This child had, without doubt, heard of some transaction of the kind which he described, and had observed that the word profit was applied to it.  Now the care which he had exercised in attending to it at the time, and remembering it when the same word (for the difference in the spelling he of course knew nothing about) occurred again, was really commendable.  The fact, which is a mere accident, that we affix very different significations to the same sound, was unknown to him.  The fault, if any where, was in the language and not in him, for he reasoned correctly from the data he possessed, and he deserved credit for it.

The teacher should always discriminate carefully between errors of this kind, and those that result from culpable carelessness.

3.  TARDINESS.—­“My duty to this school,” said a teacher to his pupils, “demands, as I suppose you all admit, that I should require you all to be here punctually at the time appointed for the commencement of the school.  I have done nothing on this subject yet, for I wished to see whether you would not come early on principle.  I wish now, however, to inquire in regard to this subject, and to ascertain how many have been tardy, and to consider what must be done hereafter.”

He made the inquiries, and ascertained pretty nearly how many had been tardy, and how often within a week.

The number was found to be so great that the scholars admitted that something ought to be done.

“What shall I do?” asked he.  “Can any one propose a plan which will remedy the difficulty?”

There was no answer.

“The easiest and pleasantest way to secure punctuality is for the scholars to come early of their own accord, upon principle.  It is evident, from the reports, that many of you do so, but some do not.  Now there is no other plan which will not be attended with very serious difficulty, but I am willing to adopt the one which will be most agreeable to yourselves, if it will be likely to accomplish the object.  Has any one any plan to propose?”

There was a pause.

“It would evidently,” continued the teacher, “be the easiest for me to leave this subject, and do nothing about it.  It is of no personal consequence to me whether you come early or not, but as long as I hold this office I must be faithful, and I have no doubt the school committee, if they knew how many of you were tardy, would think I ought to do something to diminish the evil.

“The best plan that I can think of is that all who are tardy should lose their recess.”

The boys looked rather anxiously at one another, but continued silent.

“There is a great objection to this plan from the fact that a boy is sometimes necessarily absent, and by this rule he will lose his recess with the rest, so that the innocent will be punished with the guilty.”

“I should think, sir,” said William, “that those who are necessarily tardy might be excused.”