As a matter of encouragement, permit us to al progress, thus preventing your being left besay that a young lady from Richmond, Indiana, hind the times.

has gone all the way to the Normal School at 2. They give you suggestions, facts discusWestfield, Massachusetts. Here is an act to sions and theories on almost every known school provoke you to good works. You will be paid duty. In this they are a kind of professional for your effort. A few years since a young lady library - fresh with the perennial thoughts of of this city went to a normal school, taking a your co-laborers in different positions and difwhole or partial course, and on returning was ferent locations throughout the State. placed in charge of a grammar department, a 3. They do much in begetting and fostering position one grade above any other female teacha professional feeling. This is an item of vast er of the city. Wherever the value of normalimportance, though often overlooked. If you school drill is known, the teacher possessing expect to go forward and upward in your callsuch drill, other things equal, stands first. ing, you must catch the glow, and experience Hence if in any wise practicable, avail your-the stimulus of professional feeling — you must selves of this important means of improvement. feel to magnify your office and make it honoraBut where this is wholly impracticable, take ble! Journals, f carefully read, will do much the next best means, viz. :

INSTITUTES.

to accomplish this end. But observe, for this or any other purpose, they must be read, well read, then their suggestions studied until mastered and appropriated - then taken into the

In this day of institutes, it is unnecssary to define or describe them further than to say they are a species of normal schools, short in dura-school-room and tried, PROVED. Do not fail at tion and itinerating in character. Their prime this point, for new plans or theories are not to be taken as a sweet morsel to be rolled smooth· object, as that of normal schools, is the professional training of teachers, giving much of their ly over the tongue, then ejected as a refuse cud of thought to be seen and remembered no more. attention to modes of teaching. In testimony No, but on the contrary, to be tasted, chewed, of their efficiency, it would be easy to fill twenty pages from such men as Horace Mann, Bar- swallowed, digested, assimilated and incorporated in your mental fabric, your professional nard, Russell, Page, Northend, and from superintendents of public instruction on through all being. Further, in the use of journals, we would grades of teachers to the humblest primary suggest that they be carefully filed. They serve as a valuable reference, often furnishing facts of improvement. Suffice it to say, that so val- and statistics nowhere else to be found. Hence uable is this means of improvement considered. file and preserve your journals. that the legislatures of several of the States have made appropriations for their support.

teacher who has availed herself of such means

4. Journals are valuable as a medium through which you can make your thoughts known to A trustee of our acquaintance, visited an in- others. In this manner you improve in both stitute while in session in this city, and took matter and style. This is that which "scatterthe names of all the teachers of said city who eth, yet increaseth." Hence the conclusion in all the counts is, first, that journals of educawere in attendance at the institute. And what tion are a valuable means of professional imdid this mean? Simply, that when he came to employ teachers he would know who were avail. provement; second, that no teacher, no, not one, ing themselves of this important means of im-high or low, rich or poor, old or young, ought to be without at least one such journal. But, provement and who were not. in answer to this, you may say, an editor is liable to bias in judgment, being desirous of a large circulation for his journal; hence may be too earnest in this matter. As for myself, I

Trustees else

where will in many cases do the same.

We notice as a second means,

JOURNALS OF EDUCATION.

1. They furnish you with the educational in-confess to an ardent desire for a large circulatelligence of the times. If institutes are to be tion for our Journal, and for two reasons. First, held, academies, colleges or normal schools to because of the increased usefulness of the Jourbe opened, journals tell you. If educational nal consequent thereupon. Second, because I reforms are attempted, or advancements secur- am charged in a good degree with the no trivial ed, journals give you the facts, and probably labor of sustaining said Journal. But in this the principles. In short, they are the coupling- case I'll waive both these considerations, and poles that hitch you on to the car of profession- say, if our Journal does not suit you, take some

other. Our two sister States, Ohio and Illinois, The world is flooded with text-books. Alboth have excellent journals, if our's does not most every teacher of experience, as a teacher, suit you, take one of them, or one from some becomes an author of a text-book. This is other State. But by all means, take a journal. well. It gives a larger field in which to gather At this point permit a thought more. Did the germs of truth. I would not ignore any it ever occur to you how little, we, as teachers, book as a "help," but all books as positive auspend for professional reading in comparison thority. I would have a uniformity of textwith other professions? Did you ever know a books in schools, but would always have them good physician who did not take from one to recognized as helps. Teachers' libraries should three medical journals, costing from two dol- be supplied with most of the different kinds. lars to nine dollars per annum? Did you ever Teachers are apt to become dogmatical. Freknow an able minister who did not take from quent reference to different authors will keep one to five religious papers and journals? Did the mind free and give self-reliability by freyou ever know an earnest politician who did not quent lessons of different authors of the falliatake from five to twenty political papers? But bility of text. School committees cannot be too on the other hand, few teachers take more than careful in the selection of text-bocks for schools. two, and three-fourths or under take none. Much of the improvement of the pupil depends What is the reason for this difference? If there on the kind of text-books used. Above all is a good and valid reason, let us hear it. Ad- there should be a uniformity, used as aids. ditional, we as teachers sometimes clamor for recognition as a profession, yet not one-fourth of bur number read professional journals. These two things, in our opinion, hardly consist. But without pursuing the matter further, we will give, in conclusion, the opinion of an older and probably a better judge than the writer, viz., Charles Northend.

Madison, N. Y.

E. C.

From the Providence Evening Press, Nov. 5th. Henry Ward Beecher on "The Education of the People."

DELIVERED BEFORE THE FRANKLIN LYCEUM.

Mr. Beecher's lecture last evening was attended by Thus he speaks in his work called Teachers' a very large and intelligent audience. The hall was Assistant: "If you have not sufficient interest filled almost immediately after the doors were openin your work to induce you to become a sub-ed. The favorite pianist Mr. Edward Hoffman, of this scriber to one of these works, (i. e. journals,) city, enlivened the half hour preceeding the appearthe sooner you abandon the profession of teach-ance of the lecturer, with excellent music. The ining the better it will be for community." Show strument used by him was one of Lighte & Bradbury's, procured expressly for Roger Williams Hall. this opinion to that neighbor teacher of yours, who who does not take a journal and if he thinks journal, send his name.-G. W. H., Indianapolis.

For the Schoolmaster.
Text-Books.

Mr. Beecher announced as his subject, "The Education of Man as a citizen." He said, "The developement of morality and intelligence are indispensible elements in such an education; but a man may have both, and yet be a poor citizen; for to be a good citizen requires that there should be a fitting of the man to the ideas and the government under which he

THERE is too much allegiance paid to books. lives We are to educate men for American citizenBooks taken as positive authority work injuri- ideas that go to make civil polity we are widely ship, according to American ideas. In those peculiar ously upon the mind. The mind should not be separated from all other nations. There are some made a reservoir to receive, as positive truth, things with us, not found elsewhere, which give to whatever any author may feel disposed to pour us distinctively American ideas, which we get by into it. No author is unerring. All have faults. virtue of the religiousness of our ancestors-those Hence, to teach the letter of any class of text- things which we are perpetually tempted of the Devil books is injurious. The spirit of truth should to let go and forget, and which, for the last thirty always be sought after. No mattor how popu- years, we have been steadily losing. lar any author may be, the pupil should be led to question and reason for himself. The mind is superior to all books; and the superiority of mind consists in its power to discriminate between truth and error; as is the moral power to discriminate between right and wrong.

And first are American ideas of the origin, nature, capacity, and dignity of man; for here, more than anywhere else, or ever before, if not here only, Man stands before the State. The State is the nursery; man the essential thing nursed. The cradle is good; but is not the baby better? Here it was first affirmed that man had natural rights in government, and

these rights were defined to be among the most It is repugnant to the doctrine of gradations in sofundamental and important. Being natural, they ciety.

could not be taken away, except for crime. Mon- These tendencies have had fatal stimulus in this archs could never take away from man the right of land by the spirit of a system which puts dishonor perspiration; no more could they his rights in gov- upon man-by law taking away from the slave his ernment. title to manhood, and making color and strength the only ground of superiority.

The two elements of man's dignity are his divinity and his immortality. So great is this dignity that no I speak next of the education of man to the duties man strikes with such criminal hand as he who of citizenship which these radical doctrines of manstrikes at the conscious manhood of the man. Our hood evolve. First, we must put honor upon the Savior did not utter his most bitter denunciations discharge of public civil duties. We seem to think against thieves or murderers; but his terrible words that a good quiet citizen, who does not vote or trouwere launched against men who employed their ble himself as to the measures which men vote upon, power to grind and injure their fellow and weaker is almost synonymous with a virtuous man. And men. And I tremble for my country when I remem- yet, according to the nature of government inspired ber how flagrant the waste of manhood-how awful by these radical views of man, there can be no office the marketing and dishonoring of Christ's image. more full of dignity than that by which every man How indulgent have we all been to these national makes his contribution to the maintenance of the crimes. The pulpit has been apologetic of this in- civil economy of which he is a part. iquity. We have all been partners in the great transgression of transgressions-grinding dowa men. This is the one black, gaunt, inferual sin that God don't forgive nor forget. He that died to save men is in everlasting and immortal antipathy with those that live to destroy men.

These views of man-bis divinity and dignity, his immortality, his imperishable worth-were the views that were entertained by those immortal men that founded for us the peculiar institutions that we are pleased to call American Republican institutions.

We must also scourge from men the idea that political duty is optional. It must be like virtue, truth or honesty, a perpetual and unvarying obligation. Every man under this government, and every woman-if the men were half-witted-would have to vote. If we could have women voting now, what changes would come upon our Councils! What ranks of men would disappear ignominiously and what troops of other men would rise to eminence and power.

It is not only not wrong to meddle with politics in See how these truths will work out into politics- the pulpit, but the pulpit that does not meddle with into society. The first effect is a revolutionary one politics, the devil meddles with;-not to urge the at least a radical reformatory one. These views party candidate, not to add fuel to the fire, but to tend to take out of the way every artificial barrier teach those great underlying principles of human or hindrance that prevents any man from being conduct-the inculcation of the humanities and juswhatever he has the power to become. His own ca- tices that belongs to every faithful pulpit. pacity is the only rule.

Again these views furnish an intense motive to the education of every member of Society. Education may be, like privileges and prerogatives-a gift; we do not claim it as a gift, we claim it as a right.

The common element in which these doctrines must thrive and these political duties be enforced is general intelligence. It is becoming very plain to us that a nation such as ours, with such tremendous breadth and depth and pressures and powers, cannot These views of man tend also to form a conscience stand except by the intelligence of its common peowhich becomes sensitive and punitive of the wrongs ple. I hold that this whole mischief of rebellion has which are inflicted upon men. Sins against man be- come upon us by reason of ignorance. Mr. Gladcome the most aggravated of sins. If you would stone, in his recent speech, said that "the cause of measure the Christianity of a community you must not liberty has been damaged in Europe essentially by count how many churches there are, but feel its pulse the prolonged struggle in this country." This strugin respect to its lower strata. If you find that the gle has been prolonged unwarrantably and outra whole community is jealous of its weak and of its geously. It is said we should not have ripened so poor; if any wrong done to the poor is accepted as a fast in the direction of the abolition of slavery but wrong done to the whole; if they are as children of for this prolongation. There are two kinds of ripenone household, then religion has made great progress ing. One is "worm-eaten" ripe and the other is in that community. When a community is insensi- natural ripe. I am afraid this is not a ripening from tive to the wants of the poor, it has learned that les- principle; it is exigency, fear, military necessity, that son of the devil. lead you to hope for emancipation. Do you believe Against these views there is a perpetual struggle in in it as a justice? Do you demand it as a right? the nature of man and in the tendencies and courses Do you stand, back of expediency, on everlasting of society. It is repugnant to man's selfishness to principles? However, I do not know but long delay own the brotherhood and recognize it in all the rela- is going to reproduce the old state of things. I have tions of life. It is repugnant to his pride. It is re- my fears from the result of recent elections, that we pugnant to the conventions of taste and refinement, are going to swing back to the old-time power-to

the re-establishment of slavery by truckling compromise.

For the Schoolmaster.

Methods of Writing English while Studying
English Grammar.

I think we have rendered ourselves liable to misrepresentation by the undue length of this war. But to us nothing will demonstrate the capacity of man lr has been one end of the five preceding for self-government more than this same war. There papers on grammar to show that writing itself never since the sun rose and set has been such a spec- is of primary importance. The pupil's pen tacle of capacity to endure burdens patiently, and to should never lie idle. From the very beginning wait upon the lagging steps of Government. There! never has been so far as the common people were! of his study in the text-book to the close, he conceraco, such an exhibition of efficiency. It is the should be constantly using the language he is government that fails, not the people. They have studying, because the proper and correct use of given everything that man can give, and been pa- the language is what he aims to attain. So soon tient with everything except not doing." Of that as he learns what is a noun, he should be dithey are weary. Of that they are heart-sick. On ac- rected not only to select and describe nouns count of that there is danger of a reaction of the from words used in books, but to write nouns great common people. But I stand in the face of the himself and to keep writing them till he can world to challenge admiration upon investigation and tell one at a glance or write one from seeing the say that the people who have passed through this great struggle are more noble in the world's sight than any people before them. It is where the wheelwork of Government comes over the people that we fail. The result of the experiment is that the people

are able-the Government is imbecile.

object it represents, if he be called on to do so. For the purpose of such exercise, he should be furnished with a slate and pencil, if he be too young to write, and taught to print the words of his exercise on his slate; if he can write, he Though I think of our Government that it is as should purchase a blank book and use a pen, honest an one as has ever stood in Washington. I paying particular attention to neatness of handsay the truth when I say I do not think it is as able writing and correctness, and to spelling and an one. I do not blame it; it does not know how to punctuation. Suppose he has learned the defido any better; it does not know how to do as well as nition of a noun the country requires. What are we going to do?

—“ A noun is the name of an

I don't know. If God gives us deliverance, I think object." The directions given him by the teachhe means to illustrate the power of His own demo- er might be such as these: —

cratic people, and that we are to look for salvation to LESSON (a). Write, for the next day, the our common people; to their toughness, their elasti- names of all the objects on your desk. When city, their endurance, their wisdom-the essential he brings to recitation these names written, he wisdom of their instincts-and not from the capacity may be tested concerning his knowledge of

of the Government.

This struggle has been brought upon us through nouns by means like the following: Questions. the ignorance of the South working with Slavery.

What are all these names called? What

And now suppose the war was ended, not by foul is a noun? What is-? (name one of the words compromise, but by the honest vindication of the written.) Why? What is Why? How supremacy of the Government through the force of many names of objects have you written? How its arms, what is to be the guaranty of future pros many nouns have you written? Point to the perity. Are we not warned that when population nouns. Point to the objects. Is the object the noun? Is the noun the object? What is the noun?

in waves shall roll clear across the middle territoties, and we shall count millions by hundreds throughout the continent, we cannot maintain our integrity without intelligence. The schoolmaster Then, if further instruction be given from the and schoolmistress will govern Tennessee, Mississip-grammar book, such definitions and explana. pi and Alabama. And if they call these contraband, tions as follow might be employed, either to be they will not be governed, and you will have perpetu recited by the learner or stated by the teacher. al rebellion. Definition. A common noun is the name of an individual of a class of objects.

To educate, should become our mania and passion. We have had revivals of religion-blessed manias; temperance reforms that ran wildly through the Explanation. An individual of a class means country. only to be regretted on account of their one of a class. Questions. How many nouns discontinuance. Now, we must have another ma- have you written? Have you written the word nia-a mania for education. It is necessary to send

the Gospel abroad, and to the far West; but it seems book? What is "book"? Can you think of to me that for the next fifty years the Church and a large number of books? Is the name book the State should vie with each other in sending out

schoolmasters; and that the work of this age is commonly used to designate one of a large num-EDUCATION." ber of things of the same kind? What part of

speech is "book"? What kind of a noun? is a sentence? By what does a sentence express Why? thought?

Such might be the sort of drill to fix the distinctions of common nouns in the mind, and then follows the writing of common nouns.

LESSON. Write a list of twenty common

nouns.

And after drill on proper nouns :

LESSON. Commit these sentences to memory:

A sentence is a thought expressed in words.
A word is the sign of an idea.
EXERCISE. What is a sentence?

What is a

word? What idea do you have on hearing the word locusts mentioned or seeing it spelled out?

LESSON. Write a list of twenty common and What object do you have an idea of when you twelve proper nouns. hear or see the word horse? Donkey Crows? Trees? Flowers?

So the ingenuity of the teacher might arrange other drills of similar character at proper stages of instruction.

LESSON. Write one sentence [or express one thought] on the subject, Locusts. On the sub

Would not the subjects studied thus become ject, Horse. Donkey. Crows. Trees. Flowplain to be understood and would not a foun-ers. dation for the practice of Syntax be laid, while EXERCISE. Write Doves. Camels. Turtles. lessons in parsing would not be hindered and Elephants. Fish. definitions would be none the less readily learned, and the grammar book become less a dry study and more a book of instruction than it is made at present?

Select one of these words for a subject on which to write tw and only two, sentences, one of which shall describe the animal and the other tell where it lives.

Under the head LESSON, I arrange some hints LESSON. Write two sentences upon each of as to the task to be set one day for the pupil to the subjects mentioned in the preceding exerperform previous to his recitation on the next cise, in one describing the animal considered, day. Under the head EXERCISE, is indicated in the other telling where it lives. Only two what the teacher might say to his pupils at the sentences are to be written, and they should be time of recitation previous to announcing a task as brief as possible. to be performed.

EXERCISE I. Springs, leaves, birds, grass, serpents, robins, boys, ladies, goats.

II. Sing, grows, whistle, play, browse, talk, hiss, fall, run.

LESSON. Copy the foregoing words and so couple them by twos that each couplet of words shall say something. Model - Leaves fall, etc. EXERCISE III. The black, the long, old, little, large, young, angry, dead, cool, dry.

LESSON. So attach the words in the third paragraph of exercises to the words as written in the last lesson as that the three words taken together shall say something, and shall express the kind of object mentioned. Model-Dry leaves fall. Cool springs run, etc.

On reviewing the grainmar book, other exercises in similar spirit should be invented, may. hap somewhat like those which follow here.

Criticism. At each recitation let the spelling, punctuation, and particularly the mode of expression, be rigidly and severely criticised, so far as the pupil will bear criticism, being careful to unite kindness and sympathy with thoroughness. More breadth, both of subject and space in which to write upon it, can in due time be given.

Now, reader, I have shown you, by certain rude directions, how the true end of grammar study can be arrived at, for while the learner is mastering definitions and the parsing of words, he is likewise learning to write correctly, and is thus accomplishing what it is the purpose of grammar books to teach.

And now, for a while, I lay down my pen.
HENRY CLARK.

From the Connecticut Common School Journal.
Motives in School.

EXERCISE (6). Read a set of words. What does it say? Which is the noun? Which is the We have often thought that unworthy moverb? Which is the adjective? Which is the tives were sometimes held out by teachers to subject? Which is the predicate? Which is secure proper attention to study and deportthe adjective element? The three words con- ment in schools. Of these we can now only sidered together make a sentence. What idea allude to two or three, and that very briefly. do you have on the mention of the first word 1. PRIZES. We have no doubt that the hope The second. The third. What thought is ex- of gaining a prize may temporarily stimulate a pressed? What expresses this thought? What pupil to greater exertion; but too often in his