is nothing definite,-nothing fixed about it. You have not decided
what amount of additional time or attention to give to your
studies, or, when you will begin, or when you will end. There is no
one time when you will feel that you are breaking your resolution,
because there were no particular times when you were to study more.
You waste one opportunity and another, and then, with a feeling of
discouragement, and self-reproach, conclude to abandon your
resolution. "Oh! it does no good to make resolutions," you say; "I
never shall keep them."
Now, if you would have the business of making resolutions a
pleasant and interesting, instead of a discouraging, disquieting
one, you must proceed in a different manner. Be definite and
distinct in your plan,-decide exactly what you will do, and how
you will do it-when you will begin and when you will end. Instead
of resolving to "rise earlier," resolve to rise at the ringing of
the sunrise bells, or at some other definite time. Resolve to try
this, as an experiment, for one morning, or for one week, or
fortnight. Decide positively, if you decide at all, and then, rise
when the time comes, sleepy or not sleepy. Do not stop to repent of
your resolution, or to consider the wisdom or folly of it, when the
time for acting under it, has once arrived.
In all cases, little and great, make this a principle,-to consider
well before you begin to act, but after you have begun to act,
never stop to consider. Resolve as deliberately as you please; but
be sure to keep your resolution, whether a wise one or an unwise
one, after it is once made. Never allow yourself to re-consider the
question of getting up, after the morning has come, except it be,
for some unforeseen circumstance. Get up for that time, and be more
careful how you make resolutions again.
17. TOPICS. c. The plan of the Topic Exercise, as we called it, is this. Six or seven topics are given out, information upon which is to be obtained from any source, and communicated verbally before the whole school, or sometimes before a class formed for this purpose, the next day. The subjects are proposed both by teacher and scholars, and if approved, adopted. The exercise is intended to be voluntary, but ought to be managed in a way sufficiently interesting to induce all to join.
At the commencement of the exercise the teacher calls upon all who have any information in regard to the topic assigned, suppose, for example it is Alabaster, to rise. Perhaps twenty individuals out of forty rise. The teacher may, perhaps, say to those in their seats,
"Do you not know any thing of this subject? Have you neither seen nor heard of Alabaster, and had no means of ascertaining any thing in regard to it? If you have, you ought to rise. It is not necessary that you should state a fact altogether new and unheard of, but if you tell me its color, or some of the uses to which it is applied, you will be complying with my request."
After these remarks, perhaps a few more rise, and possibly the whole school. Individuals are then called upon at random, each to state only one particular in regard to the topic in question. This arrangement is made so as to give all an opportunity to speak: If any scholar, after having mentioned one fact, has something still farther to communicate, she remains standing till called upon again. As soon as an individual has exhausted her stock of information, or if the facts that she intended to mention are stated by another, she takes her seat.
The topics at first most usually selected, are the common objects by which we are surrounded; for example, glass, iron, mahogany, &c. The list will gradually extend itself, until it will embrace a large number of subjects.
The object of this exercise is to induce pupils to seek for general information in an easy and pleasant manner, as by the perusal of books, newspapers, periodicals, and conversation with friends. It induces care and attention in reading, and discrimination in selecting the most useful and important facts from the mass of information. As individuals are called upon, also, to express their ideas verbally, they soon acquire by practice, the power of expressing their ideas with clearness and force, and communicating with ease and confidence the knowledge they possess.
18. MUSIC. c. The girls of our school often amused themselves in recess by collecting into little groups for singing. As there seemed to be a sufficient power of voice and a respectable number who were willing to join in the performance, it was proposed one day, that singing should be introduced as a part of the devotional exercises of the school.
The first attempt nearly resulted in a failure; only a few trembling voices succeeded in singing Old Hundred, to the words, "Be thou," &c. On the second day, Peterborough was sung with much greater confidence on the part of the increased number of singers. The experiment was tried with greater and greater success for several days, when the Teacher proposed that a systematic plan should be formed, by which there night be singing regularly at the close of school. It was then proposed, that a number of Singing books be obtained, and one of the scholars, who was well acquainted with common tunes, be appointed as chorister. Her duty should be, to decide what particular tune may be sung each day, inform the Teacher of the metre of the hymn, and take the lead in the exercise. This plan being approved of by the scholars, was adopted, and put into immediate execution. Several brought copies of the Sabbath School Hymn Book which they had in their possession, and the plan succeeded beyond all expectation. The greatest difficulty in the way was to get some one to lead. The chorister, however, was somewhat relieved from the embarrassment which she would naturally feel in making a beginning, by the appointment of one or two individuals with herself, who were to act as her assistants. These constituted the leading Committee, or as it was afterwards termed, Singing Committee.
Singing now became a regular and interesting exercise of the school, and the Committee succeeded in managing the business themselves.
19. TABU. c. An article was one day read in a school relating to the "Tabu" of the Sandwich Islanders. Tabu is a term with them which signifies consecrated,-not to be touched-to be let alone-not to be violated. Thus according to their religious observances, a certain day will be proclaimed Tabu, that is, one upon which there is to be no work, or no going out.
A few days after this article was read, the scholars observed one morning, a flower stuck up in a conspicuous place against the wall, with the word TABU in large characters above it. This excited considerable curiosity. The teacher informed them, in explanation, that the flower was a very rare and beautiful specimen brought by one of the scholars, which he wished all to examine. "You would naturally feel a disposition to examine it by the touch;" said he, "but you will all see, that by the time it was touched by sixty individuals, it would be likely to be injured, if not destroyed. So I concluded to label it, Tabu. And it has occurred to me that this will be a convenient mode of apprising you generally, that any article had better not be handled. You know we sometimes have some apparatus exposed, which would be liable to injury from disturbance, where there are so many persons to touch it. I shall in such a case, just mention that an article is Tabu, and you will understand that it is not only not to be injured, but not even touched."
A little delicate management of this sort will often have more influence over young persons, than the most vehement scolding, or the most watchful and jealous precautions. The Tabu was always most scrupulously regarded, after this, whenever employed.
20. MENTAL ANALYSIS. Scene; a class in Arithmetic at recitation. The teacher gives them an example in addition, requesting them when they have performed it to rise. Some finish it very soon, others are very slow in accomplishing the work.