In presenting to the public the system of school government embodied in this paper, I deem it proper to say that it is no visionary theory, but the practical result of a long experience in the school-room. Soon after I commenced teaching-more than sixty years since-I became satisfied that corporal punishment in school was, to say the least, often productive of more evil than good, and, hence, I commenced devising plans to avoid it. The one here presented was gradually approached, step by step, and was practiced with entire success, for many years, before it was communicated to others. The plan, in whole or in part, has been adopted by many teachers, and, so far as I have learned, always with satisfactory success. That it is the best system that can be devised, I do not claim, but after the trial of different methods I know of no one equal to it. I only ask that it be tried before it be condemned.

The first important lesson for a teacher to learn, if he would govern his school well, is to govern himself. If he fails to do this successfully, how can he hope to govern others? If his pupils discover that he is given to fault-finding and impatience, that little annoyances disturb his equanimity, the result will be to lessen