These oral lessons on real objects ought to be given in pure, simple, and plain language, level to the understanding and capacity of children.  It may be well at times to use words of a more difficult or scientific character; but these should always have the proper explanation given; the words used most frequently in common life, in ordinary and proper conversation, ought to be most strongly impressed on their memories.  It may, perhaps, be retorted on me—­why then teach the difficult and scientific names of geometrical figures.  The answer is very simple.  Most of them have no other, and where they have I always give them also, as sloping, slanting, inclined, for oblique.  The geometrical figures are the elements of all forms, and the simplest objects which can be presented to the young.  I have found them always learned with the greatest ease and pleasure.  Pestalozzi, I have understood, was led to the use of them by observing the wants of the young mind, in a similar manner that I was myself.  This is, therefore, one of the many coincidences in thought and discovery by minds wholly independent of each other, which have been directed to the same subjects.  This is an evitable result.  If two men look at the moon, both must see that it is round, bright, and mottled; and if two minds far apart, turn their attention to similar subjects, the probability is that their views will coincide.  The most powerful mind will of course make the deepest and simplest discovery.

Object lessons should be given chiefly on such things as fall under more constant observation and are daily coming before the sight, and then useful knowledge will be accumulated, and frequently reimpressed upon the memory by the seeing of the objects.

GALLERY LESSONS ON A FEATHER.

We will suppose the children all properly seated, the little girls on one side of the gallery and the little boys on the other, as represented on the plan-plate.  If the morning is fine and clear, a lesson may be given on an object that the children are not frequently in the habit of seeing; but should the weather be hazy, and the atmosphere heavy, then a lesson must be given on some object which they all frequently see, say, for example, a feather.  The feather must be held up in the hand, or placed in a small niche on the top of a pointer, so that every child will see it, and it must be moved about in various directions to arrest their attention.  The first lesson should be pure development, which is to get every idea from the children relative to the object before you.  Explain to them yours; as for example,

“What is this?” The universal shout will be, “A feather.”  You may then ask them, What are its uses?  Some little creatures will say, to blow about; others will say, to cover birds; others will say, to stuff pillows and beds to sleep upon.  Having got all the information out of them you can in their own simple language, you have acted according to nature’s law, and