness and suffering.

We hope our correspondent will review his opinions, and will

16

Cowper on Physical Miseducation.

[Jan.

not forget, that in education as well as in medicine, it is but quackery to prescribe the same remedy for every diseased constitution, whether of body or mind. At the same time, we fully agree with him in the utility, and to those who are not in too morbid a state, the pleasure, of combining labor with study.

COWPER ON PHYSICAL MISEDUCATION.

a

IN looking over the Private Correspondence' of Cowper, name which rejects an epithet, we were struck with his remarks, elicited by an ill turn of his own, on the physical miseducation of the present day. They are so good a commentary upon some remarks in preceding articles, that we cannot withhold an extract.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM COWPER TO ONE OF HIS FRIENDS.

'My silence has been caused by a malady to which I have all my life been subject, an inflammation of the eyes. The last sudden change of weather, from excessive heat to a wintry degree of cold, occasioned it, and at the same time gave me a pinch of the rheumatic kind; from both which disorders I have but just recovered.

'I do not suppose that our climate has been much altered since the days of our forefathers, the Picts; but certainly the human constitution in this country has altered much. Inured as we are from our cradle to every vicissitude in a climate, more various than any other, and in possession of all that modern refinement has been able to contrive for our security, we are yet as subject to blights as the tenderest blossoms of spring; and are so well admonished of every change in the atmosphere by our bodily feelings, as hardly to have. any need of a weather glass to mark them. For this we are, no

doubt, indebted to the multitude of our accommodations; for it was not possible to retain the hardiness that originally belonged to our race, under the delicate management to which for many ages we have now been accustomed.

'I can hardly doubt that a bull-dog or a game-cock might be made just as susceptible of injuries from weather as myself, were he dieted, and in all respects accommodated, as I am. Or if the project did not succeed in the first instance (for we ourselves did not become what we are at once,) in process of time, however, and in a course of many generations, it would certainly take effect. Let such a dog. be fed in his infancy with pap, Naples' biscuit, and boiled chicken; let him be wrapt in flannel at night, sleep on a good feather bed, and ride out in a coach for an airing; and if his posterity do not become slight-limbed, puny, and valetudinarian, it will be a wonder. Thus our parents, and their parents and the parents of both, were managed; and thus ourselves; and the consequence is, that instead of being weather-proof, even without clothing, furs and flannels are not warm enough to defend us.