sensible of her inconsistency. In the course of time, she had the happiness of seeing the good effects of her labours on this child's behalf. At first, as the little girl had never been accustomed to study but when she chose, application, however slight, was burdensome to her. She had never suffered restraint, consequently compliance with regulations was a hardship: she had always been accommodated, therefore the rule, "Do unto others as you would they should do unto you," was not a pleasant one. She did not think, how should she? that the comfort of society depended on an exchange of good offices; but by a different mode of education, the child who was selfish, deceitful, discontented, fretful, disobliging, and reluctant to do every thing required of her, became liberal, open hearted, happy, healthy, lively, obliging, and ready to obey every command of her kind instructors, for so they certainly merit to be called. This is no solitary instance of the bad and good

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effects resulting from education. There may be nothing peculiarly novel in it, but by adding truth to truth, a grand one is established.

CHAP. XIII,

IN reply to a question put sometimes to a lady who is a teacher of youth, "Whose mode of education do you follow? Miss Edgworth's, or Miss Hamilton's? she says, “I admire in many instances the plans of Miss Edgworth, and still more the observations of Miss Hamilton; but I do not im plicitly follow either the one or the other: my plans are simply my own, founded on my own observation and experience: I always try to recollect what I was when a child myself, and what effect this or that privation or encouragement had on me: I then pursue that method with my pupil as

judgment dictates, as far as her feelings resemble, or differ from mine."

The grand secret in education is to study human nature; and without this study carried on unremittingly, whatever may be the talents, or the accomplishments of the individuals who take this charge on them, and although they may arduously and industriously labour to effect their aim, namely, to render their pupils intelligent, amiable, virtuous, they will never succeed. The particular temper and disposition of each child must be studied: general rules are destructive ones that discipline which is suited to, and productive of good to one, has a comparatively injurious effect upon another. In schools, therefore, where there are, suppose, forty or fifty children, the heads of these schools, if they become so from proper motives, must be incessant labourers themselves, devoting their whole attention to the good of each of their pupils, or the proba

bility is, that none of them will do well. The mechanical parts of education may be taught by assistants; but these things will not form the character, will not fix right principles, will not mature the judgment, will not, in fine, render the pupil a valuable member of society. If the heads of schools neglect their duty, no assistant will fulfil it for them. Exertion of mind, constant and unwearied, they must employ themselves, or they may expect to see their pupils moving about in after life as mechanically as Maillardet's automata, answering certain questions very learnedly, drawing pictures very prettily, making certain movements with much elegance, playing a number of tunes very correctly, and very gracefully, but nothing more. Well would it be were this all. Such personages may be innocent and amusing: like Goldsmith's Man in Black, "very good-natured, without the least share of harm in them:" but be it remembered, that if we do not inculcate good, vice will in all probability spring