tion on youth. It will be well to remember, that the children of the poor are educated in day-schools; that one part of their time is spent at home, and the other part at school; and, that all the good they get at school is often lost by the misconduct or bad example of their parents at home. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Bad example from playmates is contagious: the poison is more deadly, because mixed with that which is so pleasing. It is much in the power of those who have the care of youth to control the choice of their companions, and thus prevent this great eyil. In my institution, it is considered a great fault to play with a bad boy. On the subject of public spirit, as connected with education, I refer my readers to A Letter to John Foster, Chancellor of the Exchequer for Ireland, on the best Means of educating and employing the Poor in that country.' There is a method of asking children extempore questions, on any subject; because it is of particular consequence in the religious instruction of youth, to prepossess, not only the memory, but the understanding. Suppose a child shall repeat by rote the following verse: "How glorious is our heavenly King, Questions asked by the teacher, Who is our heavenly King? Answer. God.' Who is glorious?' God.' Who reigns above the sky?' 'God.' 'Who has dreadful majesty?' God,' &c. This specimen may suffice for the manner in which any teacher has power to vary the questions, and exercise the understanding of his pupils. Another duty is to impress on the youthful memory selections from the Psalms and devotional N parts of Scripture. Whenever the children feel for themselves the necessity of prayer, their memories will be open to the recurrence of petitions offered up by holy men of old, who not only "spake," but prayed," as moved by the Holy Ghost ;" and their state of mind answering to the prayers they recol. lect, will induce them to make them their own petitions. The memories of youth cannot be too well furnished with the knowledge of the Scriptures. A lad may be trained in the habitual practice of religi ous duties, and in the daily reading the Sacred Writings; but when he advances to maturity, he may throw off every restraint, and contemn his Bible. But if pious friends have taken early care to make a Bible of his memory, that is a book he can never neglect. It will stick close to him, even in scenes of dissipation, and alarm his conscience in the midst of all his deceitful enjoyments; and, in many instances, be attended with the Divine blessing. Many people despise the cultivation of the memory, unconnected with the understanding. However, the memory ripens first, and fails first. Its powers are often blunted before the understanding expands ; and whenever the understanding does expand, a memory that has previously been rendered a storehouse for Divine truths, will be found an invaluable appendage to it. INITIATORY SCHOOLS. An Account of the State of those Schools in which the Children of Mechanics, &c. are generally educated. T HESE are a description of schools that abound in every poor neighbourhood about London; they are frequented by boys and girls indiscriminately, few of them above seven years of age: the mistress is frequently the wife of some mechanic, induced to undertake this task from a desire to increase a scanty income, or to add to her domestic comforts. The subjects of tuition are comprised in reading and needle-work. The number of children that attend a school of this class is very fluctuating, and seldom exceeds thirty; their pay very uncertain. Disorder, noise, &c. seem more the characteristic of these schools, than the improvement of the little ones who attend them. These unpleasant circumstances effectually prevent schools of this kind being opened by many females, who possess abilities and goodness of heart. While this is the case, the public will easily conceive the state they must consequently be in, and the small degree of advantage which can possibly result to the poor children who attend them. From the information I possess, I could easily heighten the colouring of this view; but it would only exhibit the same objects in various degrees of shade, which is needless, as the evil in each is nearly similar, bearing the same features, if not a perfect likeness. Now let us see what they would be under proper regulations, which, modified, and carried into effect by prudent hands, would soon direct the public attention to them, as institutions pregnant with real usefulness.-It is very evident that, by the excellent modes of preparatory education, (frequent in the more respectable circles,) much invaluable time is saved, and the foundation of instruction so well laid, that when the pupil is removed to a superior school, much of the drudgery of education is over,. and the pupil being ready formed to the master's hand, to good order and prompt obedience, his future progress is considerably accelerated. Why not realize this idea among the poor, and let them partake of its benefits?-I am an advocate for this class of schools, as women manage them; and the female heart is so well qualified, by its tenderness, to sympathise with the innocent children that attend these schools, and at so early an age, that they cannot be placed under better care. The infancy of their pupils requires a combination of the school and nursery; and these schools answer that description, when under proper management. But it is of peculiar importance to the poor, that these schools should be better regulated; as many children of that class have no education but what they obtain in them, and that at an early age, when totally unfit for other employ: to these, it is of consequence they should acquire all the knowledge they can while there, for many poor children never obtain a second opportunity.-Frequently their parents are so circumstanced, that they must place them out to work as soon as they are fit for it; and then they leave school, to which some would never have been sent, had they been fit for any thing else. It is of consequence to all children that no time should be spent without improvement, whether they ever attend school afterwards or not. It is of advantage in another point of view: the sober, steady, poor man, cheerfully unites with the endeavours of the benevolent, for his children's welfare; but there are others, so insensible to all idea of gratitude, that they spurn the offered benefit. This mostly happens when their children are able to assist them at work; but when they are too young for work, and are apt to be troublesome at home, their tender age requires a nurse; but nothing can be devised by their parents as a substitute for one, but sending them to an initiatory school, where they are taken care of at a small expence. This is, perhaps, the only opportunity that presents for their instruction during life. Their parents are of the lowest class, by conduct as well as poverty; and would sooner send them to a packthread ground, or other nursery for vice, where their minds are in danger of ruin, for the sake of trifling present gain, than to school, where their morals might be formed aright, and they trained to future usefulness, to themselves and to the community. Being thus destitute of principle, at another period of their children's age, they would, most likely, spurn the offers of benevolence; but when so young, necessity dictates that they be sent to school. To those, therefore, who have no other opportunity of education, their proper management is of the greatest importance. At the early age at which such children are sent, their manners are particularly innocent and engaging, of course their parents' affection flows in full-tide streams, and a hope for the future good of their offspring, held out at such a seasonable time, might induce them to fix them at school, and thus preserve their morals and innocence. I conceive, the improvement children make in these schools would be greatly increased by their being placed under good regulations, and supplied with proper mistresses; to whom encouragement might be extended, according to merit; also to the scholars, by the same rule. The system of tuition and rewards, which are described in the former part |