d of
course a great many lessons to assign, and I never remember them; it is
not necessary far me to remember."

"May I speak to one of the class, to ask about it?"

"You cannot speak, you know, till the Study Card is down; you may,
then."

"But I want to get my lesson now."

"I don't know what you will do, then: I am sorry you don't remember."

"Besides," continues the teacher, looking pleasantly, however, while he
says it, "if I knew, I think I ought not to tell you."

"Why, sir?"

"Because, you know, I have said I wish the scholars to remember where
the lessons are, and not come to me. You know it would be very unwise
for me, after assigning a lesson in the class, to spend my time in
telling the individuals over again here. Now if I should tell _you_, I
should have to tell others, and thus adopt a practice, which I have
condemned."

Take another case. You assign to a class of little girls a subject of
composition, requesting them to copy their writing upon a sheet of
paper, leaving a margin an inch wide at the top, and one of half an inch
at the sides and bottom. The class take their seats, and, after a short
time, one of them comes to you, saying she does not know how long an
inch is.

"Don't you know any thing about it?"

"No sir, not much."

"Should you think _that_ is more or less than an inch?" (pointing to a
space on a piece of paper much too large.)

"More."

"Then you know something about it. Now I did not tell you to make the
margins _exactly_ an inch, and half an inch, but only as near as you
could tell."

"Would that be about right?" asks the girl, showing a distance.

"I must not tell you, because you know I never in such cases help
individuals; if that is as near as you can get it, you may make it so."

It may be well, after assigning a lesson to a class, to say that all
those who do not distinctly understand what they have to do, may remain
after the class have taken their seats, and ask: the task may then be
distinctly assigned again, and the difficulties, so far as they can be
foreseen, explained.

By such means, these sources of interruption and difficulty may, like
the others, be almost entirely removed. Perhaps not altogether, for many
cases may occur, where the teacher may choose to give a particular
class permission to come to him for help. Such permission, however,
ought never to be given, unless it is absolutely necessary, and should
never be allowed to be taken, unless