TEACHING CHILDREN TO BE HUMANE. 131 



Mischievous country lads may in some measure 

 be restrained by bills freely posted about in 

 their village stating clearly the penalties for 

 taking nests and eggs, with a list of protected 

 birds. The notices should be couched in simple 

 words, that children can understand, and not after 

 the style of a notice board, which was placed to 

 protect a spring of pure water for village use, and 

 which ran thus : " Persons are requested to re- 

 frain from polluting or contaminating this water." 

 I am afraid the rustic Tommy would not be much 

 enlightened by these formidable words. Much 

 more to the point is the warning to be met with 

 in one Surrey village, " Children, let Well alone." 



Any proved case of pure mischief or cruelty 

 shown towards any living creature should be made 

 a serious offence, rebuked openly in the village 

 school, and spoken about to the parents by the 

 clergy and others. In this way public opinion may 

 by degrees be created, and any child so offending 

 may learn that he or she is in disfavour for such 

 acts. 



It may be that only a few children out of a 

 whole school have the disposition which delights 



