age to demand freedom where the capacity for freedom
is still lacking." This truth may lead to error unless the
corresponding truth that freedom means nothing to un-
developed selfhood is as clearly recognised. We should
prepare our pupils for fruit-bearing at maturity, but we
should never try to make them " bear to pattern," as
Dr. Blimber did. The child should be controlled, but
control should consist in letting the sunshine into its
life, that it may be stirred to action, and through action
grow to greater life.

The proper use of power in all stages of a man's de-
velopment is the most certain way of revealing true free-
dom and preventing its misuse. Froebel condensed this
central educational thought into two short sentences:
" The will is strengthened only by voluntary activity.
By striving to create the beautiful and the good, the
feelings are developed, and by all lawful, thoughtful, free
activity the mind is cultivated."

By lawful, thoughtful, free, productive self-activity
from childhood to maturity man is prepared for the
struggle of each soul " to break its fetters and lead to
freedom—that is, to that freedom which recognises law
as its first principle, and submits to it consciously."

Froebel's work has influenced the work of discipline
more than any other department of school work, but
the improvement has resulted chiefly from the objective
lessons in loving kindness and sympathy given in the
kindergarten. The underlying philosophy of the law of
harmony between control and spontaneity is not yet fully
understood by teachers. When it is clearly compre-
hended universally, all schools will become " Free re-
publics of childhood."

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