For the first, there are none who have contemplated the suffering occasioned, through life, by the prevalence of needless fears, imaginary terrors, and diseased nerves, but would most earnestly desire to preserve their children from these evils. To this end, they should be, as far as possible, guarded against every thing likely to excite sudden alarm, or to terrify the imagination. In very early childhood, they ought not to be startled, even at play, by sudden noises or strange appearances. Ghost stories, extraordinary dreams, and all other gloomy and mysterious tales, must on no account be named in their presence: nor must they hear histories of murders, robberies, sudden deaths, mad dogs, or terrible diseases. If any such occurrences are the subjects of general conversation, let them at least be prohibited in the nursery. Nor is it of less importance that we should be cautious ourselves, of betraying alarm at storms, a dread of the dark, or a fear and disgust at animals. The stricter vigilance in these respects is required, because, by a casual in

discretion on our part, by leaving about an injudicious book, by one alarming story, by once yielding, ourselves, to an emotion of groundless terror, an impression may be made on the mind of a child that will continue for years, and materially counteract the effect of habitual watchfulness. How cruel, then, purposely to excite false terrors in those under our care: as by threatening. them with "the black man who comes for naughty children," with "gipsies,"*"the snake in the well," &c. Not that children. will be long deceived; but when the black man and dreadful monster shall have lost their power, the effect on the imaginationa liability to nervous and undefined terrors will continue-and thus, for the trifling consideration of sparing ourselves a little present trouble, we entail upon those entrusted to us, suffering, and an imbecility of mind,

* 66 Gipsies," a class of human beings, not known in the United States. They are vagabonds, which infest England and other countries," and subsist mainly by theft, robbery and fortune-telling." A few years since, the number of Gipsies, in Great Britain alone, was esti、mated to be eighteen thousand!—Am. Ed.

which no subsequent efforts of their own may be able wholly to overcome. We have reason to hope, that the particular expedients here referred to are, in the present day, excluded from most nurseries; but we may, perhaps, fall into similar errors, under a more refined form-by exciting, for instance, an apprehension of immediate judg.ments from heaven, as the consequences of ill conduct. But it is to be remembered, that the attempt to touch the conscience, or to enforce obedience, by terrifying the imagination, is, under every form, to be reprobated, as altogether erroneous and highly injurious. This mode of proceeding is, commonly, the resort of weakness and inexperience; for authority, established on right principles, needs no such supports. Superstitious fears of every kind are the more to be dreaded, and earnestly guarded against, because so peculiarly apt to mingle themselves with religion, to discolor that which in its own nature is full of attraction, and which, if not disguised or distorted by

the imagination, would appear, as it is in truth, a reasonable and joyful service.

Great care is required that children do not imbibe terrific and gloomy ideas of death; nor should they incautiously be taken to funerals, or allowed to see a corpse. It is desirable to dwell on the joys of the righteous in the presence of their heavenly Father, freed from every pain and sorrow, rather than on the state and burial of the body, a subject, very likely, painfully to affect the imagination. On this point, books are often injudicious.

If children are naturally of a timid, nervous constitution, or if, unfortunately, they have imbibed those fears from which we should most wish to guard them, much may be done toward restoring them to a healthful tone of mind ;-but it must be effected by more than common skill, and by measures the most gentle and unperceived. Direct opposition, upbraiding a child for his cowardice, accusing him of fearing the dark, of believing in ghosts, &c., will but establish, or perhaps create the very evils

we desire to counteract. If a child dread the dark, he must on no account be forced into it, or left in bed against his will without a candle."* We had better appear neither to see his weakness, or consider it of importance, and for a time silently to yield to it, rather than to notice or oppose it; at the same time losing no opportunity of infusing a counteracting principle. He may very soon be tempted to join his bolder companions in a dark room at a game of play, or to hunt for sugar-plums, especially if his mother or nurse will join in the sport, till he become accustomed to it. Well chosen stories, without any apparent reference to himself, may be related to him, displaying the good effects of courage, as opposed to the folly and ill consequence of coward

* Some parents have made it a rule to put their chil. dren in bed alone without a light, at the age of twenty months, and have let them know when they are left, that they must not cry, but go to sleep. If at this early age, they are not indulged with a light, or with company, to sit with them until they fall asleep, even should they cry very loudly, no trouble on this score will be experienced, after the second or third night.-AM. ED.