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affected, and rational feeling, flowing from hearts neither too good nor too bad for the average of childhood, but just such as we may read every day in the looks and actions and tones of the children around us. The moral improvement imparted to the children in the course of the story, is natural and unpretending, flows out of the circumstances in which the actors are placed, and is silent and gradual, never extravagant nor romantic, nor strikingly vapid. The whole party find that their visit to the sea side has made them wiser and better than before, because it has served to bring them better acquainted with themselves, and enabled them to guard against their weaknesses, and rise above their peculiar foibles and faults. There is little pretence in all this, but a vast deal actually done for the usefulness and the happiness of life.

In the construction of books for children, an unnecessary excitement of the imagination has been a prevalent fault. This, we think, is judiciously shunned in the present instances, and the absence of a romantic interest is more than atoned for by the easy and natural strain of the narrative, which is not allowed to divert the young reader's mind from its moral intention, by the imaginative and high wrought character of the incidents. The story is one of every day life, and possesses the attraction of family scenes, as they usually are; and the reader not unfrequently forgets that it is but a story, and becomes personally engaged in the conversation and sentiments of the characters. These, we may observe, too, are exceedingly natural; they bear every mark of being sketches from life: each portrait is strikingly individual and complete, and is sustained throughout in the same style; so that we become personally and intimately ac

quainted with every member of the juvenile circle introduced to us.

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Another fault too common among writers for children, the author of this story has carefully avoided. There is no unnatural excess of sentiment. The delineations of feeling are chaste, and true to nature and early life. The children are not immersed occasionally in a "flood of tears," at some real or imaginary sorrow; nor are they every now and then " rushing into each other's arms," "embracing tenderly," &c. They possess feeling and temper too; but they are such as we observe in real life; not those which a perverted taste has copied from the silliest class of novels. The overdrawn affection in most books for children is meant, no doubt, to cherish the spirit of love. But does it produce this effect; or does it not rather form characters which the young readers think good on the whole, but remarkably silly on some occasions? What we ought to cultivate in children is not an occasional fondness, but a steady and habitual tenderness, a sincere and consistent regard for one another, a genuine good will which is ready to act at all

times and in every way. In this respect, the book before us imparts much good influence, by the mutual concessions and accommodations on the part of the children, and in the advances which they make in disinterested affection, and true kindness of spirit.

The story in short, is one which we should be happy to see in every family, and which deserves a place in every school library.

THE SCHOOL, OR LESSONS IN MORALS.-NO. 1, II, III, AND IV. THEY who have tried it, know well how vain it is to expect a good rule to be always remembered and applied as 25

VOL. I.-NO. V.

often as it ought to be, merely because it has been solemnly announced in the course of formal tuition, or at a moment when a grave mood invites us to repeat the ready caution, "be a good child."—We take it for granted that the earnest listener knows what being good is. We incline to trust, at least such rules as those which relate to veracity, honesty, and the like plain qualities, to the child's own heart, for interpretation. But indeed we are not warranted in this by any experience, nor by human nature. Principles and precepts are slowly apprehended by very many who are not deficient in sense. And after these are so learned that a mistake as to their meaning is not likely to be made, yet is it very probable that the learner shall never think of them, in the midst of those occurrences and employments, to which they are directly applicable. The child has little or no power to carry about a set of injunctions expressed to him in words only, so that they shall come into use in his own concerns, just when they ought.

These Moral Lessons are conveyed in a better way. A series of incidents, familiar, domestic, such as happen every day in the walks of humble life, such as exactly suit the case of a group of children at a common school, who have all hard-working parents at home, and must make the best use of very small means and a very little time for gaining what knowledge they need, are the basis on which they are founded. All is narrative, but the children are the narrators, for the most part. They tell one another what has happened, and make their own remarks. These incidents are exceedingly simple, and yet are made to involve great practical principles. They are virtues or vices, in actual examples-such virtues and such vices as are most likely to be found in the humblest sphere of life.

The operations of conscience are clearly developed in the children's reflections and after conduct or condition. Everything is defined that needed to be for a child's use, and all is so arranged that the little reader sees at once the moral truth, the precept which is built upon that truth, and the important consequences, flowing from the obedience required. Then instead of actually formed characters, there are many introduced who are just trying to be good, and all the meaning of effort is carried home to the child's mind. There are faults corrected in the course of the stories, and thus repentance is illustrated. The distinction between great and little sins, or we should say rather, the necessary relation of the one to the other is set forth, so that the moral truth on the subject is felt as it can only be by such evidence as facts supply. How to put in practice all that is learned at school, and at church, is excellently taught here. And the relation between. piety and morals is strongly marked.

The language chosen by this writer is the very plainest, and yet the style is good, and the whole book suited to the proposed object. We wish it may be distributed widely among the laboring class, though it is by no means limited in its utility, to any grade in life.

INTELLIGENCE.

French Protestants.-A unitarian clergyman, Rev. S. Wood, travelling in the south of France, wrote thus, respecting the state of the protestant interest, to the Editor of the Monthly Repository, a few months since. "I have endeavored wherever I went, to become acquainted with the Protestant Pastors, and the statements which I shall make, are founded on their testimony, as well as on that of other intelligent persons whom I met with. The result of

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my inquiries is, that the majority of the French Protestants are Arians; not, indeed, that they would profess themselves such, if asked what their opinions are, but, if questioned more closely, they would be found to be so in point of fact. With regard to the Atonement, I have been assured by a very sensible man, that they are, to use his expression, "Arminians in a large sense.' Those of the pastors who entertain these sentiments, are a very numerous and an increasing body. The organ of this party is the Revue Protestante, which appears at Paris on the 15th of every month. Of the minority, the greater part may be described as orthodox, i. e. Trinitarians, without being Calvinists. The rest are Calvinists. These are an active, perhaps an increasing body. The organ of the Calvinistic party is the Archives du Christianisme. The prospects of an increase of numbers among the Protestants are exceedingly cheering."

Shuckford's History.-Dr Russell, Episcopal Minister at Leith, is continuing the work of Shuckford on the connexion between sacred and profane history.

Greek War.Dr Howe, who has resided in Greece during most of the period of its struggle for independence, is about publishing a History of the Greek revolution, from its commencement.

The Sabbath in New-York.-A petition has been lately presented to the Common Council in the city of New York, upwards of ninety feet long, with two tiers of names abreast, praying that means may be taken to effect the closing of the shops on Sunday.

New Periodicals.-Just announced are the following periodicals. Repository and Christian Review, edited by Professors Ripley and Chase, of the Baptist Seminary at Newton. Quarterly.

Magazine of the German Reformed Church, by the Theological Seminary at Gettysburgh. Monthly.

Evangelical Museum-Fayetteville, N. C.
Virginia and North Carolina Preacher.

Western Preacher.

Home Missionary and American Pastor's Journal-New York.

We have received a communication with the signature" S," and regret extremely that it is, by a press of matter, excluded from the present number. It shall appear in our next.

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