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who improves the occasion by making a simple and lucid commentary on the scripture verses, Psalms, and Catechism, which make the principal lessons of to-morrow. He tells them they must be loving and obedient to their mother; kind and just to their playmates; attend school punctually, and improve in their learning; and above all to remember the word, and let it sink deep into their hearts-"Thou God seest me!" The books are now laid aside, and as a reward for good conduct they are permitted to take tea with the parents; and while

"The cup that cheers, but not inebriates,

Waits on each, they welcome peaceful evening in."

After tea the fire is made up, the hearth is swept, and the happy circle close around it. The Family Bible lies open upon the father's knee, and through the casement the mellow lustre of the evening sun falls upon his thoughtful brow and calm countenance, while he breaks the hushed silence of the room with an invocation of Divine assistance and blessing in the duty of family worship. Shortly after it is concluded the children are sent to bed, with the mother's whispered injunction in their ears, "Be sure to mind your prayers."

Surely there is good ground for hope that he who has been thus trained to "remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy," and has "known from a child the holy Scriptures, which are able to make wise unto salvation," will, under the influence of his early impressions of purity and goodness, be preserved, while attending school, from much of that contamination which always exists where

many children congregate, a great number of whom, alas! have never known the benefits of early home training.

It has been often alleged, in excuse for the ignorance consequent on the very deficient education obtained in general by the children of the working-classes, that they are so soon taken away from school, the parents being under the necessity of putting them to some employment, in order to lighten their own burdens, and assist in maintaining themselves. But these very circumstances lay the parents under a double obligation to procure for them the means of further improvement. And where is the mother who, having the will, has not the way also— supposing she can read herself-of spending an hour every evening, when work is over, with her boys and girls in reading to them and hearing them read, and bringing home the moral of what they read to their hearts and understandings? while the father, who can write, and knows something of the rules of arithmetic, can take order for the proper use and improvement of the copy-book and slate-pencil. But if you cannot, or will not-which amounts to much the same thing-there is no want of evening classes everywhere, and you can be furnished with "all appliances and means to boot" in the shape of cheap teaching, cheap books, cheap every thing which can be required for clearing the path of knowledge from difficulties.

But I think I hear many parents exclaiming, "Who is sufficient for these things? We have neither time nor opportunity for teaching our children." Yet I dare say

ON THE MENTAL TRAINING OF CHILDREN. 243

you had time for courtship when you kept company with your husband before marriage; and still the mother has time to visit her neighbours, or spend some hours in gossiping with them in her own house; and the father can get time to talk politics and smoke his pipe, or feed his birds or his rabbits; and so "the first is made last, and the last first," and the poor children are the sufferers, being wholly neglected.

"God helps those who help themselves;"

and may God help and bless those parents who have a proper sense of the solemn responsibilities with which they are chargeable in becoming parents and heads of families! For it is not alone to God, to their children, and themselves that they owe a conscientious discharge of the parental duties; they are also responsible to the public for the many grievous burdens and intolerable nuisances entailed upon it in consequence of the disability of some parents and the neglect and criminality of others.

SCOTIA: A VISION.

MIDNIGHT'S solemn peal had rung;
My drowsy spirit listless hung
Between the certain and unreal,

When visioned forms and shapes ideal
Come floating from the dreamy cells
Where vagrant fancy ever dwells.
And thus, half-conscious, in my ear
A wailing voice I seemed to hear;
Its tones were thrilling, sad, and wild,
Like mother's anguish o'er her child.
Methought my casement opened wide,
A female form, that seemed to glide
On air, within my chamber stood.
I knew her by the plaid and snood
That bound her streaming, golden hair,
With rainbow hues all checker'd fair.
Her flowing robe around her fell;
Entranced I lay, as if a spell

Had bound me. On her mournful face
Love, sorrow, majesty, and grace

Were blended: she the silence broke;
My heart leaped up, 'twas Scotia spoke.
"Where shall I hide my world-wide shame?"
She cried; "Ye jewels of my fame,

SCOTIA.

My virtuous maidens, fair and bright,
Come forth and bless your Scotia's sight-
Come dressed in Virtue's spotless charms,

To honour, grace, and bless the arms
Of wedded love. The wound is deep
That pains my heart; I mourn and weep
This sad reproach above all others,
My nameless babes and unwed mothers.
This plague-sore eats away my life;
Stand up and answer, mother, wife-
Have you by teaching, watching, prayer,
By fair example, ceaseless care,
Trained up your child that she should go
In Virtue's path-say, is it so?

Let conscience speak, the roll of time
Is black with shame and red with crime."
She paused, my bosom heaved and thrilled.
When next she spoke, her eyes were filled
With burning tears of grief and shame.
"Lost is the prestige of my name;
My daughters, modest, pure, and good-
What hand shall save from ruin's flood
The fair frail barks it soon would whelm?
Mothers, good mothers, at the helm!"
She ceased, she vanished, and my room
Seemed wrapt in sadder, deeper gloom.

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