JAMES MITCHELL. 143 
to him new sources of agreeable knowledge, and will then 
make voluntary exertions to instruct himself by engaging in so- 
litary lessons, or by soliciting in particular instances information 
from those around him. , ; 
Tt is after he has, on this plan, made considerable progress, 
that success may be expected in teaching him the useof the 
separate letters.. For this purpose, letters formed with the 
same types may be given to him in a drawer of twenty-four di- 
visions, in alphabetical order. By means of these, his familiar 
words may be frequently formed for him in his presence, and 
he may gradually learn to form them for himself... There will, 
however, be no propriety in urging this part of instruction with 
much earnestness. If he shows himself in any degree reluc- 
_ tant to it, his teacher may be content with giving him farther 
instructions in prosecution of the first part of. the plan. In 
addition to such instructions, it will be sufficient to give him, 
in the first instance, an opportunity of forming words for him- 
self when he is inclined. By being first made a complete mas- 
ter in one department, he will be prepared to make more 
rapid progress in another. 
_ Till he has made considerable proficiency in the knowledge 
of entire words, and acquired a relish for language, any further 
expedients are comparatively of little interest. But, anticipat- 
ing success in this part of the undertaking, the execution of 
which must be regarded as the most difficult, I proceed to 
describe some subsequent expedients. These will evidently 
admit of being greatly varied cteending to unforeseen ‘circum- 
stances. 
If it is fons shit, after having itch the use. Bu entire 
Bahn he cannot be easily taught to combine the letters, it will 
be proper to increase his stock of words. Other parts of 
speech besides substantives and adjectives may now be given 
‘ to 
