When we consider how much progress has been made of late, in sharpening and improving the intellect, while so very little has even been attempted, in our public schools, towards developing and exercising the moral sense, can we wonder at the strides our community have been taking towards utter depravation of morals? that every mail should bring new instances of breach of faith among all classes of our citizens? Is not a want of conscientiousness the true source of nearly all our political and social evils? and is it not time that some attempt should be made to arrest them? A clerical friend of mine lately remarked, that he had frequently serious doubts whether he and his brethren of the ministry could be acting right in expending so much time and exertion, in the way of religious instruction, with such small results. But how can the trifling amount of these results be a matter of surprise, when it is recollected, that one of the most important means of spreading religion is entirely neglected? God has commanded us to "train up a child in the way he should go." Have we fulfilled that command? Are our children “trained in the way they should go?" What should we think of a farmer, who should sow his seeds upon hard, stony ground, without the slightest previous effort to soften and mellow it by plough or spade? Would it be rational to expect any return? And yet, is not this precisely the course we adopt respecting religious instruction? We take no pains to awaken and develop the consciences of our youth, and to excite them to action. They are never called on to look within, to judge between right and wrong. How can we wonder, then, that the seeds sown from the pulpit on this unprepared ground should fail to take root, and that, "when the sun was up," they should be "scorched, and wither away ?" We do perform a part of our duty. We do provide religious instruction for the people. But we neglect an equally essential part, for the want of which what we do perform is rendered almost null, and of no effect. And yet we calmly wash our hands, and say, "We are innocent of the blood of this people." We exclaim against the hardness of men's hearts, and complain of the inefficiency of the preached gospel. Let not any thing that is here said, however, be dis torted so as to appear like advocating the teaching of religious tenets in schools. In the present state of society, divided as we are, and as we are likely to remain, into such a variety of sects, the scheme would be a failure— perhaps deservedly so. But, because the great variety of religious faith, and modes of worship, and the danger of converting the school into an engine of religious proselytism, absolutely forbid the teaching of religious doctrines there, does it follow that every species of moral training must be excluded? Does not this circumstance rather enhance the necessity of a peculiar attention to that part of moral instruction to which no such objection can apply? Is there not an extensive field, which may be regarded as common ground, in respect to which every portion of society is perfectly agreed? Is there any parent, who does not desire his child to be trained to the practice of virtue, and to the avoidance of every vicious habit? that he should be inspired with veneration, gratitude, and love to God? that he should be honest, faithful, humane, and gentle, obedient to his parents, true to his word? that he should possess moral courage and self-control; industry, perseverance, economy, and temperance; patience, fortitude, magnanimity, and cheerfulness? Surely not. On these, and such like points, we shall meet with perfect unanimity. The series of reading books, of which the present forms a part, has been written principally with the view of introducing into our schools an easy method of awakening and developing the conscience, and keeping it in continual action. This is not attempted to be done, however, by moral lectures, or sage apophthegms. These will rarely have any effect upon early youth, save the pernicious one of producing a dreamy wandering of mind, of the most fatal tendency both to intellectual and moral culture. But the plan is, to excite the conscience to judge and act for itself, and to strengthen it by continual use, by means of a series of questions, arising naturally from the subjects read, and suited to the capacity of even infant minds. Nor will the effects of this moral training be exclusively confined to the culture of the heart. It is believed, that a glance at these questions will show, that they will afford an important aid in unfolding all the mental faculties; that observation, comparison, reflection, abstraction, judg ment, reason, imagination, and taste will be improved and strengthened by the simple exercises connected with the reading lessons. Thus, the understanding and the affections will alike be cultivated, and some approaches made towards the development of the whole man, in his habits of thought, feeling, and action; and we shall no longer see so many of those mental distortions produced by the excessive culture of the memory, while every other faculty is left almost totally dormant. XXI. Negligence and Irreverence, XXII. Happiness the Result of Virtue, XXIII. Happiness not the Result of Wealth, DIRECTIONS TO TEACHERS. ONE of the most important objects of this book being the de velopment and exercise of the moral sense in youth, the teacher is respectfully requested on no account whatever to omit questioning the classes after the reading of every lesson. Let not the want of time be suggested as an excuse. Better to read only once a day, or even only once in two days, than to omit this exercise. To be virtuous is better than to be a good reader. Let no opportunity, therefore, of exercising the conscience be lost. The teacher should also be fully aware that his situation is different from that of a mere mechanic. He is not placed in a school merely to smooth a block or to turn a crank. He is put there to form immortal mind, and he must bring his own mind to the task. The questions must not be read over in a slovenly, parrot-like manner. He should observe, by the answers, whether they are fully understood, and vary their form when necessary. The pupils should be required to give as full an answer as possible to every question. For instance: to the question, "Does being peevish or cross make us feel happy or unhappy?" the answer should not merely be "unhappy;" but "Being peevish or cross makes us feel unhappy." A simple affirmative or negative should never be received as an answer. For instance to the question, "Can we ever be too grateful to God for making it so pleasant to do our duty?" the answer should not be, "No;" but, "No, we never can be too grateful for it;" or "No, we can never be too grateful for having our duty made so pleasant." At first this will require some little effort on the part of both pupil and teacher. But it will soon become easy; and it will confer a vast increase of power over the attention, and of fluency of expression, upon the pupil. The teacher should also endeavor to catch the spirit of the questions, so as to be able to apply a similar series to every Occurrence that may come to the knowledge of his pupils, whether in or out of school. The conscience cannot be too frequently exercised in deciding between right and wrong. But when he is at a loss, he may be aided in this duty by examin ing the table of contents of the several parts of the "Instructor.' He will thus be able to find questions suitable to almost every subject likely to come under the notice of the school. The teacher may exercise his discretion as to the manner of using the quotations from the Bible at the end of the questions. It some cases, it may be proper for the pupils to commit them to memory; in others, it may be sufficient to have them read aloud by the teacher, or by one of the class. |