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by having his attention distracted between two such dissimilar things as spelling and defining. What impositions upon themselves and the public do school-committees sometimes allow themselves to practise, by giving to the classes in the schools a series of words to define, and making the result a test of their knowledge; whereas it is, mainly, a mere test of verbal memory. What valuable or important knowledge has that child gained, what discipline of the powers of his mind except that of mere memory does he exhibit, who can promptly tell you that "sui generis" means "unique," or that "heavy" means "ponderous?" Could we forget the waste of time, the perversion of talent, and the permanent injuries to the mind, we should give ourselves up to unrestrained laughter, whenever we see such absurd antics played off upon the people. All this arises from ignorance, or the want of reflection, or the desire of gaining notoriety and influence; and hence, too, probably, originated all the ridicule which has been attempted to be thrown upon what are called nonsense columns." Commend us to those same nonsense columns; which have made more and better spellers than all the new-fangled contrivances and quack impositions of the present day. But to return to the other part of the fallacy, the nature and amount of explanation necessary. The tendency of the present day is, to explain what scarcely needs explanation; to illustrate what before was plain; to remove every obstruction in the path of the learner; to fill up every valley, and level every hill; to make the crooked straight, and rough places plain. Schoolbooks are filled with notes and comments, explanations heaped upon explanations, till there is nothing left for the learner to inquire after, nothing to arouse attention, nothing to exercise and strengthen the powers of reason, judgment, or comparison; nothing, in short, for the mind to grapple with. Easy lessons in this and in that," Grammar made easy," "Arithmetic made easy," and a thousand other "made easies," fill our bookstores and our schools, till our scholars, blessed souls, have now nothing to do but open their mouths to receive and swallow the ready-made dose, as infants do the pap prepared by their mothers. We protest, earnestly and loudly, against all aids prepared by those who have had no experience in teaching. None but a wise and experienced teacher can tell how much assistance, or where, or when, it is needed; and even he is liable to give too much rather than too little, too often rather than too seldom. At the present time, when immediate rather than future, present rather than lasting results are demanded, and made the test of the proficiency of the pupil and the ability of the master; when, as in some of our cities, the community have annually spread before them the exact acquirements of each

pupil reckoned in figures, even to the nicety of a fraction, with the amount carried out and posted up like a ledger for the inspection of the curious; urged on as he is by such false measures, by the importunities of ignorant or unreflecting parents, and by the very natural desire of securing a good reputation; no wonder, if, under such impulses, he should violate the dictates of his better judgment, succumb to the pressing tide, and give unnecessary and hurtful help and assistance to his pupils. Without it, they will travel slower, but will be gradually acquiring strength and vigor to bear the fatigues and surmount the difficulties of the journey alone and unaided; but with it, they will travel faster and reach certain stages of their journey sooner; and, as present results are in demand, the present alone is cared for, and the future left to take care of itself. The temptation is too strong to be resisted, and the consequence is a splendid but specious show of unsound, unsubstantial, superficial, undigested knowledge; a pompous parade, an imposing cheat; just as, not many years ago, the great truths of Euclid were recited with parrot-like fluency by "toddling wee things" in our infant schools.

This leads us to notice another fallacy connected with the last; indeed, all the fallacies on the subject of education are more or less intimately related, and might, perhaps, be traced up to one and the same source.

4. Education is instruction; or, to teach is to impart knowledge. This very common fallacy originates from ignorance of the true objects of education. We hold then, and maintain, that it is the business of the educator to teach, not knowledge, but the means of knowledge, to train the mental as we train the physical powers, to make the school a gymnasium of the mind. We do not say, or intend to say, that, while thus training the mental powers, useful knowledge may not be imparted; or, that no regard should be had to the subjects taught in school, and to their relative order and importance. This would be manifestly unwise and absurd. But what we do mean to say, and contend for, is this: that the subjects of study, whatever they may be, should be made the occasions and the means of so training and disciplining the whole mind, that the learner shall learn how to learn, and shall acquire the virtues of industry, patience, and perseverance, niceness of discrimination, quickness of apprehension, soundness of judgment, readiness and retentiveness of memory, and a perfect control over his attention. It is, then, of comparatively less importance what he studies, than how he studies. The question of his progress concerns not so much the kind or the number of books he has studied, as his ability to study and master some given subject.

His teacher looks not so much to the present, as to the future; for he is laying, slowly but surely, a firm foundation, upon which the pupil himself may erect a superstructure of just such dimensions and beauty as he chooses. Hence his teacher will eschew much of the infantile educational pap of the present day, and put into his hands books which contain some difficulties to be surmounted, some hard questions to be solved; and hence, too, he will be sparing of his assistance, and give it only when he is sure it is needed; else, how can the virtues of industry, or patience, or perseverance, be acquired? Such a training as this, and no other, deserves the name of education, presupposes discipline, rigid discipline; for where there is the right kind of teaching, there must, of necessity, be discipline. Teaching and discipline are, indeed, correlative terms, and involve each other. Hence, the true teacher is a good disciplinarian, and is given to no extremes; neither to the merciless and constant use of the rod, nor to an entire reliance on moral suasion. His aims are high and noble, but the results are future and distant. Hence, he courts not the popularity of the present moment, flatters the caprices of no man, rebukes the current errors of the day, and looks to the future for his reward. And it requires no small amount of moral courage in a teacher, of the present day, to be honest and truthful in his profession. Policy will often tempt him to yield to the dictates or suggestions of men who have no practical knowledge, who have theories which they wish to be tried, or who have been clothed with such authority that the teacher is at their mercy. But, at whatever sacrifice it may be done, let the experienced teacher give utterance to his experience, be ready to give a reason for the faith that is in him, with modesty and firmness, and the public will ultimately listen and give heed to his sayings; for reason and truth, if freely uttered, will ultimately triumph over folly and error.

Good and evil exist together in the soul. If the latter gain the preponderance, from defective education or the absence of good example, man sinks beneath himself, degenerates; education, on the other hand, elevates him above himself.

There is this difference between happiness and wisdom: He that thinks himself the happiest man, may really be so; but he that thinks himself the wisest, is generally the greatest fool.

We should never estimate the soundness of principles by our own ability to defend them, or consider an objection as unanswerable, to which we can find no reply.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

Mr. Editor,-As your paper is devoted to the interests of education generally, I have thought that it should be the medium of some hints that might be useful to teachers in our Primary Schools. My own experience, as an instructer of one of these schools, is somewhat limited, and my principal object in writing this communication is, to induce those of larger experience to imitate my example.

Our Primary Schools are, in reality, of primary importance, though they have not received primary attention. They take the child at the early age of four years, when it is just beginning to escape from its mother's most vigilant care, and, as a general thing, retain it until it arrives at the age of eight years, and often one or two years longer. This embraces a most important period of life, during which some of the most durable impressions are made upon the mind;-impressions which will affect, for good or ill, its whole future being.

How important is it, then, that a teacher should strive to obtain the best methods of gaining kindly influences over the tender minds of children. A step of the first importance is, I think, to gain their affections. This is the basis on which all other influences may act. Gain a child's love, Gain a child's love, and you gain its confidence; and love and confidence combined will give one a strong influence over any mind, and particularly so over the pliable mind of a child. It is in the primary school that the foundation for all future knowledge is laid; and how important that this be well and thoroughly laid! How often is it the case that errors in the foundation affect injuriously the whole superstructure! It is, for instance, often the case that the habit of indistinct utterance is so confirmed in these schools, that the labor of years can hardly remedy the evil. It is much easier to do well than to undo what has already been done wrong.

A child should have a fear as well as a love for its teacher: -not that degree of fear which will paralyze half its efforts to struggle up the first rugged hill of knowledge, but enough to lead it to ready and implicit obedience. The Christian loves and fears his heavenly Father; so a child should love and fear his earthly parents and teachers. I would have children controlled by all the kindly influences that can be brought to bear upon them; but I would not refrain from sterner measures, if oft-bestowed kindness failed to have a proper effect. Exact and ready obedience should be insisted on in the Primary School; and the habit, once thoroughly established here, will be of service in all subsequent life.

I consider it desirable that teachers should become acquainted with the parents of their pupils, and whenever they meet them give a full and honest account of the school-doings of the children. It is quite important that a teacher know the peculiarities in the habits and temperaments of all her pupils. On these points she can be greatly aided by the parents. I have found it a very good plan, sometimes, when a pupil has violated the regulations of the school, to send a note to the parents, informing them of the particulars. It has often secured a kind and degree of coöperation of great service. When a child feels that both his parents and teachers are united in their efforts on his account, he will very seldom venture to violate or disregard the wholesome restraints of the schoolroom.

A child should feel that his teacher is just and reasonable. If punishment is inflicted, as it sometimes must be, let the pupil be made to feel that it is not because his teacher is angry with him or dislikes him, but that it is the consequence of his own wrong actions. Cause him to feel that misconduct deserves and will receive punishment. Place before him, in contrast, the unhappy and painful results of wrong-doing, and the pleasure given and received by doing right, and you will rarely find one, even among those who have not received a salutary home discipline (and many such may be found in Primary Schools), who will feel that you are unjust.

Teachers should aim to convince their pupils that they are their friends. They should manifest an interest in all their concerns and rational amusements, and sympathize with them in all their troubles, and childhood's troubles are neither few nor small. They should encourage and cheer their pupils; this will do them much good, and aid them in the accomplishment of their daily lessons. Make them feel that they do well, and they will strive to do still better. It will increase their confidence.

Teachers must expect to have their trials; they are attendant upon every situation in life. Those of the teacher are, in a measure, peculiar, and call for the perfect exercise of self-government, patience, and perseverance. She has to do with a great variety of habits and dispositions. But the faithful and devoted teacher, who discharges conscientiously her duties, will in the end gain the rewards of a faithful servant.

A PRIMARY TEACHER.

It were good that men in their innovations would follow the example of time itself, which indeed innovateth greatly, but quietly, and by degrees scarce to be perceived.-Bacon.