propriety. As soon as they take book in hand, of night. Why it so often proves a season of care rather than rest, to many. And in this connection, we might moralize on the importance of wholesome diet, vigorous exercise, and an ap proving conscience, as preparatives to quiet and refreshing repose. "Spectre of despair:"What form of speech is this? Do spectres and apparitions ever really appear? Is there any ground of anxiety or alarm about them? What is the difference between house and tent? Describe a tent. Point out its construction and use. Who was Brutus; and who Cæsar? Where and when did they live? What was their business? When and where and how did they die? Why should Brutus be startled? Where is Rome?and many others. When you have got your pupils along so far as to read easy, simple sentences well, i. e., ac. cording to the sense, with distinctness and At one time, let all read the same chapter, secpromptitude, and without stammering, drawling tion and paragraph; at another, let one read a or nasal twang, you have accomplished a great whole chapter, or section, or lesson, and let the and good work. Children acquire the habit of others be listeners without looking on the book. stammering, and drawling, and all disregard to It is a good thing to be a good listener, almost proper intonation, in the early stages of this art as good as to be a good reader. This is a part by being put to read either what they do not un-of education, and a part very proper for the derstand, or what has no sense in it, or lastly, school room. How many evils arise from the what they are not familiar with. But if they want of power simply to fix the attention! have been taught to take their first steps right, What contradictions! what discrepancies of tesall that is to follow will be comparatively easy. timony in courts of justice! what embarrassThe pupil has now acquired so much in the art, ments and perplexities in business! And all that if supplied with suitable books, he may be. simply from the want of power to fix the atten gin to entertain and improve himself. From this tion! time forth, you may look for rapid progress. Another advantage will arise from the prac tice of listening without the book. The reader must be sufficiently loud and distinct to enable the listeners to discriminate by the ear, without the aid of the eye, between combinations of letters very similar in sound, though it may be, very different in sense. In teaching reading, whether to older or young. er classes, unless the scholars are quite far advanced, let your exercises be short. A few lines well read, will be better than whole paragraphs hurried, mumbled, or slurred over, as they often are in our schools. Tax your ingenuity to make them interesting to your pupils. Multiply and The injunction so often repeated by teachers, vary questions and remarks, grammatical, histo-"Look on your book, and see whether he reads and moral, indefinitegraphical, philosophical right," it is not always wise to enforce. There the sentiments of your pupils be constantly in and is another which I would sometimes substitute 101 l, Tag aside your book, and hear whether action, and draw from every lesson whatever it he reads right." This will enable the listener can contribute to their improvement. Reading to determine whether the reader has a clear ut. exercises in school, are often tedious affairs to terance and distinct articulation. It will prepare children. How can it otherwise be, taught and him in after life to listen to the reader or speak. exercised as they are? At first they are taught er, as he must do, without the aid of book to a, b, c; and then b, 1, a, bla; b, 1, e, ble. After- help him understand or keep the connection. In wards a class is called out, and they read round listening to a reader, the class should be guided, in dull, monotonous rotation, beginning at one chiefly, by the ear, but with book in hand, they end, and going straight on to the other, without are often guided chiefly by the eye. They think question or comment, what few understand, and they hear and understand, but it is rather see and fewer are interested in. Thus conducted, the understand. Perhaps a better way would be to reading exercise cannot fail to be dull. See to it allow, alternately, one half of the class to look from the beginning, that you make it entertain upon the book, and the other half to listen withing and instructive by the various and valuable out book. For sometimes readers read distinct. information of which it is the medium. ly and loud, and make good sense, and yet leave out or put in words, or substitute other words for those in the book; a fault, which those listening without book, would not be likely to de. tect, and yet a fault, which as leading to habits of carelessness and inattention, calls for correction. What a variety of questions the following sentence, for instance, may suggest : "Night is the time for care, Brooding on hours misspent; To see the spectre of despair Come to our lonely tent, Like Brutus midst his slumbering host, Startled by Cæsar's stalworth ghost." Besides all the inquiries about the meaning of words, their derivation, composition, and pronunciation; also articulation, accent, emphasis, tone, inflection, pauses and cadence, we might ask, What is the cause of night? and pass to a consideration of various astronomical phenomena. We might ask the uses and advantages I have already said, Do not hear the class in regular rotation from one end to the other, but advisable, if the class be large) to hear each pupromiscuously. Neither is it necessary (or even pil read every time the class is called out, as some parents and teachers suppose. It is better for one or two to read thoroughly and correctly, while the others listen attentively, than to run through the whole class in a hurried, confused, faulty manner. In this, as in all things, regard not the principle " how much," but "how well." Again, they need not always read to a period, or full stop, or to the end of a sentence or para. graph, or even 'o any pause. Rather, sometimes, let one commence and read to the middle of a sentence, and then let another take it up there right in the middle of a sentence, and just where, it may be, the sense is incomplete, and finish it. At one recitation you may spend most of the time in reading; at another, in asking questions, and making remarks; and at a third, in reading yourself to the class. This last will be an excellent mode of spending the time; especially, if you allow your pupils to remark up on your reading. This can be done with safety and profit, when a right state of feeling pre-just that they may be able to say that they have vails. After a scholar has read, point out to him his faults in pronunciation, pauses, inflections and tones; in omitting or substituting words; or what is more important, in regard to the general style and execution of the reading as affecting the meaning, strength or beauty of the passage. Let this be done after the scholar has read-after he has got through. Do not keep stopping and correcting him while he is in the very act of reading. This serves only to provoke or discourage him, and makes a bad matter worse. Read it over to him once or twice, or let some one of the class do it, and then let the first reader try again. Be sure you do this last. Some teachers will point out a fault, show by example how the passage should be read, and then, without requiring the pupil to read the sentence a second time, and himself correct the fault, pass on to the next. This is very faulty. I repeat, do not stop a scholar, or allow your pupils to interrupt him in the midst of his performance, but wait until he gets to the end; unless it be for some gross fault or blunder, which would utterly pervert the cone, anu destroy all propriety of reading. It is perplexing and discouraging so to do. It mars all the beauty of the performance, and utterly defeats the object of correction. Far better is it to allow him to go on to the end of the sentence, and then call his attention to his faults in the gross. Almost every scholar will have something good and deserving imitation in his manner, as well as something faulty. Call the attention of the whole class to the points of excellence as well as of defect. Urge them to imitate the one, and avoid the other. One scholar, for instance, will read too fast; another, too slow; one, too high, and another too low; one will be very indistinct and clutter ing, yet perfectly correct in all his intonations and inflections; and a third, who avoids the faults of both, will hesitate, stumble and miscall words. Satisfy yourself in any proper way, and in various ways, that your pupils understand what they read. Question them on every exercise. And frequen'ly require them to give you oral or written abstracts or analyses of what they read. This is an excellent exercise for mental discipline, and for acquiring the use of language, and the art of constructing sentences-a very important part, though not the most difficult part, of composition. The ability to read well depends much on practice. Let your pupils. therefore, if possi ble, read often. But do not forget that much more depends on regular, systematic, thorough drilling, than upon the quantity read. Two exercises a week, thoroughly and judiciously executed, are better than a half a dozen, or even a half a thousand, such as I have known. Again, I repeat, take care that the exercise does not become a dull, monotonous, unmeaning affair. Let every thing within its limits, be turned to the cultivation either of the head or of the heart; every word, fact, allusion and character, and vary your method, until variety itself becomes monotony. Do not, as thousands have done, allow your pupils to run over whole pages and chap. ters, in a careless, rambling, superficial way, read through their book! This is exactly the way to make them familiar with the book, while they know nothing of its contents. Many a book in this way has lost its novelty, before a single chapter in it had been fully understood and well read. It has nothing to recommend it, but that it is admirably calculated to make scholars careless and stupid. Call the attention of your pupils often to their own faults, or to faults to which they have a tendency; particularly to any erroneous provincialisms which may prevail in the community in which they have been brought up. Many words of common use are often very incorrectly pronounced, while the very commonness of the fault is the reason that it is not noticed. Instance in the words, head, leg, bed, window, nature, catch, get, tobacco, together with all the participial terminations in ing, and many others. These are often pronounced, häid, läig, winder, ketch, git, &c., instead of hěd, leg, window, catch, get, &c. Furnish them with a catalogue of such words, or rather let them make out enf for themselve mearse You perceive I have been describing a process of teaching reading on the assumption that you take the pupil from the beginning, give him his first lesson, and lead on through his whole course. You would commence with the most simple words, names of familiar objects, then pass to simple sentences made up of these words thence to plain narrative; after which all will come in due succession, conversational prose, dialogue, simple poetry, and finally the more impassioned strains of poetry and prose. This is the course I would recommend. To do all this and to do it well, is no easy task; and yet it may be far easier than what will actually fall to your lot. For you will have not only scholars who have not been taught at all, but those who have been taught badly, with every variety of pronunciation, tone, cadence, and inflection.You will find much to be corrected; much work of preparation to be performed; many thorns to be extirpated, before the good seed can grow, or even be sown. The inquiry then arises, "How can we make good readers of those who now read badly, as well as of those who cannot read at all? I reply in another question. How can we become good readers ourselves? For on the same principles, and by the same method, that we learn ourselves, we may teach others. MENTAL ARITHMETIC. It is a matter of the first importance, that the teacher should have a distinct idea of the objects to be gained by the practice of mental arithme- the parallels of fifty and fifty-six degrees N. lattic; as, otherwise, the main advantages that itude, it is more than half way between the might result from it will assuredly be lost. Let Equator and North pole; and, of course, under it constantly be borne in mind, then, by the the first meridian, which passes through the east teacher, that the knowledge of arithmetic is not of it. The position of Ireland, and Scotland, the the chief benefit to be derived from it, but one one to the west, the other to the north of Engof secondary importance. It is the mental dis- land, and forming a portion of it, may then be cipline, the power of abstraction, the habit of at-pointed to, or dotted in chalk; and so of other tention and of reasoning which it developes, that countries. constitutes its chief value. But all these advantages are lost, if the child is allowed to study the books, more especially by working out the questions on the slate. They can only be completely attained, by calling on the class to solve each question mentally, merely from hearing it once read, and then to give a clear account of his mental operations. And, so beautifully are the questions arranged, so completely does the knowledge gained in each question, come into requisition in those that follow, that, if the plan of study be commenced right, and strictly followed, the most intricate and difficult questions will give no trouble to the class. At It requires some tact, to gain the utmost ad. vantage from mental arithmetic; but it is easily acquired. The main point is, that the attention of the teacher be kept wide awake. The dull and slow must be allowed time; the bright must not be suffered to monopolize the answers. the same time, it will not do for the answers to be received, in the order in which the pupils stand in the class; for, in this case, only one child would be occupied at once. Each pupil would attend only to his own question; whereas all should be occupied, and should actually solve every question put to the class. The best plan, then, is, for each to hold up a finger, when ready to answer, leaving the teacher to select whose turn it shall be. Thus, every one might have an -Palmer's Manual. A small wooden globe, divided into two equal parts, is used by us to give children correct ideas, both of the form of the earth, and of the two hemispheres, or map of the world. When the teacher is explaining the form of the earth, he holds the small globe in his hand; and when the two hemispheres into which it is supposed to be divided, he takes it asunder, and places the two half globes against the wall, with their edges in contact, and in juxta-position with a map of the world. Latitude, Longitude, the Great and Small circles of the sphere, Meridians, Parallels, and Zones, which to children, appear as so many mysteries, may be simply and clearly taught by the use of such a globe. The circle formed by the junction of the two halves when united, may be regarded as the First Meridian, and, if a circle equidistant from the poles be traced, it will intersect it at right angles, and represent the Equator. The Tropic, Arctic, and other circles, may be easily added and explained; and if the globe be painted black, it will be easy to give an outline in chalk, of the relative position and extent of the great division of the earth's surface into continents and oceans. For example, ask the pupil to point to the spot where England should be, and if he recollects its latitude and longitude, he will, at once, determine its proper position. He will say, that, as it lies between Having taught the pupils as much of Mathematical Geography as will enable them to comprehend the figure, magnitude, and motions of the earth, their attention is directed to the great divisions into which its surface is naturally divided; or, in other words, they are introduced to Physical Geography. We begin by giving them general views and leading ideas. Having made them observe that there is far more water than land upon the surface of the globe, we inform them that the proportion is probably as seven to three; or, in other words, that more than two-thirds of the earth's surface are covered with water. To fix this fact in their minds, it may be added, that the proportion between the land and water on the earth's surface, is much the same as between the diameter and circumference of a globe, or circle, that is, something less than one-third. We then inform them that the entire surface of the earth, land and water included, is supposed to contain about one hundred and fifty millions of geographical square miles; and they will draw the conclusion that the extent of the land must be less than fifty millions, or less than onethird. Having supposed that the land on the earth's surface contains about forty-five millions of geographical square miles, we distribute it into five great divisions, or continents, namely, Asia, America, Africa, Europe, and Oceanica; observing at the same time, that the water is also divided into five great divisions, or oceans, namely, usifie, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Northern, and the Southern oceans. After learning from a map of the world the relative position, and comparative extent, of the great divisions of land and water into continents and oceans, they may be told that Asia is supposed to contain rather more than one-third of the land on the earth's surface; America, nearly onethird; Africa, about one-fifth; and Europe and Oceanica, about one-fifteenth each. Then comes the question, how many millions of geographical square miles in Asia? About fifteen; because Asia contains about the one-third of the land on the surface of the globe, which is supposed to amount to forty-five millions. Similar questions may be put regarding the other great divisions. These proportions are not only pleasing to the pupils, but are calculated to give them clear ideas of the comparative extent of the land and water on the earth's surface; and of the real and relative size of each of the great continents into which it is divided. Similar proportions may be discovered, and similar questions put respecting the several countries constituting the continents. For instance, if a pupil is informed that about one-third of Asia belongs, or is tributary to China, and nearly another third to Russia, he will at once conclude that each of these powers possesses a territory equal to about five millions of geographical square miles; and that all the other countries taken together, constitute the remaining third of Asia. This is a great FRAMING WORDS INTO SENTENCES. and leading idea of Asia, and will be easily recollected. Again, of the remaining third of Asia, I was in the habit of dictating, or giving out Arabia constitutes about the one-fifth, and Hin- to my pupils,-each having a slate a set of dostan something more than another fifth. Ara. words, which they were required to write down. bia and Hindostan, therefore, contain each about I always dictated very slowly, that all might one million of geographical square miles. I hey have ample time. When the dictation was comhave also each of them, the same proportion to pleted, they were required to exercise their inthe continent of Asia that Europe has to the engenuity in so putting them into sentences of their tire land upon the earth's surface, namely, as one to fifteen. With regard to the other countries, a similar process is pursued. own construction that they would make sense, as parts of those sentences. The bright moon. A new hat. Suppose the words dictated or given out were General views with regard to the population apples, corn, moon, hat, gold, red; and suppose of the world, are, in like manner, given to the the pupils were required to incorporate them inpupils, For instance, the population of the to sentences. The following might be the reworld is supposed to amount to about 800 mil.sult of the efforts of some very young pupils: lions, which, if divided by 45,000,000, the num- Apples are good to eat. ber of geographical square miles contained in the Corn grows. earth's surface, gives about 18 persons to the square mile. The population of Asia amounts to about 390 millions; of Europe, to about 240; of Africa, to about 70; of America, to about 42, and of Oceanica, to about 20,300,000. Asia, therefore, contains about one half, and Europe nearly one-third of the population of the world. The absolute population of Asia is greater than that of Europe, but its relative is far less for, divide the amount of the population of each by the number of square miles contained in the sur. face, and the quotient will give 80 persons to the square mile in Europe, and only 26 for Asia. In the same way we proceed with regard to the other continents and countries. The great physical features and natural boun. daries of the several continents are next pointed out. For instance, South America is, generally speaking, divided by mountains and rivers into five great divisions, namely, the western declivity between the Andes and Pacific Ocean; the basin of the Oronoco; the basin of the Amazon; the basin of the Paraguay, and the southern ex tremity. In like manner, North America is divided into five great natural divisions, namely the basin of the Mississippi, the western decli vity between the Rocky mountains and the Pacific Ocean; the northern declivity between the Great Lakes and the Arctic Ocean; the eastern declivity, between the Alleghany mountains and the Atlantic; and the basin of the St. Lawrence. When the pupils are made acquainted with the great outlines and natural divisions of the earth's surface, we proceed to Political Geography. In this branch of geography, also, we begin by giving general views and leading ideas; and having traced the great outlines, we fill them up gradually and in every thing that concerns Great Britain and Ireland, as minutely as practicable. At every step we apply the principles of CLASSIFICATION and COMPARISON. Mountains, rivers, lakes, states, cities, &c. are classed and compared; which not only assists the memory. of the pupils, but enables them to form correct conceptions of the real and relative magnitude of each, They are told, for instance, the height of a mountain, or the length of a river, with which they are familiar-or the population of the town in which they reside, and from these points the classifications and comparisons commence. The pupils are thus enabled to form correct and clear ideas of things which they do not know, by comparing them with things with which they are familiar. I am very fond of apples. I love to look at the moon. My father raises corn. Some hats are made of wool Money is made of gold and silver and copper. There is a bird called a red bird. Sometimes I gave them a much longer list than this, and required them to select a certain num. ber of the words, such as they chose, and " frame in." I have sometimes given out twenty or thirty words, and required them to select seven of those which appeared to them the most interesting. who preferred to do so, to select some favorite In other instances I have requested all those word, and relate, on their slates, a story about it, spending their whole time on that single word and the story. I have in this way occasionally drawn out quite a large story from a boy who at the first thought he could do nothing. I recollect in particular, having given out. on a certain action, the word vee among the rest. Une of my boys, scarcely more than ten years of age, immediately wrote a long account of an adventure, in a meadow, with a nest of bumble bees. This exercise, in its varied forms and diversi ties, was one of the best I ever introduced into my school. It both interested my pupils, and was a source of much instruction.-Confessions of a Schoolmaster. COMPOSITION AS TAUGHT IN ENGLAND. As soon as a child can spell and understand a few simple words, you should begin to exercise them in little sentences, and should continue the practice their whole school life. Suppose you write the names of the colors, black, blue, &c.; and then let each child in turn mention all the things they can think of, which are black, blue, green, &c.. They will say, The grass is green; the trees are green; my frock is green; my lips are red; ink is black; the sky is blue; my shoes are black," &c., &c. ; and in a quarter of an hour you will have written a long spelling lesson. Another day you may do it; then request some one of the class to rub it out and perform the operation himself again, and explain it precisely as you have done it. He may at first fail in stating and explaining it accurately; but let him repeat the process, and continue to repeat it, until he can do it as accu write down all that is sweet, sour, bitter; all they can think of that is hard, soft, rough, smooth, round, square, heavy, light; and so you may go on day after day. Sometimes let them dictate a text from Scripture which they wish to tell you of, or a verse of a psalm or hymn, or a proverb; but every day let some little matter berately and explain it as clearly as you can do it written on the board. It is a good exercise sometimes to ask children to recollect all the objects they observed in the woods, fields, or lanes, as they walked to or from school, and let them bring the leaves of different trees, the wild flowers, &c., and then let them tell you how to spell the words. yourself. And so proceed with the other scholars and the other examples, passing by none until the operation can be quickly performed and fluently explained. This al first will take considerable time. You may be obliged to spend the hours of recitation, for several days, on a very few examples; but, nevertheless, it is time Now, some people may tell you that it is of well spent. For when the scholars once learn no use to teach these children these common, that they have tongues, and have acquired the easy things, and that all you should do, is to give habit of using them in recitation, they will feel them what they call book learning; but I assure an interest in it, such as they never felt before. you, that if you do not allow them to write from Their minds will become active instead of retheir own heads, little sentences about easy mat-maining merely passive, and the time spent in ters they can think and tell about, they will never acquiring this habit, will in the end be saved know how to express themselves properly or fourfold. clearly; and if they can tell you in writing what they now know, and think, and understand about, when they have read and learned more, they will be able to write down their thoughts and recollections on other and more difficult subjects. Sometimes you may ask the children to write down on their slates all the things which they know to be right to do, and all that they know to be wrong. Write on your slates, or on the walls, the names of all fruits which grow on trees. The names of fruits which grow on bushes; what plants are cultivated for the roots? what for the leaves? what for the seeds? The seeds of what plants grow in pods like beans? what seeds grow at the top of plants like wheat? What trees are useful for timber? What trees are cultivated for the fruit they bear? What for both timber Mention all the creatures you can think of that feed on grass. Ask what is the color of grass? What is hay? When is the grass cut down? with what instrument is it cut down? Do you think the cattle would like to lie down on the hard road as well as on the soft grass? Would you like to look at the fields if they were brown or red, as well as you do now that they are green? Then say, "Now write on your slates all you can think about grass; now, all you know about the different sorts of corn; all you know about garden vegetables, and the manner of cultiva. ting them. What difference can you mention between birds and beasts? What difference between birds and fishes? The names of a great variety of substances, whether manufactured or unmanufactured, may gradually be arranged; and the colors, shapes, and uses added. HOW CAN THE RECITATION BE MADE MOST USEFUL? If you would teach thoroughly and successfully, and leave your mark upon your pupil's mind, you must not attempt to teach everything-or rather, you must attempt to teach but few things. The tastes and tendencies of the age, I am aware, lie in an opposite direction, and there is often more ambition to explore widely than profoundly the fields of knowledge. The current and popular literature is much of it mere trash, and the people are reading themselves into ignorance. Many of the publications are airy nothings-sickly and silly romances-or what is perhaps little better, dreamy speculations. full of transcendental nonsense, neither false nor true. It may be true that some old and sensible books are much praised, but it is equally true that they are read little and studied less. Now this course serves to increase the already too large class in the community, whom Lacon significantly and graphically describes, as looking into very thing and seeing into nothingAnd it cannot be denied that this prevailing and popular taste has infected in some measure our educational system; that the showy is sometimes substituted for the solid, and sound learning, like homely virtue, has more admirers than followers. But the rays of the sun never burn unless collected into a focus, so the energies of the mind will never act vigorously and intensely unless concentrated upon a few objects. And this is the true secret of success. For two ideas so stamped upon the mind that they can never be worn out, are worth more than ten thousand indistinct and faint impressions, which are fleeting and unsubstantial as the shifting shadows upon a summer's landscape. "Read much, but not many books," is a good maxim, and there is another equally wise, teach much, but not many things. Lord Bacon, or some other sensible man who ought to have been a lord, said "he always feared a man of one book ;" and Chesterfield, in commendation of thoroughness, bas justly remarked, that "whatever is worth learning, is worth learning well." I repeat it, then, if you would teach successfully, TEACH MUCH, BUT NOT MANY THINGS. D. NATURAL MODE OF TEACHING GRAMMAR. Success in teaching grammar depends particularly on the genius and judgment of the teacher, |