. They were interested and
pleased;--pleased with the effort which it required them to make, and
they anticipated, with interest and pleasure, the time of coming again
to the class, to report and compare their work.

When the time for the class came, the teacher addressed them somewhat as
follows:

"Before looking at your slates, I am going to predict what the faults
are. I have not seen any of your work, but shall judge altogether from
my general knowledge of school-boys, and the difficulties I know they
meet with Do you think I shall succeed?"

The scholars made no reply, and an unskilful teacher would imagine, that
time spent in such remarks, would be wholly wasted. By no means. The
influence of it was to awaken universal interest in the approaching
examination of the slates. Every scholar would be intent, watching, with
eager interest, to see whether the imagined faults would be found upon
his work. The class was, by that single pleasant remark, put into the
best possible state, for receiving the criticisms of the teacher.

"The first fault, which I suppose will be found, is, that some are
unfinished."

The scholars looked surprised. They did not expect to have that called a
fault.

"How many plead guilty to it?"

A few raised their hands, and the teacher continued.

"I suppose that some will be found partly effaced. The slates were not
laid away carefully, or they were not clean, so that the writing is not
distinct. How many find this the case with their work?"

"I suppose that, in some cases, the lines will not be perpendicular, but
will slant, probably towards the left, like writing."

"I suppose also, that, in some cases, the writing will be careless, so
that I cannot easily read it. How many plead guilty to this?"

After mentioning such other faults as occurred to him, relating chiefly
to the form of the table, and the mere mechanical execution of the work,
he said:

"I think I shall not look at your slates to-day. You can all see, I have
no doubt, how you can considerably improve them, in mechanical
execution, in your next lesson; and I suppose you would a little prefer
that I should not see your first imperfect efforts. In fact, I should
rather not see them. At the next recitation, they probably will be much
better."

One important means by which the teacher may make his scholars careful
of their reputation, is to show them, thus, that he is careful of it
himself.

Now, in such a case as th