Blessed are those who are pure, and have no wrong affections or false thoughts; for they see God, his goodness, excellence, love and truth.

Blessed are they who suffer in order to do right; for they already have heaven.

We began with our own definitions of bless, said he; and now you have heard Jesus Christ's definitions: do you understand, now, what bless, blessed means? They all held up their hands.

Mr

When they returned to the school-room after recess, Alcott said: such of you, as gained some clearer ideas than you had before, of one boy's mind this morning, hold up your hands. The older ones all did. Mr. Alcott here explained the difference between fancy and imagination, and asked which principle was in greatest activity in the mind of that boy? They replied, fancy. What boy has an opposite kind of mind? Several were named. One of them, Mr. Alcott said, was literal. Two of them, he also said, had a very high degree of imagination. One had fancy and imagination also. Some farther questions were asked, which proved how truly children analyze each others minds, when brought to attend to them; and it occurred to Mr. Alcott that there might be a regular lesson, the object of which would be, to analyze individual characters, by means of certain testing questions: and this he carried into effect, although, practically, it became, instead of an analysis of individual character, an analysis of human nature in its more general point of view.

In pursuance of this plan, the next day Mr. Alcott arranged all the children, in two semicircles, around his black-board, which was divided into compartments, thus:

Spirit.

Soul.

Mind.

Love. Faith. | Conscience. Appetite. | Affection. | Aspiration. | Imagination. | Judgment. | Insight.

Good.

Happiness.

Truth.

Having explained the operations of Spirit, Soul, and Mind, after their respective objects, he asked the children

what they thought he was going to do? They did not know. He asked who among them would be willing to be analyzed, and tell all their faults and virtues, for the benefit of themselves and the rest in self-knowledge? All held up their hands but one.

He then selected a little girl, who is remarkably simple and truth loving, and asked if she was willing to answer all his questions truly, whether they laid open her faults or her virtues? She replied, yes; and all the rest expressed satisfaction.

LOVE.

Having drawn them into two concentric arcs of circles round his table, over which the blackboard hangs, Mr. Alcott began to speak of Love: Do you think you love? Yes. Whom? My mother. What do you love in your mother? She was silent. Her voice, her manners, her appearance, her spirit? Yes, all. Suppose she should lose her voice; and her appearance should change; should you still love her? Yes. You think that, independently of all that pleases your eye and mind, and of the good she does you; even if she were to die, and you should see, hear, be taken care of by her no longer, you should stil! love her? Yes. What do the rest think? (These questions are not as many as were asked, however; the answers were very deliberate.) They all said; Yes, she does love, it is real love.

Mr. Alcott then said: if your mother were going to die, and the physicians said, if you would die, your mother's life could be saved; would you die for your mother? She was silent. Mr. Alcott then went on to speak of the importance of her mother's life, to her father, her brothers, and sisters. She was still silent. How would it be with the rest? said he. One boy said, I should not hesitate one moment. Mr. Alcott enquired into this, and he said: Because his mother's life was more valuable to her friends than his was; because she was important to his younger brother; and because he should not be very happy in life if his mother were dead. There was some conversation with some other boys; and one said, that he was sure he could not die for his mother, though he cared more for

her than for any one else. Mr. Alcott said, and what do you think you should lose, if you died? He replied, I do not know. You would lose your body, said Mr. Alcott; and then turning to the little girl, he asked her if she had yet concluded whether she could die for her mother? Yes, said she, very quietly, and after this long deliberation; in which it had been evident, she endeavoured not to deceive herself. Do the rest think she could? said Mr. Alcott. Yes, said several; I do not doubt she could. Well, said Mr. Alcott, do you think, if by suffering a great deal of pain, you could make your father and mother happy all their lives, you would be willing to suffer? She was silent. Others cried out: Oh yes! I know she could; and professed that they could. Mr. Alcott turned to the cast of Christ, and spoke of his life; his sacrifice of enjoyment; his acceptance of suffering; his objects; his love. Questions were asked whose answers brought out a strong view of his spiritual, unselfish love of the spirits of men and she was asked if she thought her love had any of this deep character. She was silent; and even the rest were here awed into some self-distrust. But few thought their love had any of the characteristics of Christ's love.

Mr. Alcott then asked her if she could bear the faults of others, and love them still? Sometimes. Can you bear with the impatience of your sisters and brothers at home? She smiled and said, she never had any occasion. Have you ever had occasion for forbearance and patience any where else? She did not remember, she said. Never in any instance; not in this school nor any where? Yes, she recollected once; but not in this school. Well, did you forbear? Yes. Does any one else think this little girl has had occasion to forbear in this school? Several said, yes. How many think she acted with forbearance? All held up their hands. Who think they have required her forbearance? Two held up their hands; and Mr. Alcott congratulated them on their acquisition of a better spirit, than they had shown formerly.

Do you still think, said Mr. Alcott, that you really love, love enough to sacrifice and forbear? Yes, said she. Nothing you have heard, has led you to doubt this? No. What do the rest think? That she loves, she sacrifices,

she forbears, that hers is real Love. Well, look at the scale. You see the first division is Spirit. The Spirit comes from God; it loves, believes, obeys. We obey what we have faith in; we have faith in what we love; love is pure spiritual action. The Spirit loves. The Spirit, with its Love, Faith and Obedience, sanctifies or makes holy the Soul, in its Appetites, Affections and Aspirations, so that it gets Happiness. And it clears and purifies the Mind, in its faculties of Insight, Judgment and Imagination, so that it discovers Truth.

FAITH.

Mr. Alcott began: we discovered, last Wednesday, that Love sacrifices and forbears. We might say a great deal more about Love, but now we will go on to Faith. What is Faith? Soon, all the hands went up.

He began with the youngest, who said, faith is spirit. Did you ever have any? Yes. The next said faith is not to doubt goodness in the spirits of people. Another said, faith is a thought and feeling. When did you have faith? Yesterday. What was it about? I thought school kept yesterday afternoon,-mother thought it did not, I was sure it did. Another said, faith is only a feeling. Another said, faith is love. There is faith in love, said Mr. Alcott. Another said, faith is liking people from their looks. Who have you faith in from her looks? I have faith in my mother. Why? Because I like her looks, and love her soul. All the children who had answered thus far, were under six years old. One of seven years old, said, faith is confidence in another. In another's what? In another's spirit; that people will do what they promise. A boy who is continually doing wrong, and failing in duty, said, faith was obedience. Have you much faith? No. You have come pretty near losing your faith? Yes. Have you more now, than you had some time ago? Yes. How will you get more faith; By doing as I am told. He looked serious, and somewhat distressed; and Mr. Alcott said: Well, go on and be obedient, and you will find faith. Another boy said, faith is confidence. Who have you confidence in? In you. Why? I don't know. A little girl

said, faith is to believe. Do you believe or doubt the most? I think I have more faith than doubt, said she. A boy said, faith is to trust and believe. Is trust in the heart or head? said Mr. Alcott. In the heart. And belief? in the head. Another boy said, to confide in the souls and promises of others. Another said, to confide in one you love. Then you must love? Yes. Faith then comes out of love? Yes, I think so.

One deaf boy, who sat near Mr. Alcott, but could not hear the rest speak, said: I don't know any thing about faith, but I guess I shall learn now. Then you already have some faith, said Mr. Alcott. Do you think faith is a thought or a feeling? They all decided that it was a feeling. Such of you as think this little girl has this feeling, may hold up your hands. All did so. Such of you

as have faith in her, faith that she will do as she promises, that she will never disappoint any just expectation, may hold up your hands. They all did so. Does any one doubt her? No one. Well! this is a matter of opinion; it is the head's faith. How many of you have the feeling; the faith that grows out of love to her? Several. Do you think that you have faith? said he, addressing her. Yes, I think I have. Can you remember any instance when you proved it? No. Do you generally think people are good when you first see them? Yes, generally, not always. In some particular instance that you have not had faith; can you tell what was the reason? I don't remember. Do you have faith in people's good intentions, even when you see that they do wrong? Yes, generally. Can you think of any persons in whom you have no faith; in whom you have no confidence? A very few. Do you think, as you grow older, that you have more or less faith in others? More in some people. Can you make a distinction between people in whose intentions you confide, and those in whose characters and actions you confide;-have you been disappointed much? She thought, not much.

How is it with the rest of you; do any of you doubt, more than confide and love? One boy held up his hand. Do you want to doubt? I cannot help it in many instanDoes the doubt come from your heart or head? I don't know. Several more doubters held up their hands;

ces.