done by any object,—­even a toy.  Were we to tie up several of our members so as to prevent their use, and at the same time exercise strongly those at liberty, bodily distortion must result.  If we, in teaching, exercise the memory alone, and that merely with a knowledge of words and not of things, an absolute mental distortion must result, and the higher powers of reflection, judgment, and reason will remain weak, feeble, and deficient from want of exercise.  When all the powers of the mind are brought out into harmonious action, the acquirement of knowledge be comes pleasurable.  Knowledge is the proper aliment to expand and enlarge the mind, as natural food is for the growth of the body; and when such as is proper to the age and character of the recipient is selected, the one will be received with as much pleasure as the other.  As the due exercise of every bodily power causes it to become strong, healthy, and vigorous, so the right and proper use of every mental faculty will, in the end, occasion it to become active, free, and powerful.

As soon as the child enters the school he is under command.  He is required to occupy certain places, to go through various motions, and to attend to diversified instruction, at the sound of a foot, or the raising of a hand.  From this course no departure is allowed.  At first it is the work of sympathy and imitation, but afterwards it becomes a matter of principle.  Thus, then, the native reluctance of the infant mind to obey, is overcome, and a solid basis laid for future efforts.  So far, however, the discipline is general; to be particular, the individual character must be minutely observed.  The movements of the child, when unrestrained, must be diligently watched, its predominant qualities ascertained, and such a mode of treatment adopted as sound judgment of character may dictate.  Wherever this is forgotten, some evils will arise.  The orders which are given to any other power than those of sympathy and imitation, are not likely to be obeyed by the untrained babe; the fact is, that as yet it has no other means of obedience, and for this on higher principles we must wait till nature furnishes instruments and opportunities for their exercise.  When, however, success is gained thus far, the way is prepared for further development and culture, and the powers of observation and discrimination, then gradually tasked, will accomplish all that is desired.  Thus the infant sits or rises, repeats or is silent, at first, because those about him do so; afterwards he perceives a reason for doing so:  for example, that, when in the gallery, he can see what he could not any where else, and, therefore, that he must march thither, and then he judges that one thing is wrong because the doing it was forbidden, and that another is right because it was commanded, or because the one makes him happy and the other the contrary.