CAUTIONS AND COUNSELS. to be changed by the first counter-suggestion of a friend; who fluctuates from opinion to opinion, and from plan to plan, and veers like a weatherbreath of caprice that blows, can never accomcock to every point of the compass with every plish anything great or useful. Instead of being progressive in anything, he will be at best stationary, and more probably retrogade in all. It is only the man who carries into his pursuits that great quality which Lucan ascribes to Cæsar, nescia virtus stare loco, who first consults wise [THE following admirable suggestions are from Potter's Hand Book, and must recommend the work to all interested in the subject of general education. As the precise object of the book is not explained by its title, it may be important to state, that it is "intended as a help to individual associations, school districts, and seminaries of learning, in the selection of works for reading, in-ly, then resolves firmly, and then executes his purpose with inflexible perseverance, undismayvestigation, or a professional study." Its author,ed by those petty difficulties which daunt a weaA. Potter, D. D., guarantees, by a reputation ker spirit, that can advance to eminence in any honorably earned and firmly established, the char-line. Let us take, by way of illustration, the acter of the work.-Ee.] 1. Always have some useful and pleasant book ready to take up in "odd ends" of time. A good part of life will otherwise be wasted, "There is," says Wittenbach, "no business, no avocation, whatever, which will not permit a man who has an inclination to give a little time every day to the studies of his youth." 2. Be not alarmed because so many books are recommended. They are not all to be read at once, nor in a short time. "Some travellers," says Bishop Hall, "have more shrunk at the map than at the way; between both, how many stand still with their arms folded." case of a student. He commences the study of the dead languages; presently comes a friend, who tells him he is wasting his time, and that, instead of obsolete words, he had much better employ himself in acquiring new ideas. He changes his mind and sets to work at the mathematics. Then comes another friend, who asks him, with a grave and sapient face, whether he intends to become a professor in a college; because, if he does not, he is misemploying his time; and that, for the business of life, common mathematics is quite enough of the mathematics. He throws up his Euclid, and addresses himself to some other study, which, in its turn, is again re. linquished on some equally wise suggestion; and 3. Do not attempt to read much or fast. thus life is spent in changing his plans. You "To call him well read who reads many au- cannot but perceive the folly of this course; and thors," says Shaftsbury, "is improper." "Non the worst effect of it is, the fixing on your mind refert quam multos libros," says Seneca, "sed a habit of indecision, sufficient in itself to blast quam bonus habeas." Says Locke, "This is that the fairest prospects. No, take your course which I think great readers are apt to be mista-wisely, but firmly; and, having taken it, hold upken in: those who have read of everything, are thought to understand everything too; but it is not always so. Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours. We are of the ruminating kind, and it is not enough to cram our selves with a great load of collections; unless we chew them over again, they will not give us strength and nourishment." on it with heroic resolution, and the Alps and Pyrences will sink before you. The whole empire of learning will be at your feet, while those who set out with you, but stop to change their plans, are yet employed in the very profitable business of changing their plans. Let your motto be, Perseverando vinces. Practice upon it, and you will be convinced of its value by the distinguished eminence to which it will conduct you." 6. Read always the best and most recent book on the subject which you wish to investigate. "You are to remember," says Pliny the younger, "that the most approved authors of each sort are to be carefully chosen, for, as it has been well observed, though we should read much, we should not read many authors." A mistake here is so common and so pernicious, that I add one more authority. Says Dugald Stewart, "Nothing, in truth, has such a tendency to weaken, not only the powers of invention, but the intellectual powers in general, as a habit of extensive and various reading WITHOUT REFLECTION. The activity and force of mind are gradually impaired, in consequence of disuse; and not unfrequently all our principles and opin. 7. Study subjects rather than books: thereions come to be lost in the infinite multiplicity fore, compare different authors on the same suband discordancy in our acquired ideas. It re-jects; the statements of authors, with informa quires courage, indeed (as Helvetius has remark-tion collected from other sources; and the conclued), to remain ignorant of those useless subjects sicns drawn by a writer with the rules of sound which are generally valued; but it is a courage logic. "Learning," says Feltham, "falls far necessary to men who either love the truth, or short of wisdom; nay, so far, that you scarcely who aspire to establish a permanent reputation." find a greater fool than is sometimes a mere scho4. Do not become so far enslaved by any sys- lar." tem or course of study as to think it may not 8. Seek opportunities to write and converse be altered, when alteration would contribute to on subjects about which you read. "Reading," the healthy and improving action of the mind. says Bacon, "maketh a full man, conference a These systems begin by being our servants; they ready man, and writing an exact man." Anoth sometimes end by becoming masters, and tyranni-er benefit of conversation is touched upon by cal masters they are. Feltham: "Men commonly write more formally 5. Beware, on the other hand, of frequent than they practice. From conversing enly with changes in your plan of study. This is the be-books, they fall into affectation and pedantry," setting sin of young persons. "The man who and he might have added into many mistakes. resolves," says Wirt, "but suffers his resolution"He who is made up of the press and the pen shall be sure to be ridiculous. Company and conversation are the best instructers for a noble nature." "An engagement and combatting of wits," says Erasmus, does in an extraordinary manner show the strength of geniuses, rouses them and augments them. If you are in doubt of any thing, do not be ashamed to ask, or if you have committed an error, be corrected." 6 which I myself read about twenty-five years ago, I remember one counsel there addressed to young men, but, in fact, of universal application. I call upon them,' said the author, 'to dare to be ignorant' of many things; a wise counsel, and justly expressed; for it requires much courage to forsake popular paths of knowledge, merely upon a conviction that they are not favorable to 9. Accustom yourself to refer whatever you the ultimate ends of knowledge. In you, howread to the general head to which it belongs, and ever, that sort of courage may be presumed; trace it, if a fact, to the principle it involves or illus. but how will you dare to be ignoraat' of many trates; if a principle, to the facts which it produ- things, in opposition to the cravings of your own ces or explains. "I may venture to assert," says mini? Simply thus: destroy these false cravings Mr. Starkie, speaking of the study of the law, by introducing a healthier state of the organ. A and the remark is eqally applicable to other stu-good scheme of study will soon show itself to be dies, "that there is nothing which more effectu- such by this one test, that it will exclude as powally facilitates the study of the law than the con-erfully as it will appropriate; it will be a system stant habit on the part of the student of attempt of repulsion no less than of attraction; once thoing to trace and reluce what he learns by reading roughly possessed and occupied by the deep and or by practice to its appropriate principle. Cases genial pleasures of one truly intellectual pursuit, appareatly remote, by this means are made to you will be easy and indifferent to all others that illustrate an explain each other. Every addi-had previously teased you with transient excitetional acquisition adds strength to the principle which it supports and illustrates; and thus the stu lent becomes armed with principles and conclusions of important and constant use in forensic warfare, and possesses a power, from the united support of a principle, fortified by a number of depen lant cases and illustrations; while the desultory, non-digesting reader, the man of indices and abridgments, is unable to bear in his mind a multiplicity of, to him, unconnected cases; and could he recollect them, would be unable to make use of them if he failed to find one exact ly suited to his purpose." ment. To show that these counsels are neither novel nor frivolous, the author has enforced each one of them by the authority of some honored name. GRAMMAR. PRACTICAL LESSONS. We shall publish a series of lessons, gathered from various sources, suggestive of new and useful and interesting methods of teaching. Many of them will be well adapted to oral lessons in which the whole school may, in concert, profitably take part, during the last half hour of each day.—[ED. The following is an account of an experiment in teaching the etymological part of English Grammar, made in a district school with a class of an equal number of males and females, between the ages of ten and sixteen years; but generally from twelve to sixteen. Owing to the inclemency of the season, the class consisted of only eight or ten scholars. 11. Strive, by frequent reviews, to keep your knowledge always a command. "What boot eth," says an old writer, "to read much, which is a weariness to the flesh; to meditate often, which is a burden to the mind; to learn daily, with increase of knowledge, when he is to seek for what he hath learnel, and perhaps, then, es- Ten lessons were given, of about an hour and pecially when he hath most need thereof? With-2 half each, and the whole time devoted to the out this, our studies are but lost labor." "One subject, including the time occupied in studying of the profoun-lest and most versatile scholars in three or four short lists of words at home, could Englan," says Mr. Warren, in his Law Studies, not have been more than twenty-four hours. Yet "has a pro-ligious memory, which the author during this short period, nearly the whole class once told him was a magazine stored with wealth acquired a thorough understanding of the nature from every department of knowle lge. 'I am of an adjective, and the degrees of comparison; not surprised at it,' he added, ner would you be, of a noun, and its gender, number, and case; of or any one that knew the pains I have taken in pronouns in general; of verbs and adverbs: also selecting and depositing what you call my some knowledge of transitive and intransitive 'wealth.' I take care always to ascertain the verbs, of mood and tense, of government and value of what I look at, and if satisfied on that agreement, and of the nature of prepositions, conscore, I most carefully stow it away. I pay, be- junctions, interjections, and articles. They could sides, frequent visits to my 'magazine, and parse etymologically, as well as the majority of keep an inventory of at least every thing impor- scholars (even of their ages.) can. who have studitant, which I frequently compare with my stores. ed grammar three months on the common plan. It is, however, the systematic disposition and ar- More than this, what they did understand, they unrangement I adopt, which lightens the labours of derstood clearly; and they had associated none of memory. I was by no means remarkable for those painful ideas with the thought of English memory when young; on the contrary, I was Grammar, which are too often found connected considered rather defective on that score.' 999 with it. Enough at any rate was done to convince the instructer of what he had long believed, that if grammar must be studied by young children, there is a better mode than that of requiring them 12. Dare to be ignorant of many things. "In a celebrated satire (the Pursuits of Literature), much read in my youth," says De Quincy, "and to spend weeks and months in committing to memory and repeating definitions and rules to which they cannot possibly attach any meaning. That the plan here detailed is the best, is not pretended. It is believed, however, that conducted in this spirit, and on these general principles, a more steady, rational, and, to the young mind, a more healthful progress will be made than on the usual plan. Sensible objects will aid the mind in studying grammar as well as other sciences; and there is no necessity arising from the nature of the English language, of making children miserable while they are studying this, more than any other branch of knowledge. When children have made considerable progress, books may be useful; but till that time I believe it better to pursue some plan like the following; giv. ing each pupil nothing but a slate, pencil, and sponge, and directing him to the book of nature. Some time before I commenced the following course, I had mentioned to my scholars, that, as the school was large, and the people rather opposed to the introduction of grammar during the day, if they would bring each a slate and pencil, we would commence a series of evening lessons, in January, in that branch. In January we commenced; and as far as I can recollect, the following course was pursued. The scholars having taken their seats, the instructer proceeded : "Scholars, will you take your slates, pencils, and sponges?" They were immediately taken. "Now please to write the name of this thing which I hold in my hand, upon your slates." Some wrote staff, others cane. Either was sufficient for my purpose. "Now you may write upon your slates the names of all the things you can see in this school-room." "There are but few things in the room." "Well, you may write the names of those few." Contrary, however, to the expectation of the lad who remarked that there were but few things in the room, he thought of more than he could write on one side of his slate. Many of the scholars remarked that they could not before have believed that the room contained so many things. When most of the class had extended their list of names as far as they could, I request ed them to count them. The number that any individual had obtained is not recoilected, but it was considerable in several instances. They were next requested to pronounce severally the names they had written; and afterwards the instructer corrected their orthography where corrections were necessary. The next lessons were the names of flowers, trees, fishes, trades, articles of household furni. ture, &c.. "What did I first do when I came into the room this evening?" "You asked us to take our slates and write the name of the thing you held in your hand." "And what did you write?" "Cane." "What were you next required to do?" "Now you have been present in schools where grammar was studied; can any of you tell me what a noun is?" No one was able to repeat the language he had heard used in defining it. "Well, all the words which you have written down this evening are nouns. Nouns are the names of things. There are many mcre of them. You have written down the names of a small part only of the things which the world contains, yet the names of all things in the world are nouns. Now have the goodness to take your spellingbooks, and turn to these easy sentences ca page -. I will read the fourth line from the top of the page. S., which are the nouns in that sentence?" The answer was given promptly and correctly. Other questions of the kind were asked respect ing other simple sentences, to which answers were given. (To be continued] [From the Newburyport Herald.] LETTER TO A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER. MY promise to say something on the subject of venti——: I closed my last letter with a lation; a few words will redeem this promise. Were I able, you do not wish me to talk scientifically about the composition of our atmosphere to tell you how it is made up of " trogen, and carbonic acid gas," and how the oxygen, niformer of these is the "vital air;" a fresh supply of it being continually needed to support life. You have been in railroad cars-on board steamboats-in "market halls"-in parlors where the windows are never opened, and the fumes of breakfast, dinner and supper are condensed and kept, as if on purpose to add to the impurity of the atmosphere; you have been also in "best chambers"-too often, with all their neatness of furniture and snow-white counterpanes, the worst chambers, because never opened except to receive and give nightmare sleep to some poor victim, who would willingly exchange all his glory and privilege as an honored visitor, for a little of heaven's fresh air. You have been in such vehicles and apartments enough to know how essential to comfort and health is a frequent change of air. "The immediate effects of breathing impure air," says Mr. Mann, in his last Annual Report, which you must, and which all good people ought to, read and pon ler," are lassitude of the whole system, incapability of concentrated thought, cttuseness and uncertainty of the senses, followed by dizziness, faintness, and, if long continued, by death." Now very visible will be some of these effects, with the addition of extreme fractiousness and restlessness on the part of the pupils, and weariness and despcadency on your part, in your schoolroom, unless you take pains to keep it well and thoroughly ventilated. If your apartment is not constructed so as to effect this object constantly, you must make, as often as once an hour or thereabouts, an ap "To write the names of all the things in the paratus for the purpose; and that apparatus may school-room." "What next?" be the simple process of opening the doors and windows, one and all, till the breezes ve This question being answered, several other swept out, clean and entirely, all " pestilential questions were put, of the same general charac-stuff." Be sure and do this; even if meanwhile ter, to which appropriate answers were promptly you are obliged to put on cloak and hood, or take given, a run to keep yourself comfortable. It will be 188 it; for you will find in this case, and in a most im- TRUST TO YOURSELF. UTOPIA. THIS is a glorious principle for the industriyet the philosophy of it is not understood so well ous and trading classes of the community; and as it ought to be. the country, than to hear men spoken of who ori- necessary for you to go out of your room occasionally and return to it in order to ascertain the state of the air; for one may get accustomed to breathing a foul atmosphere so as not to perceive its foulness. I have been into schoolrooms, full of bad air and offensive in the extreme, and found the teachers quite unconscious that they and their scholars were inhaling mouthfuls of poison every moment. Be careful about the temperature of your room;-let it be neither a furnace nor an ice-house; avoid sudden changes; keep the thermometer, if you have one to keep, at about 60° to 65°. In this connection I as well speak of what will lie very near the may heart, and have not a little to do with the lungs and limbs of your scholars. I mean the recesses. Mr. Mann says and in this, as in most matters relating to schools, he is a very sensible man, a practical man, an economical man, understand. ing that wise economy which is prospective, and takes care of the real treasures of society, namely, the muscle and sinews of its members, which furnish that ability to labor, to labor with the brain as well as the hands, without which, gold is no better than dross, and capital an unproductive useless mass of dead matter-Mr. Mann says, "In nine-tenths of the schools in the state, composed of children below seven or eight years of age, the practice still prevails of allowing but one recess in the customary session of three hours, although every physiologist and physician knows, that for every forty-five or fifty minutes' confinement in the school-room, all children, under those ages, should have at least the remaining fifteen or ten minutes of the hour for exercise in the open air." Pray do not follow those nine-tenths to do evil; for, not to allow young children to run and romp, is as unnatural as it would be to put sprightly kittens in straight jackets to teach them demureness. At recess time,ed, as to secure the confidence and interest of its look out for those disposed to stay in-those pale. readers; for unfortunately it can illy spare any faced, narrow-chested, feebled-framed boys, in- of those few friends, who are willing to give anyclined to continue bending over their books or to gather around the stove-look out, I say, for thing more than barren good wishes for its success. those, and drive them forth, for they are the very Those subscriptions which close with the present fellows that need exercise most, and most frequent- volume, will necessarily be discontinued, unless ly. They may be the jewels of your school as scholars, but their brains are overactive and need renewed, as the small sum charged makes the checking. Every one of their disproportionate dependence on credit collections, worthless. mental efforts is indeed "a cast of the shuttle that weaves their shrouds!" Send them out lead them out-run with them if they will not run of themselves, and you will do them more good than if you taught them the whole multiplication table in a single forenoon. Generally speaking, the child that cannot relish play, is destined to the imperfect life of a miserable inva-king but a slight effort, so extend its circulation lid, or to an early grave. Endeavor to classify your scholars as far and as perfectly as you can. Have a system, in which recitation and study shall regularly alternate, and each pupil be always employed about something. Avoid, if you possibly can, having a single idle minute; let there be a time for everything and everything in its time. Try to get a pleasing variety in the arrangement of your work. Do not put all the reading together, or all the spelling; but judiciously recognize that love of novelty in children, which, as it is natural, must be of some use. I will add. that you must have care for your own health and brightness. If your school-house is near your residence, take a long sweep to get to up their hearts against each other, and each I would be far from desiring to see men shut stand, in the panoply of his own resolutions, determined against every friendly appeal whatso ever. It is possible, however, to be not altogether a churl, and yet to take care lest we be tempted into an exertion of benevolence, dangerous to ourselves, while it is, of little advantage to our friends.-Chambers. NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. WE hope that the Journal has been so conduct that the more general circulation of the Journal its general appearance, and give much greater 80.50 4.00 TERMS OF THE JOURNAL. |