This I had never tried before, and I must say I was extremely glad to witness it.

I never knew him absent without leave afterwards, and, what is more surprising, he appeared to be very fond of the school, and became a very good child.
Was not this, then, a brand plucked from the fire?
I have been advised to dismiss twenty such children, rather than retain them by the above means; but if there be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance, ought not such a feeling to be encouraged on earth, particularly when it can be done by means that are not injurious to the orderly, but, on the contrary, productive of the best effects?
The child just mentioned afterwards went into the National School, with several others who had been nearly as bad as himself, but they scarcely ever failed to come and see me when they had a half holiday, and the master of the school told me that not one of them had ever been absent without leave, and that he had no fault to find with them.

I have further to observe that the moment I perceived a bad effect produced by any method of punishment, it was relinquished.

But I feel it my duty here to caution the reader against the too frequent practice of many to object.

It may cost a man many years to find out what may be desirable and workable; but to become an objector requires no thought, accordingly the most thoughtless are generally the greatest objectors.
I believe that there was not a child in the school who would not have been delighted _to carry the broom_, if I had called it play; the other children might have laughed as long as they pleased, for he would have laughed as heartily as any of them, and as soon as he had done, I should have had a dozen applicants, with "Please, sir, may I?
please, sir, may I ?" but it was called a _punishment_, and hence I had no applications whatever; they all dreaded it as much as they would a flogging.