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Friend of Youth; or a new selection of Lessons, in Prose and Verse, for Schools and Families, to imbue the Young with sentiments of Piety, Humanity, and universal Benevolence: By Noah Worcester, D. D. Second edition. Boston: 1823. 12mo. pp. 276.

At a time when science and information are made the leading subjects even in the compilation of books of reading lessons, it would seem very desirable that the grand principles which breath peace and good will into the hearts of men, should have a volume devoted to them.

A moral reading-book was much wanted for the use of schools and families; and the Friend of Youth seems excellently suited to the purpose. It teaches by example, rather than by precept. It contains numerous illustrations, from history, and other sources, of the virtues which it aims to inculcate. That this is the most successful, as well as the most interesting method of instructing the young, is a truth familiar to all attentive parents and teachers.

Much good will probably result in after life to the young reader of this book. He will be trained up in a rooted aversion to the exercise of cruelty in every shape; whether he sees the passions vented on man or beast, on individuals or communities. He will enter on the stage of manhood prepared to co-operate with every benevolent effort public or private, and especially to devote all his influence to the success of those institutions which aim at the extermination of war.

A few questions at the close of each section would have contributed to the moral influence of the work; the intelligent teacher, however, will not omit to put these orally to his pupils.

Discourses on Cold and Warm Bathing; with remarks on the effects of drinking cold water in warm weather.-By John G. Coffin, M. D. A second edition. Boston, 1826. 12mo. pp. 70.

Physical education has few aids more important than that of bathing. But none in so common use has been so perverted or misunderstood. Dr. Coffin's manual will be found a very serviceable guide to individuals who occasionally or customarily resort to this pleasant expedient for renovating the energies of the corporeal system, and confirining and prolonging health.

Bathing requires attention to render it a healthful and beneficial practice; and parents who are desirous of exercising a judicious superintendence over this department of their children's physical improvement will derive much benefit from this treatise.

The season of the year, as well as the republication of Dr. Coffin's tract prompts us to suggest the following question.-Would it not be advantageous, in cities at least, to have a place assigned for the purpose of bathing, where youth might without exposure or risk, enjoy the benefit of this exercise? But little expense would be incurred to procure the requisite accommodations and a careful superintendent.

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN.

The Son of a Genius; a Tale for the use of Youth. By the Author of the History of an Officer's Widow and Family, Clergyman's Widow and Family, &c. Boston. 18mo. pp. 216.

Mrs. Hoffland's powers as a writer for the young have been often and deeply felt by the juvenile reader. In the present instance the sympathies of youth are finely touched, and to a fine moral issue.

The lesson which is read on the evils of instability of purpose, and of a false reliance on genius, is a very impressive one: it abounds with the most forcible and pathetic illustrations. The story cannot be read but with the deepest interest;

and if the tears which it draws from the youthful reader are unaccompanied by good resolutions no pains certainly have been spared by the writer to produce such a result.

We would not have occupied our readers' time with remarks on a book so well known in some parts of this country, if we had not known that the sale and the circulation of children's books, is apt-more than any other branch of publishing and bookselling business--to be regulated by local and pecuniary considerations; and that, accordingly, in not a few places, many of the best books for children never find their way into general use.

The Deformed Boy: by the Author of Redwood &c. Boston, 1826. 18mo. pp. 40.

It is a circumstance on which we may congratulate parents and all, indeed, who take an interest in the progress and improvement of the young, that a writer possessed of the qualifications of the author of Redwood, has turned her attention to the department of books for children. The literary rank of such works does not hold up to authors the reward of distinguished fame. But there is none of the walks of literature in which a benevolent and accomplished mind may dispense more gratification, or confer more sure and lasting benefits.

The Deformed Boy is a narrative from real life; and, like all other judicious selections from the great volume of truth, has as many charms as the brightest fiction. A little more simplicity of thought and plainness of style, in the didactic parts of the book, would be improvements of value. But the story itself is told in an easy and natural way; and the moral impressions it produces, are all of the best kind.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Received since our last :

Prospectus of the Polytechnic School, Schenectady, New-York.

School Exercises and Advertisement of the La Fayette Female Seminary, Lexington, Kentucky.

A friendly correspondent has urged the importance of the maternal department of education, and the propriety of giving it a more definite place in the pages of the journal. We agree with our correspondent in what he has suggested; and if there has been any apparent neglect of a subject of so much importance, it has arisen solely from a desire to take up this department of our work to the best advantage. We wished in the first place to accumulate and furnish facts, which, in this as well as every other subject, we think the safest and the most beneficial method of proceeding. In forming theories we may err, and in attempting to lay down rules we may dogmatise, rather than instruct; but in tracing and stating facts we secure ourselves comparatively from error and injury. Besides, every reflecting mother will have and ought to have, her own views and plans by which to educate her children. What mothers as well as all other instructers need for guidance, is, access to facts of successful and of unsuccessful experiment. We hoped, when commencing the journal, that parents of experience and of skill would aid us in this way more extensively than they have done. Meantime we have not neglected this department. Many valuable ideas for the guidance of parents have been presented in our articles on infant schools, and in taking notice of children's books we have endeavored to keep the superintending care of mothers always in view.

In our present number our correspondent will find some interesting thoughts on maternal influence; and among the Questions on Education' are some which cannot fail to suggest many valuable hints to mothers for the physical education of infants.

The illness of a contributor, on whom we had placed much reliance in this department of our work, has delayed an article more expressly designed to aid the efforts of mothers; and which will form the introduction to a regular series of articles under this head.

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[We have been favored with the book published by Mr. Wilderspin of whom mention is made in our first number. The perusal of this interesting little volume must we think afford the highest gratification to the mind of every benevolent person, and especially to the feelings of parents. The experiment of educating infants has been fairly and successfully made in various parts of England, but in none perhaps with more success than in London, and particularly in the Spitalfields school under the care of Mr Wilderspin. We regret that infant schools abroad have been open to the poor only, and that the benefits resulting from this excellent institution have been restricted to one class of the community, while they are so desirable to all.

The amusements of the nursery will sometimes fail to enliven or to please the infant mind; and incessant care will impair the health of the most attentive of mothers. But even with every possible advantage, private superintendence and instruction, though highly desirable and, indeed, indispensable for a part of the day, cannot furnish the excitement, the vivacity, the glow of a numerous assemblage of children nearly of the same age, and whose sympathies whilst they are complete in themselves, furnish their superintendent with the most powerful and the most happy means of direction and control.

The English institutions for infants, as well as the few which have been partially attempted in our own country, though they bear the name of schools,-because one of their objects is instruction,—are intended chiefly to secure the health and the happiness of their little pupils. The acquisition of knowledge is a subordinate point. The lessons and exercises partake but little of the dulness and formality commonly associated with the idea of school. They em

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brace a delightful and varied culture of the mind, addressed strikingly and pleasingly to the senses, and calculated to promote health by a free exercise of the members of the body. The children, in a word, are kept safe from harm, delighted with their associates and their employments, and pleased with the consciousness of improvement: they are trained to every pure and generous and pious feeling, and are brought up in habits of activity and industry. All these advantages are found to result from infant schools; and we should consider it a misfortune, if, in this country, the benefits of these seminaries should not be open to every class.

The Lancasterian schools in their early stage were deemed fit for none but the poor, because the Lancasterian system was first introduced in schools designed for that class of the community. Subsequent experience, however, has proved them to be best adapted for the instruction of all ranks. A similar result will take place, we have no doubt, with infant schools.]

Method of opening the Infant School, Spitalfields, London.

THE children being assembled, they are desired to stand up, and immediately afterwards to kneel down, all close to their seats and as silent as possible: those who are not strong enough to kneel are allowed to sit on the ground. This being done, a child is placed in the centre of the school and repeats the following prayer.

'O God, our heavenly Father, thou art good to us; we would serve thee; we have sinned and done wrong many times. Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. Forgive our sins for Jesus' sake; may the holy spirit change our hearts, and make us to love God; help us to day to be good children and to do what is right. Keep us from wicked thoughts and bad tempers; make us try to learn all that we are taught; keep us in health all the day. We would always think of God, and when we die may we go to heaven. God bless our fathers and mothers, and sisters and brothers, and our teachers, and make us obedient and kind for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.'

The children afterwards repeat the Lord's prayer, and then sing a hymn; immediately after which they proceed to their lessons; which are fixed to what are called lesson-posts. The lesson-post consists of an upright piece of deal, containing a slide to receive the lessons. To each of these posts there is a monitor, who is provided with a piece of cane for a pointer. This post is placed opposite to where his class sits; and every class has a post, up to which their monitor brings the children three or four at a time, according to the number of children he has in his class. We have fourteen classes, and sometimes more, which are regularly numbered, so that

we have one hundred children moving and saying their lessons at one time. When these lessons are completed the children are supplied with pictures, which they put on the post, the same as the spelling and reading lessons, but say them in a different manner. We find that if a class always say their lesson at one post, it soon loses its attraction; and consequently, although we cannot change them about from post to post in the spelling and reading lessons, because it would be useless to put a child to a reading post that did not know its letters, yet we can do so in the picture lessons, as the children are all alike in learning the objects.-One child can learn an object as quick as another, so that we have many children that can tell the name of different subjects, and even the names of all the geometrical figures, who do not know all the letters in the alphabet; and I have had children who one would think were complete blockheads, on account of their not being able to learn the alphabet so quickly as some of the other children, and yet those very children would learn things which appeared to me ten times more difficult. This proves the necessity of variety, and how difficult it is to legislate for children; instead therefore of the children standing opposite their own post, they go round from one to another repeating whatever they find at each post, until they have been all round the school; for instance, at No. 1 post there may be the following objects; the horse, the ass, the zebra, the cow, the sheep, the goat, the springing-antelope, the camelopard, the camel, the wild-boar, the rhinoceros, the elephant, the hippopotamus, the lion, the tiger, the leopard, the civet, the weazel, the great white bear, the hyena, the fox, the greenland dog, the hare, the mole, the squirrel, the kangaroo, the porcupine, the racoon.—Before commencing these lessons two boys are selected by the master, who perhaps are not monitors; these two boys bring the children up to a chalk line that is made near No. 1 post, eight at a time; one of the boys gets eight children standing up ready, and always beginning at one end of the school, and takes them to this chalk line, whilst the other boy takes them to No. 1 post, and delivers them up to the charge of No. 1 monitor. No. 1 monitor then points to the different animals with a pointer, until the name of every one that is on his plate has been repeated; this done, he delivers them to No. 2 monitor, who has a different picture at his post; perhaps the following:-fishmonger, mason, hatter, cooper, butcher, blacksmith, fruiterer, distiller, grocer, turner, carpenter, tallow-chandler, milliner, dyer, druggist, wheelwright, shoemaker, baker, printer, coach-maker, bookseller, bricklayer, linen-draper, cabinet-maker, brewer, painter, bookbind

er.

This done, No. 2 monitor delivers them over to No. 3 monitor, and No. 3 monitor to No. 4 and so on successively until there are about 100 children on the move at one time, all saying different

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