to the next, and each generation excels the one before in improvement and renewal by means of thought and new inventions. Here parents and the teacher must encourage the child to imitate what is useful of good morals and good habits, and must help him in developing the power of selection and judgment in what he imitates, so that his thoughts and habits are directed toward what is good and beautiful as he grows.

6 — Play: Children love play by their nature, without any leader or direction from the grown-ups; and play is the most important factor in the development of the child's body, mind, and thoughts, especially in the first years of his life. This instinct is among the most important paths for the child's cultivation on every side. We often find some mothers annoyed when they find their children spending the day at play in the house and the garden. And if the children

have no toys to amuse them, they begin wrecking things about the house to get hold of something to play with; and here the mother punishes her child and beats him. The better way of dealing with this is to divert the children with playthings of their own, so that they may amuse themselves; and when they reach a fitting age, beautiful books are placed in their hands to give them a taste for reading. We often find some mothers complaining of their children to the teacher, saying: my boy spends the evening playing and does not care to study and prepare his lessons. Yes, play is an instinct, but study is not; rather it is your duty, Madam, and the duty of your children's teacher, to guide this child, to encourage him, and to teach him the benefits of school and why he is there — and in this way he will know the value of play and of study together.