ning any such
nonsense.

Mrs. Jones, who knew the world, told her agent, Mrs. Crew, that her
grand difficulty would arise not so much from the children as the
parents. These, said she, are apt to fall into that sad mistake,
that because their children are poor, and have little of this
world's goods, the mothers must make it up to them in false
indulgence. The children of the gentry are much more reproved and
corrected for their faults, and bred up in far stricter discipline.
He was a king who said, _Chasten thy son, and let not thy rod spare
for his crying_. But do not lose your patience; the more vicious the
children are, you must remember the more they stand in need of your
instruction. When they are bad, comfort yourself with thinking how
much worse they would have been but for you; and what a burden they
would become to society if these evil tempers were to receive no
check. The great thing which enabled Mrs. Crew to teach well, was
the deep insight she had got into the corruption of human nature.
And I doubt if any one can make a thoroughly good teacher of
religion and morals, who wants the master-key to the heart. Others,
indeed, may teach knowledge, decency, and good manners; but those,
however valuable, are not Christianity. Mrs. Crew, who knew that out
of the heart proceed lying, theft, and all that train of evils which
begin to break out even in young children, applied her labors to
correct this root of evil. But though a diligent, she was a humble
teacher, well knowing that unless the grace of God blessed her
labors, she should but labor in vain.

Hester Wilmot never failed to attend the school, whenever her
perverse mother would give her leave, and her delight in learning
was so great, that she would work early and late to gain a little
time for her book. As she had a quick capacity, she learned soon to
spell and read, and Mrs. Crew observing her diligence, used to lend
her a book to carry home, that she might pick up a little at odd
times. It would be well if teachers would make this distinction. To
give, or lend books to those who take no delight in them is a
useless expense; while it is kind and right to assist well-disposed
young people with every help of this sort. Those who love books
seldom hurt them, while the slothful who hate learning, will wear
out a book more in a week, than the diligent will do in a year.
Hester's way was to read over a question in her catechism, or one
verse in her hymn boo