that rashness to which girls may be exposed by their inexperience of the world. For this I consider humility, and its companion diffidence, to be infinitely more ef fectual. Timidity, as far as I have been able to observe, has generally been rather productive of rashness. Where the affections are interested, it requires no small degree of courage, to examine all the possible consequences of a material step. At these the timid dare not look. Obstinately shutting their eyes, they blindly leap into the gulf, and often, alas! do they perceive, when it is too late, that cowardice impelled their ruin.

Another effect of extreme timidity of temper is, in a moral view, well worthy of our attentive consideration. The timid seldom will be found sincere. Cunning is the constant refuge of cowardice; it is the despicable weapon of pusillanimous minds to counteract what they dare not openly oppose. How contemptible is the tergiversation so often detected in those, who

from timidity applaud that which in their hearts they condemn! Into what deplo

rable dilemmas are the rash and timid frequently betrayed! The character of St. Peter, as given in the Gospels, is a beautiful example. Nor is he, alas! the only one whom timidity has betrayed to actions for which they have had cause to bitterly."

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That cowardice may sometimes be a constitutional defect, I cannot take upon me to deny; but that it is often an adventitious and acquired one, I think we may venture to assert; and as it may frequently be traced to strong impressions made on the infant mind, producing associations that are permanent and indelible, we must allow that it has a sufficient claim upon our attention.

"But how is it possible," you will say, "to guard against the improper conduct of nurses and nursery-maids? One cannot be always with one's children.”

may do much.

The watchful eye of a prudent mother Convince your servants, that to preserve your children from the influence of terror is an object of importance in your mind: attentively observe the first appearance of its effects, nor let it pass without an examination into the cause: make them sensible from experience, that children may be prevented from touching what is hurtful, by other means than telling them it will bite them; and that making it a constant rule never to give them what they obstinately cry for will be found a far more efficacious remedy, than to call for the old man or the black dog, who is to come down the chimney for naughty children. What an excellent foundation for the principles of moral rectitude is the common mode of nursery education! To allure or to frighten children into a compliance with our will, we employ a system of falsehood, and then we expect them to speak the truth! If symptoms of a contrary disposition appear at an early period,

we never advert to the thousand lies they have from the cradle heard us utter, many of which were too palpable to escape the detection of even infantine sagacity: we never consider the associations we have thus excited, but immediately lay all the blame upon poor human nature! Without entering into any controversy concerning original depravity, I think I may venture to assert, that managing children by the arts of deceit and falsehood in infancy, is a bad preparative for those lessons on truth, which we are afterwards at so much pains to impress. But this will come to be considered with more propriety hereafter. Let us now return to the subject of terror, which is of too much importance to be yet dismissed.

Having discarded from our service all imaginary instruments of vengeance, you will perhaps apprehend, that the children may become unmanageable; and from their want of experience, and the possession of that courage which has never been repress

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ed, may expose themselves to danger. avoid this, it is only necessary, that whereever real danger occurs, it should be calmly explained in terms that are intelligible to the infant capacity; but free from all that vociferous exaggeration, which, by the impression it makes, tends to connect a strong idea of terror with the object, without any discriminating apprehension why that terror is excited. Nor should I be at all unwilling to permit the child to ascertain the truth of my admonitory cautions by its own experience, where it could only incur the risk of a trifling inconvenience; as by such experience it will receive rational and distinct ideas of the nature of objects, neither injuring the mind by false images of terror, nor permitting it a second time to suffer from the temerity of ignorance.

Children being early accustomed to paddle their hands in cold water with impunity, cannot easily be made to comprehend the nature of the danger they are told to