ead his pupils to cooperate with him,
in some particular instance.

For example, let us suppose that he has been accustomed to distribute
the writing-books with his own hand, when the writing hour arrives, and
that he concludes to delegate this simple business, first, to his
scholars. He accordingly states to them, just before the writing
exercise of the day on which he proposes the experiment, as follows.

"I have thought that time will be saved, if you will help me distribute
the books, and I will accordingly appoint four distributors, one for
each division of the seats, who may come to me, and receive the books
and distribute them, each to his own division. Are you willing to adopt
this plan?"

The boys answer, "Yes sir," and the teacher then looks carefully around
the room, and selects four pleasant and popular boys,--boys who, he
knows, would gladly assist him, and who would, at the same time, be
agreeable to their school mates. This latter point is necessary, in
order to secure the popularity and success of the plan.

Unless the boys are very different from any I have ever met with, they
will be pleased with the duty thus assigned them. They will learn system
and regularity by being taught to perform this simple duty in a proper
manner. After a week, the teacher may consider their term of service as
having expired, and thanking them, in public for the assistance they
have rendered him, he may ask the scholars, if they are willing to
continue the plan, and if the vote is in favor of it, as it
unquestionably would be, each boy probably hoping that he should be
appointed to the office, the teacher may nominate four others, including
perhaps upon the list, some boy popular among his companions, but whom
he has suspected to be not very friendly to himself or the school. I
think the most scrupulous politician would not object to securing
influence, by conferring office in such a case. If any difficulties
arise from the operation of such a measure, it can easily be dropped,
or modified. If it is successful, it may be continued, and the principle
extended, till it very considerably modifies all the arrangements, and
the whole management of the school.

Or let us imagine the following scene to have been the commencement of
the introduction of the principle of limited self-government, into a
school.

The preceptor of an academy was sitting at his desk, at the close of
school, while the pupils were putting up their bo