ful for every ray of light that falls on the pathway of the teachers of little children. If it be true that the Quincy lamp shines only with borrowed light, it is a good thing that it shines. What is needed is not simply light, but its widest dissemination. The Quincy light seems to have the power of diffusing itself, and for this all who have been preparing the oil should rejoice. Let Quincy shine—the brighter the better. Dr. E. E. White, in Indiana School Journal. The Reading Class. The true teacher will in all his work (1) arouse the activities of the pupil and (2) give him work to do. It requires no small amount of ingenuity to accomplish this, and the ingenuity spoken of is not a mechanical ingenuity, but the art of teaching; it requires a knowledge of the human mind-its mode of acting. To arouse activity of mind, questioning is, of course, the best means to be employed. These questions may be put (1) by the teacher, (2) by the pupils. Some teachers object to having questions not in the text-book, but these are helpful if properly constructed. As to questions by the teacher, these should proceed step by step, going from the known to the unknown. Much is lost by not knowing the condition of the pupils, and much more is lost by proceeding in a hap-hazard way. The proper way to conceive of the matter is to imagine a lamp giving a certain amount of light, irradiating a circle of ten feet in diameter, if you please. This circle represents the amount of knowledge in the pupil's mind. You now turn up the lamp-wick, and a larger circle is illuminated. It is to be noted that the ring of light surrounding the former circle constitutes a new and larger circle. New knowledge moving out slightly further to-day than yesterday on all sides imparts instruction in the proper way. Hence there is art in questioning. The questions must be directed so that they will embrace the entire individual; this may not be accomplished in one lesson; it may require several; it should, however, be the result of the whole work. Then as to questions by the pupils. The pupil who studies to find a question to ask is really studying the subject. I have known pupils to make great efforts to find questions to propound to the class. They will seek the assistance of their friends and relatives to start up some inquiry. The questions that are to be proposed to a reading class are of three kinds. 1. Those pertaining to the thought of the author. 2. Those pertaining to the meaning of words. 3. Those pertaining to the expression of the thought. to glow? What are What is the figure? Meaning of title? Why directed to a fowl? Where is it? Why the term falling dew (1)? Does it fall? As heavens? What are last steps of day (2)? How can steps glow? Does it mean footsteps? Rosy (3)? depths? pursue? solitary? Which is the emphatic word? Why? Object of the author? Object of this first verse? What is the picture suggested? Vainly? Fowler (5)? Why speak of eye? What weapon is suggested? Mark? Wrong? Painted? Why darkly? Floats? Seek'st? Why apostrophe? plashy? What other word is better than brink (9)? Why use brink? Chafed? What kind of word is ocean-side? To what are the three verses directed? Is not the connection closer between the first and third, than between the first and the second verses? What is suggested at once to the poet (13)? Why capitalize Power? Why say "teaches" thy way? Why pathless? What coast? Why comma after second and third lines? desert? illimitable? Is wanderused in its usual sense? Fanned? all day? cold? thin? Is "stoop" as accurate as scend" (19)? Why weary? welcome? "de Why soon? summer home? why scream? what fellows? reeds? bend? Lines 21-24. what are they taken together? Why "gone"? abyss? swallowed? "heart" means what? what lesson? why not "depart"? How do we get lessons of this kind? Zone (29)? Who is "He"? How guides? boundless? certain ? why long (31)? How alone? What is the lesson learned of the past? Mention any other incidents that teach the same lesson. Give quotations from other poets or authors. Are lessons of this kind valuable? was the author? When born? when did he die? his principal poems? Why is this esteemed? Why so? Who Emphatic word in first line? in third? in fifth? emphatic words in lines 9-12? in line 13? in line 16? in line 17? in 19? in 21? in 22? in 23? Why exclamation after gone in line 25? Emphatic word in 27? in 28? in 30? in 31? in 32? Sound of “a” and “o” in along? of "o" in long? Where pause in first line? second? etc., etc., etc. These are but a part of the questions the teacher will ask. The pupils will ask others. It will perhaps be objected that this process will consume time, and that the pupils will not "get through the book." If they become intelligent upon the reading, that is sufficient. The N. Y. School Journal. Outline of Primary Arithmetic. BY S. T. PENDLETON. V. DIVISION is best taught as the opposite of multiplication; as 9 8 are 72, 9 into 72 goes 8 times, 8 into 72 goes 9 times. times Also teach another division table, 2 into all numbers up to 20; 3 into all to 30; 4 into all to 40, &c.; as, 4 into 30 how many times and how many over, or 30÷4=? and +. We are then ready for short division, which is but a succession of such examples, as 4)87946, we have 84, 7÷÷4, 39÷÷4, 34÷4, &c. When the scholars know the second column in the division table and 2 into all numbers to 20, then give these examples in large num 2 984637 bers divided by 2 as And so with the third column, &c. Divide by 11 and 12 by short division. Try 241176107912. As a preliminary mental drill, the teacher can have before him the dividend, as 87946, and ask questions around the class, 4 into 8? 4 into 7? 4 into 39? 4 into 34? 4 into 26? and then say, "Write on your slate 87946 and divide it by 4." Also give oral drills combining +, -, X, ; and practical questions mental and written combining these operations. These are very good exercises, 6X8=how many times 7 and how many over? Answer, 6 times 7 and 6 over, because 6X7=42, and 42+6=48. Also, 7 X7-9= how many times 6 and how many over? 6X6+4= how many times 7 and how many over? We would begin long division with 20 to 25 as divisors for simplicity-then 13, &c., to 20; and as it is hard at first to find the number of times, we frequently at first get the scholars to multiply the division by each of the 9 digits separately and set the work to one side to look at to help in finding the number of times or quotient figures. It is better, however, if possible, to find number of times or quotient figure, by the rule below from the first. Then take as divisors, 34, 45, 56, 67, 78, 89-then say divisors, 112, 234, 345, 456, 567, 678, 789, 890, 900: a good many examples with 112 divisor and different dividends, &c. Also divisors 1124, 1032, &c., and 4 figures generally, &c. Sometimes make remainder I less than divisor. Notice o's in the divisor and o's in the quotient, &c., as in - & X. Also the 4 steps as a rule; 1. Times? 2. Multiply; 3. Subtract; 4. Bring down. Times is the hardest step. We say-Rule. If the 2nd figure of the divisor is less than 5, divide the first figure into the first one or two figures of the dividend to get the trial quotient figure, and if the product is greater than the partial dividend make the quotient figure i less, &c. If the 2nd figure of the divisor is greater than 5 divide the first one or two figures of the dividend by I more than the first figure of the divisor to get a trial quotient figure, and if the remainder is larger than the divisor make this quotient figure 1 greater, &c. In doing this it is generally sufficient to multiply the 2 left hand figures of the divisor mentally, which might be taught. Long division with proof by multiplication is valuable as a review and practice in the 4 rules of +, —, X, and ÷. In passing from grade to grade, a review should be had of all passed over in previous grades. Thus 2d Primary B (of our schools) should see that the classes know the 2d column of the multiplication table, and test by 586241379 2 -and so on for 3d column, 4th column, &c. As a general method, if a class is working out subtraction, as in our 2d Primary A, give them also examples to multiply by several figures on the other side of the slate to keep them occupied while you examine their subtraction examples. For instruction we frequently give the same example to all the class, a number of the pupils being required to work it at the blackboard, the rest at their seats on slates; sometimes the worst at the board, sometimes the best, according to our object. The following is one good plan: For a test as to their knowledge in our graded schools, we number the scholars 1, 2, 3, 4, so as to have the No. I's at a distance from each other; the No. 2's, at a distance from each other, &c. Give out 4 examples, one for No. 1's. a second for No. 2's, a third for No. 3's, a fourth for No. 4's; also a fifth example of a rule they have passed over, or any kind of work, to be worked by all on the other side of their slates, when they have finished the first example, so as to keep them occupied and hide their first work until all have finished. When all have finished the numbered or first example, we direct No. 1's to pass their slates forward to the front scholars, who shall hold them on their breasts while we examine them. Take those slates on which the example is incorrectly worked and put them in front to be corrected and pass back the slates on which the examples are right. We do the same for No. 2's, and then for No. 3's and No. 4's. We can then tell those at their seats, whose slates are right, to work out all four, while we examine the scholars in front, whose slates are wrong, deliberately, and we see where wrong, their errors and the remedy. We thus get the poor scholars separated, and work them up every day, either by sending them to the board to work out different examples, or on the front seats, while we give those at their seats more and harder examples. There are, however, many good ways of examining the answers. It is always well in the highest as well as in the lower grades to have examples in addition, subtraction, multiplication or division ready on the board for the class to work on the other side of their slates to keep them occupied so that you may examine and show the errors, undisturbed; and so they may keep up their accuracy in +, -, X and÷. The higher classes in |