"Be an example . . . in speech, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6 The object of this book is practical utility, not literary effect. It was written for mothers in the common walks of life. There are many mothers, in every village of our land, who are looking eagerly for information respecting the government of their children. It is hoped that the following treatise may render them some assistance. Some people may object to the minuteness of detail, and the familiarity of illustration, occasionally introduced. We, however, are persuaded that this objection will not be made by mothers. Education consists in attention to little things. The religious sentiments inculcated in this book are those usually denominated evangelical. We have proceeded upon the principle that this present life is the commencement of external existence, and that the great object of education is to prepare the child for its heavenly home.