tly they acquire, with joy to them inexpressible and to us
inconceivable, the art of "trudging" alone.

When children learn to walk in nature's own way, it is seldom indeed
that we find them with curved legs, or crooked or clubbed feet. These
deformities are almost universally owing either to the mother or the
nurse.

Let me be distinctly understood as utterly opposed, not only to
go-carts, leading strings, and every other _mechanical_ contrivance, to
induce children to walk before their legs are fit for it, but to efforts
of every kind, whose main object is the same. Teaching them to walk by
taking hold of one of their hands, is in some respects quite as bad as
any other mode; for if the child should fall while we have hold of his
hand, there is some danger of dislocating or otherwise injuring the
limb.

Falls we must expect; but if a child is left to his own voluntary
efforts as much as possible, these falls will be fewer, and probably
less serious, than under any other circumstances.

SEC. 4. _Walking._

"The way to learn how to write without ruled lines, is _to rule_," was
the frequent saying of an old schoolmaster whom I once knew; and I may
say with as much confidence and with more truth, that "the way for a
child to learn to walk alone, is to hold by things."

I have anticipated, in previous pages, much of what might have otherwise
been contained in this section. A few additional remarks are all that
will be necessary.

At first, the nursery will be quite large enough for our young
pedestrian. Much time should elapse before he is permitted to go abroad,
upon the green grass;--not lest the air should reach him, or the sun
shine upon his face and hands, but because the surface of the ground is
so much less firm and regular than the floor, that he ought to be quite
familiar with walking on the latter, in the first place.

But when he can walk well in the play ground, garden, fields, and
roads, it is highly desirable that he should go out more or less every
day, when the weather will possibly admit; nor would I be so fearful as
many are of a drop of rain or dew, or a breath of wind. For say what
they will in favor of riding, sailing, and other modes of exercise,
there is none equal to walking, as soon as a child is able;--none so
natural--none, in ordinary cases, so salutary. I know it is unpopular,
and therefore our young master or young miss must be hoisted into a
carriage, or upon the back of a horse,