-but not three.
That is a work of time, and that again has to become familiar, before
four, or more words be attempted. These, however, are at last mastered;
and he slowly acquires by practice the ability to utter a short
sentence, composed chiefly of nouns, adjectives, and verbs, without
interruption, and at last without difficulty.

In the process here described, we perceive the commencement of Nature's
exercises in training her pupil to the acquisition of this valuable
faculty. It consists chiefly, as we have said, in enabling the child by
regular practice to arrive at such a command of the mental faculties,
and the powers of articulation, as qualifies him to exercise both
apparently at the same moment. His mind is employed in preparing one set
of ideas, while the organs of speech are engaged in giving utterance to
another. He thinks that which he is about to speak, at the moment he is
speaking that which he previously thought; and if, as is generally
admitted, the mind cannot be engaged upon two things at the same moment,
there is here an instance of such a rapid and successive transition from
one to another, as obviously to elude perception.

The various means which Nature employs in working out this great end in
the young are very remarkable. We have seen that a child at first does
not possess the power of uttering even a word, while his thoughts are
engaged on any thing else. The powers of the mind must as it were be
concentrated upon that one word, till by long practice he can at last
think on one and utter another. The same difficulty of speaking and
thinking on different things is observable in his amusements; and Nature
appears to employ the powerful auxiliary of his play to assist him in
overcoming it. When a young child is engaged in any amusement which
requires thought, the inability of the mind to do double duty is very
evident. He cannot hear a question, nor speak a single sentence, and go
on with his play at the same time. If a question be asked, he stops,
looks up, hears, answers, and then perhaps collects his thoughts, and
again proceeds with his game as before; but for a long time he cannot
even hear, far less speak, and play at the same moment. When a child is
able to do this, it is a good sign of his having acquired considerable
mental powers.

The excitement of play, we have said, is one chief means which Nature
employs for the cultivation of this faculty, and it is peculiarly worthy
of attenti