Enough may have now been said on this subject, and my earnest prayer is, that by God’s help, these remarks may produce beneficial results; and if my endeavours to make the subject of moral instruction more easily understood, and to demonstrate its importance as clearly as possible are successful, the results will soon shew me that the hard labour of three-and-thirty years has not been entirely in vain, and this will be to me a greater reward than all the praise, distinction, and honour that it is in man’s power to confer.

Whenever an infant is detected in any of those animal impulses, to regulate which is the great end of moral training, a gallery lesson should be immediately given, having a tendency to excite an abhorrence of the fault on the minds of all the children.  An opportunity of this description should never be let pass.  These are the very best times to implant virtuous and moral sentiments in the minds of the young pupils.  These are the golden opportunities of bringing into action the higher faculties of conscience and benevolence, and the powers of reflection.

If an instance of the too prevalent cruelty of the young to animals be detected, which often occurs from mere thoughtlessness, it may be prevented from again occurring by a few lessons like the one which we have given as a specimen.  The same means may be taken for crushing the rudiments of gluttony, violence, pride, deceit, or any other vice.  The gallery is the proper place for these lessons; and after the matter has been thoroughly sifted in the play-ground, or wherever else it has occurred, the children should then be marched to the gallery, to receive a proper instruction on the subject.  Cruelty, on the part of boys, is too prevalent; it is energy, enterprise, and high animal spirit, not legislated for on the part of parents and teachers, which descends to cruelty, first to animals, then to all which has life, that cannot defend itself.  Children soon learn to distinguish those children and animals, who can, and will, resent cruelty, from those who will not; and therefore, speculate on the results accordingly, and become self-taught up to this point.  A child should never be without a kind and wise guide at this period; that which in itself descends to evil, for the want of a moral guide, may be turned to good.  The faculties mentioned, cannot be extinguished, but can be regulated.  This is the office of the teacher.  Too frequently we try to crush the powers that early want training and regulating.  The same powers which run to vice, may be trained to virtue, but the activities cannot, and ought not, to be kept too much in abeyance.