Various devices might be made use of to teach the first truths of astronomy.  So simple a device as an apple, with a wire run through its centre, turned round before a candle, might serve to explain the phenomena of day and night; whilst the orrery, with the accompaniment of a simple and familiar lecture—­(it should be much more so, indeed, than any I have heard or read)—­would make them acquainted with those stupendous facts which strike us with as astonishment and awe.  It has been well observed by Dr. Young, with respect to the wonders of astronomy—­

  “In little things we search out God—­in great
  He seizes us.”

One thing I would here notice—­that it should be a constant practice to remind the children, that in the apple and the orrery, they see only a resemblance to the earth and the heavenly bodies, that they are vast in size and distance, beyond their comprehension; at the same time leading them to an actual observation of the heavens by means of a telescope.  This would be a high treat to the children, and productive of correct notions, which are but too apt to be lost where we are under the necessity of teaching by signs so infinitely unlike, in size and nature, as the candle and the apple, and the brass balls and wires of the orrery, to the earth and the heavenly orbs.

For giving the children their first lessons in geography, I would have a floor-cloth in every nursery, painted like a map, but of course not filled up so perfectly as maps for adults necessarily are.  It should contain a correct delineation of the position of a certain space of the globe, we will say, for instance, of England; let the children then be told to proceed from a certain spot, to go through certain counties, towns, &c., and to fetch a piece of cloth from Yorkshire, or a knife from Sheffield, cheese from Cheshire, butter from Dorset, or lace from Huntingdonshire, &c., &c.  The lessons thus given would be at once amusing and instructive both to the governess and children.  If preferred, these maps might be painted of a less size, to cover a table.  No difficulty would be found to get a set of such table-covers or floor-cloths painted, if the public would once encourage the plan.

There are now large skeleton maps published, which have merely the principal cities, towns, and rivers, &c., marked down, so as not to present too many objects to confuse the young eye.  There are also picture maps in which the chief productions of a country, both vegetable and animal, are delineated in their proper places.  These would form a great aid in nursery instruction, and also for an infant school.  Let the great truth be ever borne in mind, that what is seen by the eye is more quickly understood and more certainly remembered, than what is merely described or made known in words.