The Infant System Part 21

[Footnote x: rogue or boy]

[Footnote y: disturb or hurt]

[Footnote z: bird]

[Footnote aa: pleased or delighted]

[Footnote bb: sweetness or melody]

[Footnote cc: air]

[Footnote dd: presence]

[Footnote ee: naughty boy]

[Footnote ff: sister]

[Footnote gg: story]

[Footnote hh: mother, aunt &c.]

[Footnote ii: naughty or good]

[Footnote kk: cruel or kind]

[Footnote ll: finch or linnet]

[Footnote mm: perishing or dying]

[Footnote nn: snow]

[Footnote oo: depth or middle.]

The following little verses upon the same principle have been found to answer extremely well, by putting one child in the rostrum, and desiring him purposely to leave out those words that are marked, the other children will fill them up as he goes.

I must pray Both -- and day.

Before -- eat I must entreat, That -- would bless To me -- meat.

I must not play On G.o.d's own day, But I must hear His word with fear.

It is a sin To steal a pin Much more to steal A greater thing.

I must work, And I must pray, That G.o.d will feed Me day by day.

All honest labour, G.o.d will bless; Let me not live In idleness.

I will not be Or rude or wild, I must not be A naughty child.

I will not speak Of others ill, But ever bear To all good-will.

I'd rather die Than tell a lie, Lest I be lost Eternally.

I'll -- my bread From -- to door, Rather -- steal My neighbour's store.

I must not kill A little fly; It is an act Of cruelty.

I must not lie, I must not feign, I must not take G.o.d's name in vain.

Nor may my tongue Say what is wrong; I will not sin A world to win, In my Bible I am to read, And trust in G.o.d In all my need.

For Christ alone My soul can save, And raise my body From the grave.

Oh! blessed Saviour, Take my heart And let not me From thee depart.

Lord, grant that I In faith may die, And live with thee Above the sky.

CREATION.

G.o.d made the -- that looks so blue, G.o.d made the -- so green, G.o.d made the -- that smell so sweet, In -- colours seen.

G.o.d made the -- that shines so bright, And gladdens all I see; It comes to give us -- and light, How -- should we be!

G.o.d made the -- bird to fly, How -- has she sung; And though she -- so very high, She won't -- her young.

G.o.d made the -- to give nice milk, The horse for -- to use; I'll treat them -- for his sake, Nor dare his gifts abuse.

G.o.d made the -- for my drink, G.o.d made the -- to swim, G.o.d made the -- to bear nice fruit, Which does my -- so nicely suit; O how should I -- him!

"O Lord, how manifest are thy works; in wisdom hast thou made them all!"-Psalm civ. 24.

I subjoin, as an exercise for teachers themselves, the following hymn, as one calculated to induce reflections on the scenes of nature, and direct the mind to that Being who is the Source of all excellence!

1 Hast -- beheld -- glorious Through all -- skies his circuit run, At rising morn, -- closing day, And when he beam'd his noontide 2 Say, didst -- e'er attentive The evening cloud, -- morning dew?

Or, after --, the watery bow Rise in the -- a beauteous --?

3 When darkness had o'erspread the -- Hast thou e'er seen the -- arise, And with a mild and placid -- Shed l.u.s.tre o'er the face of night?

4 Hast -- e'er wander'd o'er the plain, And view'd the fields and waving --, The flowery mead, -- leafy grove, Where all -- harmony -- love.

5 Hast thou e'er trod the sandy -- And -- the restless -- roar, When roused by some tremendous -- It's billows rose -- dreadful form?

Hast thou beheld the -- stream Thro' nights dark gloom, -- sudden gleam, While the bellowing thunder's -- Roll'd rattling -- the heaven's profound?

7 Hast thou e'er -- the cutting gale, The sleeting shower, -- the biting hail; Beheld -- snow o'erspread the The water bound -- icy chains?

8 Hast thou the various beings -- That sport -- the valley green, That -- warble on the spray, Or wanton in the sunny --?

9 That shoot along -- briny deep, Or -- ground their dwellings keep; That thro' the -- forest range, Or frightful wilds -- deserts strange?

10 Hast -- the wondrous scenes survey'd That all around thee -- display'd?

And hast -- never raised thine To Him -- bade these scenes arise?

11 'Twas G.o.d who form'd the concave -- And all the glorious...o...b.. -- high; -- gave the various beings birth, That people all the s.p.a.cious --.

12 'Tis -- that bids the tempests And rolls the -- thro' -- skies: His voice the elements -- Thro' all the -- extends His sway.

13 His goodness -- His creatures share, But MAN is HIS peculiar --.

Then, while they all proclaim -- praise, Let -- his -- the loudest --.

The elliptical plan has been found to be most successful, and has been applied with equal success in schools for older children, and also children of another grade. Messrs. Chambers, I believe, are the only persons, as far as I know, who have the honesty to acknowledge the source from whence this plan was taken.

CHAPTER XXI.

REMARKS ON SCHOOLS.

National schools-British and foreign societies-Sunday schools-Observations.

"Is it then fitting that one soul should pine For want of culture in this favour'd land?

That spirits of capacity divine Perish, like seeds upon the desert sand?

That needful knowledge, in this age of light, Should not by birth be every Briton's right?"

Southey.

Although it has been the special design of the present work to speak of the first efforts of art in a.s.sisting the proper development of the mental and moral faculties, I shall take the liberty of indulging in a few remarks on the methods at present adopted in the more advanced stages of education, as seen in our National and Sunday Schools. I need, I am sure, offer no other apology for so doing, than the fact that it is in these inst.i.tutions the infant poor must complete their education; it is in these schools, the budding faculties must either ripen or perish; and the moral principles become confirmed or weakened. Certain I am, that it is the wish of all concerned in these praiseworthy inst.i.tutions to do their best for the attainment of this object-the welfare and improvement of the rising generation of the poor cla.s.ses; and therefore I the less reluctantly offer a few thoughts on the subject, which it is my humble opinion may not be altogether useless.

With regard to National Schools, I must say, there is too much form, and too little of the spirit of instruction to be found in their management: the minor faculties are attended to in preference to the higher ones; it is the memory alone which is called into action; the understanding is suffered to lie in a state of torpid inactivity.