that Morality and Religion should be practicalpersonal, interwoven with every pursuit, and not merely given in set lessons, to be laid aside as soon as the lesson is over. What is burnt? what toasted? boiled? roasted? What is pounded? rolled? dyed? dried? Questions of this kind ought not to succeed each other rapidly; and the Mother may assist the feeble and less advanced, by such illustrating questions as may lead to a second and third answer. Who runs? A cheerfully obedient boy, when his mamma calls him. Would you rather have a part of an apple, or a whole one? which is larger? which is smaller than the whole? What do you call a man who can make an artificial work? dislikes working? Who will not wait? will not obey? Who cannot hear and speak ? Who Who Who cannot see at a distance ? Who is fond of working? Who returns from a journey? Who always looks out for more? Who has more than he wants? Who is fond of speaking? Who speaks elegantly? Who is easily frightened? Who finds pleasure in serving his fellow-creatures? Who can endure great heat or cold? Who can bear no fatigue and exertion? &c. Some of the following questions have a reference to the preceding exercises. When is a man most in want of assistance? When is the firmament or sky most brilliant? when most awful? Which part of the house is sloping? which vaulted? which spacious and lofty? What building is high and pointed? What part of the house is fire-proof? What can be done with a whole? If an apple be divided into two parts, a second apple into four, and a third into eight parts, which parts will be the largest, those of the first, of the second, or of the third apple? What does the idler detest, and what the impatient dislike? What do the industrious not shun? What causes weariness? (want of useful employment.) Who is talkative? Whom do we call a coward? Whom do you call stout and robust? How should a child feel after having behaved ill? (ashamed, sorry.) How should he feel after being reproved, and put in the right way? (thankful.) What should you call a well educated child? (diligent, fond of learning, obliging, modest, obedient.) What should you say of a lion, and of a dog? of a lamb, of a wolf? of a snail, of a deer? of the juice of a sloe, and that of a fig? of the wood of a fir-tree, and that of an oak? What is the appearance of Nature in spring, and what in winter? &c. If you wish to know what is the height from the floor to the ceiling, what would you be obliged to measure? Describe the situation of this room; mention by what it is bounded on each side, in what story, or on what floor, and whether in the front or back part of the house. Describe the yard; for instance, the stables, barns, poultry-houses, offices, its entrance and outlets, its boundaries, figure, and dimensions, whether the surface be even or uneven, elevated or low, paved or unpaved, &c. Give a description of a garden well known to you, stating its boundaries, the direction of its principal walks, whether they cross each other; the smaller paths that branch out from them, the position of its trees, and of what sort, the form of its beds, &c. At table, a variety of useful questions may be ask ed, leading to instructive and interesting conversations. Of what is bread made? Can you mention the different operations necessary to be performed before a loaf is brought to the table? What share in it has the farmer, the labourer, the miller? &c. But who sends rain after the makes the sun shine to ripen it? seasons, filling our hearts with joy and gladness? &c. corn is sown, and Who sends fruitful "And still Thy rain descends, Thy sun is glowing, Fruits ripen round, flow'rs are beneath us blowing, Joys cover nature." What implements are used? Are any animals employed? &c. Who can mention the different colours on the table? who can name them in Greek, in Latin, in German, in French? &c. What do you observe rising from the urn? What is on the inside of the lid of the tea-pot? &c. Who can mention the animal, vegetable, mineral productions on the table? &c. Is there any thing solid on the table, that on being put into a fluid would gradually dissolve and entirely disappear? Where does it come from? Did you ever hear that many hardships are suffered by the people who are employed to cultivate the sugar plantations ? That they are in a state of slavery? Do you think that they are as happy as the labourers in England? William can tell you Mrs. Sherwood's history of little Dazee, which interested him so much last year. "Man's inhumanity to Man, Makes countless thousands mourn.” I have heard of some little boys and girls giving up the use of sugar, when they were told how cruelly the poor negroes were treated. "Has God then given its sweetness to the cane, Unless his laws be trampled on-in vain ?" Did you ever hear of the name of Wilberforce ? Remind me this evening, and I will tell you what pains this great and good man took to lessen their misery. "Canst thou, and honour'd with a Christian name, Buy what is woman-born, and feel no shame ; Trade in the blood of innocence, and plead Expedience as a warrant for the deed ?" You shall at a future time hear some passages from Clarkson's interesting account of the labour, money and time bestowed, and the opposition encountered, by the friends of humanity, in their efforts to procure the abolition of this disgraceful traffic. Among the most conspicuous of these was Granville Sharp*, who was one of the first to feel and notice the wrongs of the poor Africans, and nobly to exert himself in their cause. When you can read the account of this excellent man, you will see that his life was devoted to acts of extensive utility and benevolence; and I hope you will not rest satisfied with approving and admiring, but that you will also endeavour to imitate. "We have no slaves at home.-Then why abroad? * Life of Granville Sharp, by Prince Hoar, That's noble, and bespeaks a nation proud Of all your empire, that where Britain's power There is no feeling of the heart that is more acceptable to God, than an ardent love to all mankind, wishing for and endeavouring to promote their happiness by every means in our power. "No works shall find acceptance in that day, That square not truly with the Scripture plan, But perhaps the most remarkable among these Christian labourers was Joshua Steele, a man of talents, learning, and philanthropy, who, at the age of EIGHTY, repaired to his estate in the West Indies, in order personally to ascertain the condition of the slaves, and to make upon his own property the experiment of gradually changing slavery into a milder condition, and from thence of raising the slaves to the rank of freemen. I cannot now gratify the curiosity you feel, by entering into particulars of the good sense, the firmness, the Christian spirit, which he evinced in reducing his plans to practice. I have excited in you a strong desire to become intimately acquainted with every circumstance relating to such a character; you will therefore exert your own diligence in reading and studying it in detail. I will only tell you that he died at the age of ninety-one, after having accomplished all he wished. When you, in youth and health and strength, feel inclined to magnify and to sink under any little difficulty and exertion, think 6 |