the difficulty of giving him, before it is too late, a taste for reading, of a pure and elevating character, such as may serve to raise him above the depressing influences of the market. For it must be understood that the earlier stages of classical study are mere drudgery. The pleasant associations connected with the classics are not formed till after the grammatical difficulties have been mastered. How far Latin as a question of drill may enter into middle-class education shall be discussed presently, but for the refining influence of literature the young farmer must mainly depend on his own language, and his time is very limited.
We may, then, consider two points as established:—1st. That a special agricultural education is unnecessary and undesirable, at least for young boys. 2nd. That the middle-class education, which the farmer will usually receive, should be complete in itself, and not a truncated portion of a loftier edifice—not the first stage of a journey broken off in the middle.
The End of all Education.
These two general principles being disposed of, we fall back on the question what are the main points to be kept in view in the endeavour to foster a good manly character in a lad who is to learn afterwards to make himself a farmer?
At the risk of uttering truisms, let us mark out the objects of all education, bearing in mind, as we pass them in review, the future occupation to which the father is looking forward for his son.
The object of education generally is to call out and discipline those faculties of mind and will which God has given us; and we may find a clue to our inquiry, without trenching too much on serious subjects, in the threefold division of human duty:—1st. As in this world of sense we are all tempted to forego our real good for present gratification, we need to form a habit of looking above and beyond things present; in other words, to see the invisible by the eye of Faith, and the future by that of Hope, 2ndly. Inasmuch as we are tempted to gratify self, and inasmuch as our influence over others depends on our credit, unselfishness and veracity should be especially cultivated in our intercourse with others,—in other words. Charity and Truth—"speaking the truth in love." 3rdly. Much of our success in life depends on the free but orderly use of our powers of body and mind: Nature does much, but training should do still more, to quicken boys, or make them alive, physically, morally, and intellectually. Activity, perseverance, method, in his conduct,—observation, memory, judgment, in the use of his intellect,—are
