' EDUCATION OF YOUTH. 265 



diversions, or in excursions along with their teachers, their 

 peculiar tastes, tempers, and conduct toward each other, 

 are openly developed ; they act without restraint ; they 

 appear in their true colors ; and a teacher has the best 

 opportunity of marking the dispositions they display. He 

 can, therefore, apply at the moment those encouragements 

 and admonitions, and those Christian rules and maxims, by 

 which their characters and conduct may be moulded into 

 the image of Him * who hath set us an example, that we 

 should walk in his steps.' 



838. " The incidents and the atmospherical phenomena 

 which may occur on such occasions, will also supply ma- 

 terials for rational observations and reflections, and for di- 

 recting the train of their affections, and the exercise of their 

 moral powers ; and no opportunity of this kind, for pro- 

 ducing useful impressions upon the young, should be lost 

 by the pious and intelligent instructer." 



839. Every reflecting teacher and parent who reads the 

 above remarks, will see in them all that humanity, discre- 

 tion, and judgment, which everywhere distinguish the pen 

 of Dr. Dick, and especially when he speaks of the physical 

 and moral education of youth. But although several of 

 the exercises he has mentioned, are fit for young ladies, 

 they are meant to apply chiefly to boys, for whose use 

 there seems to be little difficulty in the selection. But 

 with respect to the girls, it is obvious that a distinction 

 must be made, for although they perhaps require as much 

 action as the boys, it ought generally to be less athletic in 

 its kind, and such as especially to give motion to the arms 

 and muscles of the chest. As a reason for selecting exer- 

 cise of this sort, for females, we will only recur to the well- 

 known fact already mentioned, that they are more liable 

 to the consumption of the lungs than the males, let the 

 cause be what it may. Such recreations, therefore, as give 

 motion to the pectoral muscles as open and expand the 

 lungs and chest, and give strength to the organs of respi- 

 ration generally, are peculiarly proper for females. 



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