an the pleasure of relieving himself from a dull
and wearisome duty; I do not mean the pleasure of anticipated play; but
I mean the strong interest he must have taken in _contriving_ and
_executing_ his plan. When, wearied out with his dull, monotonous work,
he first noticed those movements of the machinery which he thought
adapted to his purpose, and the plan flashed into his mind, how must his
eye have brightened, and how quick must the weary listlessness of his
employment have vanished. While he was maturing his plan, and carrying
it into execution;--while adjusting his wires, fitting them to the exact
length, and to the exact position,--and especially, when, at last, he
watches the first successful operation of his contrivance,--he must have
enjoyed a pleasure, which very few, even of the joyous sports of
childhood, could have supplied.

It is not, however, exactly the pleasure of exercising _ingenuity in
contrivance_, that I refer to here; for the teacher has not, after all,
a great deal of absolute contriving to do,--or rather his _principal
business_ is not contriving. The greatest and most permanent source of
pleasure to the boy, in such a case as I have described, is his feeling
that he is accomplishing a great effect by a slight effort of his own;
the feeling of power; acting through the _intervention of
instrumentality_, so as to multiply his power. So great would be this
satisfaction, that he would almost wish to have some other similar work
assigned him, that he might have another opportunity to contrive some
plan for its easy accomplishment.

Looking at an object to be accomplished, or an evil to be remedied, then
studying its nature and extent, and devising and executing some means
for effecting the purpose desired, is, in all cases, a source of
pleasure; especially when, by the process, we bring to view or to
operation, new powers, or powers heretofore hidden, whether they are our
own powers, or those of objects upon which we act. Experimenting has a
sort of magical fascination for all. Some do not like the trouble of
making preparations, but all are eager to see the results. Contrive a
new machine, and every body will be interested to witness, or to hear of
its operation;--develope any heretofore unknown properties of matter, or
secure some new useful effect, from laws which men have not hitherto
employed for their purposes, and the interest of all around you will be
excited to observe your results;--a