mation, unless its possession tend to the melioration of their dispositions and characters, one would hardly consider that it has produced its legitimate fruits.

All who are taught derivation-and it is a subject level to the capacities of the pupils of the first and second classes in our schools, should be directed to its use as an assistance to the correct spelling of words. For example, a pupil who has learned that the word separate is compounded of the prefix se, aside, and pars partis, a part, will not be so liable to spell it seperate, as another who does not know its derivation. The second vowel in the word has such an ambiguous sound, that judging by the ear alone it is almost impossible to say whether it ought to be an e or an a, and such is the case with many other words.

Dictation-exercises appear to be the most successful way of teaching how to spell. Of course the employment of it, pre-supposes and requires that the pupils should have attained a certain facility in writing. The plan next best to writing a sentence, appears to be that of spelling all the words consecutively as they occur in the sentence. Writing and attentive reading are however the most, and perhaps the only, effectual means of acquiring this essential branch of education. The eye is quite as useful practically as the ear in detecting false spelling, and probably more so in the English language, in which the discrepancies between the sounds and the symbols are great, of frequent occurence, and, to a learner, often very puzzling.

The teacher ought carefully to avoid making too much noise himself. The more he makes in obtaining order the more he may—in fact mustmake. Some never punish till they have exhausted their strength in endeavouring to get or preserve order. This may, and probably often does, proceed from good nature on the part of the teacher, and an unwillingness to punish. Still such a course is ill judged and ought to be avoided. The teacher ought for various reasons to be very sparing of his voice. Order obtained at the expense of a great noise is almost always of short duration. Perfect order is easiest obtained and easiest preserved. To do the thing half and half is by far the most difficult and least satisfactory course.

The best authority is founded in love. The best obedience proceeds from love. The best way of overcoming the stubborn dispo sitions of children is not always to use corporal punishment. I would say, as a general rule, let this be the last means resorted to. Try every way, with patience, and you will in the end find that when a

child is thus conquered, he is a thousand times better conquered than by the rod you may force a child to obey with the rod, but you can never make him love by means of it. Kindness will generally beget respect, and kindness will always accomplish its ends.

To hear a pupil read a lesson from a book, is not to educate him. The business of an instructor properly begins where the office of a book ends; it is the action of mind upon mind exciting, awakening, shewing by example the power of reasoning, and the scope of generalization, and rendering it impossible that the pupil should not think : this is the noble and the ennobling duty of an instructor.

THE MONITORIAL SYSTEM.

The reverend founder of the Madras system, and other gentlemen who have written on it, seem in some instances to describe the work of the master, who teaches according to it, as a mere on-looking. We are, however, sure that all who have experience in the work, and have the welfare of the children at heart, find the case to be far otherwise; else what means that weariness and unfitness for study, which the teacher feels at the close of the day when he returns home from school. Surely, of all others, such a one holds no idle office, his post is no sinecure.

It seldom happens that, in an ordinary elementary school, a sufficient number of masters can be provided to instruct all the children. In the absence of proper, or adult masters, the pupils themselves are employed, in a subordinate capacity, as their substitutes; and after all that has been said on both sides of the question, those who have had experience in the matter, will probably agree that in many cases they are but indifferent substitutes. A teacher can never be entirely satisfied as to the real improvement of a child, in any other way than by taking the child frequently under his own immediate instruction. In the best schools there are often found to be considerable difficulties in the way of getting the pupils to teach each other. In many cases too there is a strong feeling on the part of the parents against their children being taught by their play-mates. Others again object to their children being employed as teachers, thinking that their progress is thereby retarded. The querulous interference of parents is always a source of annoyance to the master of a school. Hence the master should be as independent of the parents for his maintenance as possible. If his plans are good they ought to be carried out, that their good results may put to silence foolish objections.

Another evil to be guarded against in employing the monitorial

system is, that in elevating some children to the post of teachers of their fellows, we are liable to engender in them an undue amount of self-esteem. This may not unfrequently be seen in the refractoriness which they evince on their return to their class as pupils. Having for a time been invested with power, and accustomed to command, the duty of self-obedience seems but little congenial to their newly acquired feelings of superiority. Perhaps the best means of avoiding this evil, is for the master to study well the dispositions of those pupils whom he selects as teachers.

A frequent change of teachers is an evil that has to be contended against in many schools. From this cause it sometimes happens, that just as a boy is beginning to acquire the habit of keeping his class in order, and to be familiar with the duties of his post, the time comes for the changing of the teachers, and he cedes his charge to another of different manners, and probably of inferior experience.

To keep a pupil too exclusively to the task of teaching, might possibly create in him an idea, that the master was under very special obligations to him for his services, and that he did not receive equivalent advantages. Such a feeling as this ought to be carefully guarded against, for should a notion of this kind once spread in the school a serious infringment would be made upon the master's independence and authority; and ill will it fare with that school in which the character and authority of the master are not held in due respect.

Children are liable to abuse the power entrusted to them. The teacher should carefully guard against this by laying down and enforcing restrictive rules or otherwise, as it may seem to him best. Those who have not had an extensive experience of children may perhaps not believe it, but it is nevertheless true that there are some children who seem to take delight in getting their fellows punished. This is cruelty, and must by all means be discountenanced; so too ought bribery, which in spite of the master's regulations will sometimes shew itself.

The selection of monitors or pupil-teachers is a point of considerable importance, and one which calls for the exercise of tact and discrimination. It is well to give the preference to those who have a liking for the work, and possess a command over their own tempers, "for bad temper in the governor" observes Bishop Short "creates opposition to his authority." Those appointed to the office of teacher should also be patient, yet not so patient as to allow the pupils under them to do as they like. With patience there should be united industry, firmness, and perseverance.

Pupil teachers when once appointed, should be held responsible (of course in a subordinate degree) for the conduct of each individual in their respective classes. These officers should be encouraged or

degraded, in proportion as they faithfully fulfil or neglect their assigned duties. To manage pupil-teachers well and successfully is perhaps as difficult a branch as any of the master's duty, and one upon which the well-being of a school, especially of a numerous school, in a very great degree depends. Some masters fail in this matter by making their pupil-teachers mere ciphers. For instance should any noise or irregularity occur in any of the classes, instead of directing the attention of the teacher to it in whose class it happens, the master speaks directly to the defaulter, and thus he virtually removes the onus of keeping order &c., from each of the teachers and takes the whole immediately upon his own shoulders. He is therefore embarrassed, and not left so free as he otherwise might be, to direct his undivided attention to whatever subject he may engage in.

LUTHER'S OPINION OF THE OFFICE OF TEACHER OF YOUTH.

(From the German.)

In short, an industrious and pious schoolmaster, who faithfully instructs and educates youth, can never be sufficiently honoured, nor his services adequately paid for by any amount of money.

Even Aristotle the heathen acknowledges this. And yet how shamefully is this office slighted and despised among us who call ourselves Christians. For my own part, if I were compelled to resign the office of the ministry, there is no other which I would so much desire or engage in as that of a schoolmaster or teacher of youth. For

I am well persuaded that, next to the ministry, there is no office either more useful or more important than this, and which of the two offices deserves the preference, I shall not attempt to decide.

FENELON ON THE EDUCATION OF DAUGHTERS.

Article II.

FENELON, having established and illustrated at some length the importance of Female Education, proceeds in his second chapter to point out some of the more prominent faults committed in the education of females in his day. His remarks are, we hope, less applicable to our own time, yet some of them may suggest useful cautions. For instance, "the ignorance of a young woman is the cause she is commonly so burdensome to herself, and knows not how to spend her time innocently; for after she is come to the age discretion, without having ever applied herself to solid matters, she

of

can then have no manner of relish for them. Whatever is serious hence appears to her sad. Sobriety with her is melancholy, and whatever requires a continued attention is toilsome. In the mean time, behold a vast empty space, which there is little or no hope to get ever filled with solid matters. Therefore frivolous and impertinent ones take their place. In this idle state a young woman gives herself up to sloth; and sloth, which is a weakness or sickness of the soul, is an inexhaustible spring of discontents. She accustoms herself to sleep one third part more than is needful to preserve health. This long sleep serves only to soften her, and to weaken her constitution; whereas moderate rest, accompanied with an orderly exercise and labour, renders a person gay, vigorous and robust."

Our author in his third chapter, proceeds to point out what he calls "the first foundations of a right education." He insists very much, as did Pestalozzi, on commencing the child's education at a very early period; and in proof that children are susceptible of the passions of more mature age, long before they possess the power of speech, he quotes from St. Augustin, who observes, "I have seen a child that could not speak, jealous, who with a pale countenance and fierce eyes, looked upon the child that sucked with it."

After dwelling on the necessity of a due attention to the child's physical education, he gives a most wholesome caution in respect of intellectual education. "It is of very great importance," says he, "to let her organs first acquire strength and vigour, before you burden her too much with instruction. Even should she evince an impatient desire to be instructed, be not forward to gratify it, but rather aim at forming her into an amiable and docile disposition."

Again-"Be not in haste, but rather be contented to form them little by little, as opportunity naturally presents itself. Even were it in your power very much to advance and forward the understanding of a child, without over-straining its faculties, you ought to use great caution in doing so; for the presumption and vanity which might thence arise, are always more to be dreaded than the fruits of those early efforts which make so much show, are to be valued. You must be content to follow and help nature. Children who know but little must not be encouraged to speak much. But as they are ignorant of a great many things, they will naturally feel a desire to ask many questions. This spirit of enquiry ought not to be repressed; on the contrary, they ought, as much as possible, to receive plain and precise answers to their questions. This curiosity has been given to children for wise purposes, and ought to be made a good use of. For example, if they are in the country, and see a mill, and should wish to know what it is, you must explain to them how the food with which we are nourished is prepared, and so in many other instances."