more minute points of the formation of animals; why the butterfly is seen in summer only; from what origin it has sprung. What are all these? the child naturally inquires, and whence do some of the latter derive their pearly whiteness? Of what use rats and mice are, seeing they are so troublesome in our dwellings, and why and when they may be killed, without our being chargeable with cruelty; how the foot of the rein-deer is suited to the frozen regions of Lapland, that of the horse to our own, and the camel's to the sandy deserts of Arabia. From one and all of these training lessons, the children may learn something of the power, and wisdom, and goodness of God to all his creatures; and such lessons ought uniformly to be drawn from the children by every trainer during the daily oral gallery lessons.

The child sees himself surrounded on every side by men of trade and handicraft, and he wishes and ought to know not merely the qualities of things, and the materials in use, but how they are moulded, or joined, or mixed, or decomposed, so as to render them serviceable. He sees the smith form a nail or a horse-shoe; why does he heat the iron in a furnace before laying it on the anvil, and striking it with the hammer? The uses of the pulley, the screw, and the lever, ought to be pictured out to him by analogy and familiar illustrations. The child sees paper; why not woven as a piece of cloth, and why more or less impervious to moisture?

The child breathes air, drinks water, sees steam, hail, and snow. What are all these? the child naturally inquires; and why is the last white, and, when melted, turns into water? The sun to him appears always round, not so the moon-why so? The principal parts of his own body, and those of other animals, with their relative functions, ought to be known; the qualities and names of the more common minerals, and the great outlines of botany, etc. Such training lessons ought to be commenced in their outlines in the initiatory school, and carried forward more minutely in the juvenile.

Much of the bewilderment felt by men of all degrees of acquirement rests in the fact, that scientific terms have not been analysed or pictured out by familiar illustrations as a first step in their early education. Complex subjects, and complex terms, which ought to have been the last, have generally been made the first stage; consequently blindfoldedness, to a considerable extent, continues, these first and natural steps not having been traced. This is an ordeal more or less severe, for these reasons, to which every student who practically studies in the seminary is subjected, before he can communicate what he knows to the children in the model or practising schools.

In the industrial department, there are many important points with which the girls ought particularly to be made acquainted, and which may be carried into domestic and social life; such as, the scientific reasons why a room is better aired by opening the top of a window than the bottom, -how to sweep a floor without watering,' and without raising the dust, the effect of making tea with water just brought to the boiling point, and water which has boiled for some time, how to make or mend a fire, so as to save fuel, and whether the top or bottom of the fire ought to be stirred in rendering it what is termed either a good or a lasting fire, -the science of combustion, and whether smoke ought to exist at all, or to what extent, and how it may be cured or prevented, the scientific and practical effect of toasting bread, and laying one slice above another,—and the effects, practically and scientifically, of fire on woollen, cotton, linen, and silken cloths. These, in addition to those previously mentioned, and a number of other practical matters, may be rendered highly useful to females of this class in after life.

Children, of both sexes, are exercised daily on some point in each of these departments. Whatever is done, ought to be well done. Analyse one point clearly, rather than a dozen points imperfectly. Variety does not dissipate the mind, or

render knowledge superficial. It is only so when the mere surface is presented, without a picturing out and a proper analysis. The child is fatigued and disgusted when kept too long on any one subject, whereas each power of the mind is strengthened by frequent and varied exercise. The natural process on entering a garden, for example, is first to look at everything within its four corners; but the plan generally adopted by the lecturer is to spend, as it were, a week at the door-step, analysing the first plant met with. Let the mind see the whole outlines of each department it enters upon in the first instance, and then with interest and intelligence it will patiently investigate each step in its progress.

As we have already stated under a former head, when objects are within our reach, we make use of them in conducting the lessons as a sort of text, or starting point; but whether within reach or not, our principle is to picture out the whole lesson, and every point of the subject-matter of which it is composed. Facts which the pupils prove themselves ignorant of, are stated by the master,-the lesson is then drawn from, and given at the time by the children themselves. Their ability to do so, as we have already said under the head of Bible Training, is the test whether the subject has been properly pictured out or not-for if so, they must understand what they mentally see-keeping in view that we do not know a thing until we see it with our bodily or mental eye. For example, if separate lessons have been previously given upon the properties of heat, and water, and steam, and air, and the condensing influence of cold, and the screw, and the pulley, and the inclined plane, and the lever, and the centrifugal force; and if all these and other forces be pictured out, as combined in one machine, the children will readily understand what a steam-engine is, in their minds, and tell the trainer the effect of its power upon the shaft that may move spinning machinery, raise water, or propel a steamvessel or railway train. This is a fundamental part of the

training system, and a knowledge of secular subjects, as we have already said, also enables the Bible trainer more easily to elucidate many of the lessons of Scripture.

These daily gallery training lessons are conducted on precisely the same mode with Bible lessons, on the principle of chapters 16, 17, 18, and 19. Whilst the Bible lessons are uniformly read from the Bible itself, the secular gallery training lessons are taken from such texts as appear in chapter 28. The Bible lesson ought to be the first of the morning, and the secular gallery lesson the first of the afternoon, although only twenty minutes or half-an-hour should be occupied in conducting it.

There are only a very few good text-books on science and secular subjects, which can be read by the children before, and at the moment the daily secular lesson is given, both because they are generally too lengthy or incomplete, and because nine-tenths of the points to which our gallery lessons refer, are less abstract, and of more practical advantage than the subjects to which these treatises refer. Our gallery secular training lessons, as a distinct branch, therefore, are conducted by the trainer without book. This, however, does not prevent the master elucidating any point he chooses to fix upon during the ordinary reading lessons.

By some strangers, we are complained of as being too simple, by others that we are too lofty, in the subject-matter of our lessons, and that the terms used while analysing them are too simple, or, on the other hand, too complex; they would thus place us between two fires.' Our desire, however, is, that the pupils see every step of the progress of picturing out, whatever the subject may be. Our practical students at first uniformly complain of the difficulty of simplifying every subject; but, eventually, they become fully convinced, from experience, that simplicity is the last and highest attainment of a trainer of youth.

CHAPTER XXV.

ROUTINE FOR AN INITIATORY TRAINING SCHOOL.

We have formerly stated, that the same principle of communication is followed in the initiatory, as in the juvenile and senior departments, only that the outline of every subject is more the object of attention, and the language, of course, more simple. We may notice a few points worthy of

attention.

GALLERY AND PLAY-GROUND in this, as in every department. In the latter, or uncovered school-room-two circular swings, one for the girls, and one for the boys. The master and mistress do not require to separate the sexes at play-this is generally done instinctively by themselves. The liberty of being in the same playground, and playing together, if they choose, under proper superintendence, produces a lasting benefit in a moral point of view. A box of wooden bricks ought to be had, and flowers planted in the borders.*

Unless the master be with his pupils at play, he must remain, in a great measure, ignorant of their real character and dispositions; and while he takes no notice at the moment, he nevertheless marks what he sees amiss, and conducts a training lesson, or jury trial, in respect of any misdemeanor, on their return to the school gallery. A monitor or janitor wont do as a substitute for the sovereign authority of the master, which all acknowledge, and whose condescension, in taking a game or swing with them, is felt as a privilege, and who, in consequence, is enabled to guide them by a moral, rather than by a physical influence.

CLEANLINESS. This is an essential part of physical training; it forms an occasional exercise in the morning, when the hands and faces of the children are inspected by the master or mistress. Whatever may be the habits of the family at home, all should * See page 145.