The general plan of Messrs. Brewer & Tileston is and so, too, it has been the custom of the preceding "firm"- to obtain the privilege of having their publications entered upon the list of books permitted to be used by teachers in a town, and then to announce this as an adoption, " either in part or whole, of Hillard's Series." I refer more particularly to the schools of the city of New York, in which Hillard's books can not be found, probably, in more than one school out of a hundred. Any books may thus be added to the "list" by publishers making application. Hillard's books were partially adopted by the schools of Philadelphia, and displaced almost immediately.

While stating that Hillard's and Worcester's Series are "increasing rapidly," Messrs. B. & T. are careful not to announce that they are decreasing still more so. They refer, in various circulars, to Cleveland, New Bedford, Manchester, Biddeford, Fryeburg, Bangor, and many other towns, as using Hillard's or Worcester's Series, while scarcely a book of either kind can be found in their schools.

On the twenty-first page of Messrs. Brewer & Tileston's pamphlet, David Worcester, Esq., Superintendent of schools, Bangor, Maine, a relative of the author of Worcester's Dictionary and "nominal" author of Worcester's Spellers, gives his approval of Hillard's Series; and, from his recommendation, some persons would naturally suppose those books are now in use in the schools of that city. Hillard's "First Class Reader," the only book of the series ever authorized by the school committee of Bangor, has been lately displaced by the adoption of the "Progressive Speaker;" while Worcester's Speller has been discarded altogether, and the Progressive Speller, in connection with the Progressive Series of Readers, is now in general use in the schools of Bangor.

"Our pamphlet," says the "Teacher," "is worth sending for, if for no other reason than to show the merits of the individual who sets himself up as the critic of Shakespeare, Longfellow, Tennyson, Brown

ng, and Hillard."

That Mr. Hillard is not beyond criticism,

In regard to the "vote of the New Hampshire Board of Education," I need only say, that it adopted all the books of the Progressive Series necessary for the use of the common schools of the State. Few books, comparatively, higher than the Progressive Fourth Reader, ever find their way into the common schools of New England.

In reply to B. & T.'s statement in reference to "Vermont," I will simply remark, that the Board of Education, in adopting the Progressive Series of Readers, could not adopt the Speller, as only a few pages had been electrotyped at the time the decision was made; and therefore the " Vermont Speller" was adopted. The Progressive Speller, however, has since found its way into many of the towns of the State. Worcester's large Speller was also adopted for High schools, but has since been found to be too impractical in its arrangement, and much too expensive, for use.

Maine has now the Progressive Series in use in nearly every town. Massachusetts is divided between the Progressive Series, Sargent's, Town's old, Lovell's, Tower's, Russell's, and a few of Hillard's. Connecticut and Rhode Island are divided in nearly the same proportion as Massachusetts, with Hillard's little in use.

The schools of Providence, Rhode Island, announced as having adopted Hillard's Series, have always used more books of the Progressive Series than they have of Hillard's. Portions of both Series were adopted; but many teachers have discarded Hillard's, even preferring Shakespeare to the compilation of his distinguished Boston compeer. Messrs. B. & T. also claim that Hillard's and Worcester's books are in general use in several other towns, viz: Portland, Augusta, Richmond, Thomaston, Wiscasset, Waldoboro', &c., in some of which only one book of the series is used, while in others but a partial introduction of the series has been made.

Such is the state of book-matters in New England. And since Messrs. B. & T. have referred to the "increased use of Hillard's Series," as being the motive for my issuing the "Even Exchange" circular, or, as termed by Mr. Tileston, the Ellsworth circular, and in the same breath declare that their books are not so "unpopular and declining" as to induce them to make any "wholesale offers of even exchange (see Massachusetts Teacher,

MR. ELLSWORTH.

Dear Sir: * * *

:

WILTON, MAINE, Nov. 3, 1862.

We can have Hillard's Readers and Worcester's Speller put into all our schools at "even exchange." I prefer your Readers and Speller (meaning Town and Holbrook's) although I am obliged to pay for them. Respectfully yours, J. R. EATON.

In the following named towns, the "increased use of Hillard's and Worcester's Series appear to have been seen through a reflector:

WATERBORO', ME., Nov. 6, 1862.

The Committee of this town voted unanimously to

adopt the Progressive Series in place of Hillard's, now in use. (Signed) S. K. HAMILTON, Chairman.

MAYSVILLE, ME., Aug. 25, 1862. We have authorized the use of the Progressive books in the schools of this town, in place of Hil

lard's Series.

STONINGTON, CT., Jan. 20, 1860.

At a meeting of the Board of School Visitors of the town of Stonington, holden at the house of Elder S. S. Griswold. Jan. 20, 1860, for the purpose of examining school books with reference to their introduction into our district schools, it was voted,

1. That there are serious objections to the further

use of Mr. Hillard's Readers in our schools.

2. That we approve of Town and Holbrook's Progressive Series of Readers and their Speller, and recommend their introduction into our schools as soon as practicable.

3.

That those of Hillard's now in the schools be exchanged for Town and Holbrook's. S. S. GRISWOLD,

Chairman of the Board of Visitors.

The names of forty-one other towns, all in New England, where school committees have come to similar conclusions, during the past three months, can be given, if desired, to show the increased popularity of Hillard's and Worcester's Series;" while I challenge B.

adoption and introduction of Hillard's and Worcester's Series, even though gross misrepresentations have been resorted to, and their "Free Circulating Library," in the form of a Worcester's Quarto Dictionary, covers not only the track of every agent in their employ, but the foot-prints of those who have displayed in this respect a generosity worthy of a better

cause.

What reply do Messrs. Brewer & Tileston make, after calling me a "liar," a " publisher of falsehood," one who "garbles," "guilty of that Hillard's Series is on the "decline"? travestying," &c., when it is here so fully proved And what think these high-minded publishers of the "impure mind" of the author of the "Even Exchange," as they meditate on the preceding votes?

The publishers of Hillard's and Worcester's Series must adopt some other mode than "guerrilla warfare," if they would be successful in their present vocation. Until then, the author of "Even Exchange" "will be happy to correspond with committees and teachers" who are desirous of getting rid of poor books foisted upon towns by importuning agents," among whom the following is a fair specimen:

PORTLAND, ME., June 9, 1862. Friend I understand the "firm" of Bazin & Ellsworth have smashed, and that they will not be likely to come up to the letter of their agreement in exchange of Readers. If they do not, you are under no obligations to them. I think you had better let the Progressive slide. I will furnish you Hillard's and Worcester's on EVEN EXCHANGE, if you desire it. * * * I think you would find it to your advantage to take our Readers, or at least not to take the Progres(Signed) GEO. N. JACKSON.

sive.

In my estimate of the total number of pages in Hillard's Readers, an error was inadvertently made in not including the introductory or "other matter" in two books of the series. The number of pages was taken from the last page of each book of both the Progressive Series and Hillard's. The author of the latter, however, it seems did not, for some reason, consider the introductory or "other matter". which, he admits, was prepared by another person-worthy of enumeration with the reading-matter, and hence my mistake. But even with this "other matter," and the blank leaves included, the corresponding numbers of the Progressive Series contain more pages than Hillard's, and, when used, are a saving of eightyeight cents on each entire set of the books.

"No member of the 'firm' of Swan, Brewer & Tileston," says Truth Vindicated,' "had the least connection with this measure, "(the late enactment by the Legislature of "Maine in regard to school-books), either in "favor of or against it. We knew not that "such an enactment was proposed until it had "been adopted." If Messrs. S., B. & T. intend to say, that they had no interest in the passage of this law; that Mr. Brewer did not visit Au