by-gone times, and the esteem in which it stands among the principal nations of Europe, allow me to allude briefly to another point, of paramount importance, and without which this communication would be very incomplete-I mean the effect of the whip on health and morality.

Is Corporal Punishment injurious to health? To this question I boldly answer that, in certain cases, it becomes even a danger to life, if the person who undergoes it suffers from disease, or a disposition to disease, or if the blows are given on those parts of the body which cover important organs, such as the head, the back, &c. It is on account of these reasons that persons condemned to the lash or cane in those countries where this kind of punishment is still flourishing, are always previously examined by a member of the medical profession.

But even if Corporal Punishment is used with care and precaution what is its general effect on the health of children?

Every student of Hygienic science knows that the brain of children- the seat of the moral and intellectual faculties-is of the most delicate structure, subject to numerous morbid influences, upon the presence or absence of which their future happiness often depends. Unfortunately, the existence of these influences has hitherto but too frequently been ignored. If a child ate, drank, slept, and played, but had no desire of learning or exhibited a wrong moral disposition, he was never supposed to suffer from a disease, never thought of being treated accordingly, but only corrected with the cane and rod, often to the entire perdition of his character and faculties. I consider this a shame to our enlightened age.

The cause of most of the diseases is irritation on a certain point. For the brain, such causes are the most numerous, comprehending, as they do, not only physical, but also intellectual and moral irritations. Among the intellectual irritations we must rank all excessive work of the brain, all disgusting work, such as cramming, &c., which deeply affects the organ of the intellect, sometimes paralyzes it. On this point Tissot, in his work de la Santé des Gens de Lettres, says,—“I have seen children, who gave the greatest hope of progress, forced by hard and imprudent masters to excessive intellectual labour, and the consequence was-epilepsy for a lifetime.

Moral affections of the brain are produced by painful, cruel, disgraceful, and unjust acts, such as Corporal Punishment, especially blows on the head. Such irritations excite the brain and affect the organ of moral faculties. Continual irritations of this kind often ruin a child. Beating and violence render him cowardly, stubborn, and servile, awakening in him hatred, horror, and disgust, both against the master, whom he regards as nothing better than a gaoler, and against the school, which he abhors as a prison. If he does what is required from him, he does it by fear. His sense of honour becomes weakened, and instead of having his heart filled with frankness, he becomes a hypocrite.

It is true, that in schools good order can only be maintained by a certain severity. This severity ought, however, to be kept within such reasonable limits as not to render study an object of nauseous aversion. In punishments, as Montesquieu says, we ought to follow nature, which has given to man the sense of shame as his greatest chastisement; and the bitterest part of punishment is the moral pain that is caused by this delicate sense. Violence and force, whether in acts or words, injures the education of a child, who is to be raised to honour and liberty: it is contrary to the real object of education, which is to awaken in children the softer feelings, and to induce them to the acquisition of wisdom and virtue. That which cannot be done by reason, prudence, and skill, is never done by force. Confidence, esteem, and friendship, are the best inducements to study, and these are not afforded by brutal, but by moral

K

force. A firm, and at the same time benevolent master, is never obliged to employ his muscular power. The only means to have good pupils is to make them love study. "If you love study, you become learned," says Isocrates, who differs in this respect from the author of the article on Corporal punishment in your last number, who says, "unbirched Bishops will be knownothings."

These, are my views on the use of the cane. I have quoted in support of them a number of respected names, of the classic as well as of the middle and the modern ages. I should have wished to treat more amply the question, what sort of punishment may be substituted for the whip, which I deprecate; but I have already so much trespassed on your liberality that I can only refer, for the question alluded to, to numerous works of modern Reformers of Education.--CHARLES SCHAIBLE, Ph. D. [We advocate Corporal Punishment in Schools as a remedy, not as an usage, which Dr. Schaible justly condemns.-Ed.]

IV. SCHOOL JURISPRUDENCE.

The Old Schoolmaster's Story.

"When I taught school," said he, I adopted it as a principle to give as few rules to my scholars as possible. I had, however, one standing rule, which was, "Strive under all circumstances to do right," and the text of right, under all circumstances, was the GOLDEN RULE. “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them."

If an offence was committed, it was my invariable practice to ask was it right ?> 'Was it doing as you would be done by ?'

All my experience and observation have convinced me that no act of a pupil ought to be regarded as an offence, unless it be when measured by the standard of the Golden Rule. During the last years of my teaching the only tests I ever applied to an act of which it was necessary to judge, were those of the above questions. By this course I gained many important advantages.

In the first place, the plea, "You have not made any rule against it," which for a long time was a terrible burden to me, lost all its power.

In the second place, by keeping constantly before the scholars as a standard of action, the single text of right and wrong as one which they were to apply for themselves, I was enabled to cultivate in them a deep feeling of personal responsibility.

In the third place, I got a stronger hold on their feelings, and acquired a new power of cultivating and directing them.

In the fourth place, I had the satisfaction of seeing them become more truthful, honest, trustworthy and inanly in their intercourse with me, with their friends, and with each other.

Once, however, I was sadly puzzled by an application of the principle, by one of my scholars, George Jones,-a large boy-who, partly through a false feeling of honor, and partly through a feeling of stubbornness, refused to give me some information. The circumstances were these.

A scholar had played some trick which had intercepted the exercises. As was my custom, I called on the one who had done the mischief to come forward. As no one started I repeated the request, but with no success. Finding that the culprit would not confess his guilt, I asked George if he knew who had committed the offence?

66

"Who

"I did not do it," was the reply. "But do you know who did ?" "Yes, sir." was it ?" "I do not wish to tell." "But you must; it is my duty to ask, and yours to answer me." "I cannot do it sir," said George firmly. 'Then you must stop with me after school." He stopped as requested, but nothing which I could urge would induce him to reveal anything. At last, out of patience with what I believed to be the obstinacy of the boy, I said—“Well, George, I have borne with you as long as I can, and you must either tell me or be punished."

With a triumphant look, as though conscious that he had cornered me by an application of my favorite rule, he replied, "I can't tell you because it would not be right; the boy would not like to have me tell of him, and I'll do as I'd be done by."

A few years earlier I should have deemed a reply thus given an insult, and should have resented it accordingly; but experience and reflection had taught me the folly of this, and that one of the most important applications of my oft quoted rule was—to judge of the motives of others as I would wish to have them judge of mine. Yet, for a moment, I was staggered. His plea was plausible; he might be honest in making it; I did not see in what respect it was fallacious. I felt that it would not do to retreat from my position and suffer the offender to escape, and yet that I should do a great injustice by compelling a boy to do a thing, if he really believed it to be wrong.

After a little pause I said, “Well, George, I do not wish you to do anything which is wrong, or which conflicts with our Golden Rule. We will leave this for to-night, and perhaps you will alter your mind before to-morrow.

I saw him privately before school, and found him more firm in the refusal than ever. After the devotional exercises of the morning, I began to question the scholars (as was my wont,) on various points of duty, and generally led the conversation to the Golden Rule.

"Who," I asked, "are the persons to whom, as members of this school, you ought to do as you would be done by? Your parents who support you and send you here? your schoolmates who are engaged in the same work with yourselves? the citizens of the town, who by taxing themselves, raise money to pay the expenses of this school? the school trustees, who take so great an interest in your welfare? your teacher? or the scholar who carelessly or wilfully commits some offence against good order ?"

A hearty "Yes," was responded to every question.

Then addressing George, I said, "Yesterday I asked you who had committed a certain offence? You refused to tell me, beeause you thought it would not be doing as you would be done by. I now wish you to reconsider the subject. On one side, are your parents, your schoolmates, the citizens of this town, the school trustees, and your teacher, all deeply interested in everything affecting the prosperity of this school. On the other side, is the boy who by his act has shown himself ready to injure all these. To which party will you do as you would be done by ?"

After a moment's pause, he said, "to the first, it was William Brown who did it." My triumph, or rather the triumph of the principle was complete, and the lesson was as deeply felt by the other members of the school, as by him for whom it was specially designed.

V. CIVILITY AND REFINEMENT IN SCHOOLS.

It is painful to observe the lack of this, in some of our public schools. There is so much of coarseness and roughness in some of them (not to speak of vulgarity and profanity) that parents who regard its influence on their children are unwilling to send them where they are liable to learn as much that is bad as that is good.

Is there not a necessity that teachers as a body should look more at this evil, and to its correction? Those influences which are adapted to improve the mind, ought necessarily to improve the manners. There ought to be a connection between the school and this improvement, just as there is between other causes and their effects.

The effect of allowing a child to run at large in the street, and mingle with all the company found there, should be well understood beforehand. The effect of accustoming a child to good society, is also well known. From such a child, it would be as surprising to hear vulgarity, as to find one of the other class refined.

No one would be at a loss to determine the influence on the morals and refinement of a company such as is usually found in a dram shop. How long could a youth visit such a place, and not show the influence on his own habits and tastes? Such company and such influences will soon educate a low, vulgar, and vicious person. But why should not a school shew as decidedly an elevating effect on the character? The influence of knowledge when rightly directed, is to elevate, but if there is often connected with the place of its communication, an influence which lowers the character instead of elevating it, it is both strange and unfortunate.

There is something in the idea of a teacher that naturally commands respect. The supposition is, that there are superior qualifications that fit the teacher for the office. Every teacher should command respect by being worthy of it; then how easy to teach scholars that what is to be respected in others, is respected in themselves.

With many, who have lost all care for the respect of others or themselves, this might have no effect; but not so with those who have been properly trained, hence then the great necessity for proper early training in habits of refinement and culture.

In regard to politeness in school boys, the following anecdote was lately told by a clergyman at a Teachers' Institute. He said: "Soon after I was settled in the ministry, I was appointed a member of the school-committee of the place. In my frequent visits to one of the schools, I took notice of a boy whose clothing was very coarse and showed many patches, but still was clean and neat throughout. His habits was remarkably quiet and orderly, and his manners very correct. His disposition were evidently generous and kind, and his temper mild and cheerful, as he mingled with his schoolmates at play, or joined their company on the road. When last I saw him he was on his way to school. His appearance still bespoke the condition of his poor and →widowed mother, and his hat was but a poor protection against either sun or rain; but, as I passed him, he lifted it with an easy but respectful action, a pleasant smile, and a cheerful good morning,' which, unconsciously to himself, made the noble boy a perfect model of genuine good manners. His bow, his smile, and his words, all came straight from his true, kind heart. When last I saw him, thirty years had passed, and I was on a visit to the West. The boy had become a distinguished lawyer and statesman ; but his bow, and his smile, and his kind greeting, were just the same as those of the barefooted boy with the poor hat.”

RESPECT THE OLD.-Bow low thy head, boy. Do reverence to the old man. He was once young like you, but age and the cares of life have silvered his hair. Once, at your age, he possessed the thousand thoughts that daily throng your mind. Bow low thy head, boy, as you would be reverenced when you are aged, and your fine form bent under the weight of years."

VI. ADVICE TO A YOUNG TEACHER.

Endeavor to introduce into your school the most perfect system at the beginning, and be very slow to admit any change which inexperienced people may think very good,

unless its utility is obvious. Pay great attention to the order of your school, and to the manners of the children, and when they leave you, see that they retire with order and regularity.

I need not urge upon you to unite with this strict discipline great mildness, and perfect freedom from passion. I wish that you would introduco some religious exercises. Let the scriptures be daily read, in a reverential manner, by yourself or some good reader in the School. Be careful to teach every branch thoroughly. A school is lost when it gets the character of being showy and superficial.

Let me conclude with urging you to enter into the spirit of your occupation. Learn to love it. Try to carry into it a little enthusiasm. Let it not be your task, but your delight. Feel that Providence is honoring you in committing to you the charge of immortal minds. Study the character of your pupils, and the best modes of exciting and improving them. You have heart enough; fix it on this noble object.

And now, my dear friend, be of good courage. Bear up with calm, steady resolution, under the trials of life. Lift your eyes with gratitude and confidence to your Father in heaven, and he will never forsake you.

VII. SOME GENERAL RULES AND PRINCIPLES FOR TEACHERS AND

PUPILS.

These rules and principles are derived from various sources. They are adapted to the wants of pupils and teachers, and are well worthy of their consideration."

RULES FOR THE TEACHER.

1. From your earliest connection with your pupils inculcate the necessity of prompt and exact obedience.

2. Unite firmness with gentleness; and let your pupils always understand that you mean exactly what you say.

3. Never promise anything unless you are quite sure you can give what you promise. 4. Never tell a pupil to do anything unless you are sure he knows how it is to be done; or show him how to do it, and then see that he does it.

5. Always punish a pupil for wilful disobedience; but never punish unduly or in anger: and in no case should a blow be given on the head.

6. Never let your pupils see that they can vex you, or make you lose your selfcommand.

7. If pupils are under the influence of an angry or petulent spirit, wait till they are calm, and then reason with them on the impropriety of their conduct.

8. Never yield anything to a pupil because he looks angry, or attempts to move you with threats and tears. Deal mercifully, but justly, too.

9. A little present punishment, when the occasion arises, is more effectual than the threatening of a greater punishment should the fault be renewed.

10. Never allow pupils to do at one time what you have forbidden, under the like circumstances, at another.

11. Teach the young that the only sure and easy way to appear good is to be good. 12. Never allow tale-bearing.

13. If a pupil abuses your confidence, make him, for a time, feel the want of it. 14. Never allude to former errors, when real sorrow has been evinced for having committed them.

15. Encourage, in every suitable way, a spirit of diligence, obedience, perseverance, kindness, forbearance, honesty, truthfulness, purity and courteousness.