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 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 recollect, 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 religious 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 understandtng does expand, a memory that has previously been rendered a storehouse for Divine truths, will be found an invaluable appendage to it.

INITIATORY

INITIATORY SCHOOLS.

An Account of the State of those Schools in which the Children of Mechanics, &c. are generally educated.

THESE 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 fe

males, 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, (fre quent in the more respectable circles,) much inva→ luable time is saved, and the foundation of instruc tion so well laid, that when the pupil is removed to a superior school, much of the drudgery of educa tion is over, and the pupil being ready formed to the master's hand, to good order and prompt obedience, his future progress is considerably accele rated.

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 tender,

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ness, 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.

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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

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