ods, which are often adopted by School Com mittees-the one, that of indiscriminate flatterythe other, that of constant censure. What defects he sees in a teacher, let him say to the teacher alone, and to no one else; what errors in the scholars, let him say to the scholars, and say these so kindly that everybody will feel his good nature while he says them. to arouse an interest in the minds of the children by all means avoid either of two extreme methwho attend school. But when a man is chosen on account of his ripe experience and his varied knowledge, as well as on account of his peculiar tact in advising men and dealing with them, and also of his ready methods of communicating information and rendering instruction pleasing to children, and when he devotes a large portion of his time to these visits, and can compare one school with others, the case is very different indeed. We then can witness various methods, both of teaching and governing, and can act with a fuller understanding of every particular case that may come before them. 4th. How often should each school be visited? At least once a month if possible. And the teachers in all the schools under his care should meet the visitor and each other at least as often as two or more times in a month. We know how tiresome teachers' meetings often are, and someBut take them times how profiless they are too. all in all, and no teacher can live long, and he an improving teacher, without attending them. 5th. What should be the objects of his attention? Certainly, the visitor of the schools, should, if possible, be the best man in the whole town, and he should be well paid too for his time and trouble-so paid, that he can afford to give some little time and attention to the daily work of studying and preparing for his duties; so that he may occasionally make a visit to a neighboring town Every thing connected with the school-the or city noted for its excellent methods of instruc-room-the books-the order and quietness-the tion, and can thus bring to the neighborhood manner of sitting, standing, reading, reciting,everything ripe and valuable, and can thus introduce in his visits to schools, and his intercourse with the teachers, all valuable improvements, without the expense of having to experiment to discover and apply them. Let it then be settled, that the very best man in the best town is none too good for the office of school visitor, and that the cheapest man is altogether too cheap to be employed, even if he would pay the town a large bonus for keeping him in the office. 2d. What powers shall a visitor have? the modes of the teacher in speaking, in all his movements- his spirit and also that of the pupils-in short, everything about the school and premises should be carefully noted and marked. 6th. How shall the community profit by these visitations? We answer by very full reports made with skill and care. These reports, we fully believe, are as necessary and as useful as the visitations themselves, and the town that does not require its committee to make up and print its annual report, is We say generally, his duties should be only ad- losing, nobody can tell how much. But enough visory. He should be the agent of the School Committee, clothed with ministerial and not with discretionary or plenipoteniary powers. The defects he will see, as an ordinary thing, will not need to be dealt with in a summary way. Time will in most cases do much towards settling difficulties. So the visitor's powers should not be much of the arbitrary or despotic sort. But it should be understood that he may advise, represent, encourage, suggest-but not that he may dismiss, command, or direct. This in general will be best for him and all concerned. His influence will be more kindly felt, thus, and he will be a friend and not a master-a brother and not a dictator. And though it may not seem at first to promise so well as to clothe him with great powers, yet we do think that in the end it will be a way much better than any other. 3d. What methods shall he adopt? This has been in principle answered above. He must chiefly advise and suggest; but sometimes He should also illustrate by example. He should now. Spelling. AT a village in Staffordshire, England, a boy was detained from school some time ago, to assist the family in sorting potatoes. The schoolmaster, as usual on such was the cause of his absence. The next morning the occasions, desired the boy's father TO SEND WORD what boy appeared with a note from his father, which contained this simple but comprehensive word: "KEPTATOMATATERING." The schoolmaster, astonished at such a WORD, puzzled himself for some time, but at length made out the meaning: "KEPT AT HOME a TATERING!" THIS is a great deal better than some letters we have seen. For instance, will somebody read the following business epistle? "While perusing the MORNING STAR, I se the book advrtes caled for sail and being antous to git for you may be sure laziness is at the bottom of all such subterfuges-by saying that knowledge is hard to be acquired, and therefore can never one I now send the mount that I se them ardvirtes for an wood be very grateful if you would oblidge me by sending one," &c. But here is another, in old style, but still not bet-be made pleasant to the young. It is pleasant ter than one letter in our possession from a trustee "That a dictionarye shall be bought for the scollers of the free scoole; and the same booke to be tyed in a cheyne, and set upon a deske in the scolle, whereunto any scoller may have accesse, as occasion shall serve." We give one more specimen-one not made up -but a genuine life-article that tells its own story with a directness truly refreshing. "I root to yo larst weak Con Car ning that Ellegal tax was sest aganst me and I have not had Enny Returns from you yeight I want you to whright to me as soon as posebl and let me now Send me al the papers ye hav and Coppees." But we only used these letters as a sort of a text from which we want to preach a sermon on Spelling. No branch of school education is more neglected or needs a more thorough drilling, and draws more largely on the patience of the teacher than this. Young people are not good spellers, and old people are not yet perfect in this very graceful accomplishment. In regard to spelling let us first say that it is chiefly a matter of mere memory. So irregular is the English Orthography that it requires scarcely any mental exercise than that of the memory. A child must learn to see the letters of the words while he thinks of the words; and to see these with unfailing accuracy as soon as the mind catches the word. How is this to be done? always, if only put in its true and pleasing light, and a deep and an abiding enthusiasm may be awakened in the spelling-lesson. Witness the old spelling-classes and spelling-schools that some of us, dear readers, have attended. But to return to our specific answer. How is spelling to be taught? 1st. There must be a great deal of repetition. The words are to be pronounced to the scholars and they are to call them over and over by their letters and syllables, until they have become very familiar with them. And here be it said that when a spelling-lesson has been given, every word should be spelt over at least a half-dozen times by the different members of the class, and if one scholar misspels a word he should by all means be made to spell it correctly before his attention is called to another. In this business the great aim and object is to repeat, repeat, REPEAT, till the mind is so familiar with the letters of all the common words of the language that the thought, the tongue, the hand or pen cannot readily go astray as to the orthography, whenever a word is suggested to the mind, or is wanted for use. We here suppose that the teacher dictates or "puts out" the words to the class of scholars. 2d. Another way-not to be exclusively relied upon, but to be used occasionally-more properly frequently-is that of dictating words for each one in the class to write them on slate or paper. This is so long and tedious, so slow, and therefore so dull an exercise, that it cannot be relied on for the whole of the practice in spelling. It is invaluable as an examination exercise, as seeming to introduce variety, and as introducing another method of exciting wholesome competition and rivalry. But it cannot go over the whole spelling-book and repeat the words times enough. It is most excellent in its way, but is altogether too tedious to be used exclusively; while if the old method of "putting out" words and spelling them "by word of mouth," as we used to say, be only used, the pupils will be apt to be ignorant of the proper manner of spelling them by writing. Writing words thus begets system, carefulness, and does, in fact, exactly what we most need to teach, the things which boys will practice when they become men. When they come hereafter to use the knowledge in school they will not be called on to spell, in the school de-way, the words they are daily speaking or using. They will then only write them. Let them there We answer, the attention must have been so often called to the letters of the words, and in such an interesting manner that the memory must have seized upon those letters and mastered them. This must have been done in a manner interesting we say: for let it be understood that if you wish a child to learn you must interest him or in other words you must please him. The old adage about "one man leading a horse to the water but the thousand not being able to make him drink," although not exactly true in regard to a child's learning-is nevertheless quite true in its general sense. You may easily bring a child's mind to learning, but to make him remember and really learn, is by no means so easy, in fact is almost impossible unless he can be made actually to love that learning and to ardently sire it with his whole heart and soul. Let no teacher excuse himself for his laziness-fore write them as a short, daily exercise, and. Children vs. Encumbrances. let this be varied by a hundred, if possible, interesting experiments to awaken an interest and kindle enthusiasm. 3d. Another method of spelling, still more re commended by being exactly the method of daily life and practice in writing is, where the teacher contrives to make the scholar think of the word without calling it, and then asks him to write it. For example, the teacher, after calling a class out before him, says: IF there is one that we do love and value above another, it is a child. We positively don't care if it is dirty, or ragged, or ugly in looks, or mischievous, or even " hateful," in the common acceptation of that word. To be sure we would rather see a child clean and neat, well dressed and tidy, pretty, sweet, playful, good-natured and winsome. But we will much rather have the "I wish you all to write two words, which I am whole catalogue of ill-things expressed by the not going to name to you. You must think of first series of adjectives in a child than have no them for yourselves, after I have given you their child. We cannot positively think of a home definition. They may both be used indiscrimimore destitute of real home-comfort and homenately in regard to the first act of religious wor- hope, than a place where a married couple live ship paid to God by Cain and Abel. The one in without even a child, either their own by blood its literal sense is more general than the other, or by adoption. We know there are such places, and will include all animals slain in token of but we do pity them from the bottom of our heart. atonement for sins, as well as fruits, bread and We know that death has gathered all the flowers other things rendered to God. The other word, from some such homes, and the parents hearts though often used as this one is, has more prop-wait and sigh for the time of re-union to come. erly reference to animals slain. Now write the We know there are other homes from which the words." younglings, all fledged, have flown, and are cosiAfter a half dozen definitions in spirit likely in nests of their own. We know how such the above have been given out, the teacher calls grand-parent hearts comfort themselves by going for the slates, or papers, and he finds the first to visit the wee ones in their son's or daughter's one to contain "offering" and oblation." The cradle. We know other homes where sadness, second contains "sacrifice" and "offering;" the dwells as with Isaac and Rebecca for a long time, third, the same as the second; so of the fourth; where is heard in dreams alone the voices of childbut the fifth, has "worship" and "offering;" hood, and who wake to remember the dream as while the sixth and to the tenth agree with the the sweetest part of their life. And in all such second, the eleventh has "oblation" and "pray-cases we say we pity the hearts that thus long er." He examines all the papers, and inquires about the meaning of "prayer," of "worship," of "oblation," "sacrifice," "offering" and any other words used; and the exercise in definition will be as good as the spelling exercise. We have thus imperfectly indicated how spelling may be made more useful and more interesting. We have not expected to finish anything, but only to throw out a few hints, that teachers may by studying, understand them, and perhaps practice and improve upon. Will they not try and bleed. "hath no But we do know-sorry are we to confess itother houses, not homes, where children are anything but welcome. We cannot begin to express in our writing, the contempt that we feel for the person who does not love children. He is worse than the man, whom Shakspeare says music in his soul." He is fit tor "stratagems, snares and treasons," and for nothing else. But our indignation has of late been aroused to new vigor by some advertisemets that we see almost thus hits off this kind of advertising, and the daily in the newspapers. The Chicago Journal mean, unchristian, inhuman blood-like disposiof hating children from which it springs. Hear the article, and learn to love children, or if you cannot do that to keep the peace, in word at least about the little dears: Bencumbrances, desires etc." OARD WANTED.-A gentleman and lady, without these methods, and write to us in relation to their own experience. We do not expect teachers will One sees queer things in little type in the newsfind it an easy task to give out words by defini-papers, sometimes, conveying by implication all tions, as we here specify, but we know the scholars sorts of doctrines, disclosing people's ideas of will profit by it. happiness, when they least suspect it, and afford ing a clue to the faith in many a heart that it is a sealed book to those that know it best, and yet all set forth so many times daily in a dull advertisement. Sometimes, as in this agate expression of "a want," we have people's definition of things, that set Webster and Johnson at defiance. "Without encumbrance!" What young mother when she feels for the first time her first born's breath, would ever imagine in the new blossoming of her new love, that any where beneath the sun there should exist a lexicon, wherein under the E's it should read thus: "As sets the morning star that goes not down May the hearths, the thresholds, and the hearts of the world never be without "encumbrances," let them all be mortgaged to them who "like the planets are nearest to the sun." Memory. I was once told by a near relative of mine, that “ENCUMBRANCE, n. A young human being- having in her childhood fallen into a river, and a child." There! What do you think of that, ye old fashioned grandmothers, whose love is visited upon the children, even to the third and fourth generation. "Rachel weeping for her encumbrances!" "here am I and the encumbrances thou hast given me!" "And the leopard shall shall lie down with the lamb and a little encumbrance shall lead them!" These little motives in pink and fair dimity, that stir the pulses like a clarion, and nerve up the weary and light up the hope, and fill up the sighing song and, encumbrances. So then the sweet little candidates for heaven's kingdom, that dance round the threshold of the open heart and enter unforbidden; that keep the world from growing old in sorrow and in sin, encumbrances, all! And when they are elected, for so, alas! they sometimes are, as the green sward broken in little billows everywhere, and the Rachels that will not be comforted, so sadly attest, think you when the mother rocks the empty cradle, and looks upon the unpressed pillow, and finds in the "till" a silken tress and a pair of little shoes that were laid aside for sandals of light, that she finds the name of the wearer under the Ens?" That when the poet sighed, "There is no flock, however watched and tended, But one dead lamb is there There is no fireside howso'er defended, But has one vacant chair;" being on the very verge of death but for the critical assistance which reached her, she saw in a moment her whole life, in its minutest incidents, arrayed before her simultaneously as in a mirror, and she had a faculty developed as suddenly for comprehending the whole and every part. This I can believe; I have, indeed, seen the same thing asserted twice in modern books, and accompanied by a remark, which I am convinced is true, viz: that the dread book of account, which the Scriptures speak of, is, in fact, the mind itself of each individual. Of this, at least, I feel assured, that there is no such thing as forgetting possible to the mind; a thousand accidents may and will interpose a veil between our present consciousness and the secret inscriptions of the mind; accidents of the same sort will also rend this veil; but alike, whether veiled or unveiled, the inscription remains forever, just as the stars seem to withdraw before the common light of day; whereas, in fact, we all know that it is the light which is drawn over them as a veil, and that they are waiting to be revealed, when the obscuring daylight shall have been withdrawn. THOMAS DE QUINCY. Education. THE word educo, with the penultimate short, was derived (by a process often exemplified in the crystalization of languages) from the word edúco, with the pultimate long. Whatsoever educes or developes, educates. By education, therefore, is meant, not the poor machinery that moves by or when he who sang the "Air of Palestine," spelling-books and grammars, but by that mighty declared "I cannot make him dead! His fair sunshiny head, Is ever bounding round my sturdy chair," that either of them dreamed the burden of the son was a mortgage, and not rather one star lost out of the visible heaven-that set system of central forces hidden in the deep bosom of human life, which by passion, by strife, by temptation, by the energies of resistance, works forever upon children-resting not day or night, any more than the mighty wheels of day or night themselves, whose moments like restless spokes, are glimmering forever as they revolve. THOMAS DE QUINCY. Good Works. All dripping thus with holy dew, HERE is a bit of philosophy that is well wrth remembering by everybody. How beautifully As up morn's roseate clouds she flew, O'er winding stream and desert sand, "Is Eden floating down, indeed?" The Arab cried, and reined his steed: does it illustrate the necessity of every man's let-For leagues on leagues those sweets she fanned, ting "his light so shine that men may see his good works," and profit thereby. And how admirably, too, does it show how certain all the good we do for the prime sake and benefit of others may indirectly return to profit us and prevent harm. The custom at sea is for every vessel to carry a light both at stern and stem, that it may act more effectually in giving light and warning to others than to herself. She directs her course by the stars above her, by the light house on the shore or by the compass on her own deck, and the light is of no use to herself. But to the other ship crossing the waves in darkness, her light is a beacon indeed. So of the lights on other ships to her. Ah, we must do good, and let our light so shine all of us, or somebody will stumble against us, and ruin us and himself together: During a dark night, a blind man was walking in the streets with a lighted candle in his hand, with a pitcher upon his shoulder. "Friend," said a person whom he met," of what use to you is the light? Are not day and night the same to you?" The other laughingly replied; "It is not for myself that I carry the light, but for blockheads like you, to prevent them from running against me and breaksng my pitcher, and his own head at the same time." And here is a scrap of POETRY that tells a similar lesson about the odor of good deeds, of good dispositions and their power to attract and to tame all who come within the sphere of your influence. Read this POEM, dear lovers of the Schoolmaster till you apprehend its spirit and its hidden lesson, and see if you cannot profit by it, as well as feel pleased with its very sweet and appropriate words and images. The Annointed Dove. 'MIDST rocks and caverns, all alone, A white-winged dove was heard to moan; All day, all night, alone she sate, Without a friend, without a mate. One morn, a holy man passed by With snowy beard and prayerful eye; A censer on his arm he swings, With which he fumes the sad bird's wings. Charmed by the force of odors bland, The lone one perches on his hand; And then, with liquids heavenly sweet, He bathes her eyes, her plumes, her feet. Meanwhile, amidst those caravans rude, Clambering at eve a lofty rock, The sister virtues flock around." Annual Reports of States on Public Instruction. THESE documents are now annually made in a large number of the States of the Union, and certainly they are among the most valuable and suggestive of all the volumes published "by authority." To every person in the whole community, these State papers are of the deepest interest. They concern a topic fruitful of influence and profit to every man, woman and child in the whole community; and as they are annually thus widely distributed, they are fast becoming a power in the earth. These documents concern the philanthropist no less than the moralist, the religionist no less than the educationist, the economist no less than the statesman, and we sincerely rejoice to see them so eagerly sought for by all classes of the community. We hope the time will never come when they will be less sought for. In our next issue, we mean to post up some of those already noticed. DR. G. H. TILLINGHAST, who is well known to the citizens of Providence, will hereafter, as he has done heretefore, be one of our regular contributors. |