Such is
human nature, that in nine cases out of ten, unless such a result had
been particularly guarded against, it would have inevitably followed.

Not only will such a result follow in individual cases like this, but
unless the teacher watches and guards against it, it will grow into a
habit. I mean boys will get a sort of an idea that it is a fine thing to
confess their faults, and by a show of humility and frankness will
deceive their teacher, and perhaps themselves, by a sort of
acknowledgement, which in fact exposes nothing of the guilt which the
transgressor professes to expose. A great many cases occur, where
teachers are pleased with the confession of faults, and scholars
perceive it, and the latter get into the habit of coming to the teacher,
when they have done something which they think may get them into
difficulty, and make a sort of half confession, which, by bringing
forward every palliating circumstance, and suppressing every thing of
different character, keeps entirely out of view all the real guilt of
the transgression. The criminal is praised by the teacher for the
frankness and honesty of the confession, and his fault is freely
forgiven. He goes away therefore well satisfied with himself, when in
fact he has been only submitting to a little mortification, voluntarily,
to avoid the danger of a greater; much in the same spirit with that
which leads a man to receive the small-pox by inoculation, to avoid the
danger of taking it in the natural way.

The teacher who accustoms his pupils to confess their faults,
voluntarily, ought to guard carefully against this danger. When such a
case as the one just described occurs, it will afford a favorable
opportunity of showing distinctly to pupils the difference between an
honest and an hypocritical confession. In this instance; the teacher
proceeded thus;

"Now I wish to ask you one more question, which I wish you all to answer
by your votes, honestly. It is this. Do you think that the real disorder
which has been in this class, that is, the real cases which you referred
to, when you stated to me, that you thought that the class was not in
good order, have been now really exposed, so that I honestly and fully
understand the case? How many suppose so?"

Not a single hand was raised.

"How many of you think, and are willing to avow your opinion, that I
have _not_ been fully informed of the case?"

A large proportion held up their hands.

"Now it seems the