A notion that habits of industry must be established, has, however, been the means, I regret to state, of a sad perversion of the system in these respects.  The time allowed for amusement and exercise has been in some cases, very much abridged that the children might learn and practise sewing, knitting, plaiting, &c.  Now, no one can be more disposed to the encouragement of industrious habits than myself, but I would say not at the expense of health; which I am certain, in these cases it must be.  Deprive the children of their amusement, and they will soon cease to be the lively, happy beings, we have hitherto seen them, and will become the sickly, inanimate creatures, we have been accustomed to behold and pity, under the confinement and restraint of the dame’s schools.  I do not scruple to affirm, that if the play-grounds of infant schools are cut off from the system,—­they will from that moment cease to be a blessing to the country.

Nothing has given me greater pain than to witness the thorough neglect of play-ground attendance on the part of teachers and the public; the former leave the children to themselves at the very time their attendance is most desirable; and when, if duly watched, the children will give them lessons.  Yes! such lessons as no book can give, and such lessons as every efficient teacher must learn, or efficiency is out of the question.  The public are too fond of hearing tasks and memory work, and such book-learning as is taught in school, with the singing, and the amusing indoor work, to the detriment and neglect of the moral and physical outdoor work.  Again and again, I say, the outdoor training tells most upon the morals and the formation of character.

The first faculties which develop themselves in childhood, are those of observation.  The infant, who is two months old, will notice a lighted candle; immediately that sense is gratified, it seeks to please another, that of touch, and every mother knows, if not prevented, it will put its hand in the flame.  The next effort is to examine other objects:  these it will seize if it can, and after having examined one, it will put it aside to observe another.  On its being able to move about, it seeks objects within its reach, and wishing to gratify the sense of taste, applies every thing to the mouth; by this it distinguishes the bitter from the sweet, and on seeing what is sweet a second time, will point to it and wish to obtain it, whilst what is bitter will not be desired.

The mental part of the system should now be adverted to.  Hence it has been well remarked, “From the time that children begin to use their hands, nature directs them to handle every thing over and over, to look at it while they handle it, and to put it into various positions, and at various distances from the eye.  We are apt to excuse this as a childish diversion, because they must be doing something, and have not reason to entertain themselves in a more