23. Harmony of the Gospels.

24. Bible History, Geography, and Chronology.

25. Natural History of the Bible.

26. Scripture Tables.

27. Evidences of Christianity.

28. Instruction in the chief truths of the Christian Religion. 29. Evidences of the Doctrines, Discipline, and Worship of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

30. Explanation of Confirmation.

The lessons attended to in each class, are as follows:

From the above tables, it will be perceived that every scholar in the school attends to a scripture exercise, and also to an exercise upon a sermon. In the morning, the four lowest divisions have a sermon read to them by their teacher, from Burder's Sermons to Children, Sermons to Children by a Lady, or a similar book, and are examined upon it in the afternoon. The other classes are examined upon the sermons they hear at church.

General Principles.

The grand principle upon which we proceed, is explanation; and books are used only as guides or assistants to the teachers. Every thing is first explained to the children; and then, if necessary, they may commit the lesson to memory. But in no case whatever, if it can possibly be avoided, do we require them to commit to memory what has not first been explained to them. "There is always danger lest what is committed to memory, or, as it is commonly expressed, learned, without having been previously understood, should either bring disgust to the mind, by exciting an effort which is followed by no immediate gratification, or should soon be forgotten.

In order, then, as much as possible to obviate these difficulties, whenever it may be thought necessary to exercise the memory in that which is above the intellectual power of a child, the teacher should endeavor to select those modes of expression which approach the nearest to the language of childhood; or, if this should be impossible, to model the lessons so as to excite some pleasurable sensation with its attainment.'

Another principle by which we are governed, is, to use as plain and simple language as possible, and of two words, or two forms of expression, always to use the simplest, so that the children may not be at a loss to understand our meaning. For instance, if in examing the children on the sermon, we ask,' What conclusion did the minister draw from all this?' or, 'What moral application did he make of his subject?' few, probably, will understand what we mean. But if we ask, 'What did the minister tell us we must do, when he said this?' they will be at no loss to comprehend the question. And in single words also, as well as in phrases, the simplest should always be chosen. Instead of asking a child Who created you?' we shall be more likely to be understood, if we ask Who made you? This principle we think should be carried into all our conversation with our scholars.

In all our exercises, we recognise the importance of the principle laid down by Mr. Wilson, that the minds of very young children cannot be exercised with cheerfulness on any subject, for a longer space of time than about a quarter of an hour; and as most of our scholars are very young, we endeavor carefully to meet this tendency to weariness, by dividing our lessons into so small portions, that they do not occupy more than that time.

Division of Time.

The morning exercises commence at 8 o'clock, and close at 10, which gives us two hours for instruction. These we divide into six portions of fifteen minutes each, and six portions of five minutes each. The first portion of fifteen minutes is devoted to opening the school with prayers and singing, and the other five portions to the various exercises of each class. Four of the portions of five minutes each come in between the exercises of the classes, and are devoted to some general exercise, in which all the scholars are simultaneously engaged; such as singing or repeating a hymn, or repeating portions of scripture, or of the catechism, &c. The other two portions of five minutes each are occupied in filling out the rollbook, sending round the missionary box,* and closing the school.

The afternoon exercises commence at half past 1 o'clock, and close at a quarter before 3 o'clock, giving us an hour and a quarter

* For the object of this box, and the amount received from it, see the Report.

for instruction, which we divide into four portions of ten minutes each, two portions of fifteen minutes each, and one of five minutes. The portion of five minutes is devoted to opening the school with singing; three of the portions of ten minutes each, and one of fifteen minutes, are occupied by the teachers in the exercises of their respective classes; one portion of ten minutes is reserved for addressing the whole school in a simple lecture or enlargement by the superintendent on some of the exercises of the day, or to addresses from clergyinen and others who may visit the school; and the other portion of fifteen minutes is devoted to filling out the roll-book, sending round the missionary box, and closing the school with singing and prayers. Between each of the class exercises, the scholars are all engaged in one general exercise, such as repeating some short sentence of scripture, which occupies but very little time, and is deducted from the portions allotted to the class exercises.

In order to give notice of the termination of the exercises in which the classes are engaged separately, and call the attention of the children to the general exercise, it is necessary for the superintendent to have some signal which the scholars will all understand. For this purpose, we use a small bell, which may either be carried in the hand, or fixed in a permanent position in some suitable place. At the expiration of the period allotted to each lesson, or on any occasion of calling the attention of the children, this bell is rung.

As it is important that the superintendent should speak to the scholars publickly, as seldom as possible, the bell is further used in directing some of the motions of the scholars, such as standing, sitting, kneeling, &c. For this purpose, after the bell has been rung to call their attention, it is struck once, to direct them to rise from their seats; or, if they are already standing, one stroke directs them to sit. Two strokes may be a direction to kneel, and other motions may be directed in the same manner. By this mode of giving directions, the superintendent's voice is not so often heard as it otherwise would be; and the attention and the memory of the children are called into exercise.

It will be observed, that several subjects are appointed for some of the lessons; and it may be asked, how they are to be attended to in the short space of time allotted to them. But when it is recollected, that the scholars are expected to stay three years in each class, and that those lessons are not all to be attended to at the same time, it will be seen that time enough is given to attend to all. And as all the preceding lessons are occasionally reviewed, it will serve to prevent the scholars, forgetting what they have committed to memory; though, it may be observed, from the manner in which their lessons are learned, they will not be likely very soon to forget them.

The manner in which the various exercises are apportioned, may be seen in the following table of exercises for the different parts of the day.

EXERCISES.

The exercises are conducted in the following manner:

Morning:

Previous to the time appointed for opening the school with prayer, some interesting anecdote or story is usually related to the scholars by the superintendent, to fix their attention. This also serves as an inducement to the children to attend punctually. They are then questioned upon what has been related to them. We labor under a very serious difficulty in procuring anecdotes or stories which are short and simple enough for our purpose; most of the stories which are written professedly for children, not being adapted to their capacities. A volume of anecdotes and short tales, of this description, would be a desirable acquisition.

A short address is then made to the children, on the importance of the duty in which they are about engaging; they are reminded of the duty of asking a blessing on all their labors, and are asked how children should behave when preparing to address their Creator? To this they reply, 'With attention and reverence.' They are then desired so to behave, and are admonished to join in the prayers with their hearts, as well as their lips. Some further responses follow, and the bell is then struck for the scholars to kneel, while the usual prayers are offered. When all have risen, and have united in one or two simple responses, a hymn is given out to be sung. This is first read and explained, questions are asked upon it, and then all join in singing it. This will bring us to fifteen minutes past 8 o'clock. The punctual attendance of those who may be present is then marked on the roll-book, and all the classes engage in their lessons, as follows.

First lesson. In all the classes, this is an exercise on a sermon. The teachers of the four lowest divisions read a sermon or part of a sermon to their scholars, explaining it, and questioning them upon it. The teachers of the other classes question their pupils on the sermon preached at church the preceding Sunday in the afternoon, and explaining to them those parts which they may not understand. By this means, the scholars are induced to attend to the sermon in church, and the teacher has an opportunity of simplifying it, and adapting it to the capacities of the scholars, and pointing out its moral or application; and though the scholars are required to give as good an account as they can of what they hear, the object of this lesson is to furnish the teacher with an opportunity of giving them a general view of the whole sermon, and supplying their deficiencies. This lesson occupies fifteen minutes, and the superintendent then rings his bell to call the attention of the scholars to a

General exercise, in which all are engaged and repeat together,