law the child now understands fairly well in its practical
workings, while he has gained so much dexterity in his use of the
other blocks that the height and delicate poise of the new forms are
added attractions rather than obstacles.

Forms of Life.

The sixth gift far surpasses all the other building blocks in its
decided adaptation to the purely architectural forms. The bricks of
the fourth gift may be used as a foundation for the construction of
large and ambitious structures, and with this additional material, the
sixth gift may excel in producing elegant and graceful forms.

The bricks of course admit of a much greater superficial extension and
the inclosure of a more extensive space than has heretofore been
possible.

The children will unaided construct familiar objects, such as
household furniture and implements, churches, fences, walled
inclosures, and towers, with the new blocks, and seize with delight
upon the possibilities of the column, which is really the distinctive
feature of the gift.

So far, the building of object forms will closely resemble those of
the previous gifts, but a step in advance may be made by the children
if the kindergartner is complete mistress of the new forms and knows
their capabilities. The gift may serve as a primer of architecture if
its materials are thoroughly exploited, and may lead later on to a
healthy discontent with incorrect outline, with vulgar ornamentation,
and with crudity of form.[58]

[58] "The sense of beauty must be awakened in the soul
in childhood if in later life he is to create the
beautiful."--_Reminiscences of Froebel_, page 158.

Froebel himself, who had made exhaustive studies in architecture, and
obtained the training necessary to enable him to take it up as a
profession, has left us many examples of sixth gift building, which
are to be found in all the German "Guides." The structures are no
longer rude representations, but have a marked grace and symmetry, and
in their simplicity, clearness of outline, and fine proportion,
strongly resemble early Greek architecture. Colonnades, commemorative
columns, facades of palaces, belvederes, temples, arches, city gates,
monuments, fountains, portals, fonts, observatories,--all can be
constructed in miniature with due regard to law, fitness, and
proportion, and as the soft, creamy-white structures rise on the
various tables, we see borne out Froebel's saying that the order of
his Building Gi