THOUGHT is hard work, and mind laziness must be overcome before there is the possibility of success in study, and the art of doing this lies in winning them to love study better than idleness. This may be from the stimulating effect of study, from desire to take rank with the studious, from love of the approbation that follows faithful ness, or from love of the results of study. Different minds are differently affected, but through some medium of approach the child must be won to prefer study to idleness.-American Teacher.

The Charlotte, N. C., Training School.

The Charlotte Training School for Teachers, in connection with the Charlotte Graded Schools, opened Wednesday, September 16th. The candidates for admission presented themselves at the Graded School Chapel, at 3 o'clock, on the afternoon of that day, and the classes were then organized and regular work commenced.

The object of this school is the systematic and thorough training of teachers in graded school work. The problem before the managers of all Southern graded schools now is, how to secure first-class teachers.

One of the largest Teachers' Agencies in the country, states that the demand for teachers, trained in Normal Schools, is greater than the supply and it is constantly increasing.

Experiments with untrained teachers have, everywhere, forced the admission of the fact that very few, except those educated for this special work, are filling their positions satisfactorily. In no trade or profession have there been so many and such disastrously successful attempts to impose unskilled labor on the people as in teaching. No lady will trust the making of a costly wardrobe to a young girl who has not learned to sew, just because she sets herself up for a dressmaker. But very many ladies trust their priceless children to inexperienced girls, just out of school, who have not made one hour's preparation for teaching. Such persons, with no knowledge of human nature, ignorant of methods of imparting what they may know themselves, waste the powers and the time of the children, just as much as the bungling artisan wastes the material with which she works.

The Normal School undertakes to supply this necessary skill, to cultivate the talents, and develop the natural ability of those attempting to teach. In every town the employment of local teachers is urged; and there are numbers of bright, fairly educated young women, anxious to teach, and willing to make special preparation if they only had the means. For such persons there should be one or two permanent Normal Schools in each State.

In North Carolina, Charlotte is most favorably located for such a school. A railroad centre, healthy climate, moderate living, city advantages, etc., are all inducements to those wishing to take a course of instruction under pleasant circumstances. In view of these many advantages, and of the great need of such a school, the Board of Commissioners determined to establish one.

Mr. T. J. Mitchell, Superintendent of the Graded Schools, will have a general supervision of this department, and give some of the classes his personal attention.

Mrs. E. D. Kellogg, of Boston, a teacher of many years' experience, and a lady of high culture and superior attainments, will have direct charge, using the primary department for a model room, and the whole Graded School for observation and practice.

The classes will not be confined to the young and inexperiened alone, but some of them will be arranged for old teachers seeking higher and better qualifications. The means of training will consist of study, recitation, reading, lectures, observation, practice, criticism, etc.

The pupil teachers will be expected to teach in the different class-rooms under the direction and subject to the criticism of the critic teachers.

The benefits to be received by those taking this course are beyond estimate. Aside from increased efficiency, they will be put in the direct way of obtaining positions. New positions and vacancies in the city schools will be supplied from this department, and well qualified members will be recommended to the school authorities abroad, who are constantly inquiring for teachers able to teach according to the modern methods of instruction.-Ex.

RICH MEN AND COLLEGES.-It may interest some to know what a few rich men have done for the cause of education. Johns Hopkins gave $3,148,000 to the university which he founded. His gifts for benevolent purposes amounted to $8,000,000. Judge Packer gave $3,000,000 to Lehigh University. Cornelius Vanderbilt gave $1,000,000 to the Vanderbilt University. Stephen Girard gave $8,000,000 to the Girard College. John C. Green and his residuary legatees gave $1,500,000 to Princeton College. Ezra Cornell gave $1,000,000 to Cornell University. Isaac Rich bequeathed the greater part of his estate, which was appraised at $1,700,000, to Boston University. On account of the great fire and shrinkage in value, and other unfortunate circumstances, the university will realize less than $700,000 from this magnificent bequest. Amasa Stone gave $600,000 to Adelbert College by direct gift and by beques. W. W. Corcoran gave $170,000 to Columbia University in money and land. Benjamin Bussy gave real estate worth $500,000 to Harvard University. Samuel Williston, William J. Walker, and Samuel A. Hitchcock gave between $100,000 and $200,000 to Amherst College. Whitmore Phoenix gave the bulk of his property, amounting to about $640,000 to Columbia College. J. B. Trevor gave $179,000 to Rochestor Theological Seminary. Matthew Vassar gave $800,000 to Vassar College. Gardner Colby gave $170,000 to Colby University, and $100,000 to Newton Theological Seminary. J. B. Colgate gave $300,000 to Madison University. The Crozer family gave $300,000 to Crozer Theological Seminary. It would be easy to add to this list. There are hundreds of men and women whose splendid gifts entitle them to be held in everlasting remembrance. Such gifts are so common that they are expected. If a rich man should live and die without doing something for the cause of education, he would at once become the subject for adverse criticism.-Penn. College Monthly.

THE THIRTY-THIRD SESSION OF ROANOKE COLLEGE.-We take pleasure in stating that the thirty-third session of Roanoke College opened on the 16th instant, with a considerable increase over the attendance last year. The Faculty and friends of the

There

College have every reason to be encouraged at the steady gain for six years. are students from fourteen States, Indian Territory, and Mexico. Next in order to Virginia in the number enrolled, come North Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Indian Territory, and Tennessee. There are four students from Mexico and five from the Indian Territory. Of the latter, three are real Choctaws, two having come from Mt. Hermon Institute, D. L. Moody's school at Northfield, Massachusetts.

quality of the new students and The young men have been very

We learn that the Faculty are pleased with the that many of these are entering the regular courses. cordially welcomed to the College and Salem; they have begun the regular work of the session; and everything is promising for a successful year at Roanoke.-TimesRegister, 18th instant.

EDITORIAL PARAGRAPHS.

-The Public Schools of this city opened regularly on the 15th of September. The meeting of the teachers, held at the High School building on the 14th, was addressed by Profs. C. H. Winston and H. H. Harris, of Richmond College. These gentlemen gave the teachers some valuable advice drawn from their own study and experience. We noted the following heads of Prof. Winston's lecture: 1, Take care of your health; 2, Don't worry; 3, Try to enjoy and take pride in your work; 4, Appreciate the dignity of your profession; and 5, Regard your work as a profession. These thoughts were elaborated and enforced in that attractive style which has made Prof. Winston so popular as a lecturer. Prof. Harris urged that it was necessary to know not only the subject matter to be taught, but also the material to be operated upon. The teacher must know children, and both what they know and how they know it, that they may adapt their instruction to the needs of the pupils. He said, moreover, that his journeyings during the past summer had brought him into contact with representatives from the entire South, and that it was very clear that the people of those States were looking intently to Virginia for a model in shaping and directing their educational interests; that Virginia never had a more favorable opportunity for influencing our Southern sister States by good and thorough school work than now.

Below we give the enrolment in our schools on Friday, the 25th September.

It will be seen that there is still need for increased accommodations that all the children may have a place in school. The council has appropriated money enough to build two new houses of 12 rooms each. The School Board have prepared their plans, and it is hoped that the buildings will soon be erected.

names.

-The Session 1885-6 of Richmond College opened on Thursday, 24th September, very encouragingly. A larger number of students matriculated on that day than ever before on the first day of the session. One hundred and three enrolled their In the evening, at 8 o'clock, there was a formal opening of the session in the chapel of the College. After prayer by Rev. J. B. Hutson, the Chairman of the Faculty, Professor H. H. Harris, introduced Rev. Dr. W. W. Landrum, who gave the students a hearty welcome to the College and to the churches and homes of our city. He was followed by Rev. Dr. A. B. Brown, Professor of English, who, in a scholarly address, discussed "Christian Education." Quite a large audience of ladies and gentlemen was present.

-The Fourteenth Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is a very interesting document. It contains a number of carefully prepared and very valuable tables of school statistics, with the deductions and suggestions of the Superintendent. The proceedings and addresses of the Superintendents' Conference, held in this city in April last, are given, a detailed account of the Peabody Normal Institutes held in the Summer of 1884, a full and valuable account of the State Normal School at Farmville, and an Appendix containing the annual reports of the Treasurer of the Virginia Military Institute and the reports of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute.

Special attention is called to the success of these meetings. The following in reference to County and State Institutes deserves the careful consideration of our legislators. The case is not too strongly put.

"We cannot drop the subject without again appealing to our lawgivers to make suitable provision for sustaining these Institutes.

"We have a corps of the finest teachers naturally that adorn the School System of any State; but they have been called to the work without that professional Idrill which is so essential to make a successful teacher; and it is a shame that they should be required to secure this drill at the expense of the children of the State. The Institute is the only available means of educating or improving the teachers; they have passed the age for going through the drill of the Normal School, and, even if they have not, we have not Normal School facilities for them. "Thus our only hope is County and State Institutes; and, in the name of the people of the State, whose children are dependent upon our public schools for their education, and, in the name of the teachers and children, we most earnestly appeal to our lawmakers to give us means to conduct these Institutes, and not leave us to the uncertain charity of an outside benefaction."

In his discussion of School Finances the Superintendent calls attention to the fact that the appropriation of $100,000 per annum from the proceeds of the sale of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad will be exhausted this year; and that, according to Auditor Marye's statement to the Legislature, the arrearage

account will soon be paid, and the school revenue thus diminished another $100,000 per annum. Thus the public school revenue will be diminished $200,000. Nothing has been done to meet this deficiency. "The existing accommodations," he says, " are insufficient to meet the demands of our school population as at present enumerated, and the census,” taken this year, "must show a great increase in the number of school children in the State. It is clear that the next Legislature must increase the State school revenue, or our schools will again fail for want of funds. * * Over 250,000 children are without school facilities for acquiring a free school education. * We appeal with earnestness to the Legislature, and urge it to give us from the revenue of the State money enough to afford all of her children an opportunity to enjoy at least six months schooling in each year." A very grave problem is thus presented to the consideration of the General Assembly, in the proper solution of which the schools have a vital interest.

*

The report will prove interesting reading to those interested in general educational work, and especially to those who are alive to the success of our State system.

Book Notices.

LECTURES ON TEACHING. Delivered in the University of Cambridge, England, during the Lent Term, 1880. By J. G. Fitch, M. A. New Edition, with a Preface by an American Normal Teacher. New York: E. L. Kellogg & Co. Cloth, 400 pp. $1.00.

In England these lectures of Mr. Fitch have for several years been highly prized, as combining in an admirable manner, both the theoretical and practical sides of education. All of its discussions are based upon sound psychological principles, and give admirable advice on everything connected with the science and art of teaching, from the furnishing of the school-room, the studies for a teacher to understand, to the questions proper to ask on an examination.

Mr. Fitch possesses a clear and vigorous style. No one is at a loss to know exactly what he means. He has his ideas, and tells what he thinks in such a manner as to be helpful to all who are striving to improve either their methods or philosophy. While many works on teaching deal in generalities, Mr. Fitch descends to particulars. In speaking, for example, concerning Examinations," he tells exactly what to do under various circumstances, how to judge of quality, how to ask the questions, and how to decide concerning general fitness. In many points experienced teachers may disagree with him, but no one can possibly misapprehend or mistake his meaning.

No teacher can lay claim to being well-informed who has not read this admirable work.

SIXTH OR CLASSIC ENGLISH READER. By William Swinton, Author of Swinton's Readers, Geographies, &c. Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co. New York and Chicago.

This forms the advanced number of Swinton's Series of excellent Readers. The author has sought to combine with the requisites of a good reader, an interesting and stimulating introduction to the study of English and American Literature. He has