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JAMES MITCHELL. 141 
the gratification of his wishes, by withholding an object till 
such time’ as he can present his teacher with its name. This 
last should not be attempted before there is reason to think that 
he has acquired some patience of temper, at least not in his 
present situation, where he is subjected to no systematic au- 
thority ; nor should it in any case be practised till the associa- 
tion has been repeated with sufficient frequency to entitle those 
around him to expect that he will remember it. It is, however, 
by the names of the most favourite objects that his interest 
will be soonest secured, and it will always be proper to. shew 
peculiar promptitude in understanding and gratifying his wishes 
when he is able to make them known by producing the name 
of the object which he wants. A little experience of the ad- 
vantage arising in this respect from language will create a de- 
sire to make similar communications respecting objects of all 
kinds. bhi Rg y . r : 
- Some would, perhaps, from their’ opinions on the theory of 
grammar, reckon it most correct to teach him in the first. in- 
stance substantives alone. But it will be attended with great 
advantage to teach the adjectives almost equally soon. They: 
may be learned with the same facility ; and they will prove to 
him interesting, as affording expressions for his:more general, 
and what have been sometimes called moveable ideas. They 
will also assist in making him perceive in less time the inten- 
tions of the lessons given to him. He may be made to touch 
‘one vessel, and at the same time the words warm water, and 
another vessel while he touches the words cold water ; and in the 
same manner proceed to learn the meaning of such: combina- 
tions as warm tea, cold tea, sweet tea, weak tea, strong tea ; hea- 
vy stone, light stone, large stone, small stone, and others of simi- 
lar application. It would be advisable to give him a separate 
set of shelves or pigeon-holes for containing the adjectives, or 
to distinguish them by some peculiar mark. 
He 
