ning. What is slowly done, is generally done the best; and here a caution may be given to parents, not to form too hasty judgments respecting what they may consider as indications of peculiar dulness, or quickness in their children; in this point they are frequently apt to err, and a child of quick apprehensions is rendered pert and conceited, by being prematurely brought forward, while one of perhaps better abilities, though more slow in displaying them, is depressed and discouraged. A gentleman of quick temperament himself, had two sons, of the respective ages of six and four, whom he educated himself; the elder appeared remarkably clever, and learned immediately whatever he was taught: the other seemed dull of comprehension, and could with difficulty attain the spelling even of the most simple word; the father was delighted with and proud of the first, and pronounced of his younger brother, that he would never possess even a moderate capacity. A lady of superior sense and discern

ment, who was in the habit of making frequent visits at his house, said to him, "depend on it my friend, that if any one of your children distinguishes himself by superior talents, the boy of whom you think so little, will be that one." Her prediction was fully accomplished; for his learning and genius in after-life, could be excelled only by his virtues. He was then one of a numerous family, and the first of that family; his elder brother, though respectable in point of understanding, was very far his inferior.

CHAP. V.

THERE are some children, who early give indications of peculiarly tender feelings such are objects of strong interest and regard to parents and friends, and well may be; yet should it be under control that they are so. Dr. Doddridge relates a charming anecdote of a little daughter of his, who died at the age of four years; although in his sermon on her death, in a short account which he gives of her, and in the anecdote about to be related, it is perfectly easy to trace the affectionate father, parents may discern likewise the possibility of giving very early instruction to a child: for even in this little girl, we behold the in

fant image of her amiable and excellent father; she was the darling of all his friends, each of whom was solicitous, from her engaging qualities, to have her society; he said to her one day, "My dear, how is it that every body loves you?" she replied, Indeed, papa, I do not know, unless it is because I love every body." With such a father, what might not have been expected from such a child? yet in general, warm affections or feelings must be directed and restrained, lest in after-life they become a source of exquisite misery to those possessing them, or unfit them for the more painful duties of life, which there are few who are not called on at some period to fulfil. I have seen an infant in arms quiver the lip, and at length melt into tears when her sister played a slow and affecting tune; and a little boy of three years old, when his mother, as he sat on her lap, sung to him a Scots ballad about a girl who wandered over the mountains covered with snow, without shoes and stockings, burst

into tears, and exclaimed "I'll give her miné." In being pleased with such indications of delicacy of feeling in their children, let parents be cautious that it degenerate not into excessive sensibility and selfish feelings; but on this subject more hereafter.

Pride is a fault observable in very young children; but from whom do they learn it? it certainly is not innate, for a child is conscious of helplessness; those around them teach them the lesson. Children are too much encouraged to treat servants as if they were of an inferior race of beings. All parents who can afford to hire servants employ them to perform the more unpleasant offices for their children, and to wait on them by night and by day; and it is the fault of parents if they allow their children to despise the persons to whom they are so much indebted; every hour's experience teaches a young child his dependance on a servant for at least his inferior comforts in life: he should be taught gratitude for these.