W.

Q. What letter is this?  A. It is Letter W, the first letter in wheel.  Q. Spell wheel.  A. W-h-e-e-l.  Q. What is the use of wheels?  A. To make it easier for horses to draw.  Q. How do you know that?  A. Please, sir, I had a little cart full of stones, and the wheel came off; and, please, sir, I found it much harder to draw.  Q. Then if it was not for wheels, the horses could not draw so great a weight?  A. No, and, please, sir, people could not go into the country so quick as they do.  Q. What trade do they call the persons that make wheels?  A. Wheel-wrights.

X.

Q. What letter is this?  A. Letter X, the first letter in Xenophon, a man’s name.  Q. What was the particular character of Xenophon?  A. He was very courageous.  Q. What does courageous mean?  A. To be afraid to do harm, but not to be afraid to do good, or anything that is right.  Q. What is the greatest courage?  A. To conquer our own bad passions and bad inclinations.  Q. Is he a courageous man that can conquer his bad passions?  A. Yes; because they are the most difficult to conquer.

Y.

Q. What letter is this?  A. Letter Y, the first letter in yoke, &c.  Q. Is it a vowel or consonant?  A. When it begins a word it is called a consonant, but if not, a vowel.  Q. What is a yoke?  A. Please, sir, what the milk people carry the milk pails on.  Q. What is the use of the yoke?  A. To enable the people to carry the milk easier.

Z.

Q. What letter is this?  A. Letter Z, the first letter in Zealander.  Q. What is a Zealander?  A. A man that lives on an island in the Southern Ocean, called Zealand.  Q. How do they live?  A. Principally by hunting and fishing.  Q. What is hunting?  A. Following animals to catch them.  Q. Who made all the animals?  A. Almighty God.

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The method above described is adapted to the large room, where the children may be taught all together; but it is necessary to change the scene even in this; for however novel and pleasing a thing may be at first, if it be not managed with prudence it will soon lose its effect.  It is here to be observed, that the mode of teaching described, is not practised every day, but only twice or thrice a week.  The children will take care that the teacher does not altogether forget to teach them in any way that they have been accustomed to.  After letting the above plan lie by for a day or two, some of the children will come to the teacher, and say, “Please, sir, may we say the picture alphabet up in the gallery?” If the other children overhear the question, it will go through the school like lightning:  “Oh yes—­yes—­yes, sir, if you please, do let us say the letters in the gallery.”  Thus a desire is created in the children’s minds, and it is then especially that they may be taught with good effect.