learned how to move her hands in obedience to the _flugel_-image,[35]
which performs its exercise in the mirror, no further thought is
employed. Make the child observe that she moves her left hand forward
when the image in the glass moves in a contrary manner, turn the
child's attention to any of her own motions, and she will make
mistakes as she did before her habits were formed.

Many occupations, which are generally supposed to depend upon the
understanding, and which do probably depend in the first instance upon
the _understanding_, become by practice purely mechanical. This is the
case in many of the imitative arts. A person unused to drawing, exerts
a great deal of attention in copying any new object; but custom soon
supplies the place of thought. By custom,[36] as a great artist
assures us, he will become able to draw the human figure tolerably
correctly, with as little effort of the mind, as to trace with a pen
the letters of the alphabet.

We must further observe, that the habit of pursuing any occupation,
which requires no mental exertion, induces an indolence or incapacity
of intellect. Mere artists are commonly as stupid as mere artificers,
and these are little more than machines.

The length of time which is required to obtain practical skill and
dexterity in certain accomplishments, is one reason why there are so
few people who obtain any thing more than mechanical excellence. They
become the slaves of custom, and they become proud of their slavery.
At first they might have considered custom as a tyrant; but when they
have obeyed her for a certain time, they do her voluntary homage ever
after, as to a sovereign by divine right. To prevent this species of
intellectual degradation, we must in education be careful to rank mere
mechanical talents below the exercise of the mental powers. Thus the
ambition of young people will be directed to high objects, and all
inferiour qualifications may be attained without contracting the
understanding. Praise children for patience, for perseverance, for
industry; encourage them to reason and to invent upon all subjects,
and you may direct their attention afterwards as you think proper. But
if you applaud children merely for drawing a flower neatly, or copying
a landscape, without exciting their ambition to any thing higher, you
will never create superior talents, or a superior character. The
proficiency that is made in any particular accomplishment, at any
given age,