their profession, while whatever other station in life they may be called upon to fill, they will carry with them superior energy and character.

To carry out the training of the child it is necessary that parents and teachers should act in concert. It is comparatively of little use for the teacher to pursue one system at school, whilst a counteracting one is going on at home. And some parents are so foolishly indulgent, that it is next to impossible for the teacher to influence their children to any good. Such persons frequently, when unable to obtain obedience at home through their own weakness, hold up the teacher as an object of terror, and threaten the child with punishment at school: or, at other times, require indulgences for their pets, inconsistent with the discipline of the school.

Another class think they can never be severe enough, and by frequent harshness, so blunt the better feelings of their children, as tô render it a difficult task for the teacher to train them, and it is nothing uncommon for a parent to come with a request for correction to be sometimes administered merely as a wholesome discipline!

As these different errors are often but the mistaken manifestation of a real desire for the good of the child, much can be done by reasoning kindly with such people, and appealing to facts to prove the benefit of a more judicious course. This is plainly the teacher's duty, as well as to keep up a friendly relation with the parents generally, by which means, the ideas of school and home will become connected, and the child prevented from assuming two characters, which is too often the case. Both school and home will benefit by this mutual influence, and a greater consistency of conduct be obtained. A child who has been visited in sickness by its teacher, will never forget the kindness, and I have known more improvement arise in the conduct and studies of some children, from having called at their homes, and spoken of them in an encouraging

hopeful manner, than by any other means; while in all cases, the home influence is the most useful and natural auxiliary on which the teacher has to rely.

As an inseparable adjunct of moral training, outward amenity and delicacy of demeanour must be carefully cultivated. Coarseness, vulgarity, and rudeness debase and brutalize, while refinement of manner and consideration for the feeling and comfort of others, not only render the intercourse of life delightful, but promote internal purity and elevation of feeling. It is plain

that one means of improving the manners of the children is for the teacher to set an example of gentleness and propriety, which will be insensibly imitated by them. But this is not entirely sufficient; errors and habits must be corrected in individual cases, and, when general, made the subject of lessons to the whole school. No more should be said to the children on these subjects than is actually necessary, as frequently_remarking their behaviour will make them nervous and unnatural. A good tone of manners once established can be kept up quietly without calling much attention to it. Consider that personal habits are generally acquired more by habit than by direct teaching. Cleanliness, for instance, is (as far as the child is concerned) easily acquired if care is taken to notice a child when clean with approval, and gently to admonish it for any wilful neglect, in unnecessarily soiling either its person or its clothes.

The advantage of forming good manners and habits by imitation is, that they are then natural, whereas when children are taught to behave in a certain way, they often cease to do so when the teacher is not present. The perception of what is pure and graceful which exists in every mind, is better awakened by the sight of the thing itself than by a description of it in words; let the teacher, therefore, be more anxious to set a model of right conduct before the children, than to give lessons on the subject.

We will in conclusion revert to some points requiring special attentions.

Obedience to the teachers' commands must of course be secured, but as a general principle, it should be a willing obedience. To obtain this, the teacher must first gain the affections of the child, and take care to require only what is just and reasonable.

Truth.-Infants have at first very vague notions about truth and falsehood, and we must be careful not to attribute the wanderings of the imagination, or the momentary effects of timidity, to deliberate intention. We have often known children indulge in a kind of romance, and tell long histories, as if true, which never occurred, without being aware they were doing wrong until it was pointed out to them. Fear also is so very likely to lead to concealment, that every inducement to candour should be held out, and when a little child once confesses a fault, it is questionable whether punishment should ever be inflicted.

Gentleness.-The exciting causes being as much as possible removed, outbreaks of anger will diminish, and the passion come under control. When rights are clearly defined and rules for the conduct of each established, quarrels will no longer be frequent; and as every case of wrong, or injury, is investigated, and just judgment given, a positive check will be put to such occurrences, and a gentleness of manner be induced.

Generosity. Every thing that is ungenerous, such as a disposition to report and magnify the faults of others, or to depreciate them, and to exalt self, must be discouraged, and a liberal generous spirit cultivated and encouraged, for by this alone can the intercourse of the children be rendered happy.

Ridicule. Children are so keenly sensible to ridicule that the worst effects would flow from allowing them to deride each other, and the disposition to do so should be carefully repressed.

Pride. In our anxious endeavours to encourage virtue or merit of any kind, we must be careful not to nourish pride. Children should be encouraged as far as possible to learn for learning's sake, to deny themselves for virtue's sake, and always to act from a sense of duty. The dangerous stimulous of public reward or praise should be administered with care, and, above all things, the teacher must avoid making show-children, either for talent or virtue. To do so is often the greatest injury to those whom we think to benefit. For this reason also, offices of trust ought not to be confined too exclusively to a small number of children, however meritorious, as they will come to look down on the less favored, and believe themselves superior in nature and abilities; even to confine singing, drawing, or any accomplishment to a small class is often an injury to them. If possible, every one should. have the same chance of learning; there will still always be difference enough arising from unequal natural abilities.

Tyranny and exclusiveness.-A few individuals in a school will generally try to tyrannize over the rest, and to monopolize the amusements which should be common to all. The remedy is very simple. Rules securing freedom and justice to all must be made and strictly enforced and, when necessary, lessons given explaining the evil tendency of such faults.

Cruelty to animals and destructiveness.-Many children seem to delight in destroying insects and ill-treating animals; and this habit if allowed to strengthen, would undoubtedly lead to an unamiable disposition and should be counteracted by proper lessons explaining the suffering they cause to animals and the wrong they commit by ill-treating them. With regard also to inanimate objects, a careful conservative spirit should be inculcated, which is best done by giving them an interest in, and teaching them to examine and admire works of art and natural objects.

Mutual love and benevolence. Every opportunity

should be sought for cultivating the higher feelings. The elder children should be taught to succour and assist the younger ones. When a child is hurt, or ill, or in any trouble, the teachers should hasten to set an example of kindness, by doing all in their power for its comfort and relief. Anecdotes and histories illustrative of kindness may also be frequently related in the gallery with a similar view.

Courage. Many children are timid from constitutional causes, others are rendered so by injudicious treatment at home, while some have vague terrors at sight of some particular object, or in the dark, &c. &c. From whatever cause fear arises, it should be counteracted by kind and judicious reasoning and by encouraging the child to overcome its terrors. The mere association of many children together has a tendency to give to each a degree of fortitude and self-support.

To pursue the subject of moral education in its various details would require a volume, and no rules could be made to include all cases. Intelligence quickened by love must guide the teacher in this important work.

66

INTELLECTUAL EDUCATION.

Everything depends on reducing the different branches of knowledge to their first elements, and proceeding gradually."-PESTALOZZI.

THE question to decide in arranging a system of intellectual education for infants, is, not how much they are capable of acquiring, but how much they can understand and retain.

It is easy to load the memory, but not so easy to develope the perceptive and reasoning powers.

The error generally committed is not beginning at the beginning. This may arise either from impatience or from a want of clearness in the teachers own mind, which renders him incapable of analysing the subject in hand so as to reduce it to a simple form.

Forgetting how our own notions of things were first