once, in despair.

The obvious remedy was to multiply his prizes, so as to bring one within
the reach of all. He reflected too that the real prize, in such a case,
is not the value of the pencil, but the _honor of the victory_; and as
the honor of the victory might as well be coupled with an object of
less, as well as with one of greater value, the next week he divided his
two pencils into quarters, and offered to his pupils eight prizes
instead of two. He offered one to every five scholars, as they sat on
their benches, and every boy then saw, that a reward would certainly
come within five of him. His chance, accordingly, instead of being one
in twenty, became one in five.

Now is it possible for a teacher, after having philosophized upon the
nature of the minds upon which he is operating, and surveyed the field,
and ingeniously formed a plan, which plan he hopes will, through his own
intrinsic power, produce certain effects,--is it possible for him when
he comes, for the first day, to witness its operations, to come without
feeling a strong interest in the result? It is impossible. After having
formed such a plan, and made such arrangements, he will look forward,
almost with impatience, to the next writing hour. He wishes to see
whether he has estimated the mental capacities and tendencies of his
little community aright; and when the time comes, and he surveys the
scene, and observes the operation of his measure, and sees many more
are reached by it, than were influenced before, he feels a strong
gratification; and it is a gratification which is founded upon the
noblest principles of our nature. He is tracing on a most interesting
field, the operation of cause and effect. From being the mere drudge,
who drives, without intellect or thought, a score or two of boys to
their daily tasks, he rises to the rank of an intellectual philosopher,
exploring the laws and successfully controlling the tendencies of mind.

It will be observed too, that all the time this teacher was performing
these experiments, and watching, with intense interest, the results, his
pupils were going on undisturbed in their pursuits. The exercises in
writing were not interrupted or deranged. This is a point of fundamental
importance; for, if what I should say on the subject of exercising
ingenuity and contrivance in teaching, should be the means, in any case,
of leading a teacher to break in upon the regular duties of his school,
and destroy the st