Original.

PARENTAL GOVERNMENT.

(Concluded.)

4. Many parents pronounce upon the guilt or innocence of their children when accused of particular transgressions, upon the sole evidence of their former habits. A child having been frequently detected in purloining cake or sweetmeats, is arraigned for a similar offence; and the parent, not knowing to whom else to impute the crime, infers his guilt from his previous and well known propensity. In very many cases this would prove to be a righteous judgment; yet it is a very unsafe inference, and should never be acted upon, unless corroborated by other testimony. The child may have reformed, and the parent thus judging is liable to condemn the innocent, and, in this way, to exhibit himself as a practical tyrant. Such a procedure would do violence to the common notions of justice, and furnish to the child a strong temptation to anger, if not to retaliation. Besides: In families where there are other children, or domestics, let it be known that a parent would be ready to impute such a transgression to a particular individual, and he would furnish a ready victim to suffer for the sins of the whole household.

5. It is not always safe to rely upon testimony that is apparently positive. Children very frequently accuse each other falsely, even when they do not intend it. They form their own opinions of the guilt of the suspected one, rashly; and then mistake these convictions for personal knowledge. Mistakes of this nature are not by any means peculiar to children; they are of daily occurrence among well educated and conscientious adults. Intelligent and virtuous men frequently come into our courts of justice, and under the sanction of an oath, testify to that of which they have no knowledge. They do not designedly "bear false witness;" but they mistake their mental conclusion for the evidence of their senses, and are perfectly honest, even while testifying to a lie. This is the chief reason why lawyers lay so

much stress upon the right of cross-examination; it is by this means that they expect to separate the chaff from the wheat. It often happens, also, that children and servants are so anxious to divert from themselves the eye of suspicion, that they do not stop to think of the moral consequences of falsely directing it towards the innocent. It is the duty of the parent, then, in all cases, carefully to examine his witnesses, and calmly to deliberate upon the credit due to their testimony. He may not judge hastily. He should always ask himself, Does the witness really know that whereof he affirms? Can he be mistaken? Has he any interest in making that appear to be true, which is not so? Is his testimony consistent with itself, and with other circumstances? Does it stand alone, or is it confirmed by other testimony? But this is not all. No matter how strong the testimony may be, the accused has an inalienable right to explain and rebut it. The parent is bound to give him a fair opportunity to exculpate himself. Many parents act on a very different principle. When the evidence of a child's guilt appears to be clear, they are afraid to allow him the privilege of explaining himself, lest he should be tempted to prevaricate. This course is not simply unjust; but it is also impolitic. For the strongest evidences of guilt may sometimes be overcome by a single word; and the parent who, in such circumstances, excludes explanation, will find, in the end, that his children have often been made the innocent victims of his intemperate rashness.

6. It is not sufficient that the parent should be really impartial. He must also carefully preserve the appearance of impartiality. A parent of an ardent temperament sometimes arrives at a conclusion by a much shorter process, than any with which the child is acquainted. So there are certain temperaments that always act upon sudden impulses; and the first blush of an idea is so powerful as to exclude every possible doubt of its truth. Such temperaments are in great danger of destroying the confidence of their children, unless they cultivate the habit of acting with peculiar circumspection. Let them take pains, therefore, to show their children that their opinions are based upon reason, and not upon feeling. In this way, their children will learn to confide

in their discretion, and even their mistakes will be imputed to the fallibility of testimony, rather than to hastiness of temper. But the writer has known children to suffer, for years, under most cruel imputations, in consequence of the rashness of their parents in forming their decisions upon insufficient testimony; and there is too much reason to fear that many such children have, in this way, been utterly ruined, both for time and eternity.

THETA.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

Original.

LETTER TO MESSRS. WHITTELSEY AND HUNT,

MISSIONARIES TO THE SANDWICH

ISLANDS.

DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS :-The relation which it is my privilege to sustain to the Maternal Association of which your dear mothers are members, affords me an occasion, which I gladly improve, to address you jointly on their behalf. And though I have not been officially authorized to do this, yet I hesitate not to say that what I may write will meet their sanction, though I can express but very imperfectly the degree of affection and sympathy which they cherish towards you. One of you has been, from childhood, the object of our daily prayers; and in the case of both, we rejoiced in your admission to the visible fold of Christ. And since we have known of your intention to leave us, to bear the "glad tidings of great joy" to the far distant heathen, our hearts have yearned over you with an affection scarcely less tender than that which is laid up in the hidden fountain of a mother's love. How often we have wept for you; how fervently and how confidently we have asked for you a preparation for the work, and wisdom and strength, and comfort and success in its performance ;-how deeply we have sympathized with your dear parents in their sorrows, our closets alone can tell. But it is not in the language of sympathy only that we have made mention of your

fitted for, and

And while we

names before the mercy-seat. I would it have become us to leave "forgotten in unthankfulness" the honor put upon this Association by the God of missions. For if you have been prepared for the blessed work to which you are elevated, it has been in answer to prayer. And what have we ever asked for you more or other than this, that you might be used in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ? gratefully acknowledge the answer of our petitions, think not that we shall cease to bear you on our hearts till yours or ours shall be stilled in death. When you kneel in your little cabin-far at sea; or on the distant rock-bound shore, in the twilight hour, when memory loves most to keep her vigils; let it comfort your hearts to know that the company of mothers, with whom you used sometimes to meet, remember you, day by day, before that "blood-bought mercy-seat" where thoughts are most effectual. On that privileged spot, dear absent ones, we may yet daily meet. Though "lost to sight," our sympathies and prayers may yet mingle, and ascend together as acceptable incense. Do not forget us or our children; especially remember us on the afternoon succeeding each Monthly Concert.

We shall wait for the glad tidings of your safe arrival at your destined port. And shall we not hear of the souls of your shipmates, redeemed through your instrumentality ? When "the abundance of the sea shall be converted to God," then shall the angel fly swiftly "in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people."

When we gave you the parting hand our lips refused to utter that which our hearts dictated. May God bless each of you, and make you a blessing! Let his precious Word be to you, what the manna was in the wilderness-daily food. Live upon its promises. Plead them with filial confidence before the throne. They are like sun-beams scattered upon the sacred page; or like precious pearls, which, if you gather and bind them to your bosom, will serve both for wealth and ornament. Shall I weave a chain for you, as a parting gift?

My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest.”

"I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." "As thy days, so shall thy strength be."

"No good thing will be withheld from them that walk uprightly."

"When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come unto you." "All things work together for food to them that love God." And, for a central gem, on which to fix your dying eye: "I WILL COME AGAIN, AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF.” "What more could he say than to you he hath said?" Must we repeat the sad, sad farewell! There is a clime where its echo is not heard.

May we but meet you on that blissful shore, and the tossing of life's ocean will be heard no more for ever!

On behalf of the First Maternal Association, Newark.

Newark, Nov. 25, 1843.

F. S. SMITH, Secretary.

EDUCATION.

PART I. HISTORY OF EDUCATION, ANCIENT And Modern.

PART II. A PLAN OF CULTURE AND INSTRUCTION, BASED ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES, AND DESIGNED TO AID IN THE RIGHT EDUCATION OF YOUTH, PHYSICALLY, INTELLECTUALLY, AND MORALLY. By H. L. SMITH, A.M., Professor in the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Penn. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1842.

(Continued.)

II. INTELLECTUAL CULTURE.-The object of intellectual culture is to bring forward the senses or faculties of the mind in the order of nature, till each one is trained to perform its proper part; or in other words to train each sense to perceive acutely and correctly.

On this subject the author of the treatise remarks very justly,