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INTELLECTUAL CULTURE. 337
called upon to respect. Wickedness is therefore inculcated, instead of virtue. Reside, the spirit of reprisal is ever roused by injustice. The child who is made to feel that he is under the dominion of one who does not love equity, will very soon learn to love revenge, and will, ere long, become unscrupulous as to the mode of obtaining it. He will also get the opinion that wrong doing is common among mankind ; and he will sink himself to this supposed standard of society. He will grow up with the idea that life is a game, in which each is to play his part, without regard to the rights, feelings, or interests of others. If he goes on unchecked to manhood, he is a promising candidate for the state-prison.
After all I have said, it may be thought difficult to obtain a supply of suitable teachers for common schools. But remember that 1 have yet spoken only of the sterner sex. Females are often the best teachers of children. They more readily appreciate their characters, and are more skilful in the management of their tempers, than men. There is this difficulty, however, in general, that women will hardly devote themselves to teaching as the settled occupation of life, and therefore they do not often qualify themselves thoroughly. Where 29 v |
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