.G-Whether you find us such or not, one thing I can assure you-we shall be most happy to cultivate your acquaintance, and to listen to any suggestions you may be pleased to make to aid us, as co-workers with you in duties so responsible, and so arduous. I was not a little mortified the other day, that my son, in his honest bluntness, should report to you what I said of his reading and yet I cannot say I am sorry for it; since it put him in the way of being corrected, and ourselves too.

Mrs. G.-I hope our children conduct themselves to please you, Sir. They seem to like their school very well, and to take much interest in their studies.

Dr. A.-I had already inferred as much: hence we may expect some improvement: for nothing affords a better promise of it, than the very things you have mentioned. Sometimes children like their school because more pains are taken to win their attachment than to improve their minds; but in that case, I think it is rare to see them take much interest in study. Where the teacher so conducts the lessons of his pupils as to enable them clearly to understand every step, as they advance on their course; though his exactions gradually rise to the full limit of their capacities, they naturally like their studies all the better; they like their school, their instructer, and are generally found to be happy; of course able to accomplish more, and with much greater ease.

Mr. G.-It is natural to suppose any one executes with more ease whatever pleases him; but that he has more power to do it, is a new idea to me; and yet it looks reasonable enough that it should be so.

Mrs. G.-We are gratified at the progress our chil

dren appear to be making, especially in their elocutionary department-a branch in which they never showed any interest before.

Wm. G.-And because we never before had any body to teach us, so as to make it interesting. If we had had the same instruction we now have, I think we should always have liked it.

Mrs. G.-Well, my son, we will say nothing more of that. But-Sir, do you think I am going to criticise some of your instructions? or rather, I should say, the system you follow. Since our children have been upon this study, we have all become elocutionists: and were you to look in upon us while engaged, you might fancy your school transferred to this place; and our William its instructer.

Dr. A.-I am very glad to find that the works of the school-room are so well sustained and encouraged at home, and that you all take so much interest in this pleasing accomplishment.. It augurs well for the prospects of your children: for, depend upon it, they will measure the importance of every study by the interest taken in it by their parents: but, no doubt, you have already anticipated all I might say. You spoke of criticising. I have not the vanity to suppose but that I often give occasion for this friendly office, and I certainly shall think myself fortunate, if I never fall into worse hands.

Mrs. G.-Is there not a proverb like this, Sir; "He that would share the benefit of another's opinions must freely express his own"?

Dr. A.-I cannot say it has yet become a proverb;

but it certainly deserves to be, and placed to the credit of Mrs. Gordon.

Mrs. G.-Well, I am not disposed to lose the benefit of my proverb, since it is so well approved: we think, Sir, the full sound of e, in words ending in ent and ence and that of gentlemen, is rather affected and pedantic.

Dr. A.-Yes, and so do I, to judge from your pronunciation of the word gentlemen. The direction is to raise the e in such words just enough to be perceptible to the ear, rather than to suffer it to fall into the obscure sound of u: of course, to follow out the direction, we should say silence, providence, omnipotence, contentment, improvident, gentlemen; and not silunce, providunce, omnipotunce, contentmunt, improvidunt.

Wm. G.—I see, Mother, we ran into the same difficulty in pronunciation, by overdoing the matter, as we did in the inflections and divisions of speech: in our attempts to avoid the obscure sound of u in such words, we brought out the e too prominently.

Mrs. G.-You pronounced the words, Sir, just as I like to hear them pronounced; and, I presume, in accordance with the principles we were trying to follow: but failed, as my son says. I was going to mention some others that seemed to me unnatural, and affected, as William read them; such as giving i the long sound of e, and u its long sound, when not under accent: as sensebility, popularity, pleasure, and others of this class; but I am satisfied that whatever seemed unnatural and affected, was made so by ourselves, not by the system. Attempting to avoid one fault, we ran into a greater. I apprehend there is no danger of giving too marked dis

tinctness to e and u, so long as we continue to make them really unaccented syllables, and give them the same softness we do the obscure sound we use in their stead. We may dispose of me for my perhaps in the same way. It was not intended, I presume, that we should say me shawl, me gloves; but mĭ shawl, mă gloves.

Dr. A.-No, indeed! it was not intended; nor did I think it possible that the book, or my instructions could lead to such a mistake. The direction, I think, is to change the sound of y to short e, or the second sound of i, when changed at all, and pronounce it as we do e in the article the before a consonant.

Mr. G.-While on the subject, I should like to propose a question. How are we to sound those consonants which are paraded single, and double and treble, unless we put some vowels among them? I was taught, that consonants could not be sounded without the help of vowels.

Dr. A.-I know it was so thought; and they cannot be fully; but still they can be sounded; and very nearly without vowels as with; and an excellent exercise I find it. Nothing has ever been hit upon which so well prepares the organs for distinct articulation as this. I make one pupil at a time practise upon these elements: first separate, then in the word; and when they have become familiar to each, I take the whole class together. This tends to remove embarrassment, and gives to the pupils confidence and strength of utterance. [Here Dr. Abbot takes the book, and gives several illustrations : first enunciating the single consonants, then two or three together; and then in words; to the no small

amusement of all: but complete proof of what he had just stated.]

Mrs. G.-Your tact and courtesy, Sir, in removing difficulties, encourage me to trouble you farther; though still at the risk of exposing my dulness.

Dr. A.-I should say rather, the dulness of the author for if you find any difficulty in understanding him, he certainly shows great want of perspicuity of style.

Mrs. G.-I do not see, Sir, that such conclusion necessarily follows: for the subjects treated of may be of such a nature as to preclude the possibility of using written language so definitely as to convey the full meaning of it; unless aided, as it has been just now, by oral example.

Mr. G.-So, my dear, you would recommend, I suppose, that before we pronounce so decidedly against another, we should bestow some little criticism upon ourselves.

Mrs. G.-How well you anticipate me! I think, Sir, I shall proceed no farther in the way of objection; it is always far more agreeable to commend than to find fault and in regard to the work you have put into the hands of our children, we find-yes, I believe we can now say—we find nothing but what we heartily approve. We are pleased to see corrected the pronunciation of all that class of words, which are arranged under what the author has called the fifth sound of a, as heard in care, dare, prayer, parent; which Walker includes under the first, as in fate.

Dr. A.-I am glad to hear you speak so decidedly: it shows me that all must feel the same, when they shall