were on the child: this, they said, they had no doubt would cure him. But, however, he was not so soon to be cured, for the very next day he was absent again, and after the parents had tried every expedient they could think of, without success, they delivered him over to me, telling me to do what I thought proper. I tried every means that I could devise, with as little success, except keeping him at school after school hours; for I had a great disinclination to convert the school into a prison, as my object was, if possible, to cause the children to love the school; and I knew I could not take a more effectual method of causing them to dislike it, than by keeping them, against their will, after school hours. At last, I tried this experiment, but to as little purpose as the others, and I was about to send the child out of the school altogether, as incorrigible. Being unwilling, however, that it should be said, a child of only five years of age had mastered us, I at last hit upon an expedient which had the desired effect; and I must say, I was extremely glad to see it. 1 never knew him absent without leave afterwards, and what is more surprising, he appeared to be very fond of the school, and became a very good child. Was not this, then, a brand plucked from the fire?

I have been advised to dismiss twenty such children rather than retain them by the above means, but if there be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance, ought not such a feeling to be encouraged on earth? particularly when it can be done by means, that are not injurious to the orderly, but, on the contrary, productive of the best effects. The child afterwards went

into the National School, with several others who were nearly as bad as himself, but they scarcely ever failed to come and see me when they had a half-holiday. Notwithstanding they had been subjected to the objected punishments, the master of the National School told me that neither of them had ever been absent without leave, and that he had no fault to find with either of them. 1 have further to observe that the moment I perceived any bad effects produced by any method of punishment, that moment it was relinquished.

I believe, that there is not a child in the school who would not have been delighted to carry the broom, if I had called it play; the other children might have laughed as long as they pleased, for he would have laughed as hearty as any of them; and as soon as he had done, 1 should have had a dozen applicants, with "Please sir, may I; please sir, may I;" but only change the name, and call it a punishment, and I had no applications whatever; but they all dreaded it as much as they could a flogging. I am aware, that this plan of punishment will appear childish and ridiculous ; and, perhaps, it would be ridiculous to use it for older children, but with such young children 1 have found it answer well, and therefore have no wish to dispense with it; however, I would have care taken not to encourage the children to ridicule each other while undergoing this or any other punishment, but (as I always have done) encourage them to sympathize and comfort a child as soon as his punishment is over; and I can truly say, that I do not recoliect a single instance, when any child has been undergoing the broom punishment, but that some of the others have come and attempted to beg him off, with "Please sir, may

he sit down now;" and when asked the reason why they have wished the little delinquent to be forgiven, they have answered, "May be, sir, he will be a good boy." Well, their request has been complied with, and the culprit forgiven; and what have I seen follow? Why, that which has taught me many an important lesson, and has convinced me that children can operate on each other's mind, and be the means of producing, very often, better effects than adult persons can. I have seen them clasp the child round the neck, take him by the hand, lead him about the play-ground, comfort him in every possible way, wipe his eyes with their pinafore, ask him if he was not sorry for what he had done; the answer has been, "Yes;" and they have flown to me-" Master, he says he is sorry for it, and that he will not do so again." In short they have done that which b I could not do, they have so won the child over by kindness, that it has caused the offender not only to be fond of them, but equally as fond of his master and the school. To these things I attribute the reclaiming of the children I have mentioned; and so far from its being productive of the "worst effects," I have found it productive of the best.

The ill effects of expelling children as incorrigible, may be seen in the case of Hartley, who was executed some years back. He confessed before his execution that he had been concerned in several murders, and upwards of two hundred burglaries; and by the newspaper account, we learn, that he was dismissed from school at nine years of age, there being no school-master who would be troubled with him, when, finding himself at full liberty, he immediately commenced robber. "Hartley's father (the account proceeds)

formerly kept the Sir John Falstaff inn, at Hull, in Yorkshire. He was put to school in that neighbourhood, but his conduct at school was so marked with depravity, and so continually did he play the truant, that he was dismissed as unmanageable. He then, although only nine years of age, began with pilfering and robbing gardens and orchards, till at length his friends were obliged to send him to sea. He soon contrived to run away from the vessel in which he had been placed, and having regained the land, pursued his old habits, and got connected with many of the principal thieves in London, with whom he commenced business regularly as a housebreaker, which was almost always his line of robbery."

Should not every means have been resorted to with this child, before proceeding to the dangerous mode of expulsion? for it is not the whole who need a physician, but those that are sick; and I strongly suspect, that if judicious punishment had been resorted to, it would have had the desired effect. I can only say, that there never was a child expelled from the Spitalfields Infant School, as incorrigible. In conclusion, I have to observe that the broom punishment is only for extraordinary occasions, and I think we are justified in having recourse to any means that are consistent with duty and humanity, rather than turn a child out into the wide world.

CHAPTER X.

LANGUAGE.

METHOD OF TEACHING THE ALPHABET, AND IMPARTING IDEAS OF THINGS AT THE SAME

TIME.

Can any thing reflect light before it has received it, or any other light than that which it has received?

THE first thing children wish to acquire, as to language, is a knowledge of the names of things, their senses having revealed each object in its true light, they now desire to express their perceptions in sounds or words. This desire is the first thing you have to gratify; you tell them the name of an object, and from that time such name is the representative of the thing in the mind of the child. If the object be not present, but you mention the name, the memory of the child supplies it with an ideal representation of such object, which thus becomes, as it were, present in the mind of the child. If this matter had been more frequently thought upon by educators, we should I think have found them less eager to make the child acquainted with names of things