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to bring it within the division of Roman history, and still more minutely, to the particular individual transaction designated by Colonel Trumbull. In carrying on the process, I made no use whatever of any arbitrary or conventional look, motion, or attitude, before settled between us, by which to let him understand what I wished to communicate, with the exception of a single one, if, indeed, it ought to be considered such.

way back in past time, to denote that the event was one of quite ancient date. The aquiline shape of the nose, already referred to, indicating that a Roman was the person concerned. It was, of course, an old Roman Portraying, as well as I could, by my countenance, attitude, and manner, an individual high in authority, and commanding others as if he expected to be obeyed. Looking and acting as if I were giving out a specific order to many persons, and threatening punishment on those who should resist my authorityeven the punishment of death.

"Here was a pause in the progress of events, which I denoted by sleeping as it were during the night and awaking in the morning, and doing this several times, to signify that several days had elapsed. Looking with deep in

The usual sign at the time, among teachers and pupils, for a Roman, was portraying an aquiline nose by placing the forefinger, crooked, in front of the nose. As I was prevented from using my finger in this way, and having considerable command over the muscles of my face, I endeavored to give my nose as much of the aquiline form as possible, and, succeeded well enough for my purpose. Ev-terest and surprise, as if at a single person erything else that I looked and did was the pure, natural language by which my mind spontaneously endeavored to convey its thoughts and feelings to his mind by the varied expressions of the countenance, some motions of the head, and attitudes of the body. It would be difficult to furnish the reader anything like a complete analysis of the process which I pursued in making the communication. To be understood it ought to be witnessed, and accompanied with the requisite explanations. The outlines of the process, however, I can give. They were the following:

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standing before me, with an expression of countenance indicating that he had violated the order which I had given, and that I knew it. Then looking in the same way at another person near him as also guilty. Two offending persons were thus denoted. Exhibiting serious deliberation - then hesitation, accompanied with strong conflicting emotions, producing perturbation, as if I knew not how to feel, or what to do. Looking first at one of the persons before me, and then at the other, and then at both together, as a father would look, indicating his distressful parental feelings under such affecting circumstances. Composing my feelings, showing that a change was coming over me, and exhibiting toward the imaginary persons before me the decided look of the inflexible commander who was determined and ready to order them away to

"A stretching and stretching gaze eastward, with an undulating mot'on of the head, as if looking across and beyond the Atlantic Ocean, to denote that the event happened, not on the western, but on the eastern continent. This was making a little progress, as it took execution. Looking and acting as if the tenthe subject out of the range of American his-der and forgiving feelings of the father had tory. A turning of the eyes upward and backward, with frequently repeated motions of the head backward, as if looking a great

again got the ascendancy, and as if I were about to relent and pardon them. These alternating states of mind I portrayed several

times, to make my represention the more graphic and impressive. At length the father yields, and the stern principles of justice, as expressed in my countenance and manner, prevails. My look and action denote the passing of the sentence of death on the offenders, and the ordering them away to exe

cution.

ers go up that their days may be joyous, their hearts pure, their virtues strong, and their years unclouded; while I also pray that the teacher may have wisdom and understanding, patience and love, for the work.

In such a humor I once called upon a friend - an active, intelligent, and well-known teacher who had at the time (whether he has now or not I will not say) a large circle of girls- some of them young ladies-under his charge. I never saw a more interesting group than on that occasion. The intelligent countenance, the beaming eyes, the hapPY smiles, the freedom almost of a social cir

"Before I had quite completed the process, I perceived from the expression of his countenance, and a little of impatience in his manner, that the pupil felt satisfied that he was fully in possession of the fact which I was endeavoring to communicate. But, for the sake of greater certainty, I detained his at-cle, seemed to make it less a rigorously contention till I had nothing more to portray. He quickly turned round to his slate, and wrote a correct and complete account of this story of Brutus and his two sons."

"The Only Idiot in My School!"

A LESSON FOR TEACHERS.

ducted school, than a place where the pride of many a home daily met with other jeweled objects of love, to unite in a happy competition for their teacher's approval and affection. My friend has a pleasing manner. Geniality, sympathy, ease, and readiness to improve every little incident that will illustrate a truth, or impress a lesson, make him a very agreeable and admirable teacher. Such an event as I love to visit the school-room. There is a visitor who is in the habit of making himso much that is delightful in the association self acquainted with schools and school of the bright and happy youth gathered children could not pass by unimproved; and around the teacher who is endeavoring to in a few minutes I heard the order given to train the mind and heart of the young, and "close books!" "lay aside the slates!" so many joyous and happy anticipations clus-classes will take their seats!" These preter around them, that I love to tarry on my liminaries being gone through with, the girls way and listen to the exercises of the hour. were told to come to order, and face the rosMy heart beats with hope my spirit flows trum. Some of the desks were arranged sideout in deep and sacred sympathy with the way to the teacher's desk, and two or three teacher and with the pupils, as I feel that of the girls were not as prompt as the rest. there is a work going on there for immortality, One of them, a sweet, intelligent girl of about and that scated at these desks - reciting the twelve years, was behind the others. One or lessons I used to repeat, making the same two orders had been given to quicken their blunders or winning the same applause are motions, and the little one was still arranging the future architects of honor, fame, fortune, herself for her position, when the teacher freedom, and progress. I often ask myself turned abruptly to her, and, with hasty words what shall be the future history of these and petulent tone, said to me in a manner I bright and promising youth and my pray-shall never forget,

"That's the only idiot in my school!

I hope that the effect I sought to produce

that girl with the red shawl! She don't was attained, and that the discordant note know how to come to order!"

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died away before the gentler and sweeter thrill of sunshine thoughts and purer influences, to leave an impress far outlasting that of the hasty rebuke of the loved and loving teacher.

I was once walking along the street, and met a group of girls on their way. They knew me by sight, and I knew they belong

The child looked at her teacher and at me with an expression which spoke all that I myself felt at such a cruelty. So heartless, so unchristian, so hasty an epithet in the presence of the school, and addressed to a stranger, in regard to one of his youngest pupils, made my heart ache and my cheeks burn. I longed to speak to the child to say some-ed to a school which I occasionally visited, thing that would remove the smart and I said, "Good morning, girls! Going thing that would heal the wound that perhaps to school, are you!” that one hasty, unkind word had made in her heart! I thought of the deep, deep scar that might have been made in her tender sensibili-er!" ties. Perch ince she would never forget it! It might be that these words would linger there all the pathway of her life! A disgrace so deep, so cruel, inflicted upon her by her teacher, and pointing her out to a stranger, by her dress!

"That is the only idiot in my school!"

How often have those words been repeated in my mind, and the whole scene come before me, as I have visited schools and talked with teachers, and watched their conduct and language before their pupils. I have often seen my friend since; I have heard him speak in public on many occasions; I have listened with great pleasure to his thoughts, facts, and appeals on education, literary, moral, and religious, and yet I cannot efface from my eye the picture of that innocent child, as she looked up into my face to catch the expression and watch the effect it made upon me, as he said, "That is the only idiot in my school!"

My friend then introduced me to his pupils, and in an illustrative talk of some fifteen minutes, I did all I could to engage the sympathies of my young hearers, and to elevate their thoughts to beautiful and loving themes.

"Yes, sir," said one of them; "but I don't like to go much, we have such a hateful teach

"A hateful teacher!" I answered; "that can hardly be! I guess the little girls are at fault."

"O no, sir; our teacher is so cross and hateful to us we do not like her at all."

Perhaps the reason is that the girls are late, and do not learn their lessons, and are disorderly and rude to the teacher! If you give your teacher trouble, you cannot expect her to be as happy and kind to you as if all her girls were good and kind to her."

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Well, we are not as good as we ought to be, but we can't be good to such a teacher as she is! "

After some further conversation, in which I tried to impress a lesson of kindness and love for their instructor, we reached the schoolroom door, and I passed on, thinking of the work which that teacher was doing, and of the memories which she was leaving, in deeper and broader lines every day, in the minds of her young and tender charge.

A day or two after, I passed near the same school. The girls were just dismissed, and were on their way home. Several of them saw me as I overtook them, and I said,

"How do you do, my little girls? Going home from school?"

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Co-workers in the great office of the teacher! Let no word, no look, no act of yours ever wantonly wound the heart of one of your pupils. It may become the grief of life-time! It may leave a wound which years of after intercourse will not have the power to obliterate. Though the pang and the smart may soon pass away, and the sensibility become indifferent to the wrong, yet in that young heart a mark will be made which time may not efface, and affection may not remove.

Etymology.

WE Copy the following from the educational column of the Delaware County (Pa.) American. The writer had perhaps read the article in the October number of THE SCHOOLMASTER, signed Philologos.

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It sustains the positions of Philologos, and urges upon the people of Pennsylvania, — a place where of the whole country etymological study is most pursued — the importance of greater prominence to the study. If the people of the Keystone State need such advice, how much more the teachers of New England, especially of Khode Island, where almost no attention is given to the subject.

We wish we could see the English language studied in our public schools as the language of Virgil is studied in our academies and colleges. — ED.

"From reports before us from several of the States, concerning the progress of popular education, amidst the cheering aspect that is presented, one thing is a matter of great surprise the dearth of etymological instruction. To us this seems the very basis of a good and sound English education, and without which no one is competent to fully comprehend his own tongue. Yet strange to say,

Blessed is that teacher who sees the youth in many sections the study is even at this day

committed to his charge growing up to honor and usefulness, and who can feel that in their training every effort has been made to imitate the Great Teacher who will at last examine our work, and will stamp it with the seal of a glorified immortality.-N. Y. Independent.

ADVICE is like show: the softer it falls, and the longer it dwells upon, the deeper it sinks

into the mind.

A real book always makes you feel that there is more in the writer than anything that he has said.-MRS. BEECHER STOWE.

a new one, and in others unknown. Even

in Yankee New England, whose pride is in its

system of education, and that points us to her schools as models for us to imitate - even she, amidst all her eclat is sadly deficient in this branch of study. Schools there, of enviable reputation - endowed amply by public and private munificence, and under the supervision of celebrated men-have, in many places no course of etymological study. Parrot-like they drive their pupils through the memorizing process, and never ask question on the structure of words. It is indeed a matter of astonishment to the travel

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Schools,

Legislature, A. D. 1828.”

EXTRACTS from the remarks of Mr. Waterman of Warwick, in opposition to the bill:

er through Rhode Island, or her sister states, "Debate on the Bill Establishing Free when he observes the noble structures erected as temples of education, with the tens of At the January Session of the Rhode Island thousands of pupils attending them, that they have yet to begin to teach one of the great fundamentals - the origin and etymological pedigree of words. We suppose that in no portion of the United States is this study more general than in Eastern Pennsylvania; and even here it has but recently come into general use. We have visited some schools where this study is pretended to be taught, but discarding the important part of the study, they sometimes convert it into the same old sing-song memorizing process, without saying one word about structure.

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"In providing to establish free schools, certain principles ought always to be kept in view. That every child in the state to be provided for, is entitled to equal rights and privileges and ought to enjoy equal benefits in all appropriations for that object, are positions I maintain to be correct, and which I think no member of this house will attempt to controvert. Then, sir, if this be correct ground, let us examine the provisions of this bill, and see whether they accord with those principles.”

As every one acquainted with this branch knows its superiority is manifest from the fact that the student arrives at a knowledge "The provision of this [first] section makes of the meaning of the word by the word ita distribution of the money to be set apart for self. He examines its prefixes, and its past-the support of free schools to the several towns fixes, and its radical, and from these he gath-in the state, according to their wealth; it then ers the true meaning of the word. As the follows, that a few of the wealthy towns are naturalist when shown some antique skeleton, determines from the formation of it, the class, the nature, and the disposition of the animal, etymology develops to the student the intent of words.

This article is written with the hope that it will induce directors to look to the matter, and see that this very important study is taught in their schools. They will find it will prove of much advantage to every pupil, giving him not only correct ideas of his own language, and of the meaning of its words, but also from an examination of the roots, it will aid him, should he ever need it in the study of other tongues."

Ir good people could but make goodness agreeable, and smile, instead of frowning in their virtue, how many would they win to the good cause.

to receive a large proportion of the appropriation, whereas all the rest of the towns, who are less wealthy in proportion to their population, and having more than double the number to educate, are to receive but a trifle more than those few wealthy towns."

"In taking a view of the extent of territory of the several towns in the state, some idea may be formed of the number of schools which it would be necessary to have established. Excepting a few towns, the rest would, with some little deviation, require a school district to each five or six square miles, which would require say for the county of Providence, 66 school districts, Newport 29, Washington 64, Kent 32, Bristol 9, making in the whole state 200 districts; and adopting, in the absence of other data, the number of free white inhabitants under sixteen years of age, as a rule of estimate, it would not make any material dif

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