The Infant System Part 16

"From sea to sea, from realm to realm I rove."-Tickell.

Geography is to children a delightful study. We give some idea of it at an early period in infant schools, by singing, "London is the capital, the capital, the capital, London is the capital, the capital of England," and other capitals in the same way; and also by pictures of the costumes of the various people of the world. To teach the four quarters of the globe, we tell children the different points of the play-ground, and then send them to the eastern, western, northern, or southern quarters, as we please. A weatherc.o.c.k should also be placed at the top of the school, and every favourable day opportunities should be seized by the teachers to give practical instructions upon it.[A]

[Footnote A: If the lesson is on objects it will shew how children are taught the points of the compa.s.s, with which we find they are very much delighted, the best proof that can be given that it is not injurious to the faculties.]

Sacred geography is of great importance, and children are much pleased at finding out the spots visited by our Saviour, or the route of the apostle Paul.

THE EARTH.

The earth, on which we all now live, Is called a globe-its shape I'll give; If in your pocket you've a ball, You have it's shape,-but that's not all; For land and water it contains, And presently I'll give their names.

The quarters are called, Africa, Europe, Asia, and America; These contain straits, oceans, seas, Continents, promontories, Islands, rivers, gulfs, or bays, Isthmusses, peninsulas,- Each divides or separates Nations, kingdoms, cities, states,- Mountains, forests, hills, and dales, Dreary deserts, rocks, and vales.

In forests, deserts, bills, and plains, Where feet have never trod, There still in mighty power, He reigns, An ever-present G.o.d.

THE CARDINAL POINTS.

The east is where the sun does rise Each morning, in the glorious skies; Full west he sets, or hides his head, And points to us the time for bed; He's in the south at dinner time; The north is facing to a line.

The above can be given as a gallery lesson, and it will at once be seen that it requires explanation: the explanation is given by the teacher in the same way as we have hinted at in former lessons, though for the sake of those teachers who may not be competent to do it, we subjoin the following:

Q. Little children what have we been singing about? A. The earth on which we live. Q. What is the earth called? A. A globe. Q. What is the shape of a globe? A. Round, like an orange. Q. Is the earth round, like an orange? A. Yes. Q. Does it always stand still? A. No, it goes round the sun. Q. How often does it go round the sun in a year? A. Once. Q. Does it go round anything else but the sun? A. Yes, round its own axis, in the same way as you turn the b.a.l.l.s round on the wires of the arithmeticon. Q. What are these motions called? A. Its motion round the sun is called its annual or yearly motion. Q. What is its other motion called? A. Its diurnal or daily motion. Q. What is caused by its motion round the sun? A. The succession of summer, winter, spring, and autumn, which are called the four seasons, is caused by this. Q. What is caused by its daily motion round its own axis? A. Day and night. Q. Into what two princ.i.p.al things is this earth on which we live divided? A. Into land and water. Q. Into how many great parts is the globe divided? A. Into five. Q. Which are they? A. Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia. Q. Which part do you live in? A. In Europe. Q. We sung that those great parts contained

Straits, oceans, seas, Continents, promontories, Islands, rivers, gulfs, or bays, Isthmusses, peninsulas.

Q. What is a strait? A. A narrow part of the sea joining one great sea to another. Q. What is an ocean? A. A very large sea. Q. What is a gulf or bay? A. A part of the sea running a long way into the land. Q. What is a continent? A. A very large tract of land. Q. What does a continent contain? A. Nations and kingdoms, such as England. Q. What more? A. Many cities and towns. Q. What more? A. Mountains. Q What are mountains? A. Very high steep places. Q. What more does a continent contain? A. Forests, hills, deserts, and valleys. Q. What is a forest? A. Many large trees growing over a great deal of the land is a forest. Q. What are hills? A. Parts of the ground which rise higher than the rest. Q. What is a desert? A. A part of the earth where nothing will grow, and which is covered with hot sand. Q. What is a valley? A. A part of the earth which is lower than the rest, with hills at each side. Q. Who made all that we have been speaking of? A. Almighty G.o.d.

I can remember the time when no national school in England possessed a map. It was thought dangerous to teach geography, as in fact anything but cramming the memory, and reading and writing. With regard to the reading I will say nothing as to how much was understood, explaining then, was out of the question. What a change have I lived to see!

CHAPTER XV.

PICTURES AND CONVERSATION.

Pictures-Religious instruction-Specimens of picture lessons on Scripture and natural history-other means of religious instruction-Effects of religious instruction-observation.

"The parents of Dr. Doddridge brought him up in the early knowledge of religion. Before he could read, his mother taught him the histories of the Old and New Testament, by the a.s.sistance of some Dutch tiles in the chimney of the room where they usually sat; and accompanied her instructions with such wise and pious reflections, as make strong and lasting impressions upon his heart"-See his Life.[A]

[Footnote A: This gave me the idea of introducing Scripture pictures for the infants; and that they are successful can be vouched for by hundreds of teachers besides myself.]

To give the children general information, it has been found advisable to have recourse to pictures of natural history, such as of birds, beasts, fishes, flowers, insects, &c., all of which tend to shew the glory of G.o.d; and as colours attract the attention of children as soon as any thing, they eagerly inquire what such a thing is, and this gives the teacher an opportunity of instructing them to great advantage; for when a child of his own free will eagerly desires to be informed, he is sure to profit by the information then imparted.

We use also pictures of public buildings, and of the different trades; by the former, the children acquire much information, from the explanations which are given to them of the use of buildings, in what year they were built, &c.; whilst by the latter, we are enabled to find out the bias of a child's inclination. Some would like to be shoemakers, others builders, others weavers, others brewers, &c.; in short it is both pleasing and edifying to hear the children give answers to the different questions. I remember one little boy, who said he should like to be a doctor; and when asked why he made choice of that profession in preference to any other, his answer was, "Because he should like to cure all the sick people." If parents did but study the inclinations of their children a little more, I humbly conceive, that there would be more eminent men in every profession than there are. It is great imprudence to determine what business children shall be of before their tempers and inclinations are well known. Every one is best in his own profession-and this should not be determined on rashly and carelessly.

But as it is possible that a person may be very clever in his business or profession, and yet not be a Christian, it has been thought necessary to direct the children's attention particularly to the Scriptures. Many difficulties lie in our way; the princ.i.p.al one arises not from their inability to read the Bible, nor from their inability to comprehend it, but from the apathy of the heart to its divine principles and precepts. Some parents, indeed, are quite delighted if their children can read a chapter or two in the Bible, and think that when they can do this, they have arrived at the summit of knowledge, without once considering whether they understand a single sentence of what they read, or whether, if they understand it, they feel its truth and importance. And how can it be expected that they should do either, when no ground-work has been laid at the time when they received their first impressions and imbibed their first ideas? Every one comes into the world without ideas, yet with a capacity to receive knowledge of every kind, and is therefore capable, to a certain extent, of becoming intelligent and wise. An infant would take hold of the most poisonous reptile, that might sting him to death in an instant; or attempt to stroke the lion with as little fear as he would the lamb; in short, he is incapable of distinguis.h.i.+ng a friend from a foe. And yet so wonderfully is man formed by his adorable Creator, that he is capable of increasing his knowledge, and advancing towards perfection to all eternity, without ever being able to arrive at the summit.

I am the ardent friend of religious education, but what I thus denominate I must proceed to explain; because of the errors that abound on this subject. Much that bears the name is altogether unworthy of it. Moral and religious sentiments may be written as copies; summaries of truth, admirable in themselves, may be deposited in the memory; chapter after chapter too may be repeated by rote, and yet, after all, the slightest salutary influence may not be exerted on the mind or the heart. These may resemble "the way-side" in the parable, on which the fowls of the air devoured the corn as soon as it was sown; and hence those plans should be devised and pursued from which we may antic.i.p.ate a harvest of real good. On these, however, my limits will only allow a few hints.

As soon as possible, I would have a distinction made between the form and power of religion; between the grimaces and long-facedness so injurious to mult.i.tudes, and that principle of supreme love to G.o.d which he alone can implant in the heart. I would exhibit too that "good will to man" which the gospel urges and inspires, which regards the human race apart from all the circ.u.mstances of clime, colour, or grade; and which has a special reference to those who are most necessitous. And how can this be done more hopefully than by inculcating, in dependence on the divine blessing, the history, sermons, and parables of our Lord Jesus Christ; and by the simple, affectionate, and faithful ill.u.s.tration and enforcement of other parts of holy writ? The infant system, therefore, includes a considerable number of Scripture lessons, of which the following are specimens:

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN.

The following method is adopted:-The picture being suspended against the wall, and one cla.s.s of the children standing opposite to it, the master repeats the following pa.s.sages: "And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren; and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, the dream which I have dreamed; for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo! my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round abort, and made obeisance to my sheaf."

The teacher being provided with a pointer will point to the picture, and put the following questions, or such as he may think better, to the children:

Q. What is this? A. Joseph's first dream. Q. What is a dream? A. When you dream, you see things during the time of sleep. Q. Did any of you ever dream any thing?

Here the children will repeat what they have dreamed; perhaps something like the following:-Please, sir, once I dreamed I was in a garden. Q. What did you see? A. I saw flowers and such nice apples. Q. How do you know it was a dream? A. Because, when I awoke, I found I was in bed.

During this recital the children will listen very attentively, for they are highly pleased to hear each other's relations. The master having satisfied himself that the children, in some measure, understand the nature of a dream, he may proceed as follows:-

Q. What did Joseph dream about first? A. He dreamed that his brother's sheaves made obeisance to his sheaf. Q. What is a sheaf? A. A bundle of corn. Q. What do you understand by making obeisance? A. To bend your body, which we call making a bow. Q. What is binding sheaves? A. To bind them, which they do with a band of twisted straw. Q. How many brothers had Joseph? A. Eleven. Q. What was Joseph's father's name? A. Jacob, he is also sometimes called Israel.

Master.-And it is further written concerning Joseph, that he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and behold the sun and moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.

Q. What do you understand by the sun? A. The sun is that bright object in the sky which s.h.i.+nes in the day-time, and which gives us heat and light. Q. Who made the sun? A. Almighty G.o.d. Q. For what purpose did G.o.d make the sun? A. To warm and nourish the earth and every thing upon it. Q. What do you mean by the earth? A. The ground on which we walk, and on which the corn, trees, and flowers grow. Q. What is it that makes them grow? A. The heat and light of the sun. Q. Does it require any thing else to make them grow? A. Yes; rain, and the a.s.sistance of Almighty G.o.d. Q. What is the moon? A. That object which is placed in the sky, and s.h.i.+nes in the night, and appears larger than the stars. Q. What do you mean by the stars? A. Those bright objects that appear in the sky at night. Q. What are they? A. Some of them are worlds, and others are suns to give them light. Q. Who placed them there? A. Almighty G.o.d. Q. Should we fear and love him for his goodness? A. Yes; and for his mercy towards us. Q. Do you think it wonderful that G.o.d should make all these things? A. Yes. Q. Are there any more things that are wonderful to you? A. Yes;-

Where'er we turn our wondering eyes, His power and skill we see; Wonders on wonders grandly rise, And speak the Deity.

Q. Who is the Deity? A. Almighty G.o.d.

Nothing can be a greater error than to allow the children to use the name of G.o.d on every trifling occasion. Whenever it is necessary, it should, in my opinion, be commenced with Almighty, first, both by teacher and scholars. I am convinced, from what I have seen in many places, that the frequent repet.i.tion of his holy name has a very injurious effect.

SOLOMON'S WISE JUDGMENT.

Q. What is this? A. A picture of Solomon's wise judgment. Q. Describe what you mean? A. Two women stood before king Solomon. Q. Did the women say any thing to the king when they came before him? A. Yes; one woman said, O my Lord, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I had a child there, and this woman had a child also, and this woman's child died in the night. Q. To whom did the women speak when they said, O my Lord? A. To king Solomon. Q. What did the woman mean when she said, we dwell in one house? A. She meant that they both lived in it. Q. Did the woman say any thing more to the king? A. Yes; she said the other woman rose at midnight, and took her son from her. Q. What is meant by midnight? A. Twelve o'clock, or the middle of the night. Q. What did the other woman say in her defence? A. She said the live child was hers, and the other said it is mine; this they spake before the king. Q. When the king heard what the women had to say, what did he do? A. He said bring me a sword; and they brought a sword before the king. Q. Did the king do any thing with the sword? A. No; he said, divide the child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Q. What did the women say to that? A. One said, O my Lord, give her the living child, and in nowise slay it; but the other said, let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Q. What took place next? A. The king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in nowise slay it, she is the mother thereof. Q. What is meant by slaying? A. To kill any thing. Q. To which woman was the child given? A. To the woman that said do not hurt it. Q. What is the reason that it was called a wise judgment? A. Because Solomon took a wise method to find it out. Q. Did the people hear of it? A. Yes, all Israel heard of it, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of G.o.d was in him to do judgment. Q. What is meant by all Israel? A. All the people over whom Solomon was king? Q. If we want to know any more about Solomon where can we find it? A. In the third chapter of the first book of Kings.

Incidental Conversation.

Q. Now my little children, as we have been talking about king Solomon, suppose we talk about our own king; so let me ask you his name? A. King William the Fourth.[A] Q. Why is he called king? A. Because he is the head man, and the governor of the nation. Q. What does governor mean? A. One that governs the people, the same as you govern and manage us. Q. Why does the king wear a crown on his head? A. To denote that he governs from a principle of wisdom, proceeding from love. Q. Why does he hold a sceptre in his hand? A. To denote that he is powerful, and that he governs from a principle of truth. Q. What is a crown? A. A thing made of gold overlaid with a number of diamonds and precious stones, which are very scarce? Q. What is a sceptre? A. A thing made of gold, and something like an officer's staff. Q. What is an officer? A. A person who acts in the king's name; and there are various sorts of officers, naval officers, military officers, and civil officers. Q. What is a naval officer? A. A person who governs the sailors, and tells them what to do. Q. What is a military officer? A. A person who governs the soldiers, and tells them what to do. Q. What does a naval officer and his sailors do? A. Defend us from our enemies on the sea. Q. What does a military officer and his soldiers do? A. Defend us from our enemies on land. Q. Who do you call enemies? A. Persons that wish to hurt us and do us harm. Q. What does a civil officer do? A. Defend us from our enemies at home. Q. What do you mean by enemies at home? A. Thieves, and all bad men and women. Q. Have we any other enemies besides these? A. Yes, the enemies of our own household, as we may read in the Bible, and they are the worst of all. Q. What do you mean by the enemies of our own household? A. Our bad thoughts and bad inclinations. Q. Who protects and defends us from these? A. Almighty G.o.d. Q. Are there any other kind of officers besides these we have mentioned? A. Yes, a great many more, such as the king's ministers, the n.o.blemen and gentlemen in both houses of parliament, and the judges of the land. Q. What do the king's ministers do? A. Give the king advice when he wants it. Q. And what do the n.o.blemen and gentlemen do in both houses of parliament? A. Make laws to govern us, protect us, and make us happy. Q. After they have made the laws, who do they take them to? A. To the king. Q. What do they take them to the king for? A. To ask him if he will be pleased to approve of them. Q. What are laws? A. Good rules for the people to go by, the same as we have rules in our school to go by. Q. Suppose the people break these good rules, what is the consequence? A. They are taken before the judges, and afterwards sent to prison. Q. Who takes them before the judge? A. A constable, and afterwards he takes them to prison, and there they are locked up and punished. Q. Ought we to love the king? A. Yes, and respect his officers. Q. Do you suppose the king ever prays to G.o.d? A. Yes, every day. Q. What does he pray for? A. That G.o.d would be pleased to make him a wise and good man, so that he may make all his people happy. Q. What do the Scriptures say about the king? A. They say that we are to fear G.o.d and honour the king. Q. Who was the wisest king? A. King Solomon. Q. How did he become the wisest king? A. He asked G.o.d to give him wisdom to govern his kingdom well; and G.o.d granted his request. Q. Will G.o.d give our king wisdom? A. Yes, he will give him what is best for him. It says in the Bible, if any man lack wisdom let him ask of G.o.d, for he giveth all men liberally, and upbraideth not. Q. What is the best book to learn wisdom from? A. The Bible. Q. Is the queen mentioned in the Bible? A. Yes; it is said queens shall be thy nursing mothers. Q. Who came to Solomon besides the two women? A. The queen of Sheba, she came to ask him questions. Q. When he answered her questions what happened? A. The queen was so much delighted with his wisdom, that she gave him a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in abundance. Q. How much is one talent of gold worth? A. Five thousand, four hundred, and seventy-five sovereigns. Q. Did she give him anything more? A. Yes, she gave him precious stones. Q. What are precious stones? A. Diamonds, jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth, amethyst. Q. Did king Solomon give the queen of Sheba anything? A. Yes, he gave her whatsoever she desired, besides that which she brought with her. Q. Where did she go? A. She went away to her own land. Q. What part of the Bible is this? A. The ninth chapter of the second book of Chronicles, Master. The queen is mentioned in other places in the Bible, and another day I will tell in what parts.

[Footnote A: This lesson was written in the life time of our late sovereign. It can easily be applied by the judicious teacher, and made to bear upon present circ.u.mstances, and I earnestly hope that her present gracious Majesty may become patroness of infant education. Not infant education travestied, but the thing itself.]

THE NATIVITY OF JESUS CHRIST.

The picture being suspended as the others, and a whole cla.s.s being in the cla.s.s-room, put the pointer into one of the children's hands, and desire the child to find out the Nativity of Jesus Christ. The other children will be on the tip-toe of expectation, to see whether the child makes a mistake; for, should this be the case, they know that one of them will have the same privilege of trying to find it; should the child happen to touch the wrong picture, the teacher will have at least a dozen applicants, saying, "Please, sir, may I? Please, sir, may I?" The teacher having selected the child to make the next trial, say one of the youngest of the applicants, the child walks round the room with the pointer, and puts it on the right picture; which will be always known by the other children calling out, "That is the right, that is the right." To view the child's sparkling eyes, who has found the picture, and to see the pleasure beaming forth in his countenance, you might imagine that be conceived he had performed one of the greatest wonders of the age. The children will then proceed to read what is printed on the picture, which is as follows: "The Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ;" which is printed at the top of the picture. At the bottom are the following words: "And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."-We then proceed to question them in the following manner:-

Q. What do you mean by the Nativity of Jesus Christ? A. The time he was born. Q. Where was he born? A. In Bethlehem of Judea. Q. Where did they lay him? A. In a manger. Q. What is a manger? A. A thing that horses feed out of. Q. What was the reason they put him there? A. Because there was no room in the inn. Q. What is an inn? A. A place where persons lodge who are travelling, and it is like a public house. Q. What do you mean by travelling? When you go from one place to another; from London into the country, or from the country into London. Q. Is any thing else to be understood by travelling? A. Yes, we are all travelling. Q. What do you mean by all travelling? A. We are all going in a good road or else in a bad one. Q. What do you mean by a good road? A. That which leads to heaven. Q. What will lead us to heaven? A. Praying to G.o.d and endeavouring to keep his commandments, and trying all we can to be good children. Q. Can we make ourselves good? A. No; we can receive nothing, except it be given us from heaven. Q. What is travelling in a bad road? A. Being naughty children, and not minding what is said to us; and when we say bad words, or steal any thing, or take G.o.d's name in vain. Q. Where will this road lead to? A. To eternal misery.

Here we usually give a little advice according to circ.u.mstances, taking care always to avoid long speeches, that will tend to stupify the children. If they appear tired, we stop, but if not, they repeat the following hymn, which I shall insert in full, as I believe there is nothing in it that any Christian would object to.

Hark! the skies with music sound!

Heavenly glory beams around; Christ is born! the angels sing, Glory to the new-born King.

Peace is come, good-will appears, Sinners, wipe away your tears; G.o.d in human flesh to-day Humbly in the manger lay.

Shepherds tending flocks by night, Heard the song, and saw the light; Took their reeds, and softest strains Echo'd through the happy plains.

Mortals, hail the glorious King Richest incense cheerful bring; Praise and love Emanuel's name, And his boundless grace proclaim.

The hymn being concluded, we put the following questions to the children: