13 EVERY-DAY WISDOM, PLUCKED FROM THE GARDEN OF CHILDHOOD. BY BERTHOLD AUERBACH. THE DESTRUCTION OF THINGS, Is often the means by which the child shows its earliest activity. You return from the town where you have been making good bargains; you wish to give your child some pleasure at home, and you bring him at pretty play-thing. But scarcely is the first joy of surprise and wonder over, then the child begins to make some alteration in the present you have made him, to play at bowls with it, and to throw it about, until, in a few days, the play-thing is all to pieces and destroyed. In the summer-time you take a walk with your little lad, and at his earnest request, cut him a nice slender stick from the tree; but now take notice, he can't bear that a leaf should remain on it, and strips off one after another till he can flourish the flexible switch according to his pleasure;after awhile, he begins to peel the stick, nor does he leave off till he has completely finished; he lashes violently about with it and now breaks a piece from one end, and now from the other; another piece is purposely broken off, and when he arrives at home, there seldom is any of the beautiful stick left to shrivel up in a forgotten corner. Very probably this spirit of destruction in the child makes you angry, and you will not give him anything more, or else you take away from him that which you gave, and lock it up in a closet. If you go and talk to some learned person about this propensity of the child, ten to one but he will say to you, "all this proceeds from original sin, which shows itself thus early in this passion for destruction in the child."-Thus say very many of those persons who, from one year's end to another, preach about love, and who are always praising the supreme wisdom of God, for the arrangements of creation, and yet whenever you take council of them, they immediately invite the devil to be godfather. But is there not a natural and a true reason for the propensity of which we have spoken? The principle of action in every living thing, especially in human beings, is, to have something to do-to be able to produce, or give form to something; we don't take the world indolently as it is, but we desire to make something out of it. This impulse begins in little things, and shows itself in great ones, in agriculture and trade; in the creation of works of art, and in the perfecting of the circumstances of our lives and of our country. When we see anything before us perfected, which formerly was in our hands only as plans and wishes, we often feel a satisfaction, without being conscious of it, that we have been able to produce something out of the elements which surround us; we see that as real, which formerly was merely an idea in our own minds; thus is it with us if we make a chair out of boards; a figure out of a block of stone, or if out of our own free will, we have organised a community or a state. This impulse of activity; this pleasure in trying the strength aud impressing the will upon something, shows itself early and powerfully in the child. Give it a plaything; to your little daughter that she may amuse herself with it, a doll to dress and undress, to lay in the cradle and to rock (and in that also, very soon is the principle of action seen); your son will immediately tie on his whip-lash, or saddle his wooden horse differently; roll about his waggon or pull it entirely to pieces. Do not scold him if he have very soon destroyed your present; he did not mean to destroy it, but only to make something new out of it. The cause of your gift being spoiled, is only owing to the inexperience of the youthful mind, and is something very different from evil propensity and love of destruction. Neither is it the inborn spirit of evil working in the child which causes the tender little hand to destroy that which has been carefully put together, but a natural and proper impulse to do and to make something. and you will discover that the principles of his action Regard the soul of a child always as a sacred temple, are holy and blameless. Give the child something upon which he may exercise his strength in a harmless manner, and out of which he can make something; a ball, wooden bricks, and such like, and you will soon see his enduring pleasure therein. you may be disposed to regard as naughtiness, and love of And yet, now also, you may see something which destruction. Sit down with your child and build for him, out of his wooden bricks a bridge, or a tower, or something of that sort; he will stand and watch you with repressed breath, and rejoice in its growth and completion; bnt how much greater will be his delight if you will permit him by a shake of the table, or any other means to throw down your erection. How he exults in the rattling and crashing down of all the individual pieces, and thinks no longer on the downfallen magnificence. Is that only the influence of the Evil One and the love of destruction? Certainly not; it is much rather astonishment, the delight of altering that which was made, and the unconscious thought of being able at a touch, to do so much all at once, which is the true foundation of the joy. Nothing bad is intended thereby. For the human soul is by nature, good and noble; wickedness is an aberration. Therefore I repeat it, always regard the soul of a child as a sacred temple, and you will soon discover that the principles of his action, are holy and blameless. ALONE OR WITH COMPANIONS. Many people question whether a child should be accustomed from his early years, even in his sports, to be alone or with companions. Will not the continual progression, and prevent the shooting of the young intercourse with others destroy the comfortable inward idea? Certainly! The deepest roots of that which is most valuable in the character of the child, are never revealed to us. But what is it that constitutes the greatest want of the too exclusive; that we live too much in ourselves, and present age? It is above all things this that we are for ourselves, and that more than all the rest that we do not join hands in the great chain of human interests. upward, and even in its sports would be so productive always at hand to say to your child, but what then must the child do? It is better for you to say to him; do that, and do this, for in most cases, such directions as these will be successful, because, in the first place, the child knows what it may do, and there is a quiet satisfaction to the youthful being, when it accomplishes any desirable thing, and if the little commission which you have given him to execute, be one that is useful, he feels a pleasure in having perfected something with his small ability. But of a truth it is much easier to say, do not do that, than to give as a command, do this. It is a fixed rule under all circumstances that the child must learn to obey. Obedience is the first step in education. The child must be submissive to a higher will and a more matured knowledge. By degrees he will soon find out the reason why. Take heed, however, that you do not forbid or command anything, if you cannot or will not strictly and inflexibly enforce obedience; otherwise you introduce a laxity of principle into your action, which nothing can retrieve. Never give a command or a prohibition excepting from your determined purpose or your matured judgment. TO DO THEIR PUTY. That is the most difficult thing for many people. They would rather do anything else, be it ever so difficult, than precisely that which they call their cursed duty. From this cause proceeds that frequent enigmatical dissatisfaction and that tormenting ill humour which we meet with in so many persons; they are wanting in true self-respect; they are dissatisfied with themselves because they have neglected their duties. The foundation for this dissatisfaction with self is often laid in youth. Give strict heed to what is the favourite occupation of your child, and let him freely give himself up to that; but seek early to impress upon his mind a living sense, that every bias involves also its duties. If you hold with the opinions that have been already advanced with regard to obedience, you must now steadfastly require that your child, above everything else, does each day that which has been laid upon him as a dnty; for instance, give him some little occupation in the family as his duty, and require its regular performance. By this means you would firmly implant this truth in his soul, that the fulfilment of duty is the fulfilment of life; that the accomplishment of a never varying task is of more consequence than the indulgence of merely a momentary inclination. You accustom him to the fulfilment of duty, and good habits are among the most beautiful effects of education, in many cases they compensate for principles, especially as these are so frequently wavering and darkened. Do not mix yourself up too much in the actions of your child. Do not remove all little difficulties out of his way, but leave that to his own power. INDEPENDENCE, after obedience, cannot be too early cultivated. "Myself alone!" cried the cheerful Max, when the good-natured landlady would help him to drive the goat to the willow-trees in the garden. And he was right with his "myself alone," even if the goat had knocked him down several times. An old nursery proverb says, you must not blow the first porridge which the child eats, and then it never will be burnt by hot porridge. Whoever takes this literally and believes it, is superstitious. But let us remember, that there is often a pure truth concealed under a popular saying, because many people believe much more willingly and easily than examine for themselves. If you give good heed to this, you will perceive that there is sage experience and wisdom in every word of this proverb. TOO MANY RULES AND REGULATIONS Are injurious to the child, for they make it at the same time ill-tempered and irritable. If, however, you find it necessary to give directions in any particular matter, do not say too much to the child; for it cannot retain tions. If you were in a large city which was strange all, and therefore cannot guide itself by all these direca polite gentleman might easily say to you, here you to you, and you inquired after some particular street, must go the right, and through the second street to the left, that will bring you into a large square; this you must cross from corner to corner, then leave two streets to the right, take a turn to the left, and so on. Would it not, however, have been better if he had said to you; it would be better for you here and there to make enquiries again, or you would have done it of your own accord, TO SYSTEMATIZE, According to certain rules, and even to introduce this into the sports of children, so that they shall advance from the small and simple up to the large and complicated, is regarded by many persons as a horrible ty ranny, as an unadvised interference with the quiet growth of the inner being. Certainly the silent shooting forth of this inner life ought not to be disturbed, else the effect produced is like that of children themselves on the beans which they planted yesterday in their garden, and which to-day they dig up that they may see how different they are, or of which by too zealous watering, they drown the young shoot. The guidance which should be given to a child in its sports or its occupation should only be of that kind which imperceptibly leads them up to that which is higher, which furnishes to the active principle within them a something to delight and lead them on at the same time. BLESSED BE THE HAND WHICH PREPARES A PLEASURE FOR A CHILD, For there is no saying where and when it may again bloom forth. Does not almost everybody remember some kind-hearted man who showed him a kindness in the quiet days of his childhood? The writer of this recollects himself at this moment as a bare-footed lad, standing at the wooden fence of a poor little garden in his native village; with longing eyes he gazed on the flowers which were blooming there quietly in the brightness of a Sunday morning. The possessor of the garden came forth from his little cottage, he was a wood-cutter by trade, and spent the whole week at his work in the woods. He was come into his garden to gather a flower to stick in his coat when he went to church. He saw the boy, and breaking off the most beautiful of his carnations,-it was streaked with red and white, gave it to him. Neither the giver nor the receiver spoke one word, and with bounding steps the boy ran home, and now, here at a vast distance from that home, after so many events of so many years, the feeling of gratitude which agitated the breast of that boy, expresses itself on paper. The carnation is long since withered, but it now blooms afresh. Bethink thee, dear reader, whether the fragrance of a flower does not come towards thee out of the distance of thy childhood, Return it to the children which may be around thee. 15 THE EDITORS ADDRESS TO THEIR FRIENDS AND READERS. In our opening Address last year at the commenceinent of this undertaking, we said, "For years it has been our resolve to devote ourselves by such a periodical to the entertainment, the good, and the advancement of the public. We thought also that the time was come for this experiment. It proved not to be the case. There were obstacles to be overcome, a forest of thorny experiences to be cut through, limed twigs above, and beams in the darkness to stumble over below." to destroy us. known, and pretty well understood. Without name, The history of these affairs is now well without character, except for the like transactions, without connexion or influence, never did jackdaw contrive for a time so completely to array himself in peacock's feathers. To prevent our escape from his toils, or to crush us if we did escape, he raised the most outrageous cries of injury to himself. As on all such occasions, numbers of well-meaning people were influIf that were true then, how much more and notoriously enced by the outcry, others who delight to pick a hole true is it now! The limed twigs, and the beams laid in in a coat, on which they never had a chance before, our path were still there, and pit-falls were dug in our joined in the alarm, and gave by their names, letters, path into the bargain. Never did a journal commence and personal exertions, circulation for a time to the its career under more unfavourable and hostile circum-calumnious fraud. Like all such attempts, the delusion stances. The year which was about to unfold itself has has run its course. The adventurer has not only robproved a year, such as no men of the present generation bed us, but has contrived to rob also some of those who can remember for universal calamity; it is to be hoped aided his impudent attempt. The bubble has burst; that such another will never be seen again in our time ruin to all concerned has been, for the third time, the That which could rise up and survive through the year finale of this schemer's course; debts to upwards of 1847, could survive anything. On literature in parti- £9,000 in twenty-two months, an auctioneer's expocular the blight, which seems to have fallen on every-sure of the hollowness of all the accounts of circulation thing and person, has fallen, naturally, with unexampled force. The question has been with millions, not how to procure the necessary reading, but the necessary means of life. Such circumstances would have tried severely any periodical undertaking-but in our case this was but a small part of the evil that we had to contend with. As all the world now knows, we had fallen into the toils of a most designing and unprincipled adventurer. This man, who, through a course of many years, had perfected his experience in the arts of delusion, had, in the year 1845, walked into our house during the time that we were planning the carrying out of our long-projected journal, and contriving to wind himself into our schemes, involved us in his stratagems, and soon showed himself resolved to monopolize us or and success set up, finished by a daring attempt to sell and convey away, before the very faces of the creditors, every shilling that was left as the remnant of the bubble-has only too fully justified the earnest appeals and warnings that we addressed to the public. But amid all this craft and crime, amid the most demoniacal lurkings of unprincipled malice-this man now candidly confessing that he spent nearly £1,000 in four months to put us down,-amid the most invidious falsehoods spread everywhere by letters, by lithographs, by personal emissaries-and the vilest and the most unfounded calumnies put forth on the principle of "24, Bartholomew Close, August 5, 1847. My dear Sir, I understand that you wish me to write to "In 1839-40, Mr. Howitt communicated with the late you respecting the conversations we had about a cheap perifirm of Messrs. Ball, Arnold, and Co., respecting his plans for odieal in the year 1840. I can only say, that we had many a cheap literary periodical for the people. The plan was pre-meetings about it, and that I saw you both at Esher and in pared, but Mr. Howitt's subsequent protracted residence in London on the subject, and more than that, Mr. Childs, of BunGermany postponed it indefinitely, so far as Messrs. B. A. & Cc gay, gave Ball, Arnold and Co. estimates for the printing, etc." Yours most truly, were concerned. " WILLIAM BALL, THOMAS ARNOLD. "throw mud enough, and some is sure to stick, "-we rejoice to say, that the faith of the good and the wise, for the most part, never failed toward us. Twenty-five years of arduous, unvarying, unceasing exertion, to aid the progress of good principles and of the people, were not to be set aside by the first breath of the first moral assassin, however artful or determined. Truth and honesty, charity and faith in long-tried character-have prevailed. HowITT'S JOURNAL, amid all the pressure of the times, and he assaults of the interested, has stood firm has daily taken deeper and wider root; and is ready to start on its future course with renewed life and vigour. : True, we have suffered severely from the frauds of the swindler; true, our own money has been made the means of his attempts to destroy us; true, all the attacks upon us, and the gigantic advertisements to put us down, have all been left as liabilities against us. True, the arch adventurer, with nothing himself to loge, has played a high game with other people's money, and has ultimately attempted to slip out of the consequences, and leave them to fall on us-but-on the other side, upright and generous men, inspired by a sense of the base and ruinous attempt made against us, have come forward and resolved that justice shall be done, and the right shall be maintained. HOWITT'S JOURNAL has stood the storm. We look forward for better times for us and for all. Still, so far as regards the debts of Saunders, we have not passed the danger. The creditors still hang them, like an avalanche, over us; but, come the worst, we believe that we shall be supported through it. We have firm faith in the instinctive feeling of the right in such cases on the part of the public. We throw ourselves fearlessly on that public sense of justice; and we hope that circumstances will so shape themselves, that we shall be enabled to command that leisure, without which the literary man cannot do his work and fulfil his mission. must remonstrate against that neglect of our Indian territories, which throws our profits into the hands of the American Cotton and the Brazilian sugar growers. They must announce to Government, that the health of the nation as well as of towns demand plenty of good food and clothing. They must call for diminished taxation, and a more equal adjustment of it. They must lay seriously to heart the causes which induced money to run into a few great heaps instead of diffusin itself healthily through the whole community. They must call on popular teachers of all kinds to preach, lecture, and write perpetually, that a nation, where the majority works incessantly only to starve incessantly, is neither a wise nor a happy nation. That a nation where God's goodness sends plenty, but man's selfishness makes a dearth and a misery to the many, is not a Christian nation? And the melancholy truth is, that we are not a Christian nation. We wear our Christianity as we do our clothes-merely as a convenience. It becomes no part of ourselves. We do not love our neighbour as ourselves, or we should treat him as we do ourselves. With the immense mass of distress around us we must confess that we never were honestly resolved to act out Christianity, or we could never have come to this pass. Let us begin! In whatever we do or write, let the grand duty of humanity to succour, champion and equalize humanity, be ever before us. It is the only work worth doing. It is the only philosophy; the only religion. That which does not raise our fellow men to our own level, is not justice. That which does not enable them to thank God with us, for his blessings is not worship. That which does not attack false principles in high places, is not wisdom in ourselves even for such principles are but the roots of that universal calamity which is sure is sure to include us in its sweep. We call, therefore, on all to pledge themselves with renewed zeal to the work of general progress. To such We regard our views of usefulness and entertainment work our Journal shall devote itself. No endeavour in this Journal as yet, undeveloped. The past has shall be wanting to amuse and interest by narrative, and been too stormy, too much of a struggle against evil poetry. We trust to give a much greater prominece-to design, and evil endeavours; what has been done, has the amusing in our pages. We shall study lightness been done through exertions, both physical and intel- and variety. But through and under all we desire to. lectual, of no ordinary kind. But we stand now in a let the soul of a warm and earnest humanity be felt position of renewed hope and encouragement. Calumny If we would laugh, we must be prosperous. If we and fraud have done their worst; the fogs of temporary would be at leisure for amusement, and for all the delusion have been blown away; we recognise once charms of fancy and of fiction based on the truths of life, more the face of our friends; we grasp once more the we must be prosperous. In a word, if we would be cordial hand of those who have examined the facts for happy, we must be prosperous, and therefore, whether themselves, and find ours clean. We have many heart-we are grave or gay, we shall exert all our powers for felt thanks to express to those who stood by us firm as the rocks, and to others who, before, unknown to us, have come forward with a generous frankness, and said," Stand fast-you have nothing to fear, "For ever the right comes uppermost, CHARLES MACKAY. Let the past then, be the past, and now for the future! Now for the New Year! If the general events of the past year have taught the public anything, it must be that never was there so much occasion for all true men to pull together. The signs of the times are plain. Sound and popular principles must not only be preached, but must be acted. The people must combine, if they are to live. They must determine that their weight shall be felt, not on the pauper roll of the parish, but in the councils of the nation, as the largest portion of it. They must insist, and with no timid voice, that every means which can extend our commerce, shall be sedulously cultivated, as that on which the lives of millions of human beings depends. They the growth of principles, that tend towards universal prosperity. We would have England, once more merry England. We desire earnestly to do our part in this great work; but let every one remember, that for a Journal to do this effectually, readers as well as writers must combine their efforts. Every one who extends, by his recommendation, the field of our influence, extends the influence itself. The writer must be animated on his course by the host of readers. list in their service the wit, wisdom, mirth and patrioLet these muster round us, and we promise to entism of the masters of the pen. Give us a field wide enough, an audience numerous enough, and strong in the strength of ourselves, we shall march on our way certain of the truest success.--The writer merely holds the pen-it is the phalanx of readers, who endow it with vigour and dominion. PRINTED for the Proprietor by WILLIAM LOVETT, of 16, South Row, New Road, in the Parish of St. Pancras, County of PRICE 1d. STAMPED, 24d. |