out the least hesitation. The plates were then put into his hand, and he was desired to turn up any particular animal when its name was mentioned, which he accomplished with considerable facility. A sheet, containing about sixty engravings of birds, quadrupeds, and fishes, where the different kinds of animals were grouped without any order-was next laid before him, when he was requested to point out a particular animal, when its name was given, which he also did, in almost every instance, after casting his eye up and down, and across the engraving, and, when he had hit on the object, he pointed to it with exultation, saying, "There's the lion-there's the goat-there's the dromedary," &c. The figure of a compound microscope was next exhibited, which he readily named; and several hours afterwards, a microscope of the same construction as represented in the engraving, was placed before him, which he immediately recognized and named, and then turned up the engraving where its figure was delineated, marking the resemblance between the one and the other. The same experiments were made with a terrestrial globe, an orrery, a telescope, a clock, a watch, and various other objects. He was next desired to point to several articles in the apartment-the table, a chair, the tongs, the shovel, the poker, a map, a portrait of a friend whom he knew, and other objects, which he at once recognized and distinguished. Several engravings of landscapes were then presented to his inspection, when he was requested to point out the men, women, trees, ships, houses, &c. of which they were composed; which he did with pleasure, and without hesitation, pointing his little fingers to different parts of the scene, and saying, "There's a dog-there's a man-there's a housethere's a tree," &c. I next led him into the garden, and placed him in a proper situation for viewing the surrounding objects. I first asked him to point to a windmill-there being one, and only one in view. He looked around for a few seconds, and, after fixing his eyes on the object, and pointing with his finger, exclaimed with pleasure, "There's windmill"-and, looking at it with steadiness for a few seconds, said with a kind of surprise, "No going round;" which was actually the case, as there was no wind. He was next desired to point out a flower, a tree, a cow, ship, and other objects, which he at once distinguished with the same facility.

The desire of this little boy for the exhibition of new objects, especially as represented by pictures, was almost voracious. After spending several hours in succession, in exhibiting to him several hundreds of plates of different encyclopedias, and books of travels he was still unsatisfied, called for more books, and seemed to for

get both hunger and sleep. He recollected, with considerable accuracy, the prominent objects that had been presented before him in these engravings; and, therefore, when a volume containing plates, which he had already seen, was again presented, he pushed it away, and requested another. Every morning, as soon as he was dressed, his first request was, "See more picturesyou please;" and, leading me into the room where the books were kept, pointed to the particular volumes he wished to inspect. Even his cravings for breakfast seemed to be forgotten, amidst 'the delight with which he contemplated new exhibitions of nature and art. The varieties of animated nature seemed to afford him the greatest degree of pleasure; but every striking and well-defined object, of whatever description, which he had never seen before, particularly arrested his attention. The exhibition of perspective views, through the optical diagonal machine, where the objects appear nearly as they do in nature, afforded him a high degree of gratification, while he described, in his own way, the different parts of the scene.-These circumstances evidently demonstrate the innate principle of curiosity, or desire for knowledge, implanted in the infant mind, which only requires to be judiciously regulated, and a series of interesting objects exhibited, in order to raise the human soul to the highest pitch of intellectual improvement. They also indicate the vast capacity of the mind for receiving an indefinite variety of ideas-the pleasure associated with their acquisition—and the boundless desires after new and varied scenes and enjoyments, which evidently point to a higher state of existence, where they will be fully gratified.

In stating the above circumstances-which to some readers may perhaps appear trifling-my intention is not to insinuate that the child alluded to is superior to others of the same age. Every child, whose physical and mental powers are in a sound state, is capable of making the same acquisitions, and feeling the same enjoyments; provided due care be taken to direct the principle of curiosity into a proper channel, and to supply it with proper objects. Some children, in consequence of their physical organization, may have more vigour of intellect than others; they may feel highly gratified with some objects and pursuits, and indifferent towards others; but they have all, substantially, the same faculties, and the same desire for the acquisition of knowledge, in one shape or another, when its objects are presented, in an interesting manner, to their view.-Such exhibitions as I have now described ought not to be viewed as mere amusements. While they gratify the mind of a child, and increase his enjoyments, they also embody a train of useful instructions, which lay the foundation of

mental activity, and of all those improvements he may afterwards make during the future scenes of his existence, whether in the present life, or in the life to come. And, if this be admitted, it will evidently appear to be a matter of considerable importance -that nothing but useful and correct ideas be imparted to the infant mind, and that care be taken that every thing that is whimsical, fanciful, or inconsistent with existing facts, be excluded from juvenile instruction, so that a child may never afterwards have occasion to struggle with youthful prejudices, or to counteract any of the instructions or impressions he had previously received. And in order to accomplish this end, it is requisite, that servants, nurses, and every other person connected with a family, be specifically instructed as to the manner in which they ought to conduct themselves towards children, both in their words and their actions, and strictly looked after, that nothing be said or done inconsistent with the rules of parental tuition.-At the period of life to which I now refer, it would be almost preposterous, to pester the child with learning the characters of the alphabet, or the uninteresting sounds of b a, ba, bi, bi, bo, bo; unless it can be done purely in the way of amusement. child is generally disgusted with every thing given him as a task, and which is not accompanied with pleasing emotions. It is quite time enough, at the age of four years, in ordinary cases, to instruct a child in reading his native language; though, before this time, he may speak it with considerable correctness, and acquire an indefinite number of ideas. And when he has once seriously commenced his scholastic instructions, they should be associated with every thing that may have a tendency to render them interesting and delightful-a principle which ought to be kept in view throughout all the subsequent departments of education.

For a

I have enlarged farther on the subject of infant education than I at first intended, from a strong conviction of its primary importance to the improvement of society in knowledge and virtue. If domestic training, during the three first years of human existence, be either trifled with, or not conducted on rational and moral principles, the arrangements in regard to their future education will be to a certain degree frustrated. The habits acquired, and the impressions made upon the mind of a child, during this period, may have an influence on his improvement and happiness, not only in the present world, but throughout the whole of that endless existence to which he is destined.*

*It gives me pleasure to learn, that the subject of infant education is now beginning to excite more attention than it has hitherto received; par

CHAPTER IV.

On Infant Schools.

Nor many years ago, it would have been deemed romantic, and even absurd in the extreme, to have attempted the establishment of seminaries for the instruction of infants of the age of eighteen or twenty months, or even of two or three years. But such institutions have not only been attempted, but actually established to a considerable extent in various States both in Europe and America, and have been attended with the most delightful and beneficial effects. Children, at a very early period, as formerly noticed, before they have acquired the alphabet of any language, are capable of receiving a very considerable portion of mental instruction. They possess the five senses, in nearly as great perfection as those of mature years; and it is through the medium of these senses that all our knowledge, whether historical, philosophical, or religious, is acquired. Children possess, in a high degree, the desire of novelty and the principle of curiosity—faculties intended by the Creator to stimulate to the prosecution of knowledge; and it is only requisite, that we direct the operation of these faculties in a proper channel, and present interesting and appropriate objects to stimulate their activity.

The principal objects of infant schools ought therefore to be— to exhibit to the view of children as great a variety as possible of the scenes of nature and the operations of art, either by directing their views immediately to the objects themselves, or by means of pictorial representations-to teach them to distinguish

ticularly by the establishment of Maternal Associations. The first mater nal institution appears to have originated with Mrs. Payson of Portland, province of Maine, North America, about 1815. A maternal association was first organized in Utica, in 1824. It commenced with eight members; but it appears from the Report of 1833, that it now consists of above a hundred. Similar associations were formed, about the same time, in Boston, New England, and at Hartford, and they have lately been organized in Glasgow, Greenock, and several other towns in Great Britain. Their object is to diffuse information in relation to the best methods of training up children in knowledge and moral habits, and promoting their best interests, both in respect to the present life and the life to come. For accomplishing these objects-besides regular meetings for prayer and conversation, at which the children sometimes attend-a periodical has been commenced in America, entitled, "The Mother's Magazine," which is reprinted in London, containing various useful facts, narratives, and observations, illustrative of this subject. Such associations, if judiciously conducted, cannot fail of producing a highly beneficial effect on the rising generation, and ultimately on the state of general society.

one object from another, to mark its peculiar qualities, to compare one object with another, and to deduce certain useful truths or conclusions from them-to instruct them how to use their voices, their eyes and ears, their hands and feet-to teach them the properties of numbers, the magnitudes, distances, and relative positions of objects, the forms and habits of animals, the different classes and uses of vegetables and minerals, the various objects to be seen in the fields and gardens, and the general aspect and phenomena of the atmosphere and the heavens-to impress their minds with the existence of a Supreme Being, of their continual dependence upon him, of his Goodness, Power, and Omnipresence, and of the duties they owe him-to teach them the fundamental maxims and rules of the Christian system, and make them reduce them to practice to train them to kindness and affection towards one another, to habits of cleanliness, neatness, and regularity in all their movements, and to conduct themselves with moral order and propriety, both in the school, the play-ground, and in their domestic associations-in short, to develop all the intellectual and moral powers of the mind, at a much earlier period than has hitherto been deemed expedient, in order to prevent the growth of vicious habits and false opinions, and to prepare them for all the subsequent instructions and scenes of action through which they may afterwards pass, that they may become blessings, instead of curses, to the world, and rise up in wisdom and knowledge, and in favour with God and with man.

In order to accomplish these purposes with the greatest effect, infant schools, as well as all others, should be erected, if possible, in an open and commanding situation, that a full view may be obtained of the heavens, the earth, and the ordinary phenomena of nature. The best dimensions for the school-room are found to be about 80 feet long, by 22 or 24 wide, with seats all round, and a rising platform or gallery at one end. Connected with this should be a room, from 14 to 18 feet square, for the purpose of teaching the children in classes, and for those children who have nade greater progress than the rest, that they may be trained for monitors. The furniture necessary for such a school, consists of a desk for the master; a rostrum for the occasional use of the monitors; seats for the children, who should all sit round the school-room with their backs to the wall; a lesson-stand, of a considerable elevation, for exhibiting pictures and lessons pasted on mill-board; stools for the monitors; slates and pencils; pictures of natural history, of scriptural subjects, of landscapes, of rural and domestic life, &c.; alphabets and spelling-lessons; brass letters and figures, with boards for them cubes parallelograms,