He  is  interested  even  in  the  elements  of  intel-
lectual instruction ;  Paula  is  to  be  taught  to  read
and  write  while  she  is  still  a  tiny  child :  "  Get
for  her  a  set  of  letters  made  of  boxwood  or  of
ivory  and  called  each  by  its  proper  name.  Let
lier    play    with    these,  so  that  even   her  l)kiy   may


270    PRIMITIVE  CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION

teach  her  something.  And  not  only  make  her
grasp  the  right  order  of  the  letters  and  see  that
she  forms  their  names  into  a  rhyme,  but  con-
stantly disarrange  their  order  and  put  the  last
letters  in  the  middle,  and  the  middle  ones  at  the
beginning,  that  she  may  know  them  all  by  sight
as  well  as  by  sound."  Of  course,  S.  Jerome's  aim
here  is  to  discourage  "parrot  knowledge,"  from
the  outset  of  education.
Then  follows  his  advice  on  teaching  writing :
"  So  soon  as  she  begins  to  use  the  style  upon  the
wax,  and  her  hand  is  still  fi^ltering,  either  guide
her  soft  fingers  by  laying  your  hand  upon  hers,
or  else  have  simple  copies  cut  upon  a  tablet,  so
that  her  efforts  confined  within  these  limits  may
keep  to  the  lines  traced  out  for  her,  and  not  stray
outside  these."  Good  spelling  is  to  follow  reading
and  writing  in  this  simple  curriculum,

S.  Jerome  proceeds  from  these  elements  to  the
"training  of  memory."  The  words  Laeta  uses  are
not  to  be  chosen  by  chance,  they  are  to  have
a  natural  connection.  Thus  Jerome  rests  the
strengthening  of  memory  on  association.  It  might
interest  the  practical  teacher  to  compare  his  views
with  those  of  Dr.  Stout  (Oittlines  of  Psycliolog'ij),
as  the  latter  directs  us  to  study  the  concentration
of  attention  as  an  aid  to  memory.
