XXXIV.

THE AMUSEMENT GALLERY.

     “The simplest electricities are often meet to discover the most
     precious.”

The Amusement Gallery constitutes an interesting feature in the child’s education, and so admirable have been its results, that the opening of the first institution of the kind—­recorded, as I have said, in one of the great pictures in my summer palace—­is regarded as a memorable event, and is celebrated by the people in a yearly festival.

In a very long gallery, attached to each college, is a collection of instructive toys adapted to all ages and dispositions.  Amongst these are harps and other musical instruments, made on a small scale to suit the capacity of children, materials for drawing, painting, modelling, and sculpture; maps, in relief, of cities and other parts of our world, and all kinds of small birds and dwarf animals.  I should not omit to state that we have living horses and deer in miniature:  they are about the size of an ordinary lap-dog, though in many other respects resembling the larger species.  These with their little clothes and harness are placed in the gallery, which likewise contains fresh fruit and flowers, indeed almost everything that can be imagined for the recreation and enjoyment of the child.

In the Girls’ Amusement Gallery there are various kinds of fancy-work, lace-work, and basket-work.  Our basket-work is very beautiful, the baskets being elegant in form and elaborately painted.  Indeed, elegance of form and harmony of colour are studied in all the objects selected.

Boys, being trained by manly recreations, necessarily have their Amusement Gallery separate from that of the girls, though many of the more elegant and refined amusements are to be found in both.  The girls attend their gallery, whatever may be their age, until they leave school.  On the other hand, the boy ceases to attend when the Character divers and Judges think his attendance no longer desirable.

At each of the stalls in the gallery is stationed an intelligent person skilled in some particular art.  Of these some play on musical instruments, some paint or model, others give oral instruction, according to the nature of the compartment or the wishes of the child.

There are also “Walkers,” who perambulate the gallery, encouraging the child to amuse herself with what she likes, explaining the use of different objects, answering the young inquirer’s questions, and noting in her any particular qualities or peculiarities.  The results of these observations are drawn up in the shape of reports for the use of the Judges.

No restraint is put upon the children when in the gallery, but they are allowed freely to follow the bent of their own inclinations.  I have often observed some of these little creatures ardent for amusement responding to their own predilections; others taking interest in frivolous things; others, again, listless, and interesting themselves in nothing.  Whilst many would examine with breathless attention, others would ask questions, more or less intelligent, of the persons at the head of each stall.