110 A. T. SCHOFIELD, ESQ., M.D., ON 
exactly what I wish the child to become. Then I pour the 
child in, and let him remain a sufficient time until environ- 
ment has saturated his unconscious mind, and moulded it 
into its likeness. The child knows nothing of the process. 
It does not interfere with its happiness, but increases it ; 
and best of all, the result is sure. A child cannot fail to 
bear the stamp of the atmosphere its mind has unconsciously 
breathed the first few years of its life, and it is this, and 
nothing less, that is the real foundation of its character. 
What a power—what an unknown force is here! 
«Life and health are largely acted on (unconsciously) by 
agents immaterial or psychical. The lives and well-being 
of natures and individuals owe their colouring to these. 
They belong to and form part of civilization. They are 
essential parts of the education from which spring the 
character.”* 
“The schoolmaster.it might with some justice be said, 
only gives the finishing touches to a process commenced 
at the moment of birth, if not much earlier. Vast stores 
of knowledge indispensable and of paramount importance 
are picked up spontaneously (unconsciously) in baby- 
hood.’”t 
“ Educational experience proves that nothing exerts so 
ereat an influence on the psychical organism as the moral 
atmosphere which is breathed by it. The composition of 
that atmosphere is of fundamental importance.” 
But observe, if we had only conscious minds, this force 
would be useless—there would be nothing to act on in us; 
for itcan only work on unconscious material. The thought, 
the emotions, and the will are all formed largely thus; for 
the will itseif can be unconscious as well as conscious, 
We read of “ automatic, passive, instructive, and imitative 
willing.”§ 
Again, “education is a discipline.” An engine differs from 
a horse in that it is subject to discipline. It can only run 
on its rails; it cannot wander like a horse—at will. The 
laying down of the railroad is the discipline which deter- 
mines the path the engine must travel. Habit is the rail- 
road of character. “ Habit is as strong as ten natures,’ and 
* Dr. Jas. Pollock, Book of Health, p. 520. 
+ Sir J. C. Browne, Book of Health, p. 345. 
{t W. B. Car penter, Mental Physiology, 4th edit., p. 353. 
§ Prof. Holman, Education, pp. 79, 80. 
