know any one person or child, however bad he actually be, and however detestable he is in representation, in whom I might not trace back the origin of so extraordinary a deformity to accidental causes, in the improper, the cruel, the fatal treatment of his infancy.

For children of quality, any hints upon the manners becoming the station they are hereafter to fill, will readily suggest themselves to the minds of the noble parents but a few observations on the tricks and bad habits, which all children will at times fall into, may not be generally unacceptable; especially, too, as they are chiefly drawn from the work of the distinguished writer not long since mentioned.

The God of nature has given children eyes, and tongues, and feet, and arms, and hands; it is expedient that parents should teach their children the proper use of them. And first with respect to the eyes:

They should be warned against a staring look ; against stretching their eyelids into a glare of wildness. They should be forbidden to look aside on any object in a squinting manner, when their faces are turned another way, and should be encouraged to look in the face of the person they speak to, yet with an humble, modest aspect, as befits a child. A becoming courage, and a becoming modesty dwell much in the eye.

Some children should be admonished to lay aside a gloomy and frowning look, a scowling air, an uneasy and forbidding aspect; they should be taught to smooth the ruffles of their brow, and put on a lively, pleasing, and cheerful countenance among their friends. Some there are, who have all these graces

by nature, but those who have them not may be corrected and softened by the care of parents in younger years.

Parents should teach children to use their tongues properly and agreeably; not only to speak plainly, but to pronounce their words properly and distinctly: not hurrying with a tumult of syllables upon their lips, which will sound like foreign gibberish, and never be understood; nor should they drawl out their words in a slow, long tone, which is equally ungraceful and disagreeable.

Lisping and stammering are two common faults in speaking, which should be corrected early in children.

Parents should make them stand firm and strong, when they do stand on their feet, and walk in a decent becoming manner, without turning either or both of their feet inwards; without little jerks in their motion, or long strides, or any of those awkwardnesses, which continue with many persons to old age for want of having these irregularities corrected when they were young. Children should be indulged in their sports, sometimes in running swiftly, and in leaping, where there is no danger, in order to exercise their limbs, and make them pliant and nimble, strong and active, on all occasions.

But the mention of sports brings me to the fifth part of this work, to that in which the recreations and amusements of children are briefly considered.

EARLY EDUCATION.

PART V.

AMUSEMENTS OF CHILDREN.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

MOTHER, EMBRACE THY CHILDREN; BRING THEM UP WITH GLADNESS." "BE JOYFUL, O THOU MOTHER OF CHILDREN.' "THEIR LIFE IN HEALTH, WITH JOY AND MERCY." THE

LORD HATH GIVEN THE FATHER HONOUR OVER THE CHILDREN, AND HATH CONFIRMED THE AUTHORITY OF THE MOTHER OVER THE SON."

Ir is of the highest importance to furnish the young mind with resources, when it is thrown upon its own expedients for amusement. The whole course of study and exercise during first childhood may be, under judicious management, rendered so pleasing and interesting, as to form, along with sports and diversions, one series of rational and delightful amusement: but as such a state of things is not often seen to be, and that consequently the regular studies and the diversions are separate concerns, let us for an instant, reflect of what these latter may be said to consist.

AMUSEMENTS OF CHILDREN.

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This I shall do without attempting any formal disposition of that which indeed sets description almost at nought; the play-room, and the child's play-ground. Infants, I have said, are attracted by every object, animate and inanimate; but the former are always preferred by them. Children of three, four, or five years of age, have great curiosity, but it is with regard to the very commonest things, and they satisfy themselves by experience. A child of that age must have objects of a peculiar kind; he has thrown away the rattle, and ceased to find pleasure in the jingling of keys; he wishes to resemble grown people; to do as they do. The boy desires to use a knife and fork at his dinner, notwithstanding that a spoon for his well-cut meat is pleasanter, only because grown people have such utensils. He sits up to the table as they do; digs with a little spade as the gardener; beats a drum as the drummer; cracks a whip as the postillion; and rides a rocking-horse to be like papa. The girl nurses her doll as her mamma does the baby; sits down to her needle to make it a handkerchief, an inch square; begs a cradle half a yard in length, to rock like the nursery-maid, and fills her tray with cups and saucers, that hold a thimble-full each, as one of the servants; and when trains were in fashion, if she could borrow the maid's apron, or fasten her own pinafore round her waist, to make a long robe, she fancied herself a grown lady and was delighted. All the toys for children are things in miniature, and copied from those in use among grown persons; and the closer the imitation, the more acceptable is the gift to the child.

We are indeed the creatures of imitation, and our habits are fixed as we copy from others. What their example affords, is thus made a part of ourselves. The child whose mother visits much, and sees at home a great deal of company, is almost sure to prefer those toys, which favour her growing inclinations to follow where others lead. Accustomed to see her mother often preparing for company, and to hear her often converse and consult with her women upon her dresses, the little girl comes also to consider dress, and a striking appearance, as the grand business of life. This child is generally anxious to deck out her doll in all the finery, the colours, and the fashions of her parent's attire; she wishes for laces, satins, and feathers, and would extravagantly cut them to pieces without fear or concern. In a toy-shop, when directed to take what she may please, she will fix upon a fine painted tin coach, a wooden footman in livery, or a string of glass beads, in preference to more useful and humbler things, because these are most familiar to her sight and fancy: for the very reason that her brother, the son of a fox-hunter, would seize upon a pack of wooden hounds and a red coated huntsman, and that the peasant child would choose a fine painted cow, or cotton lamb, with gilded ears and tail; not that these children actually desired to be, when grown up, as their parents. The peasant boy might, in ten years, declare for the employment of a sailor; the young gentleman for the profession of a divine; and the young lady might range herself under the blue stocking party, indifferent to the parade, and toil of fashionable assemblies. But so would