romising character, were
converted, in a short time, into a peaceful and happy family circle.
Their tempers were meliorated, their manners softened, their health
improved, and their whole appearance so changed that it was almost
impossible to recognize them as the same persons whose haggard and
stupid faces had formerly been noticed by every visitor at the asylum.

He wished to give to his establishment the character of a family, rather
than of a public school. He often related to his pupils narratives of a
happy and well-regulated household; and endeavored to awaken their
hearts to a sense of the blessings which men may bestow upon each other
by the exercise of Christian love. He taught this, whenever he could, by
examples taken from real life. Thus when Altorf, the capital of the
Canton of Uri, was laid in ashes, having informed them of the event he
suggested the idea of receiving some of the sufferers into the asylum.
"Hundreds of children," said he, "are at this moment wandering about as
you were last year, without a home, perhaps without food or clothing.
What would you say of applying to the Government, which has so kindly
provided for you, for leave to receive about twenty of these poor
children among you?"

"Oh, yes," exclaimed his pupils; "yes, dear Mr. Pestalozzi, do apply if
you please."

"Nay, my children," replied he, "consider it well first. You must know I
cannot get as much money as I please for our house-keeping; and if you
invite twenty children among us, I shall, very likely, not get any more
for that. You must, therefore, make up your minds to share your bedding
and clothing with them, and to eat less and work more than before; and
if you think you cannot do that readily and cheerfully, you had better
not invite them!"

"Never mind," said the children; "though we should not be so well off
ourselves, we should be very glad to have these poor children among us."

But the prosperity which Pestalozzi here enjoyed proved to be of short
duration. Before the expiration of a year from the commencement of his
undertaking, Stanz was taken by the Austrians, and he was obliged to
abandon his experiment at the very moment of its greatest success. This
took place in the summer of 1799. He was now exposed to the ridicule of
many, who had always derided his plan as visionary and enthusiastic, and
to whom he was prevented, by this untimely removal, from giving the
evidence of facts in demonstration of its excell