sequence was, that it contaminated the whole school, and about eight children died, one of my own being of that number. This induced me to be very cautious in future, and I made a point of walking round the school twice every day, in order to inspect the children; and after the adoption of this plan, we did not have the measles in the school.

The hooping-cough is known, of course, by the child hooping; but I consider it the safest plan to send all children home that have any kind of cough; this will cause the mother to come and inquire the reason why the child is sent home; I then can ascertain from her whether the child has had the hooping-cough or not.

With respect to fever, I generally find the children appear chilly and cold, and not unfrequently they are sick. I do not however feel myself competent to describe the early symptoms of this disorder, but the best way to prevent its gaining ground in the school is to send all the children home who appear the least indisposed; this will be the most likely way to prevent a fever from getting into the school.

As to the ophthalmia, I can describe the symptoms of that disease, having had it myself, together with the whole of my family. It generally comes in the left eye first, and causes a sensation as if something was in the eye, which pricks and shoots, and causes great pain: the white of the eye will appear red, or what is usually called bloodshot; this, if not speedily attended to, will cause blindness; I have had several children that have been blind with it for several days. In the morning the patients are not able to unclose their eyes, for they will be gummed up, and it

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will be some time after they are awake before they will be able to disengage the eyelids. As soon as I observe these appearances, 1 immediately send the child home; for I have ascertained, beyond a doubt, that the disease is contagious, and if a child be suffered to remain with it in the school, the infection will speedily spread among all the children.

As children are frequently apt to burn or scald themselves, I will here insert a method for the cure of both. It is very simple, and yet infallible; at least, I have never known it to fail. It is no other than common writing ink. One of my own children burnt its hand dreadfully, and was cured by immediately washing it all over with ink. Several children burnt their hands against the pipe that was connected with the stove in the school-room, and were cured by the same means. One boy, in particular, took hold of a hot cinder that fell from the fire, and it quite singed his hand; I applied ink to it, and it was cured in a very short time. Let any one, therefore, who may happen to receive a burn, apply ink to it immediately, and he will soon witness the good effects of the application.

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CHAPTER VIII.

PRINCIPLES OF INFANT EDUCATION.

"We desire to give a moral constitution to the child instead of a moral custom."

IT is observed by a very celebrated writer, "that the educator's care, above all things, should be, first, to lay in his charge the foundation of religion and virtue." If, then, this be the first care, how important is it to take the earliest opportunity of instilling such principles into infant minds, before they are overcharged with principles of an opposite nature. It has likewise been observed, and perhaps with some truth, "that the human soul is never idle, that if the mind is not occupied with something good, it must needs employ itself about something evil." The chief end and design of an infant school, is to keep the mind employed about what is innocent and useful; and therefore teaching children to read, write, and so on, are regarded as secondary objects. Many have been taught to read and write well, and have had, what is usually called, a good education; but inasmuch as they have not been taught their duty to God, and to each other, they have frequently

launched out into every species of vice, and their education has only served to render them more formidable and dangerous to the rest of the community.

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If we inquire the cause why men have been so loose in their principles, and vicious in their conduct, it seems to be, that in the places of education, of all ranks, until lately, too little attention has been paid to religious instruction. "Too many," says Dr. Fuller, are more careful to bestow wit on their children, rather than virtue, the art of speaking well rather than doing well;' whereas, their morals ought to be the chief concern; to be prudent, honest, good, and virtuous, are infinitely higher accomplishments, than being learned, rhetorical, metaphysical, or, that which the world usually calls, great scholars and fine gentlemen; and a virtuous education for children, is to them a better inheritance, than a great

estate.

The business of Infant Education, may properly be divided into three branches: moral, mental, and physical. The first, relating to the inculcation of those principles, and the development of those feelings, which constitute a virtuous character. The second having regard to the proper treatment of those faculties of reason, with which the human being is gifted,-enabling it, not only to discern between good and evil,and to appropriate the blessings of life to its enjoyment, but likewise to comprehend, to a certain extent, the wonderful and admirable works of the Creator; and the last, relating to the means proper to be taken for preserving the health of the body. The whole tending to the attainment of that state which may be regarded

as the perfection of human existence; health of body, activity of mind, and piety and benevolence of spirit.

With regard to the moral treatment of children, under the system of education hitherto pursued. I must candidly say,-it has been frequently omitted altogether, and still more frequently has it been erroneous, and consequently, inefficient. Let me ask,-would it be of any benefit to a child's health, to learn it to repeat certain maxims on the benefits resulting from exercise? Neither can it be of any service to the moral health of the child, to learn it to repeat, or to store in its memory, the best maxims of virtue, unless we have taken care to excite an activity of virtuous feeling to apply and act upon those precepts. And yet, this has not been the practice. How frequently do we hear persons remark upon the ill conduct of children, "It is surprising they should do so;-they have been taught better things!" Very likely; and no doubt they have got all the golden rules of virtue, alluded to, carefully stored up in their memories;-but they are like the hoarded treasures of the miser: the disposition to use them is wanted. It is this we must strive to promote in the child. If we can excite a love of goodness, and an activity of virtuous feeling, the child will not err, nor lack the knowledge how to do good, even though we were to forget, or neglect, to give it any rules or maxims to go by. It is to the heart we must turn our attention in the moral treatment of children. With this end in view, the first grand object of the master or mistress of an infant school, is to win the love of the children, by banishing all slavishr fear. The children are to be invited to