human character, that we have
an expressive phrase in the English language,--"to break the spirit."
The preceptor may occasionally perhaps prescribe to the pupil a severe
task; and the young adventurer may say, Can I be expected to accomplish
this? But all must be done in kindness. The generous attempter must be
reminded of the powers he has within him, perhaps yet unexercised; with
cheering sounds his progress must be encouraged; and, above all,
the director of the course must take care not to tax him beyond his
strength. And, be it observed, that the strength of a human creature is
to be ascertained by two things; first, the abstract capacity, that
the thing required is not beyond the power of a being so constituted
to perform; and, secondly, we must take into the account his past
achievements, the things he has already accomplished, and not expect
that he is at once to overleap a thousand obstacles.

For there is such a thing as a broken spirit. I remember a boy who was
my schoolfellow, that, having been treated with uncalled for severity,
never appeared afterwards in the scene of instruction, but with a
neglected appearance, and the articles of his dress scarcely half put
on. I was very young at the time, and viewed only the outside of
things. I cannot tell whether he had any true ambition previously to his
disgrace, but I am sure he never had afterwards.

How melancholy an object is the man, who, "for the privilege to breathe,
bears up and down the city

A discontented and repining spirit
Burthensome to itself,"

incapable of enterprise, listless, with no courage to undertake, and
no anticipation of the practicability of success and honour! And this
spectacle is still more affecting, when the subject shall be a human
creature in the dawn of youth, when nature opens to him a vista of
beauty and fruition on every side, and all is encouraging, redolent of
energy and enterprise!

To break the spirit of a man, bears a considerable resemblance to the
breaking the main spring, or principal movement, of a complicated and
ingeniously constructed machine. We cannot tell when it is to happen;
and it comes at last perhaps at the time that it is least expected. A
judicious superintendent therefore will be far from trying consequences
in his office, and will, like a man walking on a cliff whose extremes
are ever and anon crumbling away and falling into the ocean, keep much
within the edge, and at a safe distance