or the disgrace, which success or failure may bring. Lead them to feel
this, not by telling them so, for there are very few things which can be
impressed upon children by direct efforts to impress them; but by so
speaking of the subject, from time to time, as to lead them to see that
you understand it so.

Repeat, with judicious caution, what is said of the school, both for and
against it, and thus endeavor to interest the scholars in its public
reputation. This feeling of interest in the institution may very easily
be awakened. It sometimes springs up, spontaneously, and where it is not
guided aright by the teacher, sometimes produces very bad effects upon
the minds of the pupils, in rival institutions. When two schools are
situated near each other, evil consequences will result from this
feeling, unless the teacher manages it so as to deduce good
consequences. I recollect, that, in my boyish days, there was a standing
quarrel between the boys of a town school and an academy, which were in
the same village. We were all ready, at any time, when out of school, to
fight for the honor of our respective institutions, but very few were
ready to be diligent and faithful, when in it, though it would seem that
that might have been rather a more effectual means of establishing the
point. If the scholars are led to understand that the school is to a
great extent their institution, that they must assist to sustain its
character, and that they share the honor if any honor is acquired, a
feeling will prevail in the school, which may be turned to a most useful
account.

(7.) In giving instruction on moral duty, the subject should be taken up
generally, in reference to imaginary cases, or cases which are unknown
to most of the scholars. If this is done, the pupils feel that the
object of bringing up the subject is to do good; whereas, if questions
of moral duty are only brought up, from time to time, when some
prevailing or accidental fault in school calls for it, the feeling will
be that the teacher is only endeavoring to remove from his own path a
source of inconvenience and trouble. The most successful mode of giving
general moral instruction that I have known, and which has been adopted
in many schools, with occasional variations of form, is the following.

When the time has arrived a subject is assigned, and small papers are
distributed to the whole school, that all may write something concerning
it. These are then read and c