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pravity of her young son. Remember the boy is a boy, not a man. He is yet in the savage state of his individual life. The marvelous insight of Plato long ago discovered the real state of the case.

"The

boy is the most unmanageable of all animals; he is the most insidious, sharp-witted, and insubordinate of animals." But hear how the wise Greek explained the fact. The boy is thus because "he has the fountain of reason in him not yet regulated."

Yes, boyhood is prehistoric, or at best the primitive period of human life. It is a heroic age, a dramatic era, a time of war and love, but not civilized, much less enlightened. Shall we call it the Thor period, of which the leading idea is hammer? Boy as boy is interesting to contemplate, but who could bear to exist with a perpetual boy? He is not only a perpetual motion, but a never-ending noise, and a ceaseless explosion of dynamitical violence. Our mental ejaculation to the average boy is that of Dickens's benevolent Cheruble to his brother: "Devil take you, Ned, God bless you.”

Let us have patience with these obdurate young brethren. Their ugly ansitional traits will not last. Let the surgent blood leap while it wi and let the animal grow. Bear and forbear. Yes, be thankful that Sam is Thor, hammering thunder out of the sky, not pale Narcissus drooping by the brook of death. The finer principles of benevolence, pity, piety, gentleness, self-sacrifice, are of slow culture. You, there, who sit at the teacher's desk, have you quite tamed the savage in you? Try the ratan on your own back, then.

Trust Mother Nature to punish the boys. Gracious Matron! she forever whispers deep lessons to their hearts. Sam weeps on her consolatory bosom, after disdaining his mother's plea, his father's condemnation, and his master's rod. Yes, rigorous yet gentle Nature knows the boys will not forever stone the pigs, slay the cats, and pull off the birds' heads. They will not always monopolize the nicest of the apples and beat their sisters for reporting the facts. Experience discovers limitations to their tyranny, and teaches even their selfishness to seek gratification in less objectionable ways. They throw away the Thor hammer of their own accord, seeing it is not the best instrument with which to win happiness.

The farmer finds it almost impossible to crush, with roller, harrow, and hoe, the stubborn clods of his field; but under the action of rain, frost, sunshine, and gravity, how often have I seen those same stubborn clods fall to pieces of themselves, and crumble down about the roots of the wheat and the barley! So the teacher finds it difficult to subdue and reform incorrigible propensities, that, if left alone, will soften, yield, and disappear, under the beneficent influences which

commonly bear upon youth. How many efficient assistants every teacher might have if he were wise enough to know it. The first assistant ought always to be the teacher's own pupil. Ah! I spoke without reflection, and should have said the teacher is only first assistant to the learner, for real education must always be, in the main, self-help.

III.

He who co-operates with Nature, in the work of educating the young, will discover that Nature's text-book is illuminated on every page with the inspiring word, Freedom. Freedom is the best good. Freedom is good for the body; good for the soul; good for man-for each organ and part of him, even to the minutest atom that enters into his composition, and for every motion of life or spirit that stirs his being. Freedom is strength, activity, life,-unfreedom is feebleness, paralysis, death. Freedom is neither license, nor constraint; neither stimulation, nor stupefaction; nor the condition of the over-nourished, hot-house plant, nor of the neglected weed by the barren way-side, nor of the rank, untended wild vine of the forest; but it is the state of the cultivated vegetation of the fertile, sunny garden bed. Freedom is the condition which allows man to become his perfect selt in the happiest way. It is favorable opportunity to conform to the law of individuality, to adjust man's faculties to their natural and proper use, to seek and find one's own physical and spiritual heritage, and to reach the full stature of independent manhood. Freedom is not the right to do as you please; it is the liberty to do and become what you are capable of in the legitimate exercise of your own powers-the privilege of obeying the external commandments inscribed by the Creator upon your members and your mind.

There can be no true obedience without freedom. To obey the laws of health I must be permitted to obtain proper food, practice suitable exercise, breathe pure air, and sleep in peace. The mind's health, also, requires wholesome surroundings and opportunity to enjoy them. Elegantly has Holmes elaborated an old, familiar figure illustrating my subject. "Look at the flower of a morning-glory the evening before the dawn which is to see it unfold. The delicate petals are twisted into a spiral which, at the appointed hour, when the sunlight touches the hidden springs of its life, will uncoil itself, and let the day-light into the chambers of its virgin heart. But the spiral must unwind by its own law, and the hand that shall try to hasten the process, will only spoil the blossom that would have expanded in symmetrical beauty under the rosy fingers of the morning."

Not only must the plant blossom in its own way, it must remain of its own species. Shall one say in obstinate pride or blind conceit, "I will make of this plant what I please, I will conform it to my ideal,it shall bear peaches, it shall bloom roses,—it shall ripen corn,—it shall grow, like Jack's bean, a hundred miles high,-it shall be a creeping moss?" Or shall we reflect, with humility, as co-workers with God, "What will come of this marvelous perennial that I am permitted to train? What lovely and heretofore unheard of blossom may it unfold? How can I best nurture and protect its tender leaves? How can I discover what soil, situation and culture are best adapted to it ?"

Fellow teachers, let us emancipate ourselves from the slavery of a mechanical system which ignores Nature, forgets God, and reduces us to tasked operatives, supervising a spinning-jenny. Let us emancipate the children from the tread-mill task of grinding out lessons for the sake of recording the grists. Lead them back to the Freedom of Nature; make them conscious of mind, thought, affection, duty, and joy. Feed them not on husks, but call them to the fruity orchard of vital knowledge, and to the flowing waters of living virtue. Measure your success not by the number of subjects taught, but by the number of minds roused to action. Count it no merit to have passed your class with an average per cent. of 99, unless you can claim also that the class has learned to love learning. Show me one boy or one girl whom you have induced to seek study as a pleasure rather than a tax, and I will say you deserve the crown of praise. Make of this boy an original man; make of this girl a woman whose mind to her shall Kingdom be, and no crown of praise can add glory to your brow.

Oh, that some blessed revival could come upon the brain and heart of our profession; could fall like sun-light from Heaven and illuminate and warm us for our duty. For we forget the principal things we should remember. We lapse into unconsciousness of our greatest privileges. The teacher should more than teach, more than govern, more than love; he should inspire his school. Inspire, breathe into the pupil the animative principle, the soul-breath, the awakening spirit, that gives consciousness of the need of activity, power, culture, education.

The tendency to persevere, to persist in spite of hindrances, discouragements and impossibilities-it is this that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.-Carlyle.

THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION.

BY SEBASTIAN THOMAS, LODI, OHIO.

The National Educational Association, held at Madison, Wisconsin, July 10 to 18, 1884, was the greatest educational convention ever held in the United States, and perhaps the largest ever held anywhere in the world.

For the benefit of my fellow laborers, as well as for the public interest which is so generally felt by all classes in the doings of this large gathering of school-teachers, I undertake this sketch of personal observations.

The National Association was organized at Philadelphia in 1857, by leading teachers from the various sections of the country. The preamble of the constitution then framed, states its object to be, "to elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching, and to promote the cause of popular education in the United States."

The association is divided into seven departments :

I. The National Council of Education.

II. The Department of School Superintendence.
Department of Normal Schools.

III.

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Two more departments have since been created by the admission of the Kindergarten and Music as regular departments of the

National Association.

The National Council of Education is composed of fifty-one members chosen from the association. This department, from the character of its members, their scholarly attainments penetrating every field of literature, science and philosophy, representing the highest and best thought upon the science and art of education, is the most honored and most dignified branch of the Association. To sit as a member among these sages, may be looked upon as the highest honor that lies in the career of the schoolmaster. It is worth long years of struggle, of persistent effort and self-denial. In this capacity to sit beside such men as Wm. T. Harris, Rev. A. D Mayo, G. Stanley Hall, W. H. Payne, John Hancock, E. E. White, Eli T. Tappan, and many other equally good and great men, is a greater honor than to be governor of a State, because it is a truer measure of real merit.

The exhibits of the Industrial and Art Departments formed the chief attraction of the Association. The variety and extent of specimens, all made by the students of the various institutions, produced expressions of wonder and praise. Governor Rusk, in his address of welcome, fitly referred to these departments when he said, "any one who has looked over your program and school exhibits will be justly satisfied and gratified that great good will come from this meeting to the educational interests of the Nation. I had no idea of the extent of the school exhibits until after they arrived. From them we can see at a glance that the industrial interests go hand in hand with the education of the mind; that physical training is necessary to mental culture, and the one without the other is deprived of more than half its force and usefulness."

In consideration of the importance of the present movement in favor of industrial education, it was recommended that an exhibit of results similar to these made here, be made in each State at its capitol during the session of the Legislature. Also, that a similar exhibit be made next year at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition at New Orleans.

In industrial exhibits, the Western colleges stood foremost. Worthy of mention are Purdue University, of Indiana, and the University of Wisconsin. Purdue University exhibited: 1. Bench work in wood. 2. Machine work in wood. 3. Pattern work in molding. 4. Vise work in iron. 5. Iron and steel forging.

There were samples of molding in all the various stages of progress; examples of turning, planing, fitting, and screw-cutting. There were two speed lathes, and a small engine doing its work steadily and quietly.

Wisconsin exhibit, was an was constructed by H. W. Mr. Pennock, from appearThere was nothing prepos to be one of the factotums

The most important specimen in the equatorial telescope, ten feet long. It Pennock, a student in the class of '83. ance, can not be over 22 years of age. sessing about him, and I at first took him about the capitol; but when, in answer to my question, he modestly told me that he was the maker of the instrument, I grasped his hand, and looking into his bright and deep set eyes, I felt the impulse of a power that is doing business on a high plane. The telescope has been bought for the observatory of Doane College, Nebraska.

Massachusetts has undoubtedly the first place in art education,—in all the various departments of mechanical and architectural drawing, in painting and in sculpture. Ohio, though she may well feel proud because of the able men by whom she is represented in the National Coun

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