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"The father spared not the rod, but healed not the child who, on the contrary, grew worse and worse. The lessons in punishment were not lost upon him. Whatever object offended him he would beat and punish just as he had been punished. If it were a tool of any kind he would smash and break it in pieces; if it were a dumb beast he would beat and abuse it.

"It happened one day that a zealous member of the Peace Society was a visitor at the house and witnessed a scene of contest in which the father barely came off victor. The visitor urged the father to follow a different course with his unfortunate son, to abandon all blows, all direct use of force and try mild measures. By his advice Johnny was made to understand that if he should commit a certain offence he would be mildly and kindly remonstrated with, have nothing but bread and water for supper and be obliged to lie upon the floor with only a little straw under him. Very soon he began to practice this mode of punishment upon the cattle. If the cow offended him instead of flying into a passion and beating her, he addressed her gravely, telling her the nature of her offences, and assuring her of the consequences. He would then lead her out, lay some straw upon the ground, bring a little water and a crust of bread, and tell her that was all she could have for supper. One day being in the field he hurt his foot with the rake, and instead of getting angry as he was wont to do and breaking the instrument to pieces, he took it up mildly but firmly, carried it home, got some straw and laid the offending tool upon it; then he brought some bread and water, and demurely told the offender that it had been very naughty that he did not want to hurt it -- but it should have no other supper and no bed to lie on.

"By such means he has been much improved, not only in behavior but in temper. He is growing less violent and more manageable every day."

Truly --, "he that feareth is not made perfect in love."

The first attempt in Europe for the education of Idiots is thus noticed by Dr. Howe -- "It is a singular and interesting fact that the first regular attempt upon record to educate an idiot was made with a view to prove the truth of the theory of the sensualist school of philosophy which was so much in favor, in France, during the Revolution. A wild boy who had been found in the forest, was brought to Paris and became famous as the Savage of Aveyron. Great was the delight of the wise men when they found that this man could not speak any human tongue, and was devoid of understanding and knowledge. The celebrated Itard undertook to teach him, and it was expected that he would prove that all our ideas are derived immediately from the senses and that our mental faculties are only sensations transformed. According to the theory, by causing certain sensations, certain ideas would be generated, and from these a given character produced. No one was better fitted than Itard for giving the experiment a fair trial, and he labored as far as man can whose feet are upon moving sand. But it was all in vain, and would have been nearly in vain under any system, for it became evident that the supposed savage was only an idiot. Itard, however, was not merely a philosopher, but a man of humanity, he became interested in the subject and followed up his attempts to instruct this poor creature with great zeal and ability for several years, and his labor was not lost. He saw what might be done for idiots and his thoughts and hints have been since acted upon by a disciple worthy of such a master -- Mr. Edward Seguin." Dr. Howe also mentions the praiseworthy efforts of Dr. Belhomme, of Paris, Mons. Ferrus, Mr. Falret, and Dr. Voisin. Their principal exertions have been made since the year 1824. "It is however," says Dr. Howe, "due to Edward Seguin to say that to him, more than to any other person, seems to be owing the great and rapid improvement which has been made in the art of teaching and training idiots. He has labored with that enthusiasm and zeal in a beloved object which almost always ensures success. He has put forth a degree of courage, energy and perseverance, which, if exerted in the art of destroying men and cities would have covered his breast with those crosses and decorations and tawdry baubles, so highly prized by vulgar minds. But how utterly worthless would be such tokens of excellence in a bloody and barbarous art compared with the high reward of an approving conscience which must ever follow labors of love in the field of beneficence. We do not know that Seguin has a title; but surely one of field-marshal or peer of France, which might have been given at the whim of a man, could never equal in true honor that of friend and benefactor of the most afflicted of the human race; a title which he has gained by long years of patient toil, and which shall be held in honor when that of destroyer shall cease to be prized by any but barbarians."

Extracts are also made from letters describing the schools for Idiots -- from those of Dr. Conolly and Mr. Sumner, already quoted by the correspondent of the Messenger, and which we therefore omit here, proceeding at once with Dr. Howe's appeal --