objects, and every child says the whole of the objects at every post; this great variety keeps up the attention, and their moving from post to post, promotes their health. Should any person inquire what can be the use of the children learning these things, I would reply that different children have a different genius, and their repeating the names of the different objects gives them the habit of pronouncing the different names of the respective objects, as well as an idea of their respective forms, so that by this means a ground work is made for the master himself to act upon when he is teaching the children by question and answer, which is generally acknowleged to be the most efficient method yet known of calling forth the thinking powers of children.

A method of teaching the Alphabet and giving Ideas of things at the same time. As the human mind is formed for an endless variety, the oftener the scene can be changed the better, especially for children; for if little children are kept too long at one thing, they become disgusted and weary of it, and then their minds are not in a fit state to receive instruction. I cannot help thinking, that many persons, from over anxiety to bring children forward in their learning, actually defeat their own intentions, by keeping the mind too constantly fixed upon one object. Where can be the utility of keeping a number of little children sitting in one position, for hours after they have said their lessons, and not suffering them to speak or exchange an idea with each other? No better way, in my humble opinion, can be taken to stupify them than such a mode; for little children are naturally lively, and if they are not suffered to move, but kept constantly in one position, they not only become disgusted with their lessons, but likewise with their school. This, perhaps, is one of the reasons why so many children cry on going to school; but as one of the principal ends in view in Infant schools, is to make the children happy, as well as to instruct them, so it is thought expedient to change the scene as often as possible. With this view the following method has been adopted.

We have 26 cards, and each card has on it one letter of the alphabet, and some object in nature; the first has letter A on the top and an apple painted on the bottom; the children are desired to go into the gallery, which is simply seats elevated one above another at one end of the school like stairs; the master places himself before the children in a situation so that they can see him and he them, and being thus situated he proceeds nearly as follows.

Q. Where am I? A. Opposite to us. Q. What is on the right side of me? A. A lady. Q. What is on the left side of me? A. A chair. Q. What is behind me? A. A desk. Q. Who are before me? 4 We children. Q. What do I hold up in my hand?

A. Letter A for apple. Q. Which hand do I hold it up with? A. The right hand. Q. Spell it. A. A-p-p-l-e. Q. How is an apple produced? A. It grows on a tree. the ground? A. The root. Q. the ground? A. The stem. Q. what position would you call it? on the stem? A. Branches. Leaves, and they are green.

Q.

Q. What part of the tree is in What is that which comes out of If the stem grows up strait, in A. Perpendicular. Q. What is What is on the branches? A.

Q. Is there any thing besides leaves on the branches? A. Yes; apples. Q. What was it before it became an apple? A. Blossom. Q. What part of the blossom becomes fruit? A. The inside. Q. What becomes of the leaves of the blossom? A. They fall off the tree. Q. What was it before it became blossom? A. A Bud. Q. What caused the buds to become larger and produce leaves and blossom? A. The sap. Q. What is sap? A. A juice. Q. How can the sap make the buds larger? A. It comes out of the root and goes up the stem. Q. Where next? A. Through the branches into the buds. Q. What do the buds produce? A. Some buds produce leaves; some blossoms, and some a shoot? Q. What do you mean by a shoot? A. A shoot is a young branch which is green at first but becomes hard by age. Q. What part

becomes hard first? A. The bottom.

B.

Q. What is this? A. B for baker, for butter, for bacon, for brewer, for button, for bell, &c. &c. The teacher can take any of these names he pleases, for instance, the first: Children, let me hear you spell baker. A. B-a-k-e-r. Q What is a baker? A. A man that makes bread. Q. What is bread made of? A. It is

Q.

What is flour Ground to pow

made of flour, water, yeast, and a little salt. made of? A. Wheat. Q. How is it made? A. der in a mill? Q. What makes the mill go round? A. The wind, if it is a windmill. Q. Are there any other kinds of mills? A. Yes; mills that go by water, mills that are drawn round by horses, and mills that go by steam. Q. When the flour and water and yeast are mixed together, what does the baker do? A. Bake them in an oven. Q. What is the use of bread? A. For children to eat. Q. Who causes the corn to grow? A. Almighty God. C.

&c.

Q. What is this? A. It is letter C for cow, c-o-w, and for cat, Q. What is the use of the cow? A. The cow gives us milk to put into the tea. Q. Is milk used for any other purpose, besides putting it into tea? A. Yes, it is used to put into puddings, and for many other things. Q. Name some of the other things. A. It is used to make butter and cheese. Q. What part of it makes butter. A. The cream which swims at the top of the milk. Q.

How is it made into butter? A. It is put into a thing called a churn, in the shape of a barrel. Q. What is done next? A. The churn is turned round by means of a handle, and the motion turns the cream into butter. Q. What is the use of butter? A. To put on bread, and to put into pye-crust, and many other nice things. Q. Of what color is butter? A. It is generally yellow. Q. Are there any other things made of milk? A. Yes, many things; but the principal one is cheese. Q. How is cheese made? A. The milk is turned into curds and whey; which is done by putting a liquid into it called rennet. Q. What part of the curd and whey is made into cheese? A. The curd, which is put into a press; and when it has been in the press a few days it becomes cheese.

Q.

Is the flesh of the cow useful? A. Yes; it is eaten, and is called beef; and the flesh of the young calf is called veal. Q. Is the skin of the cow or calf of any use? A. Yes, the skin of the cow is manufactured into leather for the soles of shoes. Q. What is made with the calf skin? A. The top of the shoe, which is called the upper leather. Q. Are there any other parts of the cow that are useful? A. Yes; the horns, which are mode into combs, handles of knives, forks, and other things. Q. What is made of the hoofs that come off the cow's feet? A. Glue to join boards together. Q. Who made the cow? A. Almighty God.

D.

Q. What is this? A. Letter D, for dog, for dove, for draper, &c. Q. What is the use of the dog? A. To guard the house and keep thieves away? Q. How can a dog guard the house and keep thieves away? A. By barking to wake the persons who live in the house. Q. Is the dog of any other use? A. Yes, to draw under a truck. Q. Does he do as his master bids him? A. Yes, and knows his master from any other person. Q. Is the dog a faithful animal? A. Yes, very faithful; he has been known to die of grief for the loss of his master. Q. Can you mention an instance of the dog's faithfulness? A. Yes; a dog waited at the gates of the Fleet prison for hours every day for nearly two years, because his master was confined in the prison. Q. Can you mention another instance of the dog's faithfulness? A. Yes; a dog lay down on his master's grave in a church yard in London for many weeks. Q. How did the dog get food? A. The people who lived near noticed him, and brought him victuals. Q. Did the people do any thing besides giving him victuals? A. Yes, they made a house for him for fear he should die with wet and cold. Q. How long did he stay there? A. Until the people took him away because he howled dreadfully when the organ played on Sundays. Q. Is it right to beat a dog? A. No, it is very wrong to use any animal ill, because we do not like to be beaten ourselves. Q. Did Al

mighty God make the dog? A. Yes; and every thing else that has life.

Plan for teaching Infant children by the aid of Pictures.

To give the children general information, it has been found necessary to have recourse to pictures* of natural history, such as of birds, beasts, fishes, flowers, insects, &c. all of which tend to show the glory of God; and as colors attract the attention of the children as soon as any thing, they eagerly inquire what such a thing is, and this gives the teacher an opportunity of instructing them to great advantage; for when a child, of his own free will, eagerly desires to be informed, I think he will generally profit most by such information.

There are also pictures of public buildings, and of the different trades; by the former, the children acquire much information, by explaining to them the use of the buildings, in what year they were built, &c.; and by the latter, you may find out the bias of a child's inclination. Some would like to be shoe-makers, others builders, others weavers, brewers, &c.; in short it is both pleasing and edifying to hear the children give answers to the different questions. I have one little boy who would like to be a doctor; and when asked why he made choice of that profession, in preference to any other, his answer was, Because he should like to cure all the sick people.' If parents did but study the inclinations of their children a little more than they do, I humbly conceive, that there would be more eminent men, in every profession than there are. It is great imprudence to determine what business children may be adapted for, before their tempers and inclinations are well known; every one, says Horace, is best in his own profession--that which fits us best, is best; nor is any thing more fitting than that every one should consider his own genius and capacity, and act accordingly.

As it is possible that a person may be very clever in his business or profession, and yet not be a christian, it has been thought necessary to direct the children's attention to the Scriptures, even at this early age, and to endeavor, if possible, to lay a solid foundation in the infant mind, and to teach them to venerate the Bible, and to fear and love its Divine Author. Many difficulties lay in the way of attaining so desirable an end; the principal one arose from their inability to read well any part of the Bible. Some parents are quite delighted if their children can read a chapter or two in the Bible, and think that when they can do this, they have arrived at the

*See life of Dr. Doddridge :-- His parents brought him up in the early knowledge of religion before he could read, his mother taught him the history of the Old and New Testament, by the assistance of some Dutch tiles in the chimney of the room, where they usually sat; and accompanied her instructions with such wise and pious reflections, as made strong and lasting impressions upon his heart.'

summit of knowledge, without once considering, whether they understand one sentence of what they read; and how can it be expected that they should understand, when no previous ground-work has ever been attempted to be laid, at the time they receive their first impressions, and imbibe their first ideas? Every man comes into the world without a single innate idea, yet with a capacity to receive knowledge of every kind, and is thereby capable of becoming intelligent and wise. In his infancy he would take hold of the most poisonous reptile, that would sting him to death in an instant; would attempt to stroke the lion with as little fear as he would the lamb, in short, he is incapable of distinguishing friend from foe. So wonderfully is man formed by his adorable Creator, that he is capable of increasing in knowledge, and advancing towards perfection to all eternity, without ever being able to arrive at it. The first thing that attracts his attention, even when in the cradle, is a light, and we may venture to say, the next thing that attracts his notice, are bright colours; it is for this reason, that pictures of Scripture history have been selected, such as Joseph and his brethren-Christ raising Lazarus from the dead-the Nativity--flight into Egypt-Christ disputing with the doctors-Christ baptised by John-curing the blind and lame-the last Supper-the Crucifixion -Resurrection-Ascension, &c. &c.

To begin with Joseph and his brethren, the following method is adopted: the picture being suspended against the wall, and one class of the children standing opposite to it, the master repeats the following passages: And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren; and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, hear, I pray you, the dream which I have dreamed; for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo! my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.'

The teacher being provided with a pointer, will point to the picture and put the following questions, or such as he way think proper, to the children:

Q. What is this? A. Joseph's first dream. Q. What is a dream? A. When you dream, you see things during the time of sleep. Q. Did any of you ever dream any thing?

Here the children will repeat what they have dreamed, perhaps something like the following. Please sir, once I dreamed I was in a garden. Q. What did you see? A. I saw flowers and such nice apples. Q. How do you know it was a dream? A. Because when I awoke, I found I was in bed.

During this recital the children will listen very attentively, for they are highly pleased to hear each other's relation. The master having satisfied himself that the children, in some measure, understand the nature of a dream, he may proceed as follows: