school who have had the advantage of previous training in the infant school."

Would that the poor of Dublin were to form a proper estimate of the value of this establishment, and send their infants to this second home which, there can be no doubt, is far preferable in many instances to their own homes, which in too many cases are situated in confined and ill-ventilated back lanes of the city, where the growth of infancy is dwarfed, and the little minds contaminated by the contagion of the bad example too frequently shown them by those around.

The Wilderspin system, which is considered by educationists to be the best that has been devised, is fully and effectually carried out in this school. By this system all free play is given for the developement of the young mind, and its effects upon those young creatures cannot fail to strike even the most casual visitor. During our visit in this and the other departments, we could not but observe from the appearance of the pupils that the seventh practical rule of the Commissioners, which relates to the cleanliness, &c. of the pupils, was strictly attended to. We give a copy of the rule from the Report before us.

"To promote, both by precept and example, Cleanliness, Neatness, and Decency. To effect this the Teachers should set an example of cleanliness and neatness in their own persons, and in the state and general appearance of their schools. They should also satisfy themselves, by personal inspection every morning, that the children have had their hands and faces washed, their hair combed, and clothes cleaned, and, when necessary, mended. The school apartments too should be swept and dusted every evening, and be whitewashed at least once a year."

We had every reason to feel pleased with our visit to the Infant School, and we could not but feel satisfied that the children there assembled were receiving an education in every way calculated to promote their happiness and well being in after-life. The master of the school is the author of an excellent work on Infant Education, entitled "Young's Infant School Teacher's Manual," from which we give the following:"We learn to know things through our senses; this is called perceiving. When we once know anything we can think of it again; this is called remembering. How do we know the difference between one object and another? By comparing them. Can you tell me which is the taller of these two children, the boy or the girl? The

boy. Which is the elder? The boy. How do you know? Because he is so much bigger. Yes; you have observed that children increase in size as they get older, and so you judged of their ages by their difference of size. In this way we can judge of the differences of all things, and by reasoning on their qualities we learn to know their uses. We can judge of actions as well as of things. We all know that to get our food and clothes, some one must work. Little children cannot work, but their parents labor for them. Now, when we see people who are idle all day we say that they do wrong, and that they will soon come to want. Why do we say this? Because we know that much labor is needed to prepare food and clothing for our use; and if men are idle, others will not give them what they want. It is by our minds, then, that we are able to tell right from wrong, and God requires us to think on what we do, and to obey his laws. Does he require the animals to reason on what they do? No; for he has not given them speech and reason like man.

Let us think of another power in our minds. We said that by means of our senses we can perceive whatever is around us; but we can sometimes think of things we never saw; this is called imagining. Let us try to imagine a palm tree. I show you this picture to help you to imagine it. Now you must think of a tall, straight tree, growing upright, with no branches at the sides, and only one great bunch of leaves at the top. Now, look again at the picture; fancy the stem as tall as an elm tree; the leaves at the top each as long as this room is wide, and a great bunch of fruit in the middle of the leaves. Have you any idea of the palm tree, now? How did you get it? Yes; from the picture, and by what you know of other trees and by my description.

Let us now see how many mental powers we have found out. We can perceive; we use signs or language; remember, compare, judge, imagine. What a wonderful thing is the mind! It is said that God at first made man in his own image; that is, he gave him a thinking spirit or soul, and made him pure and good. Two things our mind can learn about God; how well He has made all things, and how merciful he has been to man who sinned against Him. When we think of these things it should make us love him more and more every day.

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The feeling which we have of what is right or wrong in our actions is called conscience, and although no one may see us when doing a wrong act, conscience would tell us we were not doing as we ought. We should always listen to conscience. We should always do what we know to be right, not what we see others do. Children often try to excuse themselves when in fault, by saying that they only followed the example of some of their companions: is this right? No; for we should not join in any act without first thinking if it be right to do so. Do you know what you ought to do? great thing is to love and serve God; the next, to love your fellow creatures, and to do them all the good you can. Do you know what it is wrong and wicked to do? Is it right to hate any one or to try to injure them? Is it right to give way to anger, greediness, and other passions? No; for we should try to govern our minds and to obey

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God's law, and not our own bad feelings. Ought we to say what is not true? No, for God is not pleased with those who lie. May we be rude or disobedient to our parents? No; we are commanded to obey them in all things. Can children serve the Lord? Yes; Joseph, the prophet Samuel, King Josiah, Timothy, and many other holy men, sought the Lord while they were yet children, and he led them all through their lives in the right way; and we must try to learn how to be good. We cannot do this all at once. Many little children who are naughty when they first come to school, learn by degress to do what is right. Will you strive to improve? You must try very much, and not be discouraged; endeavour always to find out which is the right way to act."

The extract here given is sufficient in itself to prove that," the right man is in the right place." He has had experience in the training of the infant mind, and possesses the ability of handing down to posterity the results of that experience, and in a style truly indicative of an amiable teacher. The little work referred to can be had at a very cheap rate, and should find admission to every nursery and school set apart for the education of infant children. We cannot too strongly recommend this little work to those engaged in infant training."

On leaving the infant school, his Excellency was conducted by the Resident Commissioner, the Right Honorable Alexander Macdonnell, to the Girls' School, where a most searching examination of the pupils took place. We have never known a greater interest to have been taken by any person in the system than was evinced by his Excellency, as he went from class to class in the male and female Schools. In the latter, specimens of needlework were submitted for his Excellency's inspection, which proved that industrial education formed no inconsiderable feature in the system.

When we reflect upon the duties that those females may be called upon to fulfil in after life, whether as teachers or mothers, we cannot but admire and appreciate the inestimable benefits conferred upon them, and we might say, upon society, by the training they receive in this school. The lady presiding over it is justly entitled not only to the commendation of the Commissioners, but of all who have the interest of the community at heart. For we hold, there can be no duty of greater importance than the proper training of females, since upon it depends the morality of the generations yet to come. Who can read the beautiful and pathetic poem by Hood, entitled "TheBridge of Sighs," without feeling the importance of proper female training. When we consider the important trust committed to females,

either as teachers or parents, we cannot too highly estimate the great good that is effected by the system of training adopted in the school occupying our attention at present: truly has it been said, that until the mother be taught, the infant cannot be taught; and until the infant be taught, the child will not be teachable.

The female teacher holds perhaps a greater sympathetic sway over the minds of children than the males, and hence we consider them better calculated to conduct the education of infant children than the latter. Indeed the infant school would be a most fitting place for the young and inexperienced female teacher to commence her vocation, and we were proud to see on the day of our visit so many young and amiable females exercising an almost maternal influence over the large number of children assembled in the infant school.

A wise man has said, that " upon the mother depend the destinies of the child:" in this assertion no doubt there is much truth indeed; but if the mother be not assisted by the teacher, her efforts cannot be attended with that success it otherwise would. The influence of maternal instruction is almost allpowerful, and when wisely exercised never fails to produce the most happy results, both to the offspring and to the parent.

We cannot withhold giving the following extract from a work that came under our notice some short time since, and our fair readers will no doubt feel as great an interest in it as we do ourselves.

"Who can educate a child but a mother? In perpetual change, it requires all the flexibility of the female character to follow and catch the infinite varieties through which it passes. Any other eye becomes giddy in attempting it. What but the female imagination-its vivacity-its disinterestedness-passing into another being, and still preserving all the peculiarities of its own can fully comprehend them. The child is fresh and frank-hates constraint and hypocrisy lives on sympathy-is all love. Who can think with it, and almost in it-who can understand it, through the heart, that best of interpreters who can satisfy the first want of its young nature-like a mother? But mothers are not always inspired, even by nature. They require reflection as well as instinct, method as well as affection. How many children are taught caprice by kindness-weakness by indecision! Rousseau leaves all to nature: but parents cannot thus abdicate their trust: they must not be left to nature as well as their children. Where firmness is not, there will be no protection Where love is not, protection will not consult the happiness of the child. What yields, cannot support; a child requires both love and support. If the mother appears like another

child, if she partakes all vacillations of her offspring. How should it respect her what reason should it have to believe her its mother? But firmness should not degenerate into severity; or anxiety into ill temper. A child is much more prone to imitation than to fear. He lives in you, feels in you; What he finds in you, he reproduces in himself. Hence nothing is indifferent. Looks and words fall on these young natures, with the same force as actions do on that of others. They creep into their imaginations: they settle there, and form, for years after, part of their recollections, and very generally too, of their characters. This is a fact of infinite importance, it is the key of all early education. Feed your child with sounds and sights of sincerity and fondness; breathe about him an atmosphere of serenity, "ce calme mêlé de joie"-his natural element; love him well, and love him wisely, and you may dispose of him in all things even as you will. But who can do this like a mother? And what mother so well as she who feels and studies it for herself? Such mothers, it is hoped, may yet be numerous, though neither fashionables nor managers, nor blue stockings; but mothers in the high and holy sense of the name,-deeply penetrated with their sacred calling, and pursuing it in singleness, and in simplicity-with energy and with intelligence-with assiduity, but without fidget-with dignity, but without parade.' It is this domestic, this fireside education-this education of truth and love-which has given the greater portion of its value to Scotch Education; which transmit the talent and virtue of the mother to the son, and receives in return from the son the tribute of his earliest and most durable affection-not to the father, not to the wife-not to the child-but to the aged mother, the emigrant sends back the first fruits of his distant exertions."

We now ask our readers to pass with us to the boys' school, and here, indeed, are manifested the great blessings of the national system. Protestant, Catholic, and Presbyterian children are, as in the other schools, united by the friendly ties of brotherhood, receiving an education, though nominally limited to the elementary branches, yet is such as fits them to become useful members to society, and prepares them for a more exalted course of study, should circumstances permit them to prosecute such; and it is not necessary for us to state, that those who have been fortunate enough to have had time and opportunity to do so, have proved to the world that the education they had received in this school was such as enabled them to attain positions in society of which both the Commissioners and themselves may justly be proud.

In our visit to this school on the day referred to, we could not but think that a brighter future for Ireland was indicated by the answering of so many of her poorer children then assembled, on subjects a knowledge of which heretofore could

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See also, "National Education," by Mr. Frederic Hill.