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Attention and Repetition.

May, months for the task; and even then be must study it; that is, be must read it with such attention and in such order that be may understand what be reads, with such repetition as will fix in his mind what he reads, and with such reflection as shall enable him. to use his knowledge. The same course is required, in all books, if we would read to purpose-if by reading we would become wiser and better. All books will not require equal time, or attention, or repetition, or reflection; but each must have its share; or hundreds of books may be read in vain.

Nothing can be learned, no art can be acquired, without attention. Nothing has been. In infancy you gave attention to the voice, that you might hear exactly the words you would understand, and learn to speak; and to the lips and tongue and mouth, that you might see exactly the motion of the organs of speech. You gave attention when you learned to write, or read, or cypher. At this moment, I am taking a lesson on the importance of attention. I am sitting in a room where a Music teacher is giving lessons on the Piano-Forte, without giving attention. But just now, I heard the pupil say, 'I had to stop and think,' i. e. 'I had to give attention. Now the Piano rings again. But hark! the teacher's voice. You are wrong, you did not attend, you must not be in a hurry, you must give attention.'

But to attention you must add repetition; you must do over and over again; you must practice until 'practice makes perfect." You must repeat observation, experience and reading, until the truth be distinctly perceived, and the habit fixed.

But attention and repetition must be in such order as is fitted to the condition of the faculties. The child must not attempt what is suited only to manhood, nor the ignorant what is suited only to the more learned. The first lesson in Arithmetic should not be the rule of three, or the square root; and if it be, attention and repetition will be in vain. The first attempt of an apprentice should not be to make the article which belongs only to a master of the trade. The reading book of a novice should not be that which cannot be understood without years of previous study. 'I bought,' said one of the wisest and most learned men, 'when I was in college, Young's Night Thoughts and tried to read them, and gave them up in despair because I could not comprehend them. I laid them by several years, and read them at length with ease and great delight, because my mind had become prepared.' Read then, study then, study then, in order. Let the next be indeed the

next.

The purest way for a learner,' says Locke, 'is not to advance by jumps and large strides, let that which he sets himself to learn next, be indeed the next; i. e. as nearly conjoined with what

1834.]

Necessity of Reflection.

213

he already knows as possible; let it be distinct, but not remote from it. Let it be new, and what he did not know before, that the understanding may advance; but let it be as little at once as may be, that its advances may be clear and sure. All the ground that it gets in this way, it will hold. This distinct and gradual growth in knowledge is firm and sure; it carries its own light with it, in every step of its progression, in an easy and orderly train.'

But to attention-repetition-order-reflection must be added, in order to profit by observation, experience and reading. It is impossible to tell how much reflection there is in infancy, or how much it aids infant observation and experience, because every one forgets that early portion of his own life. Yet it is plain that infants must improve themselves as rational creatures, i. e. by the exercise of their thoughts. This explains the twofold improvement which we perceive, viz. in each particular matter which they learn, and in those rational powers which at every moment must direct their observation and experience. The infant on its mother's lap, or on the floor, looking, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling, trying its hands and feet, is not a mere animal; neither does it belong to the idleminded class of human beings, which is made up always of its elders. Its mind is as busy as its body; while it inwardly reflects upon the use and abuse of all it meets with.

In infancy (let us be thankful for the wise arrangement of heaven), reflection is spontaneous. If it is not a contradiction to say so, God has given to infancy the instinct of willing and active thoughts, which ceases not until reason has grown strong enough for free thought, choice, decision. Thenceforth, it must invigorate and perpetuate itself. Reflection must thenceforth exist of choice decision, and self-government. The field of observation and experience must, in a word, be voluntarily studied. All books of knowledge must be studied. The book of revelation must be studied, with attention, repetition, just order, and with the reflection of reasonable beings, that we may learn the use and the abuse of all that comes before us.

What shall we say now, of common schools and common education? Are not men and things' before the PEOPLE,' and may not each one improve without limit, by observation, and experience, and reading? What else can hinder any one, but his having eyes and no eyes, ears and no ears, senses and no senses, faculties and no faculties, books of every science and no reading, and no studying, the book of books and no heart to search it, to meditate upon it and apply to their proper use the blessed principles it contains? Alas, what is liberty to the idle-minded!-what the privilege of being an American and a Republican, to those who will not improve by observation, experience and reading? What the blessing 18*

VOL. IV. NO. V.

214

Thoughts on School Libraries.

[May,

of being rational and immortal, to those who will not seek the wisdom of reasonable and immortal beings?

[For the Annals of Education.]

SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

MUCH has been said, within a few years, of the importance of School Libraries. Like every other proposed innovation upon ancient usage, they have had, and still have, both advocates and opponents.

Their opponents insist that children read by far too much already; that he would be doing them more good who should lessen the amount of their reading than he who should increase it. That the reading of so many books will increase the feverish state of the mind, already too visible, and draw off the attention from severer studies.

The friends of school libraries say, that instead of interfering with other studies, facts show that other things being equal, the general progress will be the greater for it; and that a good library proves, in some measure, a substitute a cheap one too, vicious amusements.

for

Now is it not obvious that both of these views may be correct? Admit that children read too much, is this an argument against. furnishing them with a new set of books, better assorted and selected, and might not this course, under judicious management by parents and teachers, secure the great point which the opponents of libraries suppose is defeated, that of leading them to read better books, and fewer in number; and at the same time, reading them more thoroughly? Admit, too, the feverish state of the public mind; is there any way of correcting it but by appropriate food or remedies, applied to the mind itself?

To starve the mental stomach entirely, will it not be to induce excess at the first opportunity? Surely there is a medium between starvation and gluttony. And will not school libraries, well selected, with a reference to their intellectual and moral tendency, be most likely to correct that morbid or feverish tendency in the public taste, which it must be admitted is too obvious?

The points of difficulty will be, in making the selection and the loans. How to contrive a plan which shall be satisfactory to pupils whose rights are equal, and at the same time secure to each individual, at each drawing, the book best adapted, at that period,

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Experiment at Lynn.

215

to promote his mental and moral progress, is no easy task. But if this can be overcome (and under the guidance of judicious teachers it probably may) the effects of School Libraries inust it is believed be most happy.

Teachers' Libraries have been long ago recommended. In this day of fancied improvement in Education it is strange that a subject like this should require to be urged; and yet nothing can be more obvious than its necessity. In making this remark in this place it was our object to suggest the importance of adding to each school library for the pupils, a few books for teachers. Unfortunately, there are not a very large number specially intended for them. If every school cannot afford even this small number, let the Library in the centre of the town, or the Lyceum library, contain them, and let teachers have access to their use. We believe, too, that most teachers would derive great aid in fulfilling their arduous and responsible task, by reading the books designed for their pupils. It often happens that a parent or a teacher will derive quite as much benefit from a well written book for children, as from one designed for his own use. He will also be prepared, in this way, to converse with those pupils who read them, and ascertain how thorough has been the perusal.

These remarks on School Libraries were elicited by reading, in the Lynn Weekly Messenger, an account of the Library in a ward of that town. This library contained, at that time, nearly two hundred volumes. It was collected chiefly by the contributions of individuals often of those who derived no benefit from that ticular school.

par

In addition to these contributions, each scholar who is a member of the school, pays at least one cent a month; and some more. A few books were also presented to the Library; and during the past year, the committee contributed five dollars.

Besides the library, the school has, for two or three years, been furnished with apparatus of various kinds, a black board, maps and charts, periodicals, &c. Among the maps and charts, mentioned, are fourteen maps of different counties on pasteboard; and among the periodicals, twenty copies of the Juvenile Rambler were taken. It should also be observed, that considerable attention has been paid by the school to Geology; and the pupils have collected many specimens, both in Lynn and elsewhere.

It is stated, that a third part more knowledge is acquired, in the same space of time, since the use of a library, apparatus, periodicals, &c. 'Most of the scholars feel a deep interest in perusing the library books, and are able to give a pretty correct account of their contents.'

We are sorry the writer does not state the manner of distributing the books, as we conceive that much of their usefulness will

216

Chalmers on the Local System.

[May, depend on this circumstance; and facts of this kind, as affording the results of experience, are highly useful. But without this, the account of an experiment of this kind not only illustrates the subject we had selected for our remarks, but deserves, of itself, a place in the Annals of Education.'

CHALMERS' REMARKS ON THE LOCAL SYSTEM.

A work was published in numbers, several years since, by Dr Chalmers, entitled, The Christian and Civil Economy of large Towns', which well deserve the attention of all who are endeavoring to do good, in any form, to a large population. He urges, that whether we attempt to supply the bodily necessities of men, or their intellectual and moral wants, it is important to adopt a local system. He proposes, that in all beneficent efforts, a town or city should be divided into districts, each of which should be assigned exclusively to an individual, or committee, to be explored and supplied as the object may require. The general and obvious advantages are; that in this way all the suffering or want will be discovered, — that none will be neglected for want of some responsible agentthat the agents themselves will feel deeper interest in a field which they cultivate constantly and permanently, that they will become better qualified by their knowledge of the people to operate in the best manner, and that they will have a great advantage, in gaining the confidence and affections of those with whom they

are conversant.

The plan was applied in Glasgow, to the subject of instruction both in Sunday and day schools for the poor; and in looking over our papers, we find the following summary of remarks on this subject, made by Dr Chalmers, at Edinburgh, in conversation with the Editor, several years since. We present them to our readers as they were noted at the time.

"The Local System is chiefly valuable as it searches every corner, and brings every child under its influence. It is cultivating a small portion of ground thoroughly, instead of scattering the seed over a large tract. It is giving an example of what culture can do, to stimulate all around to action. It has the advantage of proximity. It enlists the gregarious feeling in its support. It flatters the pride of the parent, or conciliates his good will. It is generally effectual in bringing out nine-tenths of the whole teachable population of the whole two hundred inhabitants.' There are Sabbath schools of thirty children, generally one to every district.'