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PREFACE. |
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" A musical thought is one spoken by a mind that has penetrated into the inmost heart of a thing; detected the inmost mystery of it; namely, the melody which lies hidden in it; the inward harmony of coherence which is its soul, whereby it exists and has a right to be, here in this world."
—Carlyle. "By giving thought some outward shape, we try To lead a child from matter dull and dry, To matter's deeper meaning by-and-by."—Froebel.
'' For in Nature's every word God's own Father-voice is heard. A child's sense we must early rouse to trace The inner meaning in the outward face. Once let a baby this connection seize, He'll find his own way to his goal with ease. He to whom Nature law and God reveals, Finds that about him God's own peace he feels."—Froebel.
A conscientious, intelligent study of child-nature, its laws and needs, leads to that simplicity of wisdom which is a necessary condition for understanding the child.
Through his simplicity, although it is inexperienced, the child lives in the heart of things; and the circle of his life, though limited, contains all truths reduced to their simplest primal forms.
Feeling the encircling love of the family, he believes the whole world to be akin; every one, he thinks, knows him and he is surprised to find all are not acquainted with his uncle and grandmother.
Nature reflects his relations, and lo! he sees unity everywhere; little things are children of big things—in the sky live families of stars, and all about are the mother flowers and their children buds.
"What unity is to the mind, love is to the heart,"* hence, through affection, the child realizes harmony, goodness, the oneness of life. Beauty and goodness are to him inseparable—those he loves are always beautiful, only the unkind are ugly.
Thus it is the simplicity of inexperience feels the fundamental truth, a conscious realization of which an entire lifetime is not sufficient to give.
The child's perception, his loving human interpretation of things, makes of him a poet. " Do you not know," says Richter," that there is a time when fancy is more creative than even in youth, namely, in childhood, in which nations create their gods and only speak in poetry ? For children there are only living things; life meets them on every side. |
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