faculties, tempers, and dispositions of children can be prepared and cultivated only by various experiments, requiring unremit- ted attention. Sympathy seems the chief innate moral instinct and operating principle by which the character is formed; equally active in leading to vice and misery, or virtue and happiness. And since all human improvement rests on that inexplicable law of our nature, the principle of association, let that be ever kept in view. Any parent who observes the early attempts of the infant at making use of its hands or feet, or articulating words, will see the principle exemplified, and will perceive how soon a propensity is acquired; for instance, for using one hand in preference to the other; and because he finds these propensities at first easily corrected, and that it is almost impracticable when the habit is confirmed; he will understand why they are believed innate, and see the importance of paying strict attention to the earliest habits of a child. But for this power of association, it appears, man must have forever remained in infant ignorance, or a mere sensitive lump of clay. If we reflect that all the sensations or perceptions of mind, with feelings and passions, are by this law connected with the motions of the muscles, nerves, and brain, employed in their production and operation, and that they acquire, in the same manner, a readiness to run into any particular course, we discover the foundation of those moral propensities that are also esteemed innate. If we add to these, that all the operations, discoveries, and reasonings of our minds, are subject to the same law, its importance must be esteemed immense; and the utility to the parent, of a competent acquaintance with mental philosophy will be equally apparent. As its influence cannot be rendered too obvious, we would further illustrate it, by.ob. serving that the exercise of any particular muscle, nerve, or set of organs, brought into action in the expression of any passion or affection, whether the swellings of anger, the frown of contempt, or the smile of complacency, will, if artificially excited, produce sensations or feelings perfectly similar. Hence a melancholy person, by constantly attempting to appear cheerful, soon becomes really so; unless his gloom be the effect of irremediable disease. A stranger, by caressing a child, though merely to gratify the fond parent, by inducing pleasant sensations in himself, becomes insensibly pleased with the child. knowledge of this principle would render many a surly person good natured, unless from settled malignity he refused to apply it. We have seen a man, who being a little dissatisfied with

an expression of a kinsman, that he imagined not quite suf ficiently respectful, at first assume a gravity, and express a degree of disapprobation of the expression, which articulation increasing the activity of nerves, and swelling of the muscles, this activity in turn increasing his anger, his wrath augmenting by every motion—not of lips alone, but his whole frame, till he wrought himself into a perfect frenzy; and yet the original expression could scarce be deemed offensive, and not a syllable of aggravation uttered after.

Under the term education, is meant to be included the culture and expansion of the whole life. The objects may be considered, under health, temper, disposition, intellect, and morals. Whatever is essential to either, will be found, directly or indirectly, to contribute to the others. Man, being an intellectual animal, his physical powers seem not to acquire their full vigour, where the mental energies are left inert; as may be judged by observing the difference between the Arabian and the Hottentot. The directions of physicians for ensuring health are few and simple, yet it seems very generally disregarded. They may be reduced to a plentiful use of cold bathing, with diet plain, simple, coarse, and uniform; that children be not tempted to gormandize beyond the actual appetite of nature. To an unsophisticated appetite milk would long continue the most grateful food, did not the child behold other people devour, with higher zest, more stimulating viands. There seems greater cause for caution against over feeding them, than most parents appear sensible of. The error operates very early, the mother or nurse, observing any uneasiness in the infant immediately applies the breast, if it receive it, she concludes its pain must originate from hunger; when, in truth, pleasure is so intimately connected with that, in the mind of the child, it will accept it in almost any case. The mistake is carried still further, when feeding succeeds to nursing. Instead of administering in very small portions, the nurse will give as much as she can persuade the child to take; this produces an artificial appetite which must be gratified; till it will call for food on every uneasiness, or vacuity of mind. The mind of a child must also be fed in very small portions, but should be kept active and employed. Much food may to be sure produce a thrifty plant, but it will be too thrifty for duration, or for mental expansion. Effects still more baneful arise from viands of a nature too stimulating; the appetite demands a continual increase of the exciting principle, the pleasure of high excite

ment is followed by languor and pain; fretfulness, anger, ill will, with the whole family of sordid passions that take deep and vigorous root in so well prepared a soil. It certainly demands no extraordinary information to understand the statements of physicians, that to excite the system, by what means soever, into an action too rapid for the native stamina of its powers, which by the law of association, continues beyond the immediate activity of the stimulus, after which it sinks as far below its natural action, yet still more deleterious are the effects of keeping up the stimulus. The continued and increasing excitement of body, moreover, strengthens the more violent animal passions, and subtracts in proportion from the necessary nutriment of the intellectual powers. By pampering the appetite, as fashion dictates, and associating the idea of good with every rarity, an unnatural taste is easily superinduced, and the whole mind and attention turned to this sensual gratification. How often do we see the fond, mistaken mother, who by extraordinary stimulants has herself acquired a relish for fashionable luxuries, that no native appetite will receive, exert her utmost skill to induce her little darling to taste a little bit, it is so delicious, so charming,' devouring it herself with great gusto, till she finally succeed in implanting a similar depraved appetite with her own, and secures to her offspring the lasting blessing of being as great a sensualist and devotee to luxury! with the additional advantage that it will in the same manner be communicated to the next generation. These remarks are not supposed of universal application; but the securing a good constitution, with early ability to regulate the appetites, constitutes so important a part of education, they certainly may be excused. It would seem that the march of mind' passes rather too slightly over the luxuries of the palate.

As we come to speak of disposition, it should be observed that the early habits should be formed on a scale so moderate, that excitements may be increased as years increase, without diminishing future happiness. Every season has its appropriate sources of enjoyment. By keeping expectation moderate, disappointments are avoided, and consequent ill temper. If great pains be taken to make the infant display its opening powers, and to expect the notice and smiles of all, when it afterward becomes expedient to silence it, and reduce it to obedience, one need not be surprised to find it possess a strong 'native propensity' to self will. No parent desires his child should be ill tempered, let him then be cautious how much expectations are excited. Most of the difficulty of after management of children, arises from having rendered

them thus early of too much importance in their own eyes. Sympathy, as we have said, is the grand connecting principle of association between one and another. Is a child sullen, let us induce a laugh; it may be done by the sudden, unexpected introduction of something ludicrous, altogether foreign to the source of vexation. These risible motions displace the angry ones; and the temper is much more effectually tranquillized by forgetting the cause of disquiet than it can be done by any coercion in our power. Every mother who wishes a child to laugh and sport, will laugh and play herself; so if she desire to quell it when boisterous, she must speak softly, and propose something to compel it to reflect. While a child is in an ill humor it is no time to lecture; like medicine offered the sick it increases the disagreeable sensations, when it is our aim to induce pleasant ones. Example, through this power of sympathy, has the most powerful influence; the parent must be herself, what it is desired to make the child. Pleasing ideas, as far as possible, must be joined with whatever is desired to have done; a child can never find pleasure in obedience, if he perceive the parent find it in commanding. And through our whole life, that duty is likely to be but ill performed that is an unpleasant one. Would we have children affectionate, tender, and benevolent, must we not be the same? We may enjoin the golden rule by many a solemn repetition, but that very solemnity, implying something sad and disagreeable, will defeat them. Instead of this, let them be led by practice, to feel how pleasant it is to bestow on the necessitous, to relieve the miseries of the wretched, and fill the hungry soul with good things. This constitutes the difference between genuine benevolence and that extorted charity which bestows what cannot be witheld, without infamy. Such minds can never know the luxury of making others happy; this privilege is reserved to the truly benevolent. Children should witness our solicitude for the comfort of others, and our gratification from procuring it. But if it should be necessary to refuse a solicited charity, let them not witness it; there may be good reason for it, but that the child is not able to weigh, and his kindly feelings may be blunted, by sympathy with our refusal.

In forming the temper, it may not be amiss to recollect some of the remarks of Miss Edgeworth, and Mrs More, on the ar-ticle of dress. It is surely often made a source of very unnecessary vexation; first, because it is inconvenient and disagreeable to be so teazed and lectured about keeping their

clothes nice, because they are too good to be injured by the romping plays, so grateful to them; and next, as soon as thoroughly initiated into the importance of finery, their minds are tormented lest others have better than themselves. It is peculiarly injudicious to impress the idea and importance of pretty dresses and pretty manners for company. The company of the parents, and respect for them, should be paramount in young children

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Playthings are often equal sources of fretfulness, instead of pleasure; parents purchase costly toys to gratify children with their beauty, and then tantalize them by requiring them to be kept safe, nice, and clean, up in the closet; and sometimes so far as to tell them that such another child has not got such a beautiful one, and 'you'll not let him have your's, will you ? How glad Mary H. would be to get one half so fine!' 'Charley, my love, you must not break that pretty new coach, Tommy G. would be ever so glad if he could get such a one; go set it up in the closet, and see how prettily the little boy rides, driving the horses!' How many bad passions are infused in these childish admonitions, that the mother expects them to forget when too large to play with a gilt coach. Thomas has not such an one,'-here selfishness, vanity, and imaginary superiority take root in the heart, (a soil that not so readily yields the plants once fixed, as a gilt coach may be forgotten,) and that in the meanest shape; displayed in things of no possible use; for not even his own pleasure is promoted by looking at things he must not touch; nor indeed in handling them, unless he can put them in motion; especially while tantalized by being told it his, and yet he has no control over it. Things given for amusement should be entirely at their disposal, or they become sources of misery and ill humor. A dull hatchet, an old pair of shears, or any thing children can use, affords much more gratification than the most splendid toy ever invented. Toys, of the young or old, seem to derive all their importance from their being coveted by others. It is desirable to let the baleful competition in the science of outshining remain as long as possible a secret to the young. It is employment, not amusement, children want; something on which they can exercise their invention, taste, and skill. It seems not good to give them things as their own, but if we do, let them be abso. lutely so, and when they give them away, let them know they are no longer at their command. A taste and habit of monopolizing may be acquired, long before the necessity of private