Gass Lt'ofcHfS Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/lettersfromhofwyOObarw LETTERS FROM HOFWYL BY A PARENT, ON THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS DE EELLENBEKG, vnvM &n His great rule of conduct is to respect the individuality of his pupils. Adopting the prin- ciple, that Providence indicates the destination of a child by the faculties it has bestowed upon him, he considers the educator ought not to presume to change, according to his own narrow views, that which the Creator has in his supreme wisdom designed." In order to carry out this principle, the evidences of that individuality must be ob- tained, by a careful observation of the traits which are elicited in daily life ; and the pupil must be allowed the fair and honest freedom which will secure him from hypocrisy or opposition. f 6 108 LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. There must be no subserviency to systems or theories, since there can be no infallible and unique method of governing and forming a cre- ation of such variety and delicacy as the human mind. But while a slavish subjection to system is repudiated at Hofwyl, the advantages of ex- perience are not excluded; whatever is good in modern methods is adopted, whenever and where- ever advantage can accrue from its application. M. de Fellenberg is in constant correspondence with persons engaged or interested in education ; and he has at this time efficient persons travelling in various parts of Europe at his expense, for the sole purpose of ascertaining what is going on elsewhere, and of securing for the service of Hofwyl any professors or individuals otherwise devoted to science, literature, or ethics, who are likely to advance the efficiency of the institution. The more we consider the character of the educator, the deeper grows the conviction that it should take for its example the providential care of the Universal Father : the trials and tempta- tions of children should be tempered like the wind to the shorn lamb ; the repetition of errors borne with the patience of Him who long suffered the rebellions of those who did not know his ways ; LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. 109 while virtue should be fostered with the faith inspired by the declaration, that " man was made in the image of God." It should cheer the arduous duties of the educator to reflect, that He Avho came to save, also came to teach. 110 LETTEE8 FROM HOFWYL. LETTER VIII. I sit down full of the impressions made upon me by my first Sunday at Hofwyl. The quietude of the place in the early morning was the same as the tranquillity of the country in England. We were given to understand that the Catholic service took place at eight in the morning, the Protestant at eleven, and that until that hour the boys of all the schools would be occupied. They rise an hour later on the Sunday morning, and many of them employ a part of the day in writing to their friends, a duty which is estimated amongst those acts of filial piety which hallow the day of rest. In English schools, where the parents live near, the boys usually pass the Sunday at home ; at Hofwyl they write home : they are not obliged, but encouraged to do this. The windows of some of the class-rooms of the Real Schule are opposite to those of our apart- ments in the Lehrer Haus, and about two hundred yards distant. The morning was very fine, and we were enjoying the calm repose of the scene, — the fertility around us, associated, as it was, with a still higher cultivation, — the distant view of the LETTERS EROM HOFWYL, 111 Alps on the one side, and of the blue Jura on the other, — when suddenly the mingled voices of the Real Schulers broke upon the universal stillness. They sang a slow and simple hymn, without any accompaniment, their voices blending in the most perfect harmony. I have often listened with intense delight to the finest vocal music, but I never was more touched than on this occasion. The effect of the village sabbath-bells has been beautifully told by our poets, but this vocal ushering in of the day of rest appeared to me a more perfect emblem of devotion, cheerfulness, and brotherly love, of the " peace on earth, and good will towards men," which was proclaimed by angels' voices, and which it should be the high aim of every Christian education to promote and cherish. At eleven o'clock we joined the Protestant con- gregation assembled in the two apartments men- tioned in a former letter, where public worship is performed. At the top of the upper room is the pulpit, a plain black-marble altar, and an organ with a large closed closet, which I presume held the vessels, &c. which belong to the Catholic ce- remonies. On each side were rows of benches occupied by the younger pupils of the three schools, with some of the masters, the female members of 112 LETTERS EROM HOFWYL. M. de F.'s family, with the other Protestant inha- bitants of Hofwyl. In the other room were M. de F., the professors, and the elder pupils of the high and real schule. The service opened with a hymn, sung by the whole congregation, and ac- companied by the organ, followed by the Lord's prayer, and another prayer: a portion of the Scriptures was next read ; then a discourse, or sermon, followed by a prayer and a hymn : prayer concluded the service. The whole of the obser- vances reminded me of the presbyterian form of the Scottish kirk. The spirit of toleration is practically inculcated at Hofwyl. The Pro- testant and Catholic clergymen dwell together in peace, each instructing his own flock: there has not been a single instance of conversion to either mode of belief during the whole period of the existence of the institution ; nor is there any evidence of bigotry or dissension. We had been invited to dine at the Grande Maison ; and having assembled in the saloon, a bell rung in the house, soon after twelve, invited us to the dining-room. The table crosses the top and occupies the sides of the apartment ; at the bottom, on one side of the door, is a closet di- vided into small numbered compartments; these each contain a dinner napkin, which belongs to the LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. 113 boy whose number* corresponds with that on the division. On the other side of the door is the closet into which the dishes ascend from the kitchen. M. de Fellenberg sat in the middle of the cross table ; his eldest daughter and some of the elder lads opposite to him; the Protestant clergyman on his right, the Catholic on his left hand. His younger daughters were surrounded by the little boys at the table on the right hand, with the head master and his wife ; while on the left were seated M. and Madame E. de Fellenberg, with the rest of the pupils. Having all assembled and placed ourselves, the dinner was put on table, and one of the clergymen said grace. The food was excel- lently dressed, of the best quality, and ample in quantity. Soup, beef, mutton, and veal, with potatoes, beans, peas, and lettuces, dressed in the Swiss -fashion, formed our meal ; after which, dishes of whipped cream, strawberries, cherries, and cakes or biscuits of pastry were served. I afterwards found that fruit was provided every day with the same unsparing abundance. I observed a dish of fish, which I understood had been taken in the lake, * This plan of giving every boy a number is applied to seve- ral of the arrangements ; every letter put into the bureau for post has the number of the writer on the corner ; the clothes are numbered, and so on, 114 LETTERS FEOM HOFWYL. on the Saturday afternoon, by the fishing party ; the catch is always dressed on Sunday. I mention this as one of the trifles which attest the minute attention to all that may gratify the boys. "Were they at home, no more could be done than this to please the fortunate angler. The wine stood on the table, to which the boys helped themselves as they pleased. Do not be alarmed at this liberty ; although I admit there is something startling in the idea that boys may drink as much wine as they like. Although much better than the usual vin ordinaire, the wines served at Hofwyl are still very weak, compared to those drank in Eng- land. The appetites are not to be destroyed, but governed ; and under wise direction may be converted into a means of education. On their first introduction at Hofwyl, boys have been known to abuse the freedom granted with regard to wine, either because they think it manly, (intemperance of all kinds is often so viewed by English boys,) because they are accustomed to regard wine as a luxury which tempts to indul- gence, or perhaps from mere thoughtlessness. Let me observe that there is no approach to intoxica- tion; excess may be committed without this result. Whatever may be the cause, the propensity is immediately perceived, and M. de F. privately LETTERS FROM HOFWTL. 115 points out to the boy the reasons why he should restrain his inclinations ; he explains the distinc- tion between a rational and natural indulgence of the appetite, and its abuse ; and he cautions the lad against excess, but no restrictions are put upon him : perhaps it is necessary to repeat the caution again and again, but at table no notice is taken of his conduct. He soon perceives that his companions act rationally, and that his love of wine, real or affected, gains him no credit with them, but rather the contrary : he is not provoked by opposition or restraint to have his own way, or to practise deception ; he soon uses the comforts provided for him as a means of satisfying his thirst; he becomes perfectly temperate, and wine offers him no temptation. This is one of the cir- cumstances in which there is so judicious a min- gling of freedom and restraint. A boy is not prohibited by laws from drinking more than is good for him, but he is assisted and guided to the acquirement of the self-control which must be obtained ere he can meet the temptations of life. The abundant provision of fruit is considered favourable to health, and is also intended to pre- vent the temptation to purchase the trash which itinerant venders bring into the place. The con- 116 LETTEES FROM HOFWYL. stant habit of eating something, never allowing the digestive organs to repose, is injurious to them, and has a bad effect upon the mind, since there is a close connection between such habits and those of animals. The unrestrained gratification of any appetite insensibly leads to sensuality. As there is enough fruit of the best kind to be had at dinner or supper, and sometimes at both meals, the boys have less difficulty in withstanding the inclination to eat at irregular hours. During dinner or supper, M. de Fellenberg easily dis- covers who has thus been unwisely indulging, since the appetite for the meal is sure to fail ; and if this happens, he uses the same means as before, an appeal to the understanding, to correct the evil. If a failing appetite is not to be traced to this cause, M. de Fellenberg regards it as a sign of disordered health ; and should it continue for two or three days consecutively, the medical man, who visits the establishment daily, is desired to examine into the cause. But to return to our dinner. Conversation went on amongst all with the decorum which be- longs to good society ; and there was a general attention to propriety : the furniture of the table was as simple as in England, but some of the ob- servances different. All are obliged to sit down LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. 117 to table at the same moment, but each boy is permitted to rise and leave the room when he has finished his meal ; because M. de Fellenberg considers that if obliged to wait until all have concluded, there will be a temptation to go on eating after appetite is satisfied, for the sake of something to do. M. de Fellenberg remains at table till the last boy has left his place. I supped with the school on another evening, and found the same order of things as at dinner, with the exception that their beverage was beer, very similar to the Indian beer now so much used in England, the hop being of a less agreeable flavour. You are aware that Sunday even in the Pro- testant countries of Europe is not observed as in Great Britain.* At Hofwyl, the afternoon, when the service of the neighbouring churches is over, is passed in innocent and cheerful amuse^ ments : walking to some place of interest in the neighbourhood with the masters, rowing on the lake, and reading, are the principal diversions of the summer; in the winter, the lads pass the * " The views of the German Protestants with respect to the observance of the Sabbath date from the Reformation, and great numbers maintain it as a part of Christian duty not to be subject to what they deem a Jewish institution." 118 LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. evening alternately in the saloon or in the apart- ment of the head master and his wife. Sunday is but too often a day of irksome wea- riness to children, and is long associated in their minds with a sense of ennui, very different from the thankful spirit with which the day of rest should be received.* The best employment of * The following extract from a work which gives the history of the formation of a mind from boyhood to manhood, describes so vividly and truly this unfortunate ennui and tedium, that I venture to transcribe it for you, even at the risk of your being already well acquainted with it : — " At that time, unfortunately, I was no great venerator of the sabbath ; or, at all events, my veneration was of the very darkest and most dismal hue, untempered with a single gleam of love or joyousness. There was no recreation for me in its rest ; only an unquiet yawningness, a sickness of heart and stomach, a faintness of all my faculties, as though my veins were running with ditch-water ; an itching propensity to be at something, without the power to gratify it. I was not singular in my an- tipathy. The whole herd of us, great and small, learned and unlearned, were parties to it. Of all the painful inflictions of boyhood, I know hardly any worse than that of wading through the slough of Sunday. Surely it is a serious mistake to pre- tend to make the sabbath sacred by making the man idle — to relieve the labours of the week by the most racking of all ex- haustions, the exhaustion of listlessness. To set apart one day as consecrate to the Lord, and give that very day over to the devil, to sow in it his tares among the fruit of the week's in- dustry ; to propose to a set of boys, and to men equally destitute of all good resources, the alternative of indolence or mischeiv- ousness ; can it be that God is thus glorified, or religion ho- noured, or our Saviour commended to our love ? But religion must have its rights ; aye, I say, Amen ! its own rights, and LETTEES FROM HOFWYL. 119 the sabbath is a question which occasions much discussion in England : the great desideratum appears to me, to attain that happy medium which shall divest it of idleness, yet preserve its con- solatory character, the restoration to the spirit exhausted by the toils and troubles of the week. The different periods of life, and the different ranks of society, require a variety in the employ- ment of Sunday, as well as of the other days of the week : any regulation which should force all our affections into the bargain, in full and overflowing mea- sure. Let it have the duty of our devotion ; but when that is satisfied, let it also have the gratitude of our gladness. Mul- tiply, if you will, your preachers ; magnify your churches ; do everything, as rulers are bound to do, for the growth of grace, and the union of all hearts in true religion ; but then, when this is done, let the heart express itself; let nature have its course. Let the morn be ushered in and celebrated with all solemnity, but let gaiety and open gamesomeness, rather than secret debauchery, have their share in the after-day. So much for children ; and the same rule is a reasonable one for the poor man — the daily labourer: as for his rich neighbour, he needs no recreation ; but rather the contrast of earnest exercise as a relief to his week's idleness. The ideas of the uneducated man are few, his attention feeble, the compass of his mind narrow, his judgment unpractised and uncertain"; consequently his root is but seldom deep, his faculty of devotion is speedily exhausted; and so of the raw school-boy. Task him not beyond his strength ; when he has satisfied God's service, suffer him, in such sports as he likes best, to fulfil the season of his amusement, lest you cloud bis sabbath to dismalness, and make prayer itself hateful to him." 120 LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. into one routine does not appear to me consonant with the intentions of the benevolence which es- tablished the day of rest. I have often wished we could have a service fitted to the comprehension of children. * The minister who would devote one hour of the Sunday to so holy an office, would prevent more future sabbath-breaking than many laws will ever be able to effect. Prayer and thanksgiving would go hand in hand with the spirit of dependence, of love, and of gratitude, which are so strong in children's natures. These feelings have but to be awakened and directed : a child-loving preacher — one whose love, like that of his master, made him to know the hearts and understandings of his hearers — would secure their sympathy and attention, and make them " glad to go into the house of the Lord." Music appears to be amongst the most legiti- mate sources of gratification. I have already told you of the singing I heard on the Sunday morning, and I think I have also spoken of the monthly concerts. These are held on a Sunday evening, and we were present at one of them. We were invited to attend in the music-room at seven o'clock. The folding-doors which separate this * I have since learned that this has heen done at Brighton. LETTEKS FROM HOFWYL. 121 apartment from the dining-room were thrown open, and ample space was thus afforded for the accom- modation of a large number of persons. On en- tering the dining-room we found it nearly filled with the audience, consisting of such masters and pupils of the three schools as took no share in the performance, the wives and children of some of the masters, the servants of the different esta- blishments, the guests then staying at the Leh- rer Haus, M. de Fellenberg, his daughters, son, and grand children. The orchestra consisted of violins, tenor, vio- loncello, double base, trombone, clarionet, flute, trumpet, French horn. The chorus-singers were arranged on each side of the room, a pianoforte in the midst. The bill of the concert included one of Haydn's symphonies, the movements of which were played at four separate periods of the concert ; an overture, composed by the conductor, who is the chief music-master; and a violin concerto, composed and played by another music- master. The choruses were from " Wilhelm Tell," "Mose in Egitto," and an oratario of Neukomm. Great attention was given to the music by the audience ; even the younger children were very quiet, evidently influenced by the general de- corum. Although it was apparent that the music G 122 LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. gave pleasure, there was no applause, as M. de Fellenberg considers that the young and inex- perienced can have no sound judgment, and therefore no authority to decide and approve publicly. When the concert was over, the per- formers adjourned to the saloon with the family and guests, and partook of tea, fruit, cakes, &c. These monthly concerts, with the rehearsals, form an admirable means of union amongst all ages and classes. I saw the son of a French noble singing in the choir, by the side of, and from the same book with, the son of a Swiss peasant. Many of the masters who were playing had been educated at Hofwyl, some of them pupils of the Rural School, whose talents, morals, and manners had raised them to these situations of trust and honour. More than 200 persons were assembled on this occasion, the inhabitants of Hofwyl, with the father of this large family in the midst of his adopted children. LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. 123 LETTER IX. In order to put you in possession of the routine of instruction in the high school at Hofwyl, I transcribe three Stunden, or hour, plans : — No. 1. is the course which has been allotted to an English boy of about eleven years of age, on his arrival ; No. 2. to one who had been there a year ; and No. 3. to another pupil, in his third year. These plans are written by the head master, upon a paper engraved for the purpose; and after having been submitted to M. de Fellenberg, each boy pastes his plan upon his closet. As the holidays were approaching, the period was drawing near when the arrange- ment you now see would be altered. You will perceive that German occupies an important place in the new pupils' plan ; for this must first be acquired in order to enable the English boys to receive other lessons, all in- struction being conveyed in that language. As music, drawing, fencing, writing, and gymnastics do not require much verbal direction from the mas- ters, they are carried on from the commencement. I will just add, here, that the new English pupils G 2 124 LETTERS FROM HOFWYL. •418 8.8:1 CD %. %- u '— C fl 01 01 Bi DiC 'H 3 a .5 ea a SPng * ss p p ~ -Op bo s s S.S « a Sh s- U oj Sh +3 a> a) cS sh <« sS OOOQOM P P P -g bD cS . oj d C fl g£lg&3 a) R n » oj M S ef^fS S ^ ci .a p eS cS p a go a as fi CS p fc. 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