These and other considerations demand great—­almost constant—­attention on the part of the Djarke.

Another reason for separating the two offices of fathers of knowledge and character-divers is that the child’s peculiarities are generally shown out of school-hours.  Hence, for the purpose of detecting or tracing their real cause, and suggesting the remedy, the character-diver is often obliged to enter into terms of intimacy with the children, particularly those of tender age, to obtain their confidence, perhaps to be their playmate and friend, that the little ones may be at their ease, conceal nothing, and almost look upon him as they would upon some tame animal.

The younger children with us require more watchfulness and skill in their treatment than those of maturer age.  The defects of the young, like incipient disease, are less obvious, and their intelligence is less developed.

VI.

CORRECTION OF FAULTS.

Character-divers—­continued >.

     “Let the remedies employed be adapted to the complaint and to the
     constitution of the patient, and be careful that in curing one
     disease you do not sow the seeds of another more dangerous.”

One of the duties of the character-divers is to suggest, and often to carry out, the measures for curing the child, for in our planet the mode of correcting faults is a matter of great solicitude, lest the means adopted, instead of checking and eradicating, tend to confirm and develop the evil tendency, or, it may be, implant other evils more fatal than those eradicated.

The remedies employed for curing the boy’s faults vary with his temperament and general characteristics.  The same fault would be treated very differently in the stupid and in the intelligent boy.  Where there was difficulty of impression, the labour would be like working on stone, whilst the lightest touch and mildest measures will often suffice with the intelligent.

The remedies vary again with the kind, degree, and cause of the fault:  take for instance the ordinary fault of laziness.  This would be treated very differently when it arose from mental defects—­from a tendency to love other things, great or grovelling, or from a sluggish or overactive digestion.

I may here mention that a general feature in the correction of faults is the absence of violent punishment.  We wish to raise and not degrade our children, and perhaps implant the seeds of cruelty.  We do not correct even our animals by blows.  Horses, for instance, are never struck.  Whips, with a small thong at the ends, are used only to flourish and to make sounds which the horse knows, but they are not used to strike the animal.  Other modes are employed for curing viciousness, each according to the nature of the vice.  In the case of a kicking horse, he is placed in a machine which is closed on him, the machine being so constructed that when shut it effectually prevents the animal moving, and he is kept there in the same position for hours.  If, when taken out, he again kicks he is placed back again immediately.  The process is repeated when necessary over and over again, until the very sight of the machine will completely cow the animal, and he is effectually cured.