The laws are very severe against those who would ill-treat an animal, but there is now no need to put them in force.

We never punish by the imposition of tasks, our aim being to inculcate the love of study, and encourage the child to regard his work as a favour and a privilege.  On the contrary we now punish the student rather by taking away the old than by imposing new school work; and this is so effected that the boy, though at first delighted, soon thirsts to resume his studies.

In many cases the pupil is not allowed even to know that he is punished,—­i.e., why the discipline is changed,—­lest he should become attached to a fault for which he has suffered and, as it were, paid dearly; lest, too, the excitement of eluding detection should make it pleasurable to transgress when the immediate pressure is removed, and he should thus become schooled in untruthfulness and deceit.

The character-divers generally effect the child’s correction by gentleness, and eventually bringing him to loathe the bad and love the good.  Time, labour, and attention are bestowed unsparingly, and, however small the germ, the evil tendency is never left until, when this is possible, it is completely eradicated.  In certain cases, where the footprint of nature is too firmly impressed, the efforts are continued until other and opposing qualities have been developed, and the moral patient has acquired such control over himself as to be able, in moments of temptation and impulse, to dominate the disturbing propensity.

Even after the fault seems to have been eradicated, the patient is for some time subjected to various tests and temptations before he is pronounced cured.  We do not trust to superficial appearances.

Similar precautions were taken in the cure of adult offenders against the laws, but as soon as my plans had time to operate, offences by adults were of rare occurrence.

When a child gives evidence of remarkable genius, he is watched with more than jealous care, with a view to his superior refinement, and other qualities which we like to see in harmony.  We do not like to see, as it were, a garment made partly of rich brocade and partly of common material.

The character-divers, too, are greatly assisted in their observations by an establishment attached to each school called “The Amusement Gallery,” in which after a certain time the bent of the child, his versatility, capriciousness, constancy of purpose, and other qualities and defects are shown in his selection and continued or interrupted pursuit of any particular occupation or amusement.

It is scarcely possible to overrate the importance of acting with judgment towards children.

From the smallest beginnings, incurable defects of mind and permanent disease of body will gather strength, grow and obtain the mastery, till they carry off the sufferer, or implant vices that, like evil spirits, will torture the victim during his life’s career.