Excerpt from Essays Upon Popular Education: Containing a Particular Examination of the Schools of Massachusetts, and an Outline of an Institution for the Education of Teachers If then it is by the power of the examples which we see, more than by the influence of any and of all other means together, that our characters are What they are in manhood; if it depends upon these, whether we become Pagan, Mahometan, or Christian if it depends upon these, whether we grow up men of principle, or men without principle; men discharging all our duties to God, our neighbour, and ourselves, or men neglecting and despising them all; it would seem to be a matter Of some couse quence that the subject have a little consideration in this aspect of it. It ought to arrest the attention of every man, who is interested in the happiness of his fellow men, of every one who is interested in the character, condition, and prospects of his country, and above all, of every parent, who is interested in the formation of that character of his children, which is to abide by them here, and upon which depends their destiny hereafter. Although we cannot control the examples which may be set before us, we may in a great degree, control those, which we set before others, who will never fail to follow them. And, if my readers will indulge me in a little more preaching, there is no responsibility, which rests upon us, as parents loving our children, as patriots loving our country, as philanthropists loving mankind, or as ration al and immortal beings adoring our Creator, more solemn to us or important to society, than that of yielding our in fluence, whatever it may be, for the improvement and the advancement of the rising generation. Let the path Of virtue be cleared of the asperities with which the ignor ance and the wiles of men have obstructed it, and let it be illumined by the bright and steady example of all, whom children from their infancy most love and respect; and there need be no fear but it will be followed by many, who are now allured or driven from it. Though parents may look with occasional concern upon the gambols Of their little ones by the side of the way, they may be assured that they will always be within call. And when the exu berance of their life and spirits have subsided and less embarrassed reason succeeds, they will be ready to take up the undeviating course of their fathers and turn as anxious an eye upon those who may come after them. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.