THE BOOK OF NATURE IMPROVED. BEHIND a solitary brake Near shaded by a wood, Young JONATHAN and JESSICA And what a rogue this Bragwell was, And Desp'rate he will not escape, They soon will have him fast; For murder is an awful thing God will them both to judgment bring. Ah! 'tis a very shocking thing, Behold yon mighty Sun, his face The plant spring from the ground: How How very great His glory, then, Who bids the Moon and all the stars And yet that GOD, WHO MADE THE SKY, And would these naughty boys but think They'd raise their little hearts on high, Where didst thou learn these wond'rous things, Or heard it from papa They tell me those that naughty be. You've guess'd aright, dear JESSICA, The "BOOK OF NATURE" told me this, Thus oft they meet at morn and e'en, E- -h, Nov. 1814. A CONSTANT READER. NOTES TO CORRESPONDENTS. The favours of LEUMAS-our Paisley correspondent W. M.and the affecting little "Tale from real life," are received; but we have been obliged to encroach so much of late on the limits of our miscellaneous department, in order to bring the highly interesting pieces, which it was indispensibly necessary to finish with the present volume, to a conclusion, that, notwithstanding the alteration of type, closeness of our print, and anxiety to please, we are reluctantly compelled to lay aside several papers, some of them well adapted to our purpose, and honourable to the head and heart of the writers. Per haps some of these may appear in another form; but, for the present, we must bid our obliging coadjutors and friendly correspondents, a affectionate and grateful ADIEU. E. L. P. O. Dec. 1814. HADDINGTÓN; Printed and Published, MONTHLY, by G. MILLER & SON THE following, as appears from the accompanying introductory letter, was sent us so early as April last; and although we could not conveniently make room for it at that time, it comes opportunely forward towards the conclusion of a work, which, of itself, may be adduced as another instance of what those must expect to encounter who have occasion to combat the prejudices of custom and old established habit; and of what may be accomplished by PATIENCE and PERSEVERANCE. Without these qualifications in an eminent degree, Mr. FERGUSON must have sunk under the opposition he met with; and had the publishers of the Cheap Magazine suffered themselves to be diverted from their purpose at the out-set, by the illiberal sarcasms of conceited ignorance, and the silly remarks of determined bigotry, they never would have brought their work to that complete form it has now attained; nor had the pleasing satisfaction of seeing their humble efforts crowned by the exhilarating approbation of the wise and the good, from so many respectable quarters; among whom, they are proud to number, the very sensible, judicious, and worthy Vol. II. Ссс author author of "The COTTAGE FIRESIDE," a work, which they would earnestly recommend to the attention of their readers, as breathing much of the same spirit that distinguishes this publication. INTRODUCTORY LETTER, ADDRESSED TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHEAP MAGAZINE. SIR, AS your Cheap Magazine is evidently calculated to do good, particularly to children and persons in humble life, it deserves the support of every person who has at heart the welfare of the community. I cannot, therefore, deny myself the pleasure of contribut ing my mite to so useful an undertaking, although I have neither leisure nor ability to give you all the assistance I could wish. The inclosed is an extract from the new edition of the Scotch Cheap Repository tracts, now in the press. It forms part of an addition not yet published, to the story entitled "The Cottage Fireside;" and as it represents the difficulties which a country-schoolmaster may be supposed to meet with, from the prejudices of ignorant people, in the introduction of the new system of education, and points out the means by which these difficulties may be overcome by a zealous, persever ing, and patient mind, it seems not foreign to the design of your work. I am, Sir, &c. Dumfries-shire, 20th April, 1814. A BOUT this time a radical change took place in the method charge in the public school, the particulars of which, and the circumstances that led to it, I shall relate. Happening, one evening, to be with my wife on a visit to Mr. COLVILLE, the principal heritor of the parish; who is himself a man of much benevolence and public spirit, and whose lady is a pattern of every christian virtue; the conversation turned on education, a topic which has of late so happily at tracted the public attention, and on which I felt myself not unprepared to speak. I eagerly seized this opportunity of mentioning the success with which Mrs. FERGUSON had, be fore her marriage, conducted a female school on the Lancas terian plan, and suggested the advantage which might be derived from a similar attempt in the parish of The worthy minister, who happened to be present, warmly en tered into my views, and strongly urged the immediate adop tion of a scheme, which had in other places been attended with such wonderful success. Our arguments were not lost on Mr. and Mrs. COLVILLE, who immediately put such ques tions as enabled us to satisfy them that the proposal was practicable, and, with a readiness which delighted us, they offered whatever assistance their purse and influence could afford ford, for putting it into execution. Our plan, which had ng been a favourite subject of conversation between my ife and me, was quickly arranged. It was resolved that e method of teaching the school should be new modelled, ter the manner adopted by Mrs. FERGUSON before our arriage, as detailed in a former tract, and I proposed that ich of the scholars as might, on account of their good conict and their progress in learning, arrive at the dignity of achers, should be allowed, as a reward, to attend school free expense, during the time they might retain that honourable stinction. My wife, on her part, made an offer of her serices to teach the little girls belonging to my school gratis, e different branches of female education suited to their ation, such as sewing, knitting, &c. to which purpose she romised to devote two hours every day. To promote this art of the scheme, Mrs. COLVILLE undertook to provide work or such of the scholars as might not otherwise be able to rocure it, and to give premiums to those girls who were most deserving. Mr. COLVILLE's share of this benevolent work consisted in procuring the proper accommodation for the cholars, as the proposed change made an addition to the school-room absolutely necessary. His ardent mind never permitted a long interval to elapse between the forming of a plan and its execution. He immediately commenced his operations, and in conjunction with the other proprietors whom he persuaded to enter into his views, he quickly raised the necessary sum, and accomplished the proper alterations. In a few weeks, therefore, every thing was ready for commencing the new system. I had, in the mean time, printed and circulated a short statement of the proposed plan and its advantages, which caused it to be generally talked of through the parish, and gave the friends of the measure an opportunity of shewing themselves. I was from the first sensible that it would meet with opposition; but I was certainly not aware to what extent the ignorance and prejudices of parents were capable of operat ing against a change so obviously for the advantage of their children. One circumstance, if it did not greatly contribute to the resistance of the people, at least served as a pretext for it. My having opened my house for the reception of boarders had been viewed with some degree of jealousy, and it had been secretly whispered, that I treated the inmates of my own house with unjust partiality, sacrificing in their favour the interests of my other scholars. This malicious report, for which I am conscious their was no foundation, did not at first obtain much credit; but no sooner were my proposals circulated for new modelling the school than the stem Ccc 2 med. |