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so distrust replaces confidence. The value of the teacher depends upon
his power of inspiring confidence, and he loses this when he gives way
to irritability. This is particularly important with young children,
for they are eager to learn and eager to love, and only those who have
no business to be teachers would dare to meet such eagerness by anger.
It is of course true that younger boys are in many ways more difficult
to teach than elder ones; for they have not yet learned how to make
efforts, nor how to control and guide them when made. The teacher has
therefore to help them much more than the elder boys who have learned
largely to help themselves. The chief difficulty is to make the best use
of the young energies by finding them continual and interesting
employment; if the young enthusiasms are checked harshly instead of
being guided sympathetically they will soon die out, and the boy will
become dull and discontented.

I have read that youth is full of enthusiasm and ideals, and that these
gradually disappear with age, until a man is left with few or none. But
it seems to me that enthusiasm, if real, should not die out, and leave
cynicism behind, but rather should become stronger and more purposeful
with age. The young children coming straight out of the heaven-world
have brought with them a feeling of unity, and this feeling should be
strengthened in them, so that it may last on through life. Anger and
irritability belong only to the separated self, and they drive away the
feeling of unity.

Self-control also involves calmness, courage and steadiness. Whatever
difficulties the teacher may have either at home or at school, he must
learn to face them bravely and cheerfully, not only that he may avoid
worry for himself, but also that he may set a good example to his boys,
and so help them to become strong and brave. Difficulties are much
increased by worrying over them, and by imagining them before they
happen--doing what Mrs. Besant once called, "crossing bridges before we
come to them." Unless the teacher is cheerful and courageous with his
own difficulties, he will not be able to help the boys to meet _their_
difficulties bravely. Most obstacles grow small before a contented mind,
and boys who bring this to their work will find their studies much
easier than if they came to them discontented and worried. Courage and
steadiness lead to self-reliance, and one who is self-reliant can
always be depended on to do