calculation each master of every passage in the lesson. This practice criticism ed over. This object will be more likely to be attained by connected caverns crouching It is very obvious that a person would never make an accurate singer, were he, in the incipient stage of his instruction, to pass from tune to tune, without having every small error corrected --yet this might as well be expected, as that one will curious become a good reader by rambling through lesson after lesson certain in the usual way. Often on visiting a school, when inquiry contrib'ute is made in regard to the reading, the teacher will reply, that children the class have read through the book so many times-just as comfort if their proficiency in that branch was to be measured by the number of times they had been through the book. And it is assigned as a reason why an old reading-book should give place to a new one, that the class have read it through so many times, that it has become quite an old story; when, perhaps design (desine) they cannot read a single chapter as it should be read to give daunt (dant) the spirit and glow of the writer. dauntless creature As it is good music only that can delight the ear, so it is draw good reading only that can afford instruction and entertainment to the hearer. Indeed, good reading is music. There discipline (disciplin) is a richness and sweetness in it that charms the hearers draught (draft) Good reading does not consist in a stentorian voice, but in a departure medium elevation, accompanied with a clear and distinct ar- destroy ticulation; every inflection being agreeable to nature, and the darning emphasis so placed as forcibly to express the sentiment. It is desire greatly to be desired that more attention should be given to drain this important branch of education, that the evil of dull spea- deliverance kers and poor readers, so long endured and so much complained of, may, in a good measure, be removed. A SCHOOL-COMMITTEE MAN. From the Massachusetts Common School Journal. disciples downward dawning directly difficulty "Were children accustomed from infancy to hear nothing disappointment we associate; and if we would have the young improve in education earliest eternity every fraud-u-lent four-pence faculty fellow friendship For the Connecticut Common School Journal. WRITING AND ARITHMETIC. MR. EDITOR --Being a native of Connecticut, and having taught a district s hool for several years previous to my removal from the state, and having had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with different systems practiced in various parts of the country: I propose to make some suggestions that may perhaps be of use to dis. trict school teachers. In this communication I shall confine myself to writing and arithmetic, but before I proceed to the task, let me by way of introduction inquire of each teacher individually, in what manner he conducts his school. Do you pursue the same old plan that has been in use for years and consider that there is no room for improvemmnt? Do you open your school in the morning by hearing your first class read a few words and then let them turn to theirw ri, ting, arithmetic, and other lessons; while you attend to the reading of your minor classes? if you do you must of necessity attend to the mending of pens, writing, arithmetic and reading at the same time. Again, what do those scholars do that are not considered large enough to attend to writing and arithmetic? do yeu keep them studying the spelling book the whole time except the few moments they are reading, in order that they may be able to say, B has but one sound as in bite? the meaning of which they know just as much about when committed to memory as before and no more. I have known scholars to spend the whole winter (except what little time they spent in reading and spelling) in studying the sounds of the letters, which is of no possible use to small scholars. The pauses and their use should be thoroughly taught to children, and all that is necessary for the scholar to know is the characters and their use in reading and composition, and the best manner of teaching this is to have them painted on the wall of the room in some conspicuous place, and have the names prefixed to the characters. In this manner the scholars have them continually before them, and their being larger, the very smallest scholars will learn them so as to be able to tell them in reading, and then all that is necessary is their use, which the teacher can explain while reading. I shall leave this subject for some future time and proceed as I proposed with writing and arithmetic. At what age should children commence with these two branches? you will say that some are capable of commencing sooner than others: should I add that they should begin writing and arithmetic as soon as they begin with the alphabet, will you say that the minds of children are not sufficiently matured for arithmetic? If you do, permit me to say that you labor under a mistaken idea. Will not a child learn the figures as soon as it will the ten first letters of the alphabet; certainly, can they not learn to make these characters on a slate? can they not learn that one and one make two, and that one more will make three? I think that no one will dispute this. If this position be acknowl. edged, what is the reason that this mode cannot be pursued as the mind is continually expanding? I know that it can, for I speak from experience. It is absolutely necessary that every one should understand Reading, Writing, Spelling, and Arithmetic, and any person that understands these branches well and has a good share of what is called common sense, will be qualified to attend to the common business of life. Without these a person must be consid. ered grossly ignorant. Although there are many other branches that it is desirable for every one to know, yet these must be considered of primary importance. It should therefore be the aim of every primary teacher to pursue that course of instruction which would best advance them in those branches. Will it be said that a child must learn to read well before it learns any other branch? It may be said with as much propriety that a child ought not to talk because it cannot read the language. A child's mind matures gradually and of course if properly instructed will increase in knowl. edge gradually. As it was not my intention to philosophize upon the subject, but to make some suggestions which I deem worthy the attention of primary school teachers, I will go on with my subject of writing and arithmetic. As they will depend so e upon the ar. rangement of the school, I would propose that the teachers, during the winter hold but one session, that is, commencing at 9 and dis. missing at 3 o'clock, taking a half an hour for recess from 12 to 1 oclock for the children to eat their dinners in the school house with the teacher and to take the air for a few moments. The rea sons for this mode are many. Most of the children live at a distance, and bring their dinners and of course stay in and about the house; and in the winter there is always snow, ice, or mud; the children will be running in and out and will fill the house with mud or snow which will render the house disagrecable for the afternoon, and the children will wet their feet which will subject them to colds and sickness. The larger scholars will be either skating, sliding, snow. balling, or playing ball, and you can judge of the condition of schol. ars to attend to the duties of a school after an hour spent in this manner. I deem these reasons sufficient, but there are many others that might be brought in favor of holding but one session in winter, and I have no doubt that if the plan was proposed by the teach. impossuble,(impossibel,) inhabitance, "idear, (idee,) "immeditly, 66 instid, "increderlous, "impawtant, ers it would be adopted by the districts. I would have no writing during the forepart of the day unless it was by some advanced schol. ars, and for the reason, that the ink is generally frozen and the scholars' fingers are cold and stiff. I would attend to reading, spell. ing and the other lessons during the forenoon, and in this way I should have more time to attend to each branch than I should upon the old plan of reading twice in the forenoon and twice in the afternoon; from 1 to 2 I would attend to writing and every scholar should write, or make attempts at writing, and in order to do this every scholar that is not qualified to write on paper should be fur nished with a slate ruled upon one side, the same as a coarse hand writing book, with some sharp instrument. Each scholar that writes upon a slate should be furnished with a copy written and pasted on a piece of paste board, or engraved copies prepared on purpose can be obtained at little expense. To the very smallest scholars give only the capital letters to copy. They will not at first make any thing that looks like letters and if they do not, it is better for them than it is to set idle as they now do most of the time. By pursuing this course the very smallest scholars will in a short time form very good letters. Children will learn to form letters with a pencil better than they can with a pen and they will not be as liable to acquire habits of scribling as most scholars are apt to. Each scholar that writes in this manner should be furnished with a long pencil which they can hold like a pen. During this hour the teacher will have nothing else to attend to but writing, and as the slate writers will not require much attention, he can do better justice to those who write on paper. They require strict attention. Every scholar should be able to write a handsome copy on a slate before he is permitted to take a pen. The teacher should promote them to writing on paper as they make suf. ficient improvement. By this method every scholar will attend to writing one hour in a day, which is as much time as can be spared if the other branches are properly attended to. I have known schol. ars, ten years of age, trained to writing in this manner, who would write a copy on a slate equal to a copperplate engraving. If any one doubts this, I will send a sample to the editor of this paper. I have merely glanced at the mode of bringing children forward in writing. It cannot be expected that small children will become excellent writers in a moment, no more than good mathematicians. ence. I will now glance slightly at arithmetic; and let me say, that this study in the district schools is in a very low state. This I assert from positive knowledge, and I attribute it to nothing else but the want of arrangement of the schools. When I attended a district school it was thought that a scholar's mind was not sufficiently matured to commence until they were ten or twelve years old, and I was not allowed to use a slate until I was twelve. Every scholar at that age, who attends school regularly, should understand as much of the simple rules of arithmetic as he would, in ordinary cases, be required to put in practice in the common business of life. That this can be obtained by scholars at this age, I know from experiI have previously stated that a child would learn the figures as soon as so many letters of the alphabet, and there is no reason why a child should not be taught them as soon as the alphabet, es. pecially as a child cannot be kept reading the alphabet continually. But the reason that arithmetic is not taught to small scholars is that the teacher has no time. The larger scholars take up his whole attention. The teacher should so arrange his school as to make time, and in so doing he need do no injustice to the larger scholars, but will have more time to devote to them, and at the same time he will be bringing forward his smaller scholars in the same branch. I will now speak of the mode of teaching arithmetic which would oc. cupy the last hour in the day. The district should furnish the teacher with half a dozen blackboards, say two feet by three. Let the teacher examine his scholars and class them together according to their qualifications; those who have not attended to arithmetic he will of course class in addition. Arrange each class in such parts of the room as will be most convenient. Take a blackboard and place before each class, and with a piece of chalk set down an ex. ample for each class in the rule in which they are classed. Let the scholars copy the example on their slates and perform it. The teach. er in the mean time will make such explanations to each class as are necessary. He will look over the work of each class and correct the errors that may be found. When that is done, rub it out and put down another, and continue to proceed in this manner with the dif. ferent classes. No scholar in the ground rules should have an arithmetic to use, unless it is to learn the tables. I would proceed in this manner with the higher classes. If you have a class of sev. eral scholars who have advanced as far as interest, take a blackboard and set down a sum in interest, such as may occur to the mind at the time without any reference to a book, and let the class perform it, and pursue this mode in the different rules; you can at this time clearly explain the principles of the rules and render arithmetic practical. During these exercises I would have no reference to a class book. Then the scholar will have nothing to refer to, to test the accuracy of his performances, but will be led to apply those rules which he thinks most applicable. Practical arithmetic is very little attended to in district schools. If a boy can begin with Daboll, and by being shown how to perform nine tenths of the sums, get through tc book during the winter, he considers that he has achieved won. ders and is a great scholar in arithmetic, when, at the same time, he cannot put the most simple rules in practice. The teacher should promote the scholars from a lower class to a higher as they are qualified, and should not be hasty in doing this. The scholar who commences with addition at four years of age should practice in the four rules for three or four seasons. When these are well estab. lished he will be prepared to make rapid progress. By this ar rangement it will be seen that the smaller scholars would be occu. pied two hours in each day in branches which they do not at present attend to, and would thus be employed a considerable portion of that time now spent in idleness. I would propose other plans, but the inconvenient arrangement of schoolhouses, at present, almost precludes their adoption. These plans are not visionary, for I have pursued them for several years. I would not confine the more advanced scholars in arithmetic to one hour a day, but during arithmetic hour would only exercise them in the rules which they attended to during the other part of the day. If the teacher should have a large school, he could let the larger scholars take turns in attending to the lower classes. The teacher will thus have more time to at tend to the higher classes. I would speak upoa mental arithmetic, but I have made this article longer than I anticipated, I will therefore reserve it for some future time. Yours, &c. A. S. Jr. The winter I was nine years old, I made another advance toward the top of the ladder, in the circumstance of learning to write. I desired and pleaded to commence the chirographical art the sum. mer, and indeed the winter before, for others of my own age were at it thus early. But my father said that my fingers were hardly stout enough to manage a quill from his geese, but that if I would put up with the quill of a hen, I might try. This pithy satire put an end to my teasing. Having previously had the promise of writing this winter, I had made all the necessary preparations, days before school was to begin. I had bought me a new birch ruler, and had given a third of my wealth, four cents, for it. To this I had appended, by a well twisted flaxen string, a plummet of my own running, whittling and scraping. I had hunted up an old pewter inkstand which had come down from the ancestral eminence of my great grand-father for aught. I know. And it bore many marks of a speedier and less honorable descent, to wit, from table or desk to the floor. I had succeeded in becoming the owner of a penknife, not that it was likely to be applied to its appropriate use that winter at least, for such beginners generally used the instrument to mar the pens they wrote in, rather that to make or mend those they wrote with. I had se. lected one of the fairest quills out of an enormous bunch. Half a quire of foolscap had been folded into the shape of a writing book, by the maternal hand, and covered with brown paper nearly as thick as a sheep-skin. Behold me now on the first Monday in December starting for school, with my new and clean writing book buttoned under my jacket, my inkstand in my pocket, a bundle of necessary books in one hand, and my ruler and swinging plummet in the other, which I flourished in the air and around my head till the sharpened lead made its first mark on my own face. My long white-featheredgoose-quill was twisted into my hat-band like a plumy badge of the distinction to which I had arrived, and the inportant enterprise before me. On arriving at the school-house I took a seat higher up and more honorable that the one I occupied the winter before. At the proper time my writing book, which, with my quill I had handed to the master on entering, was returned to me, with a copy set, and paper ruled and pen made. My copy was a single straight mark, at the first corner of my manuscript. A straight mark! who could not make so simple a thing as that, thought I. I waited however to see how the boy next to me, a beginner also, should succeed, as he had got ready a moment before me. Never shall I forget the first chirographical exploit of this youth. That inky image will never be eradicated from my memory so long as a single trace of early experience is left on its tablet. The fact is, it was an era in my life, something great was to be done, and my attention was intensely awake to whatever had a bearing on this new and important trial of my powers. I looked to see a mark as straight as a ruler, having its four corners as distinctly defined as the angles of a parallelogram. But, O me, what a spectacle! What a shocking contrast to my anticipation. That mark had as many crooks as a ribbon in the wind, and nearer eight angles than four; and its two sides were nearly as rough and as notched as a fine handsaw, and indeed the mark somewhat resembled it in width, for the fellow had laid in a So much for pains taking, now for chance. By good luck the next effort was quite successful. I now dashed on for better or worse, till in one half hour I had covered the whole page with the standing, though seemingly falling monuments of the chirographical wisdom of my teacher and skill of myself. In the afternoon a simi ar copy was set, and I dashed on again as if I had taken so much writing by the job, and my only object was to save time. Now and then there was quite a reputable mark; but alas for him whose perception of the beautiful was particularly delicate, should he get a glimpse of these sloughs of ink. The third morning my copy was the first element of the m and n, or what in burlesque is called a hook. On my fourth I had the last half of the same letters, or the trammel. And indeed they were the similitudes of hooks and trammels forged in a country plenteous in iron, and by the youngest apprentice at the hammer and anvil. In this way I went through all the small letters, as they are called. First, the elements, or constituent parts, then the whole char. acter in which these parts were combined. Then I must learn to make the capitals before entering on joining hand. Four pages were devoted to these. Capital letters! They were capital offences against all that is graceful, indeed decent, yea tolerable, in that art which is so capable of beautiful forms and proportions. After all give us the master's hand' we thought, we can come up to that now and then.' We despaired of ever becoming decent penmen with this copper plate perfection mocking our clumsy fingers. There was one item in penmanship which our teachers generally omitted altogether. It was the art of making and mending pens.I suffer, and others on my account suffer from this neglect even at this day. The untraceable 'partridge tracks,' as some one called them, with which I perplex my correspondents and am now about to provoke the printer, are chargeable to my ignorance ef pen-making. It is a fact, however some acquaintances may doubt it, that I generally write very legibly, if not graceful, whenever I borrow, beg, or steal a pen. I blush while I acknowledge it, but I have taught school, have taught penmanship, have made and mended a hundred pens a day, and all the time I knew not much more of the art or turning quill into pen, than did the goose from whose wing it was plucked. But my manufactures were received by my pupils as good. Good of course they must be, for the master made them, and who should dare to question his competency! If the instrument did not operate well, the fault must certainly be in the fingers that wielded, not those that wrought it. For the Connecticut Common School Journal. The following, if worthy an insertion in the Journal, will be succeeded by some hints on the best method of teaching bookkeeping in schools. There are, in reality, but two methods of keeping accounts; the one by single, and the other by double entry. The former records personal accounts only, and, having no equilibrium of debtors and creditors, is, of course, incapable of being proved correct or incorrect. The books of an individual kept by sinhis property, frequently subject him to great inconvenience, and his creditors and debtors to unaccountable mistakes. The mode of single entry book-keeping originated among the Romans about the commencement of the Christian era, and seems to have been practised by them and others more from necessity than choice. I came next to joining hand, about three weeks after my com-gle entry, necessarily furnish the owner no idea of the value of mencement. And joining hand indeed in was. It seemed as if my hooks and trammels were overheated in the forge, and were melted into each other, the shapeless masses so clung together at points where they ought to have been separated, so very far were they from all resemblance to conjoined yet distinct and well defined char. acters. Thus I went on, a perfect little prodigal in the expenditure of paper, ink, pens and time. The first winter I splashed two, and the next, three writing books with inky puddle, in learning coarse hand. And after all I gained not much in penmanship, except a workman. like assurance and celerity of execution such as is natural to an old hand at the business. The third winter I commenced small hand, or rather fine, as it is more technically denominated. Or rather a copy of half way dimensions that the change to fine running hand might not be too sudden. From this dwarfish coarse or giant fine hand, just as you please to call it, I slid down to the genuine epistolary and mercaniile, with a capital at the head of the line as much out of proportion as a corpulent old captain marching in single file before a parade of little boys. Some of our teachers were accustomed to spend a few minutes forenoon and afternoon, in going round among the writers to see that they held the pen properly and took a decent degree of pains. But the majority of them, according to present recollections, never stirred from the desk to superintend this branch. There was some thing like an excuse however for not visiting their pupils while at the pen. Siting as they did in those long, narrow, rickety seats, one could hardly be got at without joggling two or three others, displacing a writing book, kno king over an inkstand, and making a deal of rustle, rattle and racket. Accounts kept by double entry record the whole and individual parts of the merchant's property; the whole merged under the title, stock; while the parts are shown under the titles, cash, merchandise, notes and debts receivable, real estate, &c. each showing its value. Every debit has its recipient credit entry-consequently any transaction in business involves a transfer of two equal amounts between two or more accounts. The debit accounts receiving what the credit accounts impart, and vice versa, an equilibrium between the Drs. and Crs., the fundamental principle in book-keeping by double entry, is constantly preserved and affords, at every step, proof of correct entries. This method of keeping accounts was first practised successfully about the 14th century, in Italy. By a young man, in a country like ours, where the road to wealth and respectability is open to all, too much importance cannot be attached to a full, theoretical and practical knowledge of book-keeping by double entry, for to such it is ever an accomplishment and often a fortune. That most young men are, to some extent, accountants, that if required to keep accounts at all they should be able to do it in a manner intelligible to themselves and others; that in courts of justice Some of the teachers set the copies at home in the evening, but the appearance of correctness or incorrectness in the books, most set them in school. Six hours per day were all that custom and the competency of the book-keeper, influence the decision required of a teacher, of course half an hour at home spent in the of the jury; that ignorance on this subject is a source of mormatters of the school would have been time and labor not paid for, tification and inconvenience to the merchant who, obliged to and a gratuity not particularly expected. On entering in the morn-intrust the most important part of his business to the ability ing and looking for the master as the object at which to make the and integrity of his book-keeper, is totally unable to detect miscustomary manners' we could perceive just the crown of his head entry or fraud, are facts which require no proof. Very few of beyond a huge stock of manuscripts, which together with his copy- our business men even, are acquainted with a simple and effisetting attention, prevented the bowed and courtesied respects from cient method of keeping accounts; yet this is their misfortune his notice. A few of the most advanced in penmanship had copper- rather than their fault, having had no opportunity to acquire plate slips, as they were called, tucked into their manuscripts for the this important part of a business man's education. Unless trial of their more skillful hands. Or if an ordinary learner had taught in our schools, this art must still continue in the hands for once done extraordinarily well, he was permitted a slip as a of the few to the injury of the many. mark of merit, and a circumstance of encouragement. Sometimes when the master was pressed for time all the joining-handers were thus furnished. It was a pleasure to have copies of this sort, their polished shades, graceful curves and delicate hair lines were so like a picture for the eye to dwell upon. But when we set about the work of imitation discouragement took the place of pleasure. 6 The old and foolish maxim which told us that the "counting-room" was the only, or best place, to learn book-keeping, is now seldom heard. That the incompetency of teachers and the little attention it has received, have often rendered futile the efforts of the learner, is true; but this may be said of any branch of study pursued in schools. That, on the whole, the stright or circular benches, as you please, in rows or half squares. school is the best place, and youth the most desirable period All this matters little, and must vary according to the size and shape for learning it, is proved beyond question. No study has been of the room, and the number of children. The object is that all pursued in the writer's school with more success than the one should sit or stand comfortably; should all be able to see me, and under consideration. More of the theory and practice of hear what I say or write on walls or slate. And now you must look keeping accounts will be acquired in school, in three or four at me and suppose an expression of placidity, almost amounting to months, than most clerks obtain during their whole clerkship. quite imperturbable; that nothing that is done or said can, in the indifference. I mean that my countenance must prove that I am Boys of fifteen years, will, in a short period, comprehend the slightest degree, move my feelings, and either tease or worry me. whole process of opening conducting and closing a set of Then, observe, I have a cheerful disengaged aspect, as if I was go. books; will readily make original entries; will project and ing to delight myself in thinking and talking with my assembled construct cash and day books, journal and ledger, comprising group. My countenance must prove that a kind benevolent friend is three or six months business, and will make trial, profit and arrived to spend a pleasant half hour with them; and not a look loss and balance sheets, with as much certainty and satisfac- must escape me, betraying a suspicion that I shall not meet with attion as they would work an example in arithmetic, or demon- tention and interest. I believe that children always try to become strate a proposition in Euclid. What objection then to gene- what they see you suppose they are; and they are always excellent rally introducing into our schools, a branch of education physiognomists. Much more is conveyed by looks than by words. whose importance is uniformly acknowledged and whose practice is, in some form, so universal. Said Dr. Johnson, "Book-keeping is an art which no condition in life can render useless; which must contribute to the advancement of all who buy or sell, of all who wish to improve or keep their possessions, of all who desire to be rich and all who desire to be wise. Let no man enter into business while he is ignorant of the method of regulating books." EDUCATION FOR THE PEOPLE. By Mrs. TUCKFIELD, London. This little volume is a valuable contribution to the great cause. The Authoress, according to the preface, has been enabled by a life of leisure and retirement, to devote some attention to the subject of Education, and has been in the habit of receiving frequent applications from her female acquaintences for directions how to train teachers; how to establish schools; and what plans of instruction to pursue in them. She earnestly desires to enlist her country women whatever be their rank or station, in the holy ministry of Education. Relieved as we females are from the arduous duties of public life, having neither the power, nor the opportunity of studying the abstruse and complicated relations of foreign and domestic policy, our minds at least are free from the argry passions which party spirit engenders, and our equanimity is not disturb d by vain attempts to fathom the depths of political questions. Still less need we tread the thorny paths of controversy, in which our piety would but be cooled, and our charity extinguished. is all our own. The present state of things we cannot influence; but the future on the human character-on the minds and hearts of those who are It is ours to make the first, the indelible impression to be the divines, the philosophers, the legislators, the mechanics, the artisans, the laborers of the next generation; and if Providence, by bestowing on us the requisite qualifications, has invested us with responsibility in the discharge of this noble office, who shall dare to deny to us the right of executing it? The object of the present publication, my female friends, is to urge you to exercise this high and noble privilege. I would endeavor humbly to give some assistance and encouragement to those of you who will engage in this most valuable labor of Christian love. The desire of retirement, the modesty, and delicacy which make you shrink from notice, will remain unviolated, even while you are most assiduously occupied in the good work in which I would engage you. Your names here will remain unknown; but they will be written in the Book of Life. The work is made up of familiar letters on various topics connect ed with the establishment, arrangement, instruction, and govern. of words addressed to children, in order to enforce attention we can. not be too sparing. Let us only put our own minds in the right attitude, and the infection will be caught. I believe, as I pass my eye rapidly of almost every mind; and probably my own countenance expresses over my young auditors, I catch, as by intuition, the state of feeling such a rapid alteration of fixed determination and encourageing mildness, that every one of the children can select and appropriate the expression his own mind requires, either to calm, subdue, exhil arate, or encourage. Well, now, suppose my young friends seated, and that you see me sitting down amongst them. Though lessons must often be carried on standing, and though the change of posture is desirable, in order to keep up attention, I prefer the sitting posture when I wish to put the minds of my hearers in a state of enquiry. is to act freely and healthfully; and yet there must be no lounging There must be a degree of freedom of bodily attitude when the mind and that then I shall have a pleasure in talking to them. I will supor fidgetting about. If I see a boy not sitting upright, I quietly ob. serve that I shall wait till I see that all are quiet and sitting properly, pose that my lesson is to be on the parts of the body. begin by sa ing, "Let us name to-day the different parts of the body Perhaps I which God has pleased to give us." Each boy takes his slate. that many words have been omitted. I suggest them thus: suppose Those who cannot write, dictate to me. eye-lid, eye-lash, have not been thought of; perhaps I say, "Nobody Then we probably find has thought of the covering which God has given us to let down the edge of this covering, which keeps the flies and the dust from over our eyes when we go to sleep, nor of the trimming of hair at shew them a plate with the skeleton of the human body; talk to our eyes." Then we talk of the bones, the flesh, the muscles. I them of the different bones of which the head is composed, of the manner in which those fit into each other, of the union of the head to the spine, and the 24 bones of which this is composed, called the vertebræ, fitted into one another. I let them feel their back bone, and talk of its strength and pliability. The shoulder, arm, wrist, formation of the feet, claws, mouths of animals, the manner in which hand, foot, form the subjects of similar lessons. We introduce a little of comparative anatomy, and talk of the these are fitted to defend, and preserve then and to procure their food; do not imagine that I run through these subjects all in one day; those I have mentioned would supply lessons for ten days at least. Then I do not trust to my memory: I always take some written notes, or some little book with me, such as "The House I live in," have made in reading the Bridgewater Treatises; The Youth's Natural Theology," or some of the memorandums I lessons for Infant Schools," supply excellent hints for these lessons. find out, from the manner and the countenances of my hearers, Mayo's model what is, and what is not, interesting and intelligible to them; and after each lesson I take care to ascertain that it has been under. stood, by requiring the children to become the lecturers, and to in 66 I struct me and sometimes to instruct a younger class, which I call about me; and they are desired to put in accurate intelligible language the facts I have told them. When this viva voce summary of what they have collected is over, I require those who are sufficient. ly advanced in writing, to write this summary on their slates, or on gathered from the following letter describing the oral lessons given about me, and make them dictate to me, and see me write, and inpainted walls; while I assemble those who are unable to write, in the Fairfield School. ment of schools. We think some valuable ORAL INSTRUCTION. hints may be The object we keep in view, is not to get our children on in mere reading, writing, and arithmetic, but in all we do, even in our most mechanical operations, we keep in view the formation of the moral character. I think that by reading to the children, and frequently conversing familiarly with them, we make stronger impressions on their minds, than by increly hearing them read. And now you shall accompany me into the school-room; and I will try to conjure up into your presence my own self, standing or sitting in the midst of my children. You may fancy them placed on struct me how to spell and arrange the words. Now you must not I |