INFANT CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.—The conscience may be acted on at an early
age, as the following fact will demonstrate. At the opening of the Chester School, a child four years of age was admitted, whose nuither had provided a pair of new boots • and about the fish d day one of them was lost, and every child was questioned about it, but to no purpose. Some days elapsed, what I was re- latinga story about a boy who began to steal by picking up pins and putting
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them n his coat, who afterwards stole a halfpenny which rolled from a little girl at school, and then took things of greater value, until he was apprehended and lodged in gaol. While this was proceeding, a little girl four years old began to cry, for which no cause could be assigned; but she was taken into the play- ground, and there partially soothed. On the next day, the' child was observed to cry as before, and one shoe to be taken off, and lying by her side. It was thought she cried because she could not put it on; but on examining it, it proved to be the boot cut down, and which was worn for the first time when the story referred to was related. On being questioned, she said she found it in the school ; but when the mother was sent for, she declared it was no such thing, was about to strike the child for saying what she did, and tried, by her coun- tenance, to terrify her into falsehood. This, however' was in vain, for the child repeated what she had previously said, and declared that she took it to lier "mammy." At length confession was extorted ; when it appeared that the mother, having cut down the half boot, kept it fur some days for the matter to blow over, winch would certainly have been the case, had not the impression produced on the child's mind prevented the boot being worn. There is Marion to believe that what was said to the mother on this occasion was followed by lasting benefit. One of our visitors at Chester was the Vicar of Bolton, who Was desirous to havea large school in his own parish. A room which would accoin- modate two hundred infants was therefore set apart for this purpose, and a master and mistress engaged. He was perfectly satisfied with the results of my labours. Two schools were afterwards opened in the same Mein, to which four have been added within a circuit of tep miles. Since that time, many improve- ments have been made in the system ; of which, I trust, the supsupportersof-thess institutions will avail themselves.— Wiklerspira's Early Discipline Illustrated.
DESIGN AND ACCIDENT.—The things we strive with our whole strength to accomplish bring us to renown; and we, nine timeriout of ten, owe our faint or our infamy either to a trifle, an accident, er a misundetstanding.—llery
Masterton. • -
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