art. The varieties of animated nature scemed 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 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, wich 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 unteract any of the instructions or im

pressions 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, b i, bi, b o, bo; unless it can be done purely in the way of amusement. For a 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.

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; particularly by the establishment of Maternal Associations. The first maternal 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 m relation to the best methods of training up chiling their best interests, both in respect to the dren in knowledge and moral habits, and promot present life and the life to come. For accomplish

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 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

ing 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, conservations, 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.

taining various useful facts, narratives, and ob

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 develope 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 made 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 millboard; 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, geometrical figures of various descriptions illustrative of

plain and solid geometry; the transpositionframe, or arithmeticon, for illustrating the properties of numbers. To these should be added various little books, with cuts, level to the comprehension of children; and sets of maps, on a large scale, with the states, kingdoms, provinces, counties, &c. accurately distinguished and neatly coloured. It is indispensably requisite that a play-ground be attached to every infant school, containing swings and other contrivances for the purpose of amusement, and that the children may divert themselves without danger, in any innocent way their fancies may devise. This play-ground should be as spacious as possible. Even in towns, where property is most valuable, the space allotted for this purpose (including the school-room and teacher's house) should not, if possible, be less than about 180 feet long, and from 60 to 100 feet broad. In villages, where the ground is less valuable, it may be made of still larger dimensions. With such accommodations, infants, to the number of 150 or 200, may be trained by a master and an occasional assistant.

One of the main principles on which infant schools should be conducted, is that of Love; and therefore, in commencing such an institution, every action and every circumstance should be attended to, which is calculated to convince them that their teacher sincerely loves them, and wishes to promote their happiness, and that they ought to be kind and affectionate to one another. The first difficulty to be encountered, is to arrest and keep up their attention, to make them act in concert, and to class them according to their age and capacities, causing those who obey any commands with the greatest promptness to be classed together. Such difficulties are generally surmounted by making them all move their hands and feet at the same time, when repeating any sentence; sometimes by causing them to march in a regular body round the school; sometimes by making them put their hands one on the other when they are repeating a fact or a sentiment, and sometimes by exciting them to dance to the sound of a clarionet or the viol. Monitors are selected by drilling the oldest and the most expert of the children at separate hours, instructing them particularly in the work they have to perform, and making every one of them answerable for the conduct of his class. These little masters frequently conduct themselves with great shrewdness and ability, and sometimes with a degree of importance and pomposity which it is found necessary to check. The children are taught singing, by the master singing a psalm or hymn several times in their hearing, till they acquire a certain idea of the tune; after which they are required to join

with the teacher, and, in a short time, the greater part are enabled to join in the music with considerable correctness; and nothing can be more interesting and exhilarating to a pious and benevolent mind, than to listen to a hundred young voices thus joining in unison. in a hymn of praise to their Creator. They are taught to repeat hymns generally in the following manner. One of the monitors is placed in the rostrum, with a book in his hand; he then reads one line, and pauses till all the children in unison have repeated it; he then reads or repeats another, and so on in succession till the hymn is finished. The same method is adopted in teaching them spelling, catechisms, moral maxims and precepts, and whatever else is to be committed to memory. It should, however, be attended to, that every thing they commit to memory from catechisms, hymns, or other books, should be previously explained; so that in every case, if possible, they may acquire the ideas contained in the passages they are to repeat, before they charge their memories with the vocables by which they are expressed.

The Alphabet is taught by means of twentysix cards, corresponding to the number of letters, on each of which is engraved a letter, along with some object of nature or art, whose name begins with that letter. Thus, on the card of the letter A is engraved an apple. This card is held up to the children, who name the letter and the object depicted beside it. A variety of questions is then put representing the nature, form, and properties of the apple, and of the root, trunk, branches, leaves, &c. of the tree on which it grows; by which the attention of the children is kept alive, certain portions of useful knowledge communicated, and the idea of the letter more deeply impressed upon their minds. On the card of letter C, a cow, a camel, or a cat, is depicted; which is exhibited in the same manner, and various questions put respecting the figure, parts, habits, and uses of either of these animals: and so on through the other letters of the alphabet. This exhibition is varied as much as possible, and practised only two or three times a week, that the children may not be wearied by its too frequent repetition. Another plan is sometimes adopted,—an alphabet, printed in large letters, both Roman and Italic, is pasted on a board, and placed against the wall; the whole class then stands around it, and the master or mistress points to the letters, desiring the children in a body to pronounce the letter to which he points. In spelling, each child is supplied with a card and tin, on which certain short words are printed. A monitor leads the rest in the fol lowing manner: "C-h-a-i-r;" the other chil dren immediately follow: and when they have

spelled one word, he repeats another, till he has gone through all the words on the card. For the purpose of teaching the older children to write the alphabet, they are supplied with slates, on which the whole alphabet is engraved—some in capital letters, and others in text; the children then put the pencil into the engraving, and work it round into the shape of the letter, which they can scarcely avoid doing, as the pencil will keep in the engraved part. In this way they gradually learn both to form the letters correctly, and to read written characters and sentences.

The properties and numbers, and the fundamental rules of Arithmetic, are taught by various modes; particularly by an instrument which has been termed the Arithmeticon, or Transposition-frame. The following is a figure and description of the use of this instrument, taken from Mr. Wilderspin :-"The frame is sixteen inches square, and made of wood: twelve wires pass through it at equal distances; on which wires, seventy-eight moveable balls are to be placed, beginning with one on the first, two on the second, three on the third, &c. up to twelve." By this instrument may be taught "the first principles of grammar, arithmetic, and geometry. It is used as follows-Move one of the balls to a part of the

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frame distinct from the rest: the children will then repeat, 'There it is, there it is.' Apply your finger to the ball, and set it running round: the children will immediately change from saying, 'There it is,' to 'There it goes, there it goes.' When they have repeated 'There it goes,' long enough to impress it on their memory, stop the ball: the children will probably say, 'Now it stops, now it stops.' When that is the case, move another ball to it, and then explain to the children the difference between singular and plural, desiring them to call out, 'There they are, there they are; and when they have done that as long as may be proper, set both balls moving, and it is likely they will call out, 'There they go, there they go,' &c. &c. By the natural position of the balls they may be taught to begin

at the first. The master, raising it at the top of the frame, says, What am I doing?' Children answer, Raising the ball up with your hand.' Q. Which hand?' A. 'Left hand.' Then the master lets the ball drop, saying, 'One, one.' Raise the two balls, and propose questions of a similar tendency: then let them fall; the children will say, 'Twice one:' raise three, and let them fall as before; the children will say, 'Three times one.' Proceed to raise the balls on each remaining wire, so that they may say, as the balls are let fall, Four times one, five times one, six times one, seven times one, eight times one, nine times one, ten times one, eleven times one, twelve times one. We now proceed as follows: 1 and 2 are 3, and 3 are 6, and 4 are 10, and 5 are 15, and 6 are 21, and 7 are 28, and 8 are 36, and 9 are 45, and 10, are 55, and 11 are 66, and 12 are 78. Subtraction is taught by this instrument thus;-Take I from 1, nothing remains, moving the first ball, at the same time, to the other end of the frame. Then remove one from the second wire, and say, 'Take 1 from 2;' the children will instantly perceive that only one remains: then 1 from 3, and 2 remain; 1 from 4, 3 remain; 1 from 5, 4 remain, &c. Multiplication is taught as follows:-The teacher moves the first ball, and immediately after the two balls on the second wire, placing them underneath the first, saying, at the same time, 'Twice one are two,' which the children will readily perceive. Next, remove the two balls on the second wire for a multiplier, and then remove two balls on the third wire, placing them exactly under the first two, which form a square, and then say, 'Twice two are four,' which every child will discern for himself, as he plainly perceives there are no more. then move three on the third wire, and place three from the fourth wire underneath them, saying, 'Twice three are six.' Remove four on the fourth wire, and four on the fifth; place them as before, and say, 'Twice four are eight:"" and so on, through all the wires and balls.

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The first principles of arithmetic are also taught, by means of small cubes. The children are formed into a square, in the centre of which is placed a table, on which the cubes are placed-one, two, three, or four at a time. The master puts down three, for example, and inquires of the children how many there are; when they naturally call out, "Three." He puts down two more; and inquires as before, "How many are three and two?" they answer, "Five;" and thus goes on till he has put down to the number of fifty or sixty. In a similar manner Subtly action is illustrated, by placing, for example, 9 cubes on the table, and saying, Take 5 from 9, how many will