hand; and the school-house was at length erected and furnished. Not only so, but in the course of a few years a similar schoolhouse was erected in each of the other villages; and such was the progress of improved sentiment among the inhabitants, that they came voluntarily forward to second the efforts of their pastor, and to take on themselves the trouble and expense of supporting the establishment. To complete his scheme of education, he instituted arrangements for cultivating young men as teachers thus providing not only for the present, but the prospective conducting of these useful seminaries.

Having effected these important measures, Oberlin paused for a time to witness their operation, being hopeful that they would realise all he could wish for the secular instruction of the young. The schools answered every expectation; but something else was desirable. He observed with regret, that while parents were engaged in their daily labours, and the elder children at school, the infants were either neglected, or left in the charge of old women, incompetent, from their infirmities and their ignorance, to pay them the attention and give them the instruction they required. Education, as he justly considered, begins in the nursery, and children may be taught right from wrong-to be meek or passionate, cleanly or the reverse, before they are out of their cradle. To see an evil, was with Oberlin only preliminary to providing a remedy. He resolved to institute in his parish a number of salles d'asile, or infant schools, under properly qualified conductrices.

In commencing operations, he received the assistance of his wife, who sought out and instructed women of mature age, and of a kindly disposition, to act as schoolmistresses. Having hired an apartment in each of the five villages and three hamlets in the canton, Oberlin placed in each one of these women, whom he termed a conductrice. At first, the schools were opened only one day in the week, as the conductrices were obliged to labour during the other days for their subsistence; but afterwards means were found for more frequent instruction. Having been previously initiated in the branches of knowledge best adapted to the purpose, the conductrice taught the children by turns whatever appeared most suited to their infant capacities. In the instructions there was a happy blending of labour with intellectual exertion. Children naturally love to finger or work at something, and, as is observed, if not provided with some kind of trivial but harmless employment, they will almost inevitably work mischief. To amuse their minds-to keep them from meddling with each other-and, in some instances, to keep them from falling asleep, as well as to accustom them to industrious habits, the elder boys were taught to pick or card wool and cotton, and the girls to spin, sew, and knit. Those who were too young for this species of labour, were placed in positions to see the work going on; for, next to working themselves, all children are fond of looking at others at work.

While so employed, their conductrice related and explained little stories from the Bible, or from other sources; also pleasing anecdotes in natural history-the whole of a kind likely to suppress the animal propensities, and cultivate in the minds of the pupils a love of justice, mercy, and peace; likewise to show the wise and superintending care of Providence, and the beauty and harmony which reign throughout creation. She also taught them to sing and repeat hymns; instructed them in some of the leading facts in geography and botany; and trained them to be cleanly in person, and respectful and polite in their general behaviour. Another point in the juvenile education was, the inculcating of a love of what was beautiful in nature. A taste for flowers was in particular cultivated, tending greatly to modify the dispositions, and improve the artistic abilities of the young.

The germs of much useful knowledge and moral excellence were in this manner planted in the minds of the pupils, and proved of incalculable advantage to them as they grew up. So far from being weary of these meetings, the children were delighted to attend, and their parents were equally pleased with their progress. Having been thus prepared by early discipline, they were, at the age of seven years, admitted into the higher schools, where they were carried forward through a sound elementary education. Among other benefits originating in this course of instruction, was a marked improvement in the language of the people. Formerly, the language spoken was a patois or jargon, scarcely understood by strangers, and a great impediment to general intercourse. The conductrices in the infant schools, by never allowing a single word of patois, and teaching the pupils to speak pure French, almost entirely banished this unintelligible jargon, and introduced the common language of the country, which is now spoken in the canton.

Oberlin did not set all this mechanism of education in motion, and then leave it to itself. He kept a watchful superintendence over the whole, and reserved for himself, almost exclusively, the appropriate function of religious instructor. He collected all the children, who were not mere infants, once a-week at Waldbach, for general examination in their studies; and every Sunday the children of each village, in rotation, assembled at the church to sing the hymns and recite the lessons of piety they had learned, and to receive fresh religious instruction and admonitions. These assemblages were not, as may be imagined, meetings of gloom and fear, as the method of communicating religious knowledge too often unfortunately is. So universally was Oberlin beloved, so mild, persuasive, and indulgent were his exhortations, that the children were happy in being permitted to attend, and doubly happy when they were rewarded with a smile from the cher Papa.

From the same collected memoir whence we gather some of

*

these interesting particulars, we learn that Oberlin, with renewed assistance from Strasburg, was enabled to establish a library for the use of the children in the different schools, and also to furnish an electrical machine and other philosophical instruments. Oberlin likewise has the credit of having at this time struck out an original idea, which has since been perfected in Scotland. This was the establishment of small itinerating libraries. A neat and handy collection of books being put into a case, was left at a village for three months, for the use of the inhabitants. At the end of this time it was removed to another village, and another collection of books, different from the former, took its place. Thus collections of books, some of which were printed at Oberlin's own expense, were made to circulate through the canton, and a continual fund of amusement and instruction kept up.† The arrangements for the intellectual cultivation of his people were not yet terminated. A crowning point to his labours in the department of literature, was the composing and publishing of an almanac for the use of his parishioners. This interesting annual was divested of all the falsehoods and superstitions with which almanacs are usually filled; and, like that of "Poor Richard," was replete with useful advices, and hints on many subjects of interest.

Here we may again pause in our recital of Oberlin's benevolent enterprises, to notice some matters of a personal nature.

FAMILY HISTORY-PERSONAL TRAITS.

Oberlin had been married sixteen years, during which time he had born to him a family of three sons and four daughters, when his beloved Madeleine was taken from him by death. This sad event, which occurred in 1784, was sudden and unforeseen, and filled the humble parsonage with grief, not however the sorrow of despair. At the period of his marriage he composed a prayer, craving the divine blessing on his union, and concluding with the affecting wish, that it might not be the fate of himself and partner to be long separated from each other, but that the death of one might swiftly follow that of the other. In this his hopes were not realised. For the benefit of his fellow-creatures, he lived for the lengthened period of forty-two years after the death of his wife, and as a widower surrounded by his family.

The loss of Madame Oberlin was in some degree supplied to her children by a young woman, an orphan, named Louisa

1833.

*Memoirs of John Frederick Oberlin. London: Houldsworth. Fourth edition--a work drawn up with great taste, by a female writer, to which we would refer for many details too minute for the present biographic sketch.

An account of the plan of Itinerating Libraries, pursued in some parts of Scotland, will be found in Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 17, old series.

Schepler, who had already been eight years in the ser vice of the family. Formerly, she had been a conductrice in one of the infant schools; but this occupation not suiting her health, she became a domestic in the house of Oberlin. Kind attached servants are among the rare things of this world, though less rare in France than in Britain. Louisa Schepler appears to have been singular in her attachment, even in a country where fidelity and long service are far from uncomNo sooner did she accept the office of housekeeper to the cher Papa, than she resolved to devote the remainder of her existence to his service; not, however, as a paid domestic, but if possible as a friend. She accordingly refused all offers of marriage, and, what was equally remarkable, could with the greatest reluctance be persuaded to accept of any recompense. Her services, she determined, should be entirely given from an affectionate devotion towards her master and his children.

mon.

In a world of selfishness and rapacity, how charming to alight on a character so singularly simple and disinterested as that of the humble Louisa Schepler! Louisa was happy in conducting the household of Oberlin, and Oberlin uniformly treated her as a friend. Nine years had thus passed away since Louisa_had assumed the domestic management of the family, when, on Newyear's Day 1793, she addressed a letter to her benefactor, of which the following is a translation :

"DEAR AND BELOVED PAPA-Permit me, at the commencement of a new year, to request a favour for which I have long been desirous. As I am now in reality independent; that is to say, having now no longer my father nor his debts to attend to, I beseech you, my dear papa, not to refuse me the great favour of making me your adopted daughter. Do not, I intreat you, give me any more wages; for as you treat me like one of your children in every other respect, I earnestly hope you will do so in this particular also. Little is needful for the support of my person. My shoes and stockings, and sabots,* will cost something; but when I want them, I can ask you for them, as a child applies to its father. I intreat you, dear papa, to grant me this favour, and condescend to regard me as your most tenderly attached daughter, LOUISA SCHEPLER."

The cher Papa acceded to this request of Louisa, and ever afterwards she was treated by him as one of his own children; sitting at the same table, advising in all family concerns; still aiding, however, as a busy and faithful domestic, who knew her proper duties and place.

A few passages from the journal of a French gentleman who

* Wooden shoes. These are often worn by ladies and domestics in France, as outer shoes or clogs, to keep the feet from feeling cold on the earthen or tile floors.

visited the Ban de la Roche in 1793, will convey a pleasing idea of the personal appearance, habits, and family arrangements of We use the translation of the fair writer of his

Oberlin. memoirs.

"His countenance is open, affectionate, and friendly, and bears a strong impress of benevolence. His conversation is easy, flowing, and full of imagination, yet always adapted to the capacity of those to whom he is speaking. In the evening, we accompanied him a league on his way back to Waldbach. We had a wooded hill to ascend; the sun was just setting, and it was a beautiful evening. Sometimes we stood still to admire the beauties of nature, and at others to listen with earnest attention to his impressive discourse. One moment was particularly affecting; when, stopping about half-way up the hill, he answered in the softest tone, 'Yes, I am happy.' These words are seldom uttered by an inhabitant of this world, and were so delightful from the mouth of one who is a stranger to all the favours of fortune, to all the allurements of luxury, and who knows no other joys than those which religion and benevolence impart, that we longed to live like him, that we might participate in the same happiness.

"The following morning we set off to return the visit which he had paid us on the preceding day. We found the worthy pastor in his morning-gown; it was plain, but whole and clean. The house stands well, and has, from the garden side, a romantic_view: in every part of it is that kind of elegance which is the result of order and cleanliness. The furniture is simple; yet it suggests to you that you are in the residence of no ordinary man. The walls are covered with maps, drawings, and vignettes; and texts of Scripture are written over all the doors. His study is a peculiar room, and contains rather a well-chosen than numerous selection of books in French and German, chiefly for youth. The walls are covered with engravings, portraits of eminent characters, plates of insects and animals, and coloured drawings of minerals and precious stones; it is, in short, literally papered with useful pictures relative to natural history and other interesting subjects.

"The dinner commenced with a blessing. His children, two maid-servants, and a girl who receives her instruction there, were at the table: there was a remarkable expression of softness in all their countenances.

"I am writing this at his table, whilst he is preparing leather gloves for his peasant children. His family are around him, engaged in their different avocations; his eldest son, Frederick, is giving a lesson to some little ones, in which amusement and instruction are judiciously blended; and the cher Papa, without desisting from his employment, frequently puts in a word. He took me this morning into his workshop, where there is a turner's lathe, a press, a complete set of carpenter's tools, also a printing