their ways by the simple, infantile, yet important observations made by the rightly instructed child of an infant school.*

It will, however, be difficult to find a sufficient reason or justification, for not doing all in our power to decide the child in favour of goodness, and I find from experience, and many years practice with little children, that there is no reason to despair, under the divine blessing, of being able to do so. At home, where vice predominates, it meets with anger, with unkindness; at school where goodness is presented to its view, it experiences nothing but love and affection from the children, and teacher too, if he is a fit and proper one; though it must be admitted that there is a most lamentable deficiency in the existing infant schools of such characters. This, in many instances, arises in consequence of their not having sufficient salaries, and not meeting with sufficient encouragement in such an irksome, laborious, and important situation; if the infant schools throughout the three kingdoms were visited, it would be proved that many of the teachers were like the school master mentioned in the life of Oberlin, who did not teach the children anything; and when asked the reason, very naturally replied, that it was because he knew nothing himself, and further observed, that as the parish had given up feeding pigs, which he formerly attended to, they had put him in the situation of schoolmaster.

It will be seen by the evidence of Mr. Dunn, and others, before a committee of the House of Commons, that many of the masters in London had recommended other teachers from very inferior motives; this I know to be a fact, and in this particular, can bear him out in his evidence. This arises from the masters themselves knowing very little of the system, or of the essentials requisite in a teacher; of a * Those who wish for further proof on this subject, I refer to my two works, 66 Wilderspin's Infant System," and "Early Discipline Illustrated."

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little, therefore, they can give but little to those who have less than themselves; and the most egregious errors and blunders, to the detriment of the children, and the system, are the natural consequences, and I despair of its ever being otherwise in this country, unless the government itself will erect a good model school, and placc it under the superintendence of those fit for the task. There is a silly and ridiculous notion abroad, that it requires more talent to educate children after they are seven years of age, than it does to develope, and afterwards train the moral and intellectual faculties of children under that age; this, however, is a fatal error, which has done a great deal of harm, and I fear will do more. A colt badly broke, and cruelly trcated, seldom becomes a safe or useful horse, and an infant badly managed, its temper soured, and its intellectual faculties injured by being overstrained, will seldom or ever make a deep and original thinker, or a good moral, religious, and useful man. Besides, a man may be very fit to teach little children that which he does know, and which may be very suitable to them, yet of all others he may be the most unfit to instruct other masters; this requires a thorough knowledge of the system, as well as much ge neral information on men and things, and especially a knowledge of the faculties connected with the human mind. If, however, the system remains under the controul of those who are so totally unfit for the work, yet by no means wanting in self-importance, who fancy they are playing the organ, when they are only blowing the bellows, little, to what might be expected, will be accomplished. With respect to the child, if it be properly dealt with, it is not unlikely that its heart, its will, and affections, will be won to prefer the school to an uncomfortable and noisy home, where quarrelling, and too often The well-conducted fighting, comes under its notice.

infant school, then, is a refuge from contamination within doors and without, under the care and direction of a kind

and judicious instructor, (effectually taught himself, and properly paid for his labour); and, in company with children of his own age, the child is led on delighted to the acquirement of useful knowledge, whilst his heart is imbued by the sympathetical influence of love with principles equally conducive to its own happiness, and to that of others; and thus, not only during its infancy, but through the whole of its future life, every thing is contrived for the bodily comfort, and the mental advancement and the moral elevation of the children. Amusement, instruction, and affection are found, in properly conducted infant schools, co-operating together with that effect, which those only can conceive, who have personally witnessed it.

Children soon learn how much more numerous the class of sayers are than the class of doers; how much they have of good theory, and, comparatively, how little of good practice. In more advanced age they write, Honesty is the best policy;" "Evil communications corrupt good manners;" "Love your enemies ;" "Virtue alone is happiness below;" one or other of these may be indelibly fixed on the child's memory, by the sound caning it got, or raps on the knuckles, for blotting its copy. Here then lies the error; the principles have entered by the head, and stopped there; on the other hand, if they had entered by the heart, they would have soon found their way to the head, and would then have soon produced good works, as it is they produce nothing but good words. It is this grand and fundamental error, which it has been the object of our infant-school system to avoid. We endeavour to approach the head by the heart; the understanding by the will and affections.

It is worthy of observation, that whilst virtue has a code of written laws, vice has specifically hewn out none, and yet we find that the former are neglected, and the latter obeyed, and it is a somewhat anomolous, though not uncommon sight, to see men arrayed beneath the banners of the

one, yet combating in favour of the other. Such being the case, how is the evil to be remedied, how the error to be avoided? Begin at the beginning begin at the right point; take possession of the infant heart; having gained the citadel, you will soon possess every other part, and be sure to retain possession; but, on the other hand, neglect to do this let the power of the evil once take possession before you, the evil sccds will be nourished in a soil but too genial for their fructification, and when they have produced sccds, some ten, some fifty, or a hundred fold, according to the quality of the soil, or the disposition of the pupil, let us be careful not to charge the Author of our existence as being the cause of this effect; the fault is ours, and, at the last day of account, we shall find it but too true. If you strive to gain the heart of a man, you will find it a difficult, at least, if not an impossible, task; an old possessor will not casily give up his long confirmed notions or preconceived opinions, his vile language or bad habits; he probably laughs at all your vain endeavours to shake, what he calls, his foundation; you will find that he has fortified himself in what he believes to be his stronghold. It is clear, then, that we must turn to the heart of the child; there we may succccd. It is but to enter and take possession with the smile of love; this is the first principle, and the first practice, of our infant-school system, for love begets love, as every thing has a tendency to produce its like; we, therefore, take possession of the heart, and, having done so, we endeavour to effect our purpose, and make use of the advantage we have gained, first, by exciting in the heart love towards God, which will produce the love of a lower degrcc, which is love towards man.. It is because we de not love God as the chief and governing principle, that we are so cruel and unkind to our own species

I will not stop to get over the obstacles which some would here place in our way the different religious opinions of men; no, I will keep it out of the way, and boldly

say that those differences have nothing to do with love to the Creator, and as little with love to man. Let the first sounds of heavenly truth which salute the ears of infancy, be that herald cry which astonished and enraptured the wakeful shepherds,—“Peace on earth, good-will towards men." Surely the first breathings of religious truth to infant ears, has nothing to do with the strife of polemical controversy; let us endeavour to teach them love to God; not to love him with their affections in a state of inactivity, but shew them his power and his goodness in all they see, hear, feel, and enjoy; the parents who support them, the food they eat, the clothes they wear; the teacher who instructs them, and gains their affections, and they reqnire but little teaching to convince them that they ought for these things to love God, who produced them all; thus intuitively taught, the impulse of conscience teaches them, and a feeling of love springs up in their infant hearts towards their heavenly Father; nor will that feeling of love, if firmly rooted, fail to be unboundedly increased, when to their maturer understandings the goodness of God in giving his Son to die for their sakes, and for their sins, is explained. This should be the ground of all piety,—a sense of grateful love, of filial affection for his goodness, a sense of adoration for his power. Children are,—we find them to be so, as capable of understanding religion, viewed in this light, as the wisest philosopher, perhaps I might say more so, for the infant heart is in more immediate contact with the influences from the Divine Being than many suppose, because the grandest truths, as coming from the Author of all truth, will, if rightly presented to the infant mind, be received and understood. The impressions of his goodness and power on their susceptible minds are, possibly, deeper than on those of the wiser adults, and surely it will not be objected, that children do not so well comprehend the nature of our omniscient and beneficent Father, who is in heaven. How much nearer have we advanced to a com

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