possible by external precautions to defer free converse with books longer. The period of emancipation from the restraints of childhood must leave a young man to the guidance of his own taste, reason and conscience, in the choice of his reading; and wo to him if he has no better safeguard than the entire novelty of every coarse expression or equivocal allusion!

With regard to the other sex, the same impossibility does not exist. A careful mother may prolong indefinitely the vigilant surveillance of her daughter's reading, and we are assured that in France this is actually the case. Up to the time of their marriage, when this and other restrictions, drop at once, young ladies not only read no novels, (a privation upon which we sincerely congratulate them,) but no books except those supposed to be expressly fitted for their age and sex. Whether the result is, on a cemparison with the greater latitude allowed in this and other respects in English girls, unfavorable to the purity of mind and conduct of the latter, we leave it to our readers to determine. Without pretending to judge a question on which far too many hasty and unfair decisions are pronounced on every side, we shall only venture to express our conviction, that in simplicity and purity of heart and life, and in devotion to domestic duties, the women of England--especially those whose understandings have been early schooled and fortified by intercourse with the great and wise—are at least not inferior to any who have ever entered on the perplexing realities of life, from the walls of a convent, or encountered its temptations with the ignorance and inexperience of a babe.

It would seem superfluous to repeat that we mean, and can mean, no such absurdity as that all books are fit for children; but we know the unfairness with which opinions are distorted, and we therefore say again, that we take for granted that the books open to their choice would be only such as have the tendency common to all the highest flights and exercises of human genius and human reason--namely, to make us sensible of our position on earth and our kindred with heaven, and to excite in us the earnest purpose and the humble hope so to think, to feel, and to live, as not to belie our high calling. With such aspirations, religion in its purest and sublimest form--the religion of Him whose life was the clear and perfect manifestation of the Godlike-naturally allies itself. and is, indeed, inseparable from them; for when the soul of man has reached its utmost strength and elevation, it can find employment and rest only in the Divine.

Learning is obtained only by labor; it cannot be bought with money—if it could, the rich would always be intelligent.

For the Rhode Island Educational Magazine.

EXPENSES OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

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In the Report on the System of Popular Education in the city of New York, is contained a table showing the expenses of the sys. tem of public instruction in the principal cities of the United States. From that table it appears that whether as a basis of estimate and comparison, general population, valuation of real and personal property, educational population, registered attendance in the common schools, or the average daily attendance in the same, both the aggregate annual expense, and the expense of each scholar under the sent system of popular education, is relatively less than the same in almost every other city in the Union. In Boston the ratio of aggregate annual expense is two-thirds greater than in New York. In Rhode Island no means of deciding this question are at hand; but, as a general rule in this matter of education, the smallest amount of expenditure for each scholar, and for other educational purposes, will receive the greatest amount of praise; if she could only stand number one in a proportionate ratio, how gratified will those interested in the cause of education feel! Now this is not the correct notion. Instead of attempting to reduce the necessary expenditures to the least possible sum consistent with a decent appearance, and then boasting as in this New York exhibit-of superior skill in making the least money pay the most persons, the boast should be on the other side of the question,-that the most money has been expended with a liberal economy, in furthering the interests of a cause, which may be truly said to be at the bottom of all the prosperity and security of all other causes, religion, even, not excepted.

Not how much, or how little, but how well do we expend money for school purposes, ought to be the question. The Secretary of Education in Massachusetts, furnishes in his annual reports, a table of the comparative expenditure of each town in that State, for school purposes, in which, Boston does not hold the first rank-a fact creditable to the smaller places. Will not our State Commissioner give a similar table in his next report, and thereby enable all interested --and who is not so ?--to decide upon the comparative merit of different towns in respect to expenses of education? It is to be hoped that this ratio of the smallest sum for the greatest number of school purposes, will become as it should, an "obsolete idea." A large sum and economical expenditure, is the more correct notion.

T.

AN ADDRESS TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE CARE OF CHILDREN.

The following excellent Address, is issued as a Tract by the Society of Friends. It was sent to us by Thomas R. Hazard, Esq., of Portsmonth.

Those who teach others, must first learn to subdue their own passions. Education is the correcting of fallen nature; and he who hath not, by God's grace, subdued his own, is not yet fit to correct others.

The principal part of education is, to instil into tender minds the love of God and virtue; and as we learn best from those we love most, the first step to be taken in education is, to make ourselves loved. Let all instruction then be given cheerfully, kindly, tenderly, mildly, lest by our defects we prejudice those we should instruct against what we teach them; show children in a lively and good-humored manner that you advise them for their own sakes, and not to satisfy your humor, which will never mend theirs; that you correct them with regret, and encourage them with pleasure. Do not suppose that they are always inattentive through design; some have slow parts, and most are giddy. Children are generally clear-sighted enough to discern whether you or they are in fault; would you mend theirs, you must be patient; and perhaps discernment and tenderness are as much wanted in teachers, as docility and attention in scholars. All things are easy to those who know them; nothing so to those who do not. We were once scholars, and perhaps as dull and perverse as those we teach; but suppose you should suddenly gain your point by severity, and lose their hearts; in that case is not every thing lost? Will they not, like bent bows, return with greater violence to their former inclinations, when the restraint of a few months or years are over? But when the head is convinced, and the heart gained, the work in most cases, is done forever.

If children come to you from harsh parents, and you are gentle and good natured to them, they will love you, and all you teach for your sake. If from tender parents, and you are harsh, they will hate you, and every thing you teach them The more defects you show, the fewer can you correct; to be masters of others, we must be so of ourselves. Let them experience, that a meek and quiet spirit is of great price; teach them all virtue by example; your wisdom must be from above, first pure, then gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good works, without partiality, without hypocrisy. Inculca.e, that to be honorable, they must he useful; that no employment is mean that is of use; set before them our Lord's ex

ample, who washed his apostles' feet, and commanded us to do the same to each other.

Teach them that it is more honorable as well as more blessed, to give than to receive; and that in order to this we must be frugal, even in the highest stations and fortunes. Ease, affluence, generosity, justice, and charity, are the lovely offspring of this humble virtue; as want, anxiety, injustice, avarice, and hardness of heart, are the necessary consequences of careless prodigality. The mind of a prodigal resembles his mansion, where the vain glitter concludes in an habitation for beggars and owls; but the person who with order and skill conducts his affairs, like the sun, blesses all within his influence, and himself is not impoverished thereby. Never show a fondness for beauty, finery, fortune, titles, or any vanity before them; teach them to be discreet; show an abhorrence to the least instance of insincerity. Children will be insincere, if not permitted to speak their minds freely. Let lies, malice, anger, envy, falsehood, and ill nature, never escape punishment, which never should be inflicted by passionate expressions or blows, and seldom by whippings, as these may be construed to proceed from passion; for the former, they will blame you-for the latter, themselves. Children should be dealt with as we would be dealt by. We wish that our lives may be made agreeable, that our inclinations may be consulted, as far as it is consistent with our interest; but it is no trifling matter whether you gain or lose their hearts.

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Give children a taste for reading; and then, by laying good books in their way, they educate themselves. Let their works and studies be for use, not for parade. Fear not to lose respect by familiarity; respect follows esteem and love, and not constraint. You can only cure their faults by knowing them; you can only know them by familiarity with them. Encourage them to confide in you. Be not startled at their faults, or they will not show them to you. We only open our hearts to those we love, and none but such can mend them. the children entrusted to your care, to be as little as possible out of your sight and hearing, as they will hurt each other if they are; for children left to themselves, even in play, will catch each other's faults. All that has been recommended, is consistent with the most steady and regular conduct; for steady and regular you must be, or you do nothing. Make the children do as much as possible for themselves. Encourage them to keep their persons perfectly neat; use them to assist each other; be not severe for trifles; subdue in them, by God's grace, every instance of pride and vanity; let the proud child submit to the lowest employment in all things; teach them to speak low and slow; fashion them to a grace

ful gesture, carriage and gait; and make them polite; the foundation of good breeding is charity and humility; not to offend or assume, and a desire to please, is good breeding.

With these, an easy, natural, modest behaviour is more agreeable, than what is called a pretty manner, for nothing affected can please. Forget the teacher, and be their companion; at the school hours, your instructions will enough remind them that you are their master, and that is sufficient. Tire them not with reading; make them sometimes leave off when they have an inclination to proceed. Reflect how great will be your reward for the exact discharge of your duties. As you educate these children, they will likely educate theirs, and so on until time shall be no more; and if you thus turn many to righteousness, you will shine as the stars forever, for so doing; and when the great Shepherd shall appear, you, with other shepherds, will receive a bright crown, which fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for your labor of love; therefore, serve as to the Lord, and not to men; think not of your pensions and perquisites, so much, as that the most important, the most honorable of all employments, is committed to your care, the forming the minds of the next generation. Avoid (as far as in you lies,) all the faults of this, by endeavoring that those under your care may become blessings to the world in every station of life, and bright angels to all eternity.

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN.

The following well authenticated facts will illustrate the principle that man is never too old to learn.

Socrates, at an extreme old age, learnt to play on musical instruments. This would look ridiculous for some of the rich old men in our city, especially if they should take it into their heads to thrum a guitar under a lady's window, which Socrates did not do, but only learnt to play upon some instrument of his time, not a guitar, for the purpose of resisting the wear and tear of old age.

Cato, at eighty years of age, thought proper to learn the Greek language. Many of our young men at thirty and forty, have forgotten even the alphabet of a language, the knowledge of which was necessary to enter college, and which was a daily exercise through college. A fine comment upon love of letters, truly.

Plutarch, when between seventy and eighty, commenced the study of the Latin. Many of our young lawyers, not thirty years of age, think that nisi prius, fieri facias, &c., are English expressions; and if you tell them that a knowledge of the Latin would make them appear a little more respecta