nning intelligently
and never discontinuing our patient watchfulness, self-command, and
firmness of purpose,--firmness, remember, not stubbornness, for it is
a rare gift to be able to yield rightly and at the proper time.

If we help the little one too much in his first simple lessons or
dictations; if we supply the word he ought to give; if, to save time
and produce a symmetrical effect, we move a block here and there in
weariness at some child's apparent stupidity, we shall never fail to
reap the natural results. The effect of a rational conscientious and
consistent behavior to the child in all our dealings with him is very
great, and every little slip from the loving yet firm and
straightforward course brings its immediate fruit.

The perfectly developed child welcomes each new difficulty and invites
it; the imperfectly trained pupil shrinks in half-terror and
helplessness, feeling no hope of becoming master of these strange new
impressions.

Arrangement of Pieces.

To return to the specific consideration of the gift, there must be a
plan of arranging the various pieces which go to make up the whole
cube.

We have now for the first time the slanting line, the mediation of the
two opposites, vertical and horizontal, and by this three of the
small cubes are divided into halves and three into quarters. It is
advisable, when building the cube, to place nine whole cubes in each
of the two lower layers, keeping all the divided cubes in the upper or
third layer, halves in the middle row, quarters at the back. Then we
may slide the box gently over the cube as in the third and fourth
gifts, which enables us to have the blocks separated properly when
taken out again, and forms the only expedient way of handling the
pieces.[47]

[47] "This procedure is by no means intended merely to make
the withdrawal of the box easy for the child, but, on the
contrary, brings to him much inner profit. It is well for him
to receive his playthings in an orderly manner--not to have
them tossed to him as fodder is tossed to animals. It is good
for the child to begin his play with the perception of a
whole, a simple self-contained unit, and from this unity to
develop his representations. Finally, it is essential that
the playing child should receive his material so arranged
that its various elements are discernible, and that by seeing
them his mind may unconsciously form plans for using them.