Ea Fi tet Sn Ge NG A itt Bi gh a BE agit SAA ocean a 2 ; mt e B 5 : *- Pittet GaeeS oe ode oe pee Mere Pntr eS m - sgtye Tage: z ee eee is y : " : ? : : 3 3 3 cake ee Deeb eRe de oe Pea a a sty ip eee ee ese os”. i Sadia = Se ae Et eee - . etek PR Pog IEE PI me PDE Ea at Oe ve LR OO ‘ 2 “ se LT OIE CE Hig PIL a a Ii Bad gy 2 aa é Peas geal ve FELL OL LE gel PAP AEM ES OA LL PD og ITO TEA AT al NP glenn - fae a Se en OE IIS I lor i BEN I a a FP OD te og ne : u ne 2f5e , Soaks i ie ok ond Oe oe oii liti ati ais hicabeaait Rete ol cate aaa dae SS Re RSS = e ‘< Se ptaks Line igh Oli GIL ID IOP CINE eee [6 Spek: Ae Beas dete ie Lia bee ee, ee A AB Bs eet oe Sgt 28 pt Tee biotite od ee ee adaiek ok eee ee OIL DS Pg OD A SCHL GS PPL ooo ~ : PL ge ee age Pe gee ae * Be TD Ae Se 3 sree phat fie ae as a Sh es ie Te ac tie Dean a SOAR asa Fe ge yn Spied dete tnde eedbsy & ea - : St POR a Bante eh ree Pye, : fae ara “tre alee tie Sigs - en ate oe a Seek, z* re cect Sa ber totes se Mi mee ate eg oS : ; Pg PIP en : i Pw Fie FP tes PP he ed Fn Ee ee rs re ae Soe a a aa Fe ; : ; : ra : : 2 eT Paes ee ae Ser act 9 ee Ho ee sie PF a ete Ae A Sadi tps ce ee Pe th ee ete SE et E ate ‘ ae E ae eT FEET sd z NOE ea AE at al ag oe et ae eee, ee Wig te eee ae a are = - eS etre nmtate OE wes! st aie Tease Dye POL ae a tg a gee : a os Sea ci ing ge ee ae tea ptie e al oha tet pie Ne eae ah aiendccke bates teat ke ae cae ce ea a Beal opty : an en ins ; POSER ee inti diate Siete te oe pt Bictig yt : % rita as ee a ee A ee Speen Lae $ ey Sw cate Same Set ie ote She eo ee eS Re Se eS RP ie HOA te at haeticg ‘ renee FoR See ES ideal aa ey ae gn SS te 5 see eo : : oe ee ig i Ee PD oy . a peat tea wwe “UNIVERSITY OF “"TLLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN BOOKSTACKS The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. To renew call Telephone Center, 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN L161—O-1096 Yf THE LIBRARY OF TUE JAN 2719820 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. RY LOZZI’S FIRST ASSOCIATE. INSTRUCTOR IN PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION ss AP THE OSWEGO NORMAL AND TRAINING SCHOOL. . ek, ~. ; _ VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG & CO., WALNUT STREET, 28 BOND STREET, eae Spcealy NNATI. i‘ NEW YORK. ca ie : “Y adc 7 ideal ye a ay “ a: ie ’ 4 y , 4 Bas , r 2 aa 7 ny i Pas % ; ead ye ee grate alae ad ia is enter, ce i *‘ ? ‘ A Paha > 4 b * a t yx Pa,’ i > t 7 . , . . sg 1 * , i ye 4 % ‘ ‘ — y. i Pr 4 > ¥ : 1} . 7 hy ; i, \ 4 ‘ ay » % 1% ‘ : ~ r « _ I OFFER THIS TRIBUTE OF GRATITUDE AND LOVE, DEDICATION. To ‘the HPAemorp of my Father AT THE CENTENARY OF HIS BIRTH, MAROH 12th, 1875. eal ben. Oy ic: N educational movement, which in Europe has led to a com- plete reorganization of schools, and has supplied many educators of this country with better methods of teaching, deserves to be known as an important event in the history of civilization. This movement ought to be examined from its very rise and origin, and viewed in a light which shows the legitimate connection between its principles and their application, and exposes professions and practices that have been falsely ascribed to it. Pestalozzi’s labors are a record of a noble enthusiasm, which was communicated to all who came within its influence. It is well, even at this advanced stage of material progress, to search for the source of this enthusiasm, and to study with care his first feeble attempts toward the realization of a great idea. The present work was not undertaken without due appreciation of its difficulties. The author, in whose memory still remains the testi- mony of many of the personal friends of Pestalozzi, and who holds in his possession records and letters of that period, hitherto unpub- lished, considers it a moral duty to give to the public that which seems worthy of preservation. An experience of thirty years in several Normal Schools of Switzerland, Germany, England, and the United States, has given him the. privilege of testing the value of Pestalozzi’s method, and has strengthened his conviction of the pos- sibility and the necessity of its application. (vii) vill PREFACE. He trusts that many of his pupils, who, in former years, have lent an attentive ear to portions of this narrative, will be pleased to hear more from their old friend and teacher. To those of our unknown friends and colleagues who have been earnestly striving—although in an experimental and fragmentary way—to find the correct method of reaching the minds of their pupils, we hope the record of similar experiments may afford conso- lation or warning, according to the paths they have chosen. To those who have never troubled themselves with questions of this kind, or who are still floating on a sea of uncertainty, we would like to present both oar and rudder by which to guide their boat to a safe landing. If this work stimulates inquiring minds to further experiments and discoveries in the field of education and its methods, or to a more comprehensive and philosophic investigation of the subject in all its bearings, our effort will not have been in vain. H. KRUSI. GO NTN TS: PART I.— LIFE OF PESTALOZZI. CHAPTER I. LIFE AT ZURICH CHAPTER II. LIFE AT NEUHOF CHAPTER III. LIFE AT STANZ CHAPTER IV. LIFE AT BuRGDORF CHAPTER V. LIFE AT YVERDON CHAPTER VI. CLosInG YEARS OF HIS LIFE PART II.— ASSOCIATES OF PESTALOZZI. IntTRopucTION To Part II CHAPTER I. HERMANN Krust ‘ : ; CHAPTER II. JOHANNES NIEDERER CHAPTER III. Gustav ToBLER : ; elie é ‘ CHAPTER TV. JOHANNES Buss CHAPTER V. ASSISTANTS OF PESTALOZzI— RAMSAUER, SCHMID, STEINER (ix) 20 30 38 45 61 66 67 79 87 93 96 2% CONTENTS. PART III.— EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF PESTALOZZI. CHAPTER. ‘I. SocrAL AND POLITICAL SUBJECTS ‘ , : : : f , W103 CHAPTER IT. LEONARD AND GERTRUDE : : : ; : 3 : ete 119 CHAPTER III. CHRISTOPHER AND ELiza . : : ; ; ; ; : t BBY, PART IV.— PRINCIPLES AND METHOD OF PESTALOZZI. CHAPTER I. GENERAL VIEW OF THE PESTALOZZIAN MErHOD . : i : Ma #59 | CHAPTER II. CoNFORMITY OF Persratozz’s METHOD To THE NATURAL ORDER OF HuMAN DEVELOPMENT ; ’ : : : t : ; 5 459 CHAPTER TILE SPECIAL APPLICATION oF PESTALOZZI’s METHOD . ; : ; ¢ £269 CHAPTER. YV, APPLICATION OF THE METHOD OF PestaLozzt (Continued) . , oe rat PART V.—SPREAD OF THE PESTALOZZIAN SYSTEM. CHAPTER I. SWITZERLAND ; ; , ; : ‘ F y ; : : . 195 CHAPTER II. GERMANY . ; : ; Ae ae ‘ " ; : . ; AB's Nie CHAPTER ITI. FRANCE, SPAIN, AND Russia_.. : , : : : : . . 213 CHAPTERSLY: ENGLAND ; § ; F : ; ‘ : : F < A ee CHAPTER. Vv. UnITED STATES . ’ : : : ; 4 ‘ ‘ : ee i Geiteor ke by Le LIFE AT ZURICH HE early years of a man’s life have great influence in moulding . his character. As the pilot with a slight turning of his wheel changes the direction of the heavily laden ship, so events apparently insignificant in themselves, acting upon the impressible nature of a child, may affect his entire destiny. It is said of Haydn, that the sweet singing of his mother beside his cradle called forth that talent for music which distinguished him in after life. The father of Lin- naeus, the distinguished Swedish botanist, used to cover the bed of his beloved boy with flowers, thus cultivating in him at that early age a love for those fair productions. It is true that talent, a gift of the Creator, has never been produced by circumstances; but it is also true that powers which might otherwise have slumbered forever, have, in many cases, been awakened and led into action by events which, in themselves, were trifling. The life of the man whose work we are about to examine affords an illustration of the effects of early associations in determining character and shaping the subsequent events of life. Henry Pestalozzi was born on the 12th of January, 1746, at Zurich, a town situated in the German part of Switzerland, on the lovely shore of a lake of the same name. His ancestors were Italian Protestants, who had been obliged to flee from their homes on account of religious persecutions, and had found an asylum among the enlightened citizens of Zurich—hence his Italian name. His father was a physician, whose benevolent and unselfish character prevented him from devoting his energies to the acquisition of wealth. Henry was but six years old when his father died, and his good mother, although not wholly destitute, was obliged to practice the utmost economy to sustain the dignity of the family. She withdrew from the allurements of society, and consecrated herself to domestic duties; thus giving her children the invaluable blessing of her con- stant care and supervision. In this task she was nobly supported by ) (13) 14 PESTA LOZZI. a faithful servant, who made the interest of her mistress’s family her own. Pestalozzi gives the followimg account of this friend of his childhood : ‘“When my father was on his death-bed, he thought sorrowfully of the great burden which the attendance to household duties and the care of the children would throw upon my mother. In these despond- ing moments he turned to Barbara, the faithful servant, and begged her with fervent entreaty not to leave his family, since otherwise the mother must part with some of his children. | ‘The noble girl replied, ‘I shall never leave your wife, if it should please God to take you hence. I will remain with her till death, if she wishes me to do so.’” | She kept her promise, gnd spent her whole life in the family. Her education being limited, she could contribute but little to the mental development of the children, of whom there were three, besides Henry ; but her example of self-sacrifice and of practical morality left indelible impressions on the hearts of all. ‘When we wanted to run about the streets for our amusement,” says Pestalozzi, ‘‘she wished us to stay at home, and save our clothing and shoes; and when we found it hard to obey, she told us of our good mother, who deprived herself of so many enjoyments for our sake.” 7 The sacrifices of a mother for her children do not show more no- bility of soul than was displayed by this poor, uneducated girl, who gave up all her worldly interest for a family not her own. ‘‘ Who knows,” says Biber in his biography of Pestalozzi, ‘‘ whether this pu-— rity and strength of character shown by a person of humble rank may not have imposed a debt on Pestalozzi, of which he nobly acquitted himself in after years by vindicating for the neglected classes of society those moral and intellectual rights of which they had been deprived by the ignorant pride of their fellow men?” Pestalozzi, who was in his youth delicate and sickly, had a nervous temperament, which delighted in mental activity. He says of himself: ‘My feelings and imagination were so predominant that I neglected many things. I often committed blunders, which got me into more scrapes and troubles than any other child of my age; but I possessed a light heart, which made me forget my small sufferings after a few hours.” These traits of character were fully displayed in his work at school, for he never excelled in any of those branches which tax merely imitation and memory. He preferred those in which the full imagination, originality, and poetry of soul could be brought into play. Among other things, he neglected orthography and penmanship, and LIFE AT ZURICH. 7 his defects in these caused serious inconvenience to him during all his after life. In classical studies he cared more for the spirit of the writer than for the grammar; more for the thought than the expres- sion. It is said, that when a student he made a translation of an oration of Demosthenes, which was so excellent that it was afterward _ published in a scientific journal. Owing to the awkwardness of his manner and the singularity of his character, he passed among his school-fellows as ‘“ green,” and received ra i nt Mi ia VIEW OF ZURICH. the nickname ‘‘ Henry Queer, of Follyville.” He'had then and ever afterward such perfect faith, that he was often made the butt of jokes and the dupe of cunning schemes. He measured the world by his own standard, and preferred to be deceived rather than to distrust. It is the fate of such confiding souls to be ridiculed for their simplic- ity, yet loved for their goodness. Considering that the character and method of teaching used in the schools at that time was formal and mechanical, it may be inferred that it did little toward preparing him for his important mission ; yet we do not wish to undervalue the merit of such men as Bodmer and Breitinger, who were then among the professors of his native ‘city. i In his visits to his grandfather, a Protestant minister at Heengg, he profited much by the practical lessons of benevolence which he 16 PESTALOZZI. there received. Uniting system with generosity, the old gentleman kept a register of all the families of the parish, in which the moral character, circumstances, and wants of each were described; thus, in his parochial visits he could not fail to administer advice and con- solation according to the needs of each case. In this village, where many inills were in active operation, he first witnessed the contrast between extreme wealth and abject poverty. He saw the children of the village playing before the school-house, with eyes sparkling with pleasure and innocence, contented and happy even in their rags; but when he compared them with those of more mature age, the victims of overwork and manifold vices, with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes, and with the appearance of constant misery upon their faces, his young soul was incensed against the selfishness of wealth built upon such ruins of health and happiness. What he daily saw of the oppression of the people under an aristocratic government, and the acts of injustice committed under its sway, nurtured in his breast that yearning for liberty and reformation which earned for him after- ward the name of a noble-minded patriot and true liberal. There are individuals who, from the mildness of their disposition and from their aversion to personal quarrels, are commonly considered cowards; and yet these same people display occasionally an energy and courage which is in strong contrast to their usual behavior. Pestalozzi exhibited such antagonistic qualities. In the year 1755, the earthquake which destroyed Lisbon was felt in Switzerland. The school-room in which the young Henry was studying was violently shaken. The fright was universal. ‘‘The teachers,” as Pestalozzi describes it in his quaint language, ‘‘ flew down stairs over the heads of their boys.” After the first terror had subsided, they wished to obtain the books, hats, and other property left in the building, but all were afraid to enter except ‘‘ Harry Queer.” He boldly per- formed the task which his companions refused to do. This boldness we find marked in his perhaps incautious opposition to acts of in- justice and oppression imposed by some of the dignitaries of the state. When only a boy in years, in connection with his celebrated cotemporaries, Lavater and Fiissli, he exposed, by means of the press, the delinquencies of selfish politicians, thereby rousing their anger, and imperiling his future chances for advancement. In his choice of a profession, encouraged by his venerable grand- father, it seems natural that he should have decided for the ministry. His first efforts at preaching, however, proved a failure. ‘Those who had witnessed his natural eloquence, proceeding, as it did, from a heart deeply impressed with a sense of veneration for all that is pure ae LIFE AT ZURICH. 17 and holy, and breathing love and good-will for all mankind, were astonished at the cause which ‘he assigned for relinquishing his chosen calling—that he stopped short in his sermon and made mis- takes in the Lord’s Prayer. This arose probably from embarrass- ment, which made the young minister forget the sermon which he had been obliged to commit to memory. More likely, however, it was an exalted idea of the proper qualifications of a clergyman, com- pared with his own humble merits, which induced him to exchange the study of Theology for that of Law. In doing this he avoided Seylla only to fall into Charybdis. We can not imagine that an ardent mind like his, desiring to judge all matters according to the eternal laws of justice, could be satisfied with expounding human laws, when their interpreters had, by quibbles and distortions, adapted them to all the iniquities of a corrupt age. If he had explained the law according to the noble and fiery impulse of his soul, and not according to the dead-letter and stereotyped form, he would have expiated his temerity in a political prison, or in some place of ban- ishment. His study of the law must, therefore, have produced neg- ative results by showing him the insufficiency of human legislation to do away with abuses, unless supported by principles of charity and justice. About this time, 1764, ‘‘ Emile,” a celebrated work on Education, by Rousseau, fell into his hands. This led his thoughts into that channel from which were to issue immortal ideas for universal educa- tion. The principles of that work tended to overturn the prevalent notions of methods of teaching. They suggested facts and realities instead of empty sounds and superficial definitions—thus appealing to common sense. The fact, however, that Rousseau represents his ideal pupil, Emile, isolated and without school-companions, could not harmonize with the views of a philanthropist like Pestalozzi. Bluntschli, an intimate friend, who possessed great forethought, when on his death-bed, said to his friend Pestalozzi, ‘‘I die, and I warn you, if left to yourself, never to embark in any operation which might become dangerous to your peace of mind, because of the sim- plicity and tenderness of your disposition. Select a quiet and peace- ful occupation, and do not enter into any comprehensive undertaking - without the advice and assistance of a faithful friend.” The suita- bleness of this advice will be evident to every one who follows us through the vicissitudes of his eventful life. Soon after this he visited his uncle, and enjoyed the charms of rural life on the shores of Lake Zurich. His stay there, combined with the advice of his dying friend, may have matured the new plan lites 18 PESTA LOZZI. of devoting himself to agriculture, and retiring to the seclusion of a country farm. In order to combine practice with theory, he resorted to the flourishing farm of a rich proprietor, celebrated for his im- proved methods of cultivation, and prepared himself for his new task with his usual zeal. But he never acquired the practical skill, and power of adapting his means to existing circumstances, which are indispensable requisites to the successful practice of farming. About this time, also, he formed acquaintance with that noble woman, Anna Schulthess, who stood so faithfully by his side during the trials of his agitated life. She belonged to a wealthy family of Ziirich, and the desire of securing a home for her stimulated him to unusual exertions. He returned from an agricultural tour with san- guine projects about the cultivation of madder as a profitable specu- lation. He even induced a mercantile house at Zurich to supply him with funds for the purpose. He selected and bought an un- cultivated tract of about one hundred acres, situated in the Canton of Aargau, near the confluence of the rivers Aar, Reuss, and Lim- mat. He named his purchase Neuhof (new farm). There, in sight of Hapsburg, the hereditary castle of the Austrian Monarchy, he built a house in the Italian style, and began his operations with more zeal than skill and foresight. From this place he corresponded with the lady above mentioned. The letter, in which he offers her his hand and invites her to share his fortunes, is so characteristic of the man’s honesty and delicacy of feeling that we quote it nearly - entire: “My failings, which appear to me the most important in relation to the future, are improvidence, want of caution, and want of that presence of mind which is necessary to meet unexpected changes in my future prospects. I hope, by continued exertions, to overcome them; but know that I possess them still to a degree, that does not allow me to conceal them from the maiden I love. They are faults, my dear, which deserve your fullest consideration. I possess yet other failings, which must be chiefly attributed to my irritability of temper and oversensitiveness. I go to extremes in my praise, as well as in my blame; in my likings, and dislikings. I also enter into plans and schemes with such fervor as to exceed proper limits, and my general sympathy is such, that I feel unhappy in the misery of my fatherland and friends. Direct your whole attention to this weakness ; there will be times when my tranquillity and cheerfulness of soul mill suffer under it. : ‘“‘Of my great and very reprehensible regione in. mattetl of etiquette and conventionality, it is useless to speak, as it is too obyi- | LIFE AT ZURICH. 19 ous. lam further bound to confess, that I shall place the duties toward my fatherland in advance of those to my wife, and that, although I mean to be a tender husband, I shall be inexorable even to the tears of my wife, if they should ever try to detain me from performing my duties as citizen, to their fullest extent. My wife shall be the confidant of my heart, the partner of ali my most secret counsel. A great and holy simplicity shall reign in my house. One _ thing more, my life will not pass without great and important un- dertakings. I shall never refrain from speaking, when the good of 5) my country demands it. My whole heart belongs to it, and I shall risk every thing to mitigate the misery and need of my countrymen. . . . . . ° . ° . ° oe . “Reflect well, and decide whether you can give your heart to a man with these qualities, and in this condition, and be happy. “My dear friend, I love you so tenderly and fervently that this _ confession has cost me much, since it may even take from me the _ hope of winning you. My conscience would have called me a traitor, not a lover, if I had withheld from you any fact that might cause you future anxiety, or render you miserable. I now rejoice at what I have done. If the circumstances in which my duty and my coun- try may place me hereafter, should make an end to my yearnings -and hopes, I shall be conscious at least of not having been treacher- ous—of not having attempted to please you by assumed virtue. I have deceived you with no chimerical hopes of a-happiness that is not to be expected; I have concealed from you no danger and no, sorrow for the future; I have no cause for self-reproach.” The lady was worthy of his confidence. Although the candid con- fessions of the faults of her lover presented but a thorny prospect of life, they could not shake her belief in his disinterested love and eo tere Tomiie ba nn integrity of character. They were.united in the year 1769, Pesta- lozzi being then in his 24th year. With the noble and intelligent lady, who shared with him her ample property, he might have lived in comparative ease and com- fort, had he thought only of his own interests. But having the weak- ness of considering all the suffering members of the human race as belonging to his own family, it may be presumed that his life at Neuhof did not pass without dark and bitter experiences. Ca A ROP Eh, ake LIFE AT NEUHOF. VIEW OF NEUHOF. HE dreams of a happy future, of days to be spent in genial and profitable employment at the side of a loving wife, were soon dis- pelled by cares and disappointments. Pestalozzi’s undertaking re- quired patience, practical skill, and, above all, order, system, and the utmost economy; but, as has been stated, he was not of a prac- tical turn, and not inspired by the expectation of gain and profit. Some, professing to be his friends, even accused him, though unjustly, of ignorance in selecting a piece of land which, they said, was “unfit for cultivation.” Although this charge was sufficiently refuted by the fact that some years afterward it rose to many times its original value, it nevertheless frightened the managers of the mercantile (20) an? cna __ LIFE AT NEUHOF. 21 house which had supplied him with money, and induced them to withdraw from the undertaking. Thus Pestalozzi was left alone to grapple with financial difficulties which beset him on all sides. In- stead, however, of concentrating his energies on his own affairs, ‘he felt he could only revive his shattered spirits by performing an act of charity and devotion. The support of the poor is still a question of vital interest to the governments of Europe, and it was particularly so during the years immediately preceding the French Revolution. At that time, the wealth of the country was exclusively in the hands of the priv- ileged classes, while the poor toiled for insufficient wages, with no thought for the future. They thus became a sure prey for the work- house, and a burden upon the community. The introduction of cot- ton manufactures had rendered the contrast between employer and workman still more striking. This, making money more plenty, brought into common use things which had been considered as lux- uries ; and the poor, in attempting to keep pace with the rich, grad- ually forgot all principles of economy, became intemperate and wasteful, and were consequently often reduced to helpless poverty. The only relief for this suffering supplied by the Government was the introduction of poor-houses, where the innocent child and hard- ened ‘sinner, the helpless sick and shiftless vagabond, were herded ‘together. They were, in fact, mere feeding establishments, rather than homes for the unfortunate, or houses of reform for the wicked. The occupants, when dismissed, usually returned to their vicious prac- tices, which soon brought them back again. It was for this growing evil that the ever-active mind of Pesta- lozzi tried to find a remedy. He proposed the establishment of schools in which instruction in manual labor should be combined with the ordinary mental and moral training. After having advo- cated his views publicly, he offered his house and farm for the pur- pose of making the experiment. He soon found noble-hearted and influential friends who encouraged him in his undertaking, and, in 1775, we find him at the head of an ‘Industrial School for the Poor,” probably the first school of its kind ever conceived, and the mother of hundreds now existing on both sides of the Atlantic. To make such a scheme a success was certainly no light under- taking, and to a man like Pestalozzi it was impossible; for it is obvious that to combine in one person the offices of manager, school- master, farmer, manufacturer, and merchant, was beyond the power of a man whose enthusiasm and impatient zeal carried him with irre- sistible power in pursuit of one grand object, and would not allow vy ; PESTALOZZI. him to stop and measure every inch of ground over which he had to go. : The children sent to him were mostly from the refuse of the com-: munity, and nearly all of them vicious, lazy, and discontented. True, they worked on his farm, but with feeble and unskilled hands, which conduced little to the improvement of the soil. They were also engaged in the weaving of cotton cloth, but the waste in mate- rial and the mediocrity of the work more than balanced the profits. Asa natural consequence of these conditions, Pestalozzi soon became involved in debt, from which he was partially relieved by the gener- osity of his wife, who sacrificed the greater part of her property in his behalf. He struggled a long time in the noble cause of emanci- pating the poor, and in the end became poor himself. In the pro- cess, however, he made important discoveries in the realm of human knowledge, and in the principles which underlie all true processes of education—results which have transmuted his individual disappoint- ments and failures into blessings for the world. To see truth through the vail of one’s own errors is already victory. . In 1780 the school had to be given up. In spite of its apparent ‘failure, the feasibility of the plan has since been triumphantly vin- dicated by Emanuel von Fellenberg, a friend and cotemporary of Pestalozzi, to whom we shall again revert. After five years of in- effectual toiling, the latter was left alone, poor and discouraged, an object of pity to his friends and of contempt to his detractors. The natural buoyancy of his spirits, however, did not allow him to give himself up to despair. He says: ‘‘ In the midst of the wither- ing sneers of my fellow-men, the mighty stream of my heart ebbed and flowed as it ever had, to stop the sources of misery. ' My failure even showed me the truth of my plans. I was always deceived where nobody was; and where all were deceived, there I saw light.” Let those who have met with financial losses listen to Pestalozzi’s words of resignation uttered at that time: ‘The Christian in the strength of faith and love considers his property—not as a gift—but as a trust, which has been committed to his hand, that he may use it for the good of others.” Truly he needed this strength from above; for the loss of his funds involved the loss of the most eom- mon comforts of life. In the midst of this, his noble wife was pros- trated with a severe illness, which added greatly to his distress. At this time, from necessity as well as from choice, he began to . write articles for a Swiss journal, and to publish books in which he appealed to the public to bestow their attention upon some of the most sacred interests of humanity. From 1780 to 1798 were pub- LIFE AT NEUHOF. 23 lished the following books: ‘*The Evening Hours of a Hermit;” ‘Leonard and Gertrude ;” ‘‘ Christopher and Eliza;” ‘‘ Legislation and Infanticide;” ‘‘ Figures to my Spelling-Book;” ‘“ Investigations on the Course of Nature in the Development of the Human Race.” Although these writings are all distinguished by originality and thought, and inspired by philanthropy, not one of them has made a greater impression and acquired more celebrity than ‘‘ Leonard and Gertrude”--a popular tale, the scenes of which are so fresh and life-like that they at once enlist the feelings of the reader by presenting a picture of exalted virtue in the midst of crime and error. The circumstances to which this work owes its origin are not without interest. TF tissli, a book-seller of Zurich and friend of Pes- talozzi, once mentioned, in conversation with his brother, the artist, the sad condition of the philanthropic dreamer at Neuhof. Fiissli, the painter, who was turning over the leaves of a humorous pamph- let, suddenly interrupted his brother by asking who was the author of that satire. On being told, ‘‘ Pestalozzi,” he said, ‘‘The man has talent and originality, and can help himself by writing books.” The book-seller thereupon urged Pestalozzi to write a popular tale. The latter, without any positive plan, composed some pieces in imitation of the tales of Marmontel. But on touching the question of domes- tic education, the subject seemed to grow and expand, until, throwing his whole heart into the theme, and drawing largely from the treas- ures of his experience, he produced this immortal work. Such was the sensation which followed its publication that the Government of Berne decreed him a gold medal. This he was obliged to turn into eash to supply his family with the necessaries of life. The success of a book even in our more enlightened age is not always owing to its merits. It may be admired for the beauty of its style, for the truthfulness of its scenes and pictures which excite feelings of pleasure and approbation, or arouse sympathy and indig- nation; but should the author appeal for aid in correcting errors and in relieving distress, a deaf ear is turned to his entreaties, and his importunities are considered an annoyance and a bore. This, Pestalozzi experienced with his work, and complains that the highest encouragement he received from influential persons was this: ‘“‘ If there were many mothers like Gertrude, many school-masters like Gliilphi, many magistrates like Arner, the world would be in a better condition.” From his inability to buy the necessary paper, the story of ‘‘ Leon- ard and Gertrude” was written on the blank leaves of an old account- book. Whenever he added any thing to the text he patched little 24 PESTALOZZI. scraps of paper upon the sheet, which, combined with his illegible handwriting, must have driven the printers nearly to despair. The receipts from the book did not add much to his wealth, as will be seen by the publisher’s conditions, which we add for the consolation of poor authors. He was to receive three :dollars per sheet, with twenty dollars additional if the work should reach a second edition. His extreme poverty, however, resulted chiefly from his ignorance of the ways of the world and from his self-forgetting benevolence. The following anecdote illustrates both these characteristics. When in great need he once borrowed from a friend one hundred dollars, and on his way home he met a poor peasant wringing his hands in great distress. On being asked the reason of his grief, he answered, with many tears, that ‘‘ his house had been consumed by fire, and he was without shelter and home.” This was too much for the feel- ings of kind-hearted Pestalozzi. Forgetting his own errand, he put all the borrowed money into the hand of the peasant, and hurried off to his own desolate home. Arriving there without money and telling his story, his gentle wife asked whether he knew the name of the fortunate receiver. ‘‘I do not know the man,” he said, ‘* but he looked so poor and honest that I am sure he must be good.” When the peasant in his turn was asked the name of his benefactor, he answered: ‘‘I do not know. He looked odd and slovenly, but had such a benevolent air about him that I am sure he must be a good man.” Such a coincidence of opinion and absence of flattery between persons unknown'*to each other deserve mention. In his domestic relations Pestalozzi was exceedingly fortunate — finding there repose in his weariness, sympathy in his philanthropic schemes, and consolation in his failures. Of his wife we have already — spoken, and regret that we can not do full justice to her worth. Born of wealthy parents and marrying against their wishes a man who they declared would never be able to support her, she joyfully exchanged her worldly treasures for those which came from the rich and overflowing heart of her husband. She was a woman of more than ordinary intelligence and culture, and from the diary which she kept for many years have been taken many interesting details of the private life of her husband and herself. From Pestalozzi’s diary, kept during the early part of his life at— Neuhof, we learn that, in addition to his other labors, he bestowed much attention upon the wants, emotions, and acts of his little son Jacob, who was born in 1770. In his eagerness to develop the mind of his child, we fear the loy- ing father was too impatient to wait for natural growth, since he - LIFE AT NEUHOF. . ; 95 _ often mentions the ‘inattention of Jacobli,* and his aversion to useful knowledge.” This result, however, he had the justice to ascribe to his own want of skill in presentation, rather than to any natural distaste for knowledge on the part of the child. The following is an instance: After a futile attempt to make the little boy repeat the names of numbers, before the idea of number had been presented, he exclaims, ‘‘Oh, why have I committed the folly of naming to him words without meaning ; of letting him say three without first showing him the idea of two in all its bearings and applications? It is so difficult to come back from error, and so easy to walk in the simple » paths of truth.” In giving the child object-lessons he does not spare any trouble. He leads the little fellow along the bank of a brook, and is delighted with the childish remark: ‘‘The water comes running after,” for which he teaches him to substitute the expression, ‘‘The water runs down hill.” On his return he develops the idea of ‘up hill.” In one passage of his diary he mentions an experience, not uncommon with parents, of finding that his child asked for certain things under a pretext quite different from the true reason. For instance, Jacobli asks his father to carry him to the barn so that he might there recite his lesson, when he really wanted to see the horse. Another passage shows how ready Pestalozzi ever was to receive instruction and to profit by it, though expressed in homely phrase by his man-of-all- work, Klaus. When speaking to him of the excellent memory of his son; ‘“‘It is good enough,” Klaus replied, ‘‘ but love and courage for learning are still better. Do you ever think of that, master ?” “© Klaus,” answered the candid master, ‘all learning is not worth a straw, if joy and courage are lost thereby.” These seemingly insignificant scraps from a diary are important merely as showing from what sources Pestalozzi derived his deep in- sight into the nature and mind of childhood. This son, his only child, upon whom he lavished so much love, and with whom he took so much pains, died in 1801, at the age of 31 years. The still more important lessons on the moral and practical welfare of domestic life he learned from his excellent wife, and from a noble, though uneducated, woman, who was his housekeeper for forty years, and whose useful and unostentatious life he immortalized in his char- acter of ‘“‘Gertrude.” In the following passage from this work, he expresses his opinion of the influence of such a woman: ‘‘ Thus does God’s sun walk on its path from morning till evening; the eye does *Little Jacob. 26 PESTA LOZZI. not perceive any of its steps, nor the ear hear its course, but at its setting, we know that it will reappear to warm the earth until its fruits are ripe. This great mother’ hovering over the earth is the image of Gertrude, and of every wife who raises the domestic circle (Wohnstube) to a sanctuary of God, and she deserves heaven for her blessed influence on the beloved ones in her care.” From the sanctuary of the peaceful household we will now pass to more stormy scenes of historical action, which, grave and moment- ous as they were for the fate of nations, had also great influence on the fate of Pestalozzi. A fiery patriot like him could not remain indifferent to that ferment of ideas, which, as the tremulous mur- murs of the earth that precede a volcanic explosion, heralded the first French Revolution. Society was hastening to its dissolution, ym il especially in France, and every sound of freedom that arose between the Pyrenees and the Jura found a ready echo in the Alps. Many parts of Switzerland were writhing under a tyranny not less yexa- tious because conducted on a smaller scale by a number of petty despots. In order that American readers may better understand the situation of affairs at that time, it must be stated that Switzerland, although mainly a Republic, consisting of thirteen free and independent can- tons, owned yet some undivided territory. This section was subject to the sway of one or more of those cantons, and governed by a_ bailiff, whose ideas of political economy seemed to be to make him- self rich at the expense of his subjects. Moreover, the cities even in the independent cantons possessed great privileges in taxation, — representation, and commerce, over the inhabitants of the country. The liberty of the press was often rudely assailed, and the fact that { Pestalozzi gave to one of his publications the harmless title of “ Fig-— ures to my Spelling-Book,” while, in the form of fables, it contained keen and biting allusions to political matters, seems to indicate a state of affairs not altogether unknown under despotic governments. An ardent admirer of the ideas of Rousseau and other liberals, — Pestalozzi naturally embraced the side of the oppressed. He saw the yawning gulf toward which the tyrants were rushing in blind ‘ | 4 _ madness, and could not but rejoice to hear the popular voice rising against them. The events immediately preceding the bloody French Revolution at last roused to action the pent-up feelings of indignation, A * The German word for sun, “Sonne,” is feminine, which explains the alle- gorical use of sun as a female. ' ; | é [ . | LIFE AT NEUHOF. yr | mighty power was overthrown by the popular fury, and its venal supporters, the aristocracy, either perished or were exiled. The guil- lotine worked day and night. The lower classes of France and of some other countries, emancipated from obedience to their hereditary ‘rulers, set at naught even the rules of justice and humanity, and considered liberty permission to indulge in violent passions. Hence the people soon engaged in a war of self-destruction, at which the better part of humanity shuddered. J Pestalozzi’s mind was too clear and far-seeing not to note the danger that threatened when liberty thus degenerated into license, and the scepter of power was wielded by those who could not govern themselves. In his younger days he had cherished the idea that the welfare of the people could be obtained merely by the improvement of outward circumstances; but he now saw and felt the important truth, that, for man to be truly free, his moral nature must be de- veloped and cultivated. The same idea is expressed in the precept of Jesus: ‘‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” After this, Pestalozzi expected but little good from mere political changes, unless they were accompanied by the elevation of the masses, and his whole heart impelled him in the direction in which this could. best be accomplished. Some of his friends and a few members of the Government, who, like himself, considered education the main pillar of the state, were willing to procure him an influ- ential position ; but it was left to Providence to indicate the particu- lar spot where he was destined to commence his immortal labors. The year 1798 saw Switzerland the battle-ground between the French, Austrian, and Russian armies. They made the mountain walls echo and reécho the thunder of their cannon, and tinged the Alpine snows and the waters of lovely lakes with the blood of the slain. The Swiss were compelled to take sides with one or the other of the contending powers. The influence of France was very great: but her centralizing tendencies were odious to the old republics around the lake of Luzerne, cherishing, as they did, their national independence with the tenacity of habit and the pride of old rec- ollections. _ After France had vanquished the ill-organized resistance of the Swiss, who were divided among themselves, they forced upon the cantons a new constitution, modeled after that proclaimed by the Directorial Government of France. By this constitution the power _ of the larger cantons was diminished, while several of the smaller ones i - pa : » a 28 PESTA LOZZI. were consolidated into one, and deprived of a portion of their demo- cratic institutions. | In most places the people accepted their fate with silent and unre- sisting sorrow. The small canton of Nidwalden, situated at the southern extremity of Lake Luzerne, and bounded by high mount- ains, alone sought to maintain its independence. Enraged at this opposition to its plans, the French Government sent its legions against the unfortunate valley. The brave mountaineers rallied for the de- fense of their homes, and it was only after great losses that the French th A 4 were able to force their way through the mountain passes. In re-— venge for the resistance, the invaders commenced a horrible massaére. | The whole region seemed doomed to destruction. Men, and often women and children, were shot. Every village, except Stanz, was burned, and this one,was only spared at the intercession of a French officer. The news of these atrocities produced a deep sensation of mingled indignation and pity throughout Switzerland, and the Government in- stituted means to save the remnant of the unfortunate people from starvation. In Pestalozzi’s soul, compassion was associated with an overpowering desire to do something for the sufferers—especially for the orphaned children, who now, more than ever, needed the healing remedy of a sound education. His resolution was at once taken; and, without delay, he made an offer to the Government to go to that desolate valley, there to collect and instruct the poorest of the children. His offer was accepted, and henceforth his vocation of school-master — was fixed. The Helvetic Government, although in some respects the tool of France, yet counted among its members men who would be an honor to any state—men who had studied the wants and necessities of the people, and who were earnestly devoted to the task of finding a remedy for existing evils. Of these men, Le Grand, President of the Council, and Stapfer, Minister of Arts and Sciences, deserve the high- est place. They were staunch and unflinching supporters of Pestalozzi, and their conduct is in strong contrast to that of others, who were accustomed to judge character only by outward success. The report submitted by Stapfer to his colleagues in regard to Pes- talozzi’s mission to Stanz displays the views of a wise statesman, as well as of an intelligent friend of education. He says: ‘‘ Permit me, Citizen Directors, to remind you on this occasion of the principal points in the plan of Pestalozzi; such as are indicated in his classical book, ‘ Leonard and Gertrude.’ He unites practical application with -_—s LIFE AT NEUHOF. 29 elementary instruction; develops and fortifies early habits of indus- try, and bestows his attention upon all subjects which will facilitate the labor of the working classes. A good education must enable the pupil to secure for himself, by his principles, his sentiments, and his actions, a path to happiness. It brings into play all the faculties of — man, and takes advantage of every thing, which, from his earliest years, may have an influence on his development and success in the different positions and circumstances in which he may find himself splaced. . : . Pestalozzi’s first care is directed toward the physical wants of the child. He habituates him to all kinds of work, in order that no effort, no pains, which his future vocation may im- pose, shall be too much for him. He wishes to keep his pupils from all useless and damaging wants and desires, and to impart to them a sincere love of simplicity and a contempt for all that is superfluous and eneryating. He requires them to practice rural and domestic occupations, in order to inspire them with love for order and an activity directed toward the useful. The pupils, by seeing the re- sults of their work, learn to esteem themselves, and the parents have before their eyes an example of a well-organized household and of moral education. . : : To ae eu an mee “itis of (Guan Beialozzi contrary to the unity or uniformity of a system of public education?’ I would reply, if the project succeeds, it must be consid- ered a Model School, and be productive of others of the same kind. If it does not succeed, it will at least have supplied new, interesting, and useful experience.” ° In this, as in other addresses of the same kind, the warm-hearted Stapfer alludes to Pestalozzi as ‘‘that grand, unappreciable man, whose ardor for the improvement of his fellow-man, age has not been able to dampen, and whose heart ever burns with a sacred fire for the human race.” Stapfer portrayed the man correctly. Faithful to the declaration made in the letter to his beloved, which we have already quoted, and forgetting his own misery and wants, in his compassion for the destitute orphans of Stanz, he entered upon his new work with zeal and enthusiasm. +7 CHAP. Th Rea ies LIFE AT STANZ. a wees | YESTALOZZIS resolution to go to Stanz seems to have been one of those inspired acts which are not weighed in the seale of reason. The inhabitants of the town were governed by priests, from whom little help and sympathy could be expected. Add to this the gen- | eral devastation of the country, the want of food, shelter, and other necessaries of life, the absence of school furniture and apparatus, and the reader can judge whether it offered many inducements to a man fifty-three years of age, of frail physical constitution, and weary — from disappointment and care. The saying of a philosopher, that ‘“‘oreat ideas spring from the heart,” was applicable to him. It was — love that urged him to ponder over the means of helping his poorer brethren; love that enabled him to persevere in his efforts under the — most perplexing difficulties. When speaking of his resolution, he says: “I knew not exactly what I could accomplish, but I knew what I wished—to die or to carry out my plans.” The Government assigned him for his school an empty convent, in — which some alterations were indispensable, When it became known that the convent was open, even before the kitchen, school, and bed- rooms were completed, poor orphan children flocked thither “in large numbers. The appearance of these ragged, neglected little ones would have been revolting to almost any other man; but Pestalozzi saw before him immortal souls which he might save from the sloth of mental and moral perdition. Assisted by his housekeeper, he wisely began his task by inculeating the necessity of cleanliness and order. He then commenced his educational work with an amount of vigor, self-forgetfulness, and enthusiasm, such as the world has seldom seen combined in the soul of one frail mortal. The government of the school, even when punishment was neces- sary, was chiefly based on love and the power of good example. His own touching account gives the best idea of this: ‘I was among them from morning till evening. Every thing tending to benefit (30) LIFE AT STANZ. SIL body and soul, I administered with my own hand. Every assistance, every lesson they received,came from me. My hand was joined to theirs, and my smile accompanied theirs. They seemed out of the world and away from Stanz; they were with me and I with them. We shared food and drink. JI had no household, no friends, no serv- ants around me; I had only them. Was their health good, I enjoyed it with them; were they sick, I stood at their side. I slept Pee? WOR A S F — y Wi, Ms ee PAN NAN - 5 VIEW -OF STANZ. in their midst. I was the last to go to bed and the first to rise. I prayed with them, and taught them in bed till they fell asleep.” _ We see by this that his chief aim was to carry out one of his ‘most cherished ideas—to impart to the school the character of a family. Like a good mother, he relied less on words than on ac- tions, to enlist the feelings and excite the sympathy of the children. ‘The fact that he worked under less favorable circumstances than “most mothers have to encounter, only tends to increase our admira- tion for his wonderful insight into the mainsprings of human actions, and for the motives which stimulated him. He talked but little about abstruse questions of morality or religion; but he never neg- lected an opportunity to excite a religious emotion or to encourage oral actions. : The following incident will illustrate his method of procedure: In 1799 the neighboring town of Altorf was consumed by fire. Pesta- 32 PESTALOZZI. lozzi, hearing the news, assembled his children and gave to them a description of the sad calamity. He called their attention particu- larly to the many children left homeless, and a prey to hunger and want. He then reminded them of their own condition some weeks before. After thus exciting the sympathy of the children, he asked: ‘Shall I not try to get permission of the Government to receive some of these unfortunate ones into your home?” The children cried, as with one voice, ‘‘ Yes, yes.” Not wishing to take advantage of the first impulses of their feelings, he appealed to their reason. ‘‘Remember, children,” he said, ‘‘ food and money are scarce; only little is given for your support. If they come, it will be necessary to have your rations diminished, and to share your beds with them. Now, choose.” The children cried, as before, ‘‘ Let them come, Father, we will willingly share with them all we have.” | Such scenes must have been to Pestalozzi a reward for all his har- assing care; for they showed the power of love and faith, and the importance of an education which quickens sympathy and exhibits its hallowing influence in action. With a heart large enough to embrace them all, he stood in their midst like the father of a family. Under his loving instruction, his— pupils became to him affectionate children, and to each other, broth- -ers and sisters; and, as in a well-ordered household, each was intent upon serving the interests of all. This spirit was particularly — manifest during the hours of instruction, when you might see chil- dren teaching other children—not in the spirit of little despots, as is too often manifest in schools of this character, but in the spirit of kindness and forbearance. ‘‘If ever so small a child,” says Pesta-— lozzi, ‘‘ knew a few letters more than others, he seated himself between two of them, embraced them with his little arms, and taught them that of which they were ignorant.” Hitherto we have dwelt principally on the means and effects of.the moral training, which, if rightly understood, is the basis of sound intellectual growth. It can not be denied that love and respect for the teacher and interest in the thing presented, combined with peace and order, are the most powerful incentives to intellectual’ effort. We have always admired the advice given to teachers by Horace Mann, that, “in case of any disorder in school, or any act calculated to disturb the feelings of any portion of the class, or of the teacher, the teaching should be suspended for the moment. It is better to leave the thread of ideas interrupted than to suffer any wheel of the moral machinery to get rusty.” In schools where an opposite plan is followed, and where the feelings and moral sentiments are sacri- , . j . ES. a SS oe a f ih / ei “UL IZzoye1s eee = i te an Be JOO S34 “SUB 34 PESTALOZZI. ficed for mere intellectual attainments, we may be sure that the in- tellectual structure itself will rest on a frail and unsafe foundation. Pestalozzi discarded all mental operations which did not aim to elicit truth. He had no respect for those intellectual feats which consist chiefly in a skillful handling of words, and are not based on the children’s own observation and experience. Very appropriately, says Biber: ‘‘As Pestalozzi based all matters of discipline on the primary motive of all virtue, love; so in matters of instruction, he started with the source of all knowledge, the elements. ‘‘Me did not burden their minds with the memory of words whose meaning they did not understand; but he led them gradually to the discovery of truths, which, in the nature of things, they could never forget. Instead of building up a dead mind and a dead heart on the ground of a dead letter, he drew forth life to the mind and life to the heart from the fountain of life within, and thus established a new art of education, in which to follow him, requires, on the part of the teacher, not a change of system, but a change of state.” His school-room was totally unprovided with books, and his appa- ratus consisted of himself and his pupils. He was forced to adapt these means to the accomplishment of his end. He directed his whole attention to those natural elements which are found in the mind of every child He taught numbers instead of figures; living sounds instead of dead characters; deeds of faith and love instead of abstruse creeds; substance instead of shadow; realities instead of signs. In many particulars, Pestalozzi’s work would not appear to advan- — tage in the light of the present time. Its excellence consisted chiefly in his power to reach. the hearts of the children, and to stimulate them to mental exertion. This power came, in part, from his own — personality, and, in part, from the means which he employed to attract their attention and direct their thoughts. The school, however, lacked the order and system which are con- sidered indispensable to success at the present day. These deficien- cles were excusable, considering that Pestalozzi was the sole teacher. of eighty pupils, bound to no course of study, and entirely without experience in regard to the arrangement of labor and time. His main object seemed to be to ascertain the kind of instruction most needed by the children, and how it could be based upon their previous knowledge. When he saw them interested, he pur- sued the same topic for hours, and left it only when the interest flagged or the point was attained. To keep up the interest, he fre- . — { _ ey es ‘aaa 4 = LIFE AT STANZ. 35 _ quently varied the form of the exercise, treating the subject now in a playful, now in a practical, manner, and left off only to resume it at a more favorable time. They had no lessons to commit, but they had always something to investigate. They gained little positive knowledge, but their love of knowledge and power of acquiring it increased daily. At the end of a single term the result of this course of instruction Was manifestly great. The children had improved so much, both phys- teally and morally, that Pestalozzi says: ‘‘They seemed entirely differ- ent beings from those I had received six months before, neglected, ragged, and filthy.” But yet he stood entirely alone. There was no admiring school committze to sound his praises; not even one to visit his school on days of examination, or when special preparation had been made for their reception; no brother pedagogue to give him countenance and advice; and no parents who fully appreciated the “good work done, or were grateful for the kindness and self-sacrifice -which prompted it. On the contrary, the people were both super- stitious and ignorant, and felt a great distrust for the heretic teacher, who, they feared, might lead their children to perdition. In many respects his experience here was a repetition of that at _ Neuhof, where he had to deal with the very lowest classes of the com- ‘munity. ‘To show the trials to which he was subjected, and the pa- tience and forbearance which he was obliged to exercise continually, we will quote his own words. ‘‘ Mothers who supported themselves by open beggary, would, upon visiting the establishment, find some cause of discontent, and take their children away, because ‘they would not be worse off at home.’ Sundays especially, fathers, mothers, and other “relatives came to the house, and, taking the children aside in some corner or in the street, elicited complaints of every kind, and either took them away or left them peevish and discontented. Many were brought to the asylum with no intention but to have them clothed; “which being done, they were removed without any apparent reason. ' Others required pay for leaving their children, in order. to compensate ‘for the diminished produce of their beggary. Others bargained for how many days in the week they could take them out for begging errands. Such proposals being rejected, they went away indignant, declaring that unless their terms were accepted they would soon ore away their children. Several months passed in this constant fluctuation of pupils, which rendered the adoption of any settled plan of discipline or instruction utterly impossible.” ~ When Henry Zschokke, at that time Commissioner of the Helvetic Fovernment, and afterward a celebrated novelist, visited Stanz in the Ta ale 36 PESTALOZZI. spring of 1789, he stated, that ‘“‘nobody kept company with poor Pes- talozzi, and, with a few honorable exceptions, he was considered either a good-natured fool or a poor devil, who was compelled, by indigence, to perform the menial office of school-master.” What was it, then, that kept his spirit alive, and seemed to impart to his very body the buoyancy and strength of youth? It must have been the consciousness of doing good, and a vision of the eternal prin- ciples of education, combined with an unbounded confidence in God and the possibility-of improving the human race. Let* those who now witness the mighty changes that have taken place in education pay grateful tribute to the man who first took arms against the hollow sys- tems of the old school routine, and who showed the path to those de- lightful regions of thought, in whose well-tilled soil rich harvests will ever be reaped by the patient laborer. To the philanthropist and friend of education Stanz will always be a hallowed spot, exhibiting, as it does, the picture of this venerable teacher sitting among the outcast children, animated by the very spirit of Christ, and by a great idea which not only filled his own soul, but — also inspired those who witnessed his labors. While Pestalozzi was thus endeavoring to heal the wounds which — ignorance, neglect, and the evils of war had inflicted upon an unfortu- nate people, the contending armies of Europe still made Switzerland © their battle-ground. More than once the rumor that the enemy were approaching the secluded valley of Nidwalden, had caused such fright — and alarm that the inhabitants of Stanz and the children of the school © fled in all directions. f In June, 1799, a French company, after having met with a reverse, appeared in reality, and, without ceremony, took possession of the con-— vent which Pestalozzi had hitherto occupied. As there was no appeal — from force, he relinquished his labors, and, after having supplied his beloved pupils with clothing from the remaining part of the fund — granted for that purpose, he took leave of them amidst tears and sobs. — His own feelings are best expressed in a letter to his friend Gessner: — ‘Imagine with what sensations I left Stanz. Thus might feel a ship- — wrecked sailor, who sees land after weary and restless nights, and draws — the breath of coming life, but is again thrown into the immensity of space. This was my own condition. Think of the fullness of my heart, the greatness of my plans, my success and my ruin, the trem- bling of my disordered nerves, and my mute agony.” After this painful event Pestalozzi repaired to the rural home of his — faithful and sympathizing friend Zehender, in the Canton of Berne, — where he spent some time in regaining his shattered health. In the : ia LIFE AT STANZ. oF immediate neighborhood, upon a plateau above the beautiful lake of Thun, are the baths of Gurnigel. The scenery in this region is among the finest in Europe. - The eye looks down upon a wide plain strewn with hamlets and villages, and bounded by the snow-capped summits of the Bernese Alps, which Byron calls, “Those palaces of nature, whose vast walls Have pinnacled in cloud their snowy scalps, And throned Eternity in icy halls Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls The avalanche, that thunderbolt of snow.” Respecting this visit, Pestalozzi says: “I looked with admiration from the height of Gurnigel upon the immense valley, with its mount- ain border; and yet I thought, at this moment, more of the badly instructed people it contained than of the beautiful scenery. I could ‘not, nor would I, live without accomplishing my aim.” With this determination, he called upon some of his influential friends and consulted them in regard to his future prospects. He Was poor and emaciated, and yet as enthusiastic and determined as ever. His experiment at Stanz, though apparently a failure, he con- sidered a success, as his experience there had demonstrated the practi- cability of his principles. His only demand was for employment in a school, no matter how low its grade. A friend, hearing of a vacancy in a school at Burgdorf, a small town in the Canton of Berne, Pesta- lozzi immediately set out for that town to secure the place, if possible. ~~? CHAP TER ENS LIFE AT BURGDORF. HE situation for which Pestalozzi applied, and which he obtained, was that of assistant in a school, which, according to the exclusive notions of the time, was set apart for the children of parents not citi- zens of the place. As these people generally belonged to the poorer classes, they could not afford to pay a good school-teacher; and the sum which Pestalozzi received in his new situation was very small. Even in this humble and subordinate position, he was not permitted to labor in peace. The head master perceiving that Pestalozzi succeeded in gaining the attention and affection of the pupils in a greater degree than he, set about devising means of ridding himself of so dangerous arival. He informed the patrons that his assistant did not know how to read and spell correctly, and that he was opposed to teaching the Heidelberg Catechism. There was some truth in the former accusation, as Pestalozzi very candidly confessed, and a great deal in the latter, since he never was a friend of that dogmatic machinery by which sen-— timents are put in the mouth of the child, of the meaning of which he has not the slightest idea. His apparent delinquency in this latter point proved fatal to his interests, and he was expelled from his hum- ble situation. By no means discouraged, he applied for occupation in a school where children from five to ten years of age were taught by an old dame. is application was successful, probably because it was heliev His application was successful, probably because it was believed that he could do less mischief with little children than with older ones; and~ because the old lady would thus be relieved of the labor of teaching. — In teaching reading he adopted the phonetic method, in which the sound and not the name of the letter is given—an innovation, effected not without opposition. The results obtained caused him great delight, — which was marred only by the fear that he might again be removed through the prejudices of the parents and authorities. This time, how-— ever, he was agreeably disappointed. The honor of giving the first id a « ° °. e a public testimony of the yalue of Pestalozzi’s educational principles (38) his pupils. Some of these the range of the ordinary school routine. In making such innovations, LIFE AT BURGDORF. 39 belongs to the school committee of Burgdorf. It was stated in this report: ‘“‘He has shown what powers are hidden in the feeble child, and in what manner they can be developed. The pupils have made astonishing progress in some branches, thereby proving that every child is capable of doing something if the teacher is able to draw out his talent, and awaken the powers of his mind in the order of their nat: ural development.” This testimony refers, not only to exercises in spelling, but to all those by which Pestalozzi cultivated the observation and ingenuity of —- -————— —— * “ Me a Wie . is *. f ‘ w) hh! ‘ be i} ny IN \ tis Y NN YA \VUN¢ Ula. Im Hiker y 2 da YAS eee phi