erland, January 12,
1746. His father was a physician of great intelligence, and his death
before the boy reached his sixth year deprived the latter of a wise
counselor. The character of the mother is shown by the dying appeal of
Pestalozzi's father to his servant Baebeli: "For God's sake and in the
name of mercy do not forsake my wife. When I am dead she will be
helpless, and my children will fall into the hands of strangers."

Baebeli replied, "I will 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," a promise which she faithfully kept. Kruesi thinks that, "The
sacrifices of a mother for her children do not show more nobility of
soul than was displayed by this poor, uneducated girl, who gave up all
her worldly interest for a family not her own." Who can say that
Pestalozzi himself was not inspired to his long life of devotion to the
interests of the lowly by the unselfish consecration of this lowly woman
to his family?

Pestalozzi did not care for companions of his own age. He was peculiarly
a mother's boy, content to grow up dreamy and impractical at her quiet
hearthstone. Consequently he was awkward and reserved, easily imposed
upon, and lacking in self-reliance. These qualities remained with him as
long as he lived, and caused him many painful failures. On the other
hand, the pious example of his mother and the tranquil life he led with
her made the boy reflective and imaginative, while his soul became
filled with great thoughts for the well-being of mankind. His
grandfather, a country pastor, whom he often visited, by his simple,
godly life exerted a great influence in shaping Pestalozzi's religious
character.

=Schooling.=--At school he was the butt of ridicule among the scholars
because of his awkwardness, his simplicity, and his ingenuousness. His
comrades dubbed him "Harry Oddity of Follyville," a nickname that
carried no reproach with it, but was intended to express good-natured
appreciation of his characteristics. Mr. Quick tells us that "his good
nature and obliging disposition gained him many friends. No doubt his
friends profited from his willingness to do anything for them. We find
that when, on the shock of an earthquake, teachers and scholars alike
rushed out of the schoolhouse, Harry Oddity was the boy sent back to
fetch out caps and books." While not brilliant as a scholar, he was by
no means dull. He was more ready in g