agree that the surroundings of thechild from the first are- what impressthe pliable nature and form associa-tions that affect the whole developmentYet the mother, who would give her lifeto make her child’s life happy, remainsignorant. But when once Kinder-Garten principles are generally ac-cepted, young mothers will feel that solarge a task must require preparation,that to learn the A, B, C of work to beperformed at the moment the work ispressing is not the act of a reasonablebeing, thus the principle that educationbegins with the dawn of life, will leadto a preparatory study of education,and will in time lead to the acceptanceof this important doctrine that nowoman’s own education is completewithout a study of education ; she maybe accomplished in many ways, or mayeven have reached high attainments, butshe is not trained for life which is thereal office of education, unless she hasstudied how to acquit herself in thatmost important position that life canpossibly open to her. I think 1 maysay that my experience as a singlewoman has not been different from thatof most others, yet I have more thanonce had the care of children thrownupon me, and I believe the exceptionsare rare where women are not calledupon more or less to deal with children,and I long for the time when it shall bedeemed as unseemly for a woman notto understand their proper managementas it is for a man to be unfit to doactive service in defence of his hearthand country. The service in each caseis pointed out by Nature, and the manor woman is a recreant to the highestsocial duty who is unfit to performit.

The principal means therefore bywhich the influence of the Kinder-Gar-tens will work a reform in family lifewill be by raising in their own eyes,and in that of men, the estimate ofwoman’s natural position, and of thetone of character and culture thatare indispensable to her fulfilling hemission worthily. A slighting view ofearly education naturally detracts fromthe respect due to that mission, and

feeds that most mischievous of all igno-rant delusions the notion that simplybecause a woman is a mother, she is fitto fulfil her duty to her children.

It is easy to believe that little isneeded to enable any woman to educatevery little children, so long as educationmeans only putting words into a child’smouth, or even maintaining such moraldiscipline as, thank God, is cared for inmost English homes; but this samecharge is seen to be far from easy, wheneducation is held to mean the carefulwatching that tends; but never thwartsthe unfolding of the child’s own nature;that studies the first symptons of char-acter, of peculiarities in the mental aswell as the physical organisation ; thatallows no neglect of the bodily for themental growth and welfare, nor of thelatter for the former; but keeps all inj harmonious order, respecting the entireI freedom of individual development,j while guiding it so that step by step that| as the bodily organs strengthen, the men-i tal growth, shall correspond ; that whatj the eyes behold shall excite first plea-' sure, then curiosity, then attention, then! observation, and memory of what hasj been observed ; till the child is led to dis-1 cover for himself one after another some, wonders of the marvellous world uponwhichhis senses have justopened.Allthesej faculties will be active no doubt without| our care, but their exercise will tend| to no given purpose, there will be noi method, and therefore no orderly ad-; vance, and no preparation for future; progress. So also with the active in-' stincts of children. The little thingswill play with or without our help, butI we learn nothing, and can teach nothing- from their play, if we do not carefully: watch it as the manifestation of naturalj aptitudes, and desires that we have to! train for higher uses. These are some| of the educational points to whichI Frobel directs attention, and the Kin-der-Garten games and occupations—the practical system in which theseprinciples are embodied—afford at oncea study and a guide to those who areconcerned in education. When, there-fore, mothers become familiar with thatsystem, they will be able to test their