ture, has wisely fitted her to confer, to anticipate, supply, and relieve them. It is by these repeated acts of affection, that her infant becomes conscious of the existence of the benevolent being, from whom its happiness is derived. The sweet foun

tain from which it draws nutrition, the soft bosom on which it reposes, from whose embrace it awakes to meet the eye of maternal fondness, and the caress of maternal love, awaken in its breast. the feelings of conscious affection; and denote the commencement of its moral life. As an agent of the divine instructer, the mother will feel herself entrusted with a spirit, destined for immortality, on which she is urged, by every consideration, to shed that redeeming influence, which alone can preserve it from earthly pollution, and conduct it to the skies.

Her infant, now in paradise, she will endeavour to sustain there, by removing forbidden fruit from its view. By methods suggested by its nature, she will develope the affections of its heart, and direct them in the attainment of good. Herself, she will regard as the primary object, to which its young affections should most fondly cling; she will adhere to the indications of nature; knowing that on this depends the reality of her hopes, that they are the voice of the divine instructer, whose friendly monitions, are thus given to aid her in her good work.

ence.

Having obtained by the influence of love and kindness, the whole affection and confidence of her infant, she has put herself in possession of a power over its volitions, that will ensure its ready obedience. She will win to obedience by this influHer requirements will be few and simple they will be mere modifications of nature's. In case of transgression, it points to the resulting unhappiness, and teaches, by experience, the inseparable connexion between disobedience and misery, between obedience and happiness. Appealing to the standard which she erects for the guidance of its actions, she creates the round of its duties, and the perceptive conscience which approves them; adherence to its dictates soon makes them habitual; the will becomes rational, and leads to the cheerful and happy performance of duty. Fear and coercion she keeps out of sight.

The mother will early fix, by experience, the great moral rule in its mind she will lead it to see that the only way to secure its own happiness, is by promoting the happiness of others-of all around it that lives, and moves, and breathes. It is by the perception of this truth, that her young philanthropist will feel the pleasures of a moral existence,

To nature she will turn its attention; and from the variety and beauty of her productions, she will fill its mind with thought. She will address, in succession, all the faculties of its being.

Alive to every surrounding object; conscious of its innocence; enjoying, and returning the affections of all with whom it dwells, her infant's mind, in due time, recognizes a higher power, which it feels is good. To this power it extends its affections, and rejoices in being the recipient of its love. Religious feeling rises in its breast, and sheds a kindly influence on all its pursuits. Assured that God is ever present; that in him it lives and moves and has its being, the feelings of reverence, and gratitude, and devotion, and love, spontaneously rise in its breast, accompanied by a sense of the divine approbation, which lead to the constant, and cheerful, and conscientious performance of duty.

Without attempting to follow the course of arrangement, in the selection of thoughts, from the pamphlet which we have mentioned, we will, in this connexion, introduce some observations regarding the maternal duties, of which we have above attempted an outline.

Ma

'For cultivating the moral principle, the mother must, 1st. Endeavour to excite in the heart of her child, gratitude, faith, and love; and this will be easy, as every mother is possessed of the means. ternal affection is the powerful spring by which she can put the child's heart into action, and give a just direction to all its internal feelings and applications.

2d. She must accustom her child from the earliest infancy to unconditional, prompt, and cheerful obedience.

3d. Let every mother, by practice, as well as by precept, endeavour to act so as always to present to him the moral law, by intuition; a child has not only a quick ear, but a quicker eye, than we generally believe. No success can be expected in education, till we abandon a religion of words, and take up that of deeds; till doing supersede talking; till we have more practitioners than preachers.

'The moral principle may be further strengthened, by giving children a habit of punctually fulfilling their daily duties; thus teaching them the inestimable value of time; of respecting other people's property, and particularly the property, however intrinsically trifling, of their young companions; of kindly treating their infant brothers and sisters; of voluntarily renouncing and denying themselves comforts and amusements, in order early to acquire a degree of self-command, of humility, and of christian affection, by accustoming them to reflection, and gradually training them to consider the end of every action: this habit will not only save them from many follies and errors, but will lead in time to a conscientious employment of every talent; to that

"Wisdom whose fruits are purity and peace."

'A child should not be left in the first period of its development to the action of its own will: its moral guardians, its parents, must guide

the infant will, till obedience has raised delight, and it feels it has done right; this feeling is the fruit of the development of the moral principle in a child; and it is only by a continuance of the operation of this divine force, that the child's sensual will becomes moral; and it finds in itself an inward guide, which incites it to its ultimate end.

'To diminish the power of the sensual will, and to animate the activity, energy, and operation of the moral principle, is the grand secret of education, and requires the tender, skilful hand of parents devoted to their duty.

Gratitude, faith, and love, are excited within the child, by acts of kindness and love. By means of these, his mother appears to him as a higher, but, at the same time, as a benevolent power; she consequently becomes to him a representation of the Deity, before he knows the Deity, and these sentiments constitute what may be called the elements of religion.

'The name of God is mentioned as the common Father of all; to whom his parents are indebted for every blessing they possess; he must therefore serve and love God, and the desire to please him, must be the motive of action.

Every propitious event, every physical and spiritual blessing, is attributed to God. Each time he has performed some good and moral deed, the child is reminded of God; for any sort of succour, protection, comfort, and bounty, thanks are rendered to God, in the presence of the child, from the fulness of the heart.'

On the means for awakening the child's perceptive powers, the following observations and exercises, are worthy the notice of every intelligent mother..

"A child's mind must be awakened by its instructer's mind, not by its instructer's book-life must act upon life-the heart is the seat of life; and the heart of the child must be acted upon by the heart, visible in the countenance, the voice, the manner, the whole expression of the instructer.

'From their earliest age, children must be treated as beings holding a high rank in creation; endowed with the heavenly spark of reason, which in the domestic circle should be fostered by the united efforts of the father, mother, elder brothers and sisters, so as to embrace the whole child; or, in Pestalozzi's words, to engage the powers of hand, head, and heart.

'When the child begins to notice objects and sounds, his faculty of intuition may be exercised. The mother repeatedly and distinctly pronounces the name of every object upon which he fastens his eyes. If it is possible, she lets him handle the object, and notice whatever can be noticed respecting it by means of the senses. In order to increase his power of sight she frequently shows him more distant objects in nature, and leads him to observe many things essential to them. In a similar manner, the power of hearing and feeling may be excited. But whatever is done should be by slow, or rather imperceptible degrees. Particular care must be taken not to fatigue or disgust, by pressing him beyond his wishes or his powers; every little exercise should be made agreeable and cheerful, with the view of creating in the tender mind, a desire and a love for instruction. The affections alone are the cause of all knowledge; what we do not love, we scarcely ever attain. 8

VOL. IV.NO. I.

'When a child can pretty well pronounce words and short sentences, his mother chooses some object likely to interest him; shows him the whole of it; lets him try distinctly to repeat the name of it; then to analyze it, by simply naming all its essential properties, as form, colour, and weight. The object is handled, looked at in every direction, and if possible, his sense of hearing is exercised upon it. As the mental powers gain strength, all particulars of objects are denominated; and he is encouraged to repeat them, articulating distinctly every word. Whatever the mother imparts, should be in a cheerful, affectionate manner; and these little exercises will not fail to become a most agreeable occupation.

'Exercises may also be given with small wooden cubes, oblongs, narrow slips of wood of different lengths, cones, squares, pyramids, or other figures. The mother points out and denominates every thing respecting their form, superficies, angles; their length, breadth, and thickness; and encourages her child to endeavour by degrees to do the same. She afterwards alters the position of the figures, and asks what changes have been made. She produces by placing the figures together, different bodies, and asks what new forms have been produced. The child himself may be led to take pleasure in these attempts, and to give an account of what he has done.'

ART. VII.-Geology for Schools.

FEW subjects have a stronger claim to a place in a system of popular education than geology. Numerous reasons urge its introduction into every school.

1. It is nearly allied to geography; and, like that, is calculated to enlarge the minds and extend the views of children, by acquainting them with the earth they inhabit. If it does not inform us of the situation and comparative size of continents, islands, and mountains, it teaches us what continents, islands, and mountains are composed of. If it takes no notice of cities, kingdoms, and empires upon the earth, or the changes which have been produced upon its surface, by the industry or the ravages of men, it describes the more sublime changes it has suffered, by the hand of time, and the agency of earthquakes and volcanoes. If it gives no history of the nations that have risen, and flourished, and fallen, upon the earth, it contains a history of the earth itself. It informs us what it was when it

*To aid those interested in the early education of children, a collection of apparatus, accompanied with a book, has recently been prepared by Mr. Josiah Holbrook, entitled Easy Lessons in Geometry.'

was without form and void, what changes it suffered when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, or when other convulsions shook it to its centre.

2. It is an interesting science. It opens to our view a new world, and presents us with numerous objects of beauty and of interest, before unnoticed. The most barren ledges, the commonest rocks and walls by the wayside, destitute of anything to admire or notice, show to groups of young explorers, that these have not merited the long neglect they have suffered; that they contain much that is rich and beautiful, not merely when arranged on the shelves and cases of a cabinet, but when placed on the mantelpiece of the parlour or drawing-room, and furnishing instruction and delight to the most elevated minds. 3. It is among the grandest of the sciences. It leads us to view, with increased admiration, the towering mountain and awful precipice, and induces and enables us to examine with greater ardour, and more exalted delight, those features of the earth, which never fail to excite ideas of sublimity even in the rudest mind. We learn from it, that amid the lofty aspect, the terrific grandeur, and the wild confusion of the Alps and Andes, there is order and regularity, which evince the skill of a wise and all-powerful architect. Arrangement amidst apparent disorder, a vast storehouse of riches overhung by forms of terror, objects of the highest beauty grouped beneath the awfully sublime, afford to the passing geologist a moral as well as an intellectual banquet.

4. It gives new interest and increased utility to our journies and our walks. A person, with the slightest knowledge of geology, never passes from one country or place to another, without finding much to admire, and much to increase his store of knowledge. If he finds no thriving village, no field covered with the fruits of the farmer's industry, no fertile tract groaning under its load of stately forest trees, or smiling beneath its dress of beautiful verdure, he still finds in the barren plain or the broken ledge, much that is beautiful, rich, and instructive.

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5. It furnishes a healthful and instructive amusement to the young. Wherever it has been introduced into schools, the pils have taken more or less of their pastime in examining and collecting specimens of minérals within their reach. A geological excursion is uniformly preferred by them to their ordinary sports, too often calculated to dissipate their minds, and unfit them for patient and successful application, when they return to their school rooms or their books.