2.  Eight ideas of ourselves and of our destiny.  It is a pity that evil instead of good is made a prominent feature of religious teaching.  To be haunted by the thought of evil and the dread of losing our soul, as if it were a danger threatening us at every step, is not the most inspiring ideal of life; quiet, steady, unimaginative fear and watchfulness is harder to teach, but gives a stronger defence against sin than an ever present terror; while all that belongs to hope awakens a far more effective response to good.  Some realization of our high destiny as heirs of heaven is the strongest hold that the average character can have to give steadiness in prosperity and courage in adversity.  Chosen souls will rise higher than this, but if the average can reach so far as this they will do well.

3.  Eight ideas of sin and evil.  It is possible on the one hand to give such imperfect ideas of right and wrong that all is measured by the mere selfish standard of personal security.  The frightened question about some childish wrong-doing—­“is it a mortal sin?” often indicates that fear of punishment is the only aspect under which sin appears to the mind; while a satisfied tone in saying “it is only a venial sin” looks like a desire to see what liberties may be taken with God without involving too serious consequences to self.  “It is wrong” ought to be enough, and the less children talk of mortal sin the better—­to talk of it, to discuss with them whether this or that is a mortal sin, accustoms them to the idea.  When they know well the conditions which make a sin grave without illustrations by example which are likely to obscure the subject rather than clear it up, when their ideas of right and duty and obligation are clear, when “I ought” has a real meaning for them, we shall have a stronger type of character than that which is formed on detailed considerations of different degrees of guilt.

On the other hand it is possible to confuse and torment children by stories of the exquisite delicacy of the consciences of the saints, as St. Aloysius, setting before them a standard that is beyond their comprehension or their degree of grace, and making them miserable because they cannot conform to it.

It is a great safeguard against sin to realize that duty must be done, at any cost, and that Christianity means self-denial and taking up the cross.

4.  Eight thoughts of the four last things.  True thoughts of death are not hard for children to grasp, to their unspoiled faith it is a simple and joyful thing to go to God.  Later on the dreary pageantry and the averted face of the world from that which is indeed its doom obscure the Christian idea, and the mind slips back to pagan grief, as if there were no life to come.

Eight thoughts of judgment are not so hard to give if the teaching is sincere and simple, free from exaggerations and phantoms of dread, and on the other hand clear from an incredulous protest against God’s holding man responsible for his acts.