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It will be seen that in poetry "Paul Revere's Ride" easily heads the boys' list, while the girls' favorite is "The Children's Hour." The reasons given are as follows: Boys like "Paul Revere's Ride" because a great man wrote it, it is ad venturous, it tells about fast riding and a brave man, it is the story of a brave man, it makes me think of pictures, the words sound so nice (or so good). Two girls because it is the story of a man who saved his country, and one says, Longfellow wrote it. One girl likes all Longfellow's Poems; cannot choose, they all have so much feeling in them. Another likes "The Frost" be cause it seems just as if the frost and the wind were talking together-kind of fairies. "Rain in Summer" is liked because it is natural, it seems like you were there. "The Children's Hour" by the girls because it tells about real children and he calls their names and I always remember them; because I like that time of day myself; because it shows Mr. Longfellow was kind to his children; because he wrote it.

"The Heritage" is preferred by three boys because it shows a poor boy is as good (as well off, thought as much of) as a rich man's son. The girls say about the same; one adds, "he says it in a pretty way."

"The Miller of Dee" is liked because it is cheerful; has a pleasant sound; because I like the picture; it is poetry.

The choice of "The Bridge" by three boys and two girls surprised me. The reasons given are that it must be real, for Mr. Longfellow used to stand on the bridge and see all the things; it has a sad sound, and I like sad things, sometimes; I like the sound of it; I like the picture of the bridge and river; it makes me feel good.

In prose the five girls who chose "The Travels of a Drop of Water" give very similar reasons for their preference. It is told like a fairy story; it seems like the water drops were people; they talk like fairies, etc. This story is the recital of the adventures of a little girl who is turned into a drop of water by the fairy, Wis dom, and her course from the brook to the ocean, and then to the cloud, is traced. The style is pleasing and attractive, and the story superior in literary merit to most selections in the book. It is also the longest and most complete, being in three parts, covering seventeen pages. The girls who prefer this are the youngest in the school, their ages being eight, eight, nine, nine, nine and a half years.

The boys prefer the two stories of Whittington and Peter Cooper, and all say they like them because they are true; some elaborate the statement, saying he was kind to his mother, was industrious, shows how a poor boy got to be a wise man, such a kind man, etc.

"The Battle of Lexington" is liked because it is the story of our country; of brave men.

The other stories selected are incidents of adventure and are preferred for that reason. One boy likes "fearful" stories, another animal stories, and three girls like stories of dogs and pets. One boy likes "The White Sparrow” because it teaches a lesson, but does not say what lesson. The girls say it is a pretty story; about birds, which I like; tells me I ought to get up early, when I am bigger. This last statement is the only moral stated, in any formal way, by any one. One very noticeable feature of the reading was the desire to have more of what they liked. For instance, they wished to read all of Hiawatha, having read the extract given. They asked for a book that would tell more about Peter Cooper. They were not much interested in the descriptions of animals or their habits, though they liked stories about them. They criticised "padding," saying, "He needn't to have said that," or "We knew it without that." One girl likes poetry "Because it does not say things out so plain; you know it just as well, though."

Whenever the children were allowed to make. their own selections for reading they usually chose poetry, or a narrative of adventure, or one of the few biographical and historical selections in the book. The information pieces and the "moral" pieces were severely let alone.

They had no interest in travels, as such. They ask for that which they can interpret through their own every-day life and experi ences.

They have a keen appreciation of the beautiful in thought and expression, of courage and truth, and all practical virtues.

The school reader needs more "inspirational literature," less "stuffing," more complete selections, more good poetry (not rhyme), and better adaptation to the taste of the average pupil. No sermons, no moral treatises, no information lessons are desired by the boys and girls.

Deadwood, S. Dak.

EMMELINE F. TUCKER.

Art in the Public Schools

HIS movement began in England in 1883. In this country it took root in art-loving Boston and from "the hub" soon spread to the outlying towns of Cambridge, Brookline, and Salem. At present most of our large cities have done some work in this direction and the smaller towns and rural districts are becoming interested. It is with the hope of assisting such schools that the following suggestions are offered.

Not only pictures, but casts and pottery come properly under the general subject of "Art in the Public Schools," but for the present let us confine ourselves entirely to pictures.

At first thought it seems a simple matter to buy a few pictures and hang them in a schoolroom, but the problem is more complicated than at first appears. Especially is this true as the money for pictures does not come from the regular funds of the school, but is usually raised by private subscription, and the amount is often pitiably small.

The one commissioned to spend this money asks at once "What kind of pictures shall I buy?" By kind two entirely different things may be meant: it may refer to the process of reproduction-originals being usually out of the question-or it may mean the subject of the picture.

Too little attention has been given to the process. If correct taste is to be developed in the child it is not enough that the subject of the picture shall be good, the execution should be artistic as well.

The principal forms of reproduction are engravings, photogravures, photographs, carbon photographs, solar enlargements, and artotypes. Of these the engraving is most expensive; a good photogravure-not artist's proof-costs somewhat less than a carbon photograph; the common photograph comes next in the scale, and the artotype is cheapest of all.

The photograph is the most perfect, if not the most beautiful reproduction of the original picture, and the carbon photograph is at the same time the most permanent form of reproduction. The solar print is really nothing but a photograph, its chief value being that it furnishes an inexpensive enlargement for any given picture.

Almost all of the standard pictures are reproduced by several different processes, so that it is for the individual school to decide which is best for them. In making the decision, however, two considerations should have weight: that it costs as much to frame a poor picture as is does to frame a good one, and that the picture once framed and hung in the schoolroom becomes a fixture.

The question of subject admits of more choice and may seem for that reason more difficult. A visit to a "model school" simplifies the matter. Here the idea seems to be that any picture suited to the well-ordered home is suited to the schoolroom, always keeping in

mind that it must be really artistic, and must appeal to the children of the grade in which it is placed.

A few examples may be helpful. Among architec tural subjects are the following: Parthenon, The Castle of St. Angelo, Roman Forum, Coliseum, Arch of Titus, the cathedrals, and our own Congressional Library. Some famous paintings that are reproduced are: Sistine Madonna, the Madonna of the Chair, St. Cecilia, St. Anthony, Children of Charles I., the Baby Stuart from the same picture, and Sir Joshua Reynolds' Cherubs' Choir.

Of modern paintings, some of Alfred Frederick's and Boughton's have an interesting local color. The children are always delighted with scenes from rural life and Landseer's beautiful dogs and Rosa Bonheur's meek-eyed cattle are particularly attractive to them.

In a class by themselves may be put pictures that are interesting rather than beautiful. Such are his torical pictures like "Signing the Declaration of Independence" and portraits of great men, statesmen, authors, and scholars. While these pictures undoubtedly serve a useful purpose in the schoolroom, care should be taken that the Gradgrind idea does not take too strong a hold on us.

"But," says some teacher, "I am not familiar with many of these pictures, and picture stores and art exhibitions are not within my reach. How can I make selections?"

Almost every reliable dealer in pictures has his own catalogue, often illustrated, which he will gladly send on application. Some dealers send pictures on approval. A few schools have issued catalogue, either of pictures actually upon their walls or of desirable subjects to select from, arranged with reference to the grades of the school. An exhibition of pictures suitable for schools-the largest exhibition of the kind ever held-was given in Brooklyn recently under the auspices of "The Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences," and their handsome illustrated catalogue is a mine of wealth to every teacher. An entire.y new feature in art education is the "penny print." These prints are either blue or black, and are reproductions of the best known pictures. While intended primarily for the children, they are a valuable aid to the teacher in selecting, when, as has been suggested, picture stores and art exhibitions are beyond her reach. MAY ELLIS NICHOLS.

Brooklyn, N. Y.

National Congress of Mothers THE second National Congress of Mothers, which convened in Washington May 2 to 7, gave proof, as it did last year, of the popular interest in the questions which have to do with the home by the great concourses of people it called together. The program was positively appalling in its scope. It contained eighty-five addresses beside complimentary speeches and music, and it would seem that if the children of this day fail to secure all that belongs to them it is not for lack of consideration of their needs. A whole series of addresses was given to the problems that surround the deficient child, and they were made by such speakers of authority as Dr. E. M. Gallaudet, of the College for the Deaf, Washington; Miss Margaret Bancroft, principal of the Home for Feeble Minded Children at Hadonfield, N. J.; Mr. Edward Allen, principal of the Pennsylvania Institution for

the Blind, and Miss Mary Garrett, who would teach speech to the deaf at the natural age. Such specialists as these usually reserve their wisdom for conventions of educational or philanthropic character, yet the enlightenment they give to a general assembly is very profitable.

The kindergarten had, of course, its usual share of attention. Mrs. Harris, of New York, spoke on the necessity of kindergarten training and Miss Louisa Butler, of Chautauqua, would have every mother a kindergartner. Miss Fitts, of the Normal Training School for Kindergartners in Pratt Institute, also spoke on topics connected with her work, and Mrs. Henry M. Cooper, of Little Rock, Ark., gave a strong address on "The Ultimate End of the Kindergarten the Development of Life." Another western woman who attracted attention was Mrs. Harriet H. Heller, of Omaha, who spoke on "Childhood, an Interpretation." Mrs. Heller dwelt on the fact that the child embraces within himself the instincts of the race and that to study him is to study nature. Mrs. Mary Weeks, president of the Mothers' Union of Kansas City, spoke on "Stories and Story-Telling for Children," and Miss Mari Ruef Hofer, of Chicago, gave an address on "The Child in Music," illustrating it by the singing of various children's songs, while Miss Amalie Hofer dwelt on "The Industrial Plays of Children." Mrs. W. E. Fischel, of St. Louis, demonstrated the ethical value of lessons in domestic science to the child. Mrs. Fischel is conducting an interesting experiment in St. Louis, where she directs a school for teaching children not only to cook, but to perform all the duties relating to the home. She emphasized the idea that there is no time during the working hours to teach the children the responsibilities of home life. In our city homes the children rise late and hurry off to school or business, returning at night too tired to realize or to undertake the duties that belong to them in their homes. Mrs. Fischel's

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school teaches the home industries to the children of the poor, but one is led to inquire who is to lead the children of the rich to the privileges and opportunities of home life.

MRS. MARY CODDING BOURLAND, a contributor to this magazine and a worker well appreciated among the Women's Clubs of Illinois, was a figure in the congress. She read an excellent paper on "The Relation of Parents to the Public Schools," and when a permanent committee was named on education she was made its chairman. She felt, however, that she could not undertake the duties of the position and this important committee, upon which Mrs. Heller, of Omaha, is also to serve, is without a head. It is to be hoped that someone sufficiently qualified will be found to lead this committee, for it means much that the Congress of Mothers should have established a plan of work similar to that being done by the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

THE Congress of Mothers is now the possessor of a constitution and by-laws, and it has become an organization. It is probably too large to be held together without mechanical support, but it would have been a comfort if it might have grown like a flower instead of being framed like a structure. It is the intention, however, not to hurry the growth of the new organization. At least the matter of state auxiliaries will not be urged, but the twenty-one states represented at the meeting by delegates will be considered component parts of the national body until their own state organizations are effected. Mrs. Theodore Birney is president and Mrs. Cotten, of North Carolina, is the secretary of the Congress, and, beside the educational committee already mentioned, a committee on literature, with Mrs. Mary E. Burt, of New York, as chairman, and one on program, with Mrs. Henrotin as chairman, were appointed.

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Next Year

EDITORIAL

THE friends of this magazine who have been acquainted with its progress have come to expect each June an announcement of "another step." Last year the announcement was received with pleasure by many of the "constant friends," and with regret by others, who thought the magazine was getting too far away from the "common teacher." The loss was not perceptible, while the magazine gained thousands of new friends in every part of the United States. Its position has been unique. It has had no competitor, no compeer. It has brought to thousands of teachers and bright club women and others the simplest possible system of "university extension." Hundreds of clubs and circles have been organized in vil lages, towns, and cities, from Maine to California, where one or more of THE NORTH WESTERN MONTHLY courses have been studied.

The universality of the work of education seems so clear that henceforth THE NORTH WESTERN MONTHLY will appeal to intellectual, thinking people as such, and not as teachers, club women, superintendents, or school officers. One problem-one class. All the departments. will henceforth be conducted, not for teachers, but for intellectual people, no matter whether in the schoolroom, in the club, in the office, or in the home. It does not cease to be an educational magazine. On the contrary it will be the only educational magazine, in this broad sense, in this country. It invites all studious people, without regard to vocation, to enter upon the year's work in one or more of its courses as outlined in the advertising pages. Correspondence is cordially invited from all who desire to take up a systematic course of study-from all who want a broader outlook.

Index to Vol. VIII will be sent on application.

A High School Education for All CHE NORTH WESTERN MONTHLY holds that public education is the subject of para mount importance to all the people. It holds that the safety of our most highly valued political and civil institutions depends upon the universality of interest in educational questions. That man is not a good citizen who says he has no interest in questions that relate to the education of the children of his community, and he cannot afford to narrow too closely his idea of "his community."

One of the most welcome tokens of this broadening of educational interest is the growth in the public mind of the idea that every child should have the advantages of the high school. This is shown in the West, at least, in two ways: In the increasing percentage of pupils who pass from the eighth to the ninth grade, and in the very prevalent feeling that a high school education ought to be provided for the pupils of the rural schools. This, not as a right of the pupil, but in the interest of society.

Many experiments have been made. Kansas has a county high school law, but in ten years the people have voted the establishment of but about ten such schools. The plan there involves too much local politics. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York have a kind of subsidy system, whereby certain high schools may receive state aid upon complying with certain conditions. All these plans have good features, but they do not benefit all the people. Nebraska, two years ago, met the question absolutely and for the whole state. It simply provided that It simply provided that the state superintendent should pass upon the standing of every high school in the state, and all schools admitted by him into standing as state accredited high schools might receive pupils into its classes and draw pay for instruction. The law provided that the county superintendent should conduct examinations for all pupils completing the common school course and issue to such pupils as were able to pass the examination a certificate of admission to the high school nearest to their residence. The law provided that the commissioners of each county should make a special levy, not to exceed one mill, for such purpose. The tuition was fixed by law at fifty cents per week. All bills were to be paid by the county

commissioners. The operation of the law was eminently satisfactory, but unfortunately it was declared unconstitutional by the supreme court on a mere technicality of the wording of the first section. The idea is sound, the plan is simple, and the results wide reaching. It has received the commendation of many leading educators and will no doubt be adopted by other states.

Educate the Whole Child

WITH this broadening of public opinion concerning education comes the specific question, Do the ordinary school studies educate the whole child? "What is a practical education?" is answered by very few now as it was once answered by very many. The old answer had in mind little beyond the idea of "figuring," with possibly some ability to read and spell. To-day the number of people is growing who believe that if schools are supported at all, they ought to serve to develop not only skill in "figuring," but also all that goes to make a useful member of the community. Music and drawing have been kept out of too many schools by these utilitarian critics, while the best thought of the last quarter century has been a unit on the value of these subjects. They must have a place in all public schools along with reading as a means of expression and as a means of developing all that is good and true and beautiful in the child's nature. Not a word can be said in favor of good literature in schools that may not be said of music. Drawing not only trains the hand, but it trains the intellect. Industrial education in the schools must come and drawing must precede it. When we come to understand the folly of stuffing the brain with facts we will recognize the awful waste of time in our present school course, and see where an hour devoted each day to industrial work will add to the power of the pupil and detract nothing from the store of useful knowledge.

We therefore present to the thousands of progressive readers of THE NORTH WESTERN MONTHLY two great and important questions for thought and discussion looking to speedy legis lation-HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION for the chil dren of the rural communities and INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION as a part of every school course.

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