Government has for the higher. demanded not merely in the interests of higher education, but as well in the interests of common schools. Teachers can then be secured with reference to particular grades, and thereby be enabled to give their whole time and attention to the distinct work for which they were engaged, instead of devoting a large share of their time to pupils who should be taught elsewhere. Adequate provision for instruction always increases the number of those desirous of receiving its benefits. Such provision is not found in existing institutions. The University and the Normal Schools cannot do this work. It is without the particular scope of the former, and could only be done imperfectly and expensively by the latter. Adiate schools should be as accurately degrade of intermediate schools must be established by the State, making a connection between the common schools and the University.

This is These institutions should be so located as to be readily accessible, for ease of access tends to remove every one of the hindrances above mentioned, and opportunities for good, like temptations to evil, are far more likely to be embraced when brought to the attention by a perpetual invitation.

The adoption of this system by the State involves the determination of the limits of these grades, and here we presume the first practical difficulty would be met. The common school needs a more accurate definition. The law provides that certain studies may be taught; it should go further and state precisely what studies shall be taught, and as positively forbid the dabbling in any others. The grade also of the proposed interme

fined, and each school should be kept strictly within the limits laid down. Let the common school grade into the intermediate school, and this grade into the University, either directly or through the Normal school. The State will then fur nish education free to all, imposing only the slight burden of requiring pupils to go for education to the places where the State furnishes the particular grade that they require.

We believe this provision is demanded by the wants of the people. Comparatively few of those who attend the district schools ever reach the University. The reasons are three: want of inclination; want of money; want of opportunity. If opportunity be furnished, in many cases, money will be had; if opportunity and While it is true that our higher institu- 1 money be secured, want of inclination tions will determine in a large degree the will to a large extent disappear, and the character of our primary schools, it is no result would be a large increase in the less true that the success of our higher attendance upon our higher institutions institutions depends vitally upon a steady of learning. To prove the existence of supply of students from schools of a the public demand for this grade of lower grade. A University is comparaschool, we need only take the catalogue tively useless if placed above the reach of any college in the State. For instance, of the masses; and if it lower its standin Beloit College, one of our oldest and ard of admission to remedy this evil and best colleges, the proportion of students place itself within reach, it loses its disin the intermediate or preparatory course tinctive character, and attempting too is three to one in the college course, and much dees nothing well. The General the same was true of the State University Government has endowed a University for until the reward of free tuition was offer- the State, and private benefaction has also ed to those preparing elsewhere. The endowed several colleges. The question stream of education is dammed between now is, will the State open the way to the common school and the college. This these institutions, and make them accesobstruction must be removed, and the sible to the people? only way to remove it is to provide intermediate schools to do the work cheaply which is now but partially done, and that in a costly manner by higher institutions.

IN Pennsylvia women are eligible to any office of control or management under the school laws of that State.

102

the works of the highest power. A labo- | ratory of natural history is a sanctuary, in which nothing improper should be exhibited. I would tolerate improprieties in a church sooner than in a scientific laboratory.

TEACHING.

BY E. A. F.

The Shady Side.

Teacher fully aware of the merits of the case," heart full of the work, con"Talk about your specimens and try to scious of his duties and responsibilities, make the pupils observe the most telling and with singleness of purpose, he deterand striking features. When you collect mines that his shall be a model school. He a specimen be sure to find out what it is, is too keenly alive to his duties to run in and make full memoranda of everything the "old ruts;" he is progressive, and pertaining to it. Do this in every case, knows that what was once considered the You have chances to find new things un-hight of excellence is far below the propknown before. Collect carefully and pre- er standard now. serve well, so that the specimens will tell the story of the animal. There should be a little museum in every school-room; half a dozen species of radiates, a few dozen shells, 100 insects, a few fish, rep. tiles, birds, and mammals would be enough to teach well. De Candolle, one of our most scientific botanists, said he could teach all he knew of botany with a dozen plants. It is better to have a few forms, well known, than to make pupils acquaint ed with many hundred species the first year; better be well acquainted with a dozen specimens, as the result of the first year's work, than to have $2,000 with which to buy a large collection.

He

His motto is, "Be not content with pres He enters the field ent attainments." with high hopes and noble aims, but soon finds himself unduly weighed down, and his pathway obstructed, his hopes blighted, his aims crushed. Why is this? Because he is not an old-fashioned pedagogue. He is the "live" teacher of the present day. He prefers fact to fancy, and reason to meaningless forms. requires the substance rather than the corpse of the lesson. He has seen something of the world, and knows what things are most essential to success, and what is the best material for the foundation of the society soon to be wholly made up of "When you are collecting, be sure to those who to-day are the "rising generamake a careful record of the locality from tion." It is upon this broad basis that he which each specimen is obtained. In this endeavors to build up an education that way you can do good work for science by shall prove not only useful, but truly or assisting in the determination of the geo-namental, making the possessor a firm graphical distribution of animals. A pillar in the Temple of Wisdom, a useful specimen, the locality of which is not and an honored citizen of our great reknown, has but little scientific value.public. Every specimen in the Museum of Comparative Zoology is a genuine specimen, the locality, donor, date, &c., of all being carefully recorded.

"The first thing to be determined about a new specimen is not its name, but its most prominent character. We can study the plan of the radiates, we can learn the type, from one specimen as well as from another, or from many. It is unnecessary to know a great variety in order to know many."-N. Y. Tribune.

"WISCONSIN is said to be the Indian name for a wild, rushing channel.

But it is not the way "father and mother" were taught; it is something entirely new, and therefore regarded with suspicion; and finally, without the "benefit of a trial," condemned as useless and intolerable. The parents condemn because they fail to comprehend, and when once the pupils know the change is not approved at home, they are not likely to give the matter any attention. So the faithful teacher, instead of seeing good fruit for his labor, sees instead only wasted effort and unappreciated zeal. Can we blame him if he is disheartened, and loses his wonted energy and zeal? What can

he do but submit to this unhappy fate for the time, and improve his first opportunity for a favorable “change of base.”

The Bright Side.

Teacher as before. He has carefully noted the faults of the old methods, and he brings forward the necessary amendments. This being entirely new, of course creates much real amazement, and leads to many discussions. The pupils go home at night and "report," and there is plenty of subject matter for at least one evening's debate. Mother says, "things was good enough when I went to school; I tell you we had to study then-had to have every word by heart. I guess these new fangled notions won't amount to much, but mebby its' all right. What d'y'e think, father?"

only very poorly taught in many schools, but that, in too many cases, it receives no attention. In a recent teachers' institute in Pennsylvania, the fact was disclosed that a number of the teachers present do not teach writing, and a still larger num ber permit only a few of the older pupils to write. In one school, composed of pupils from six to twelve years of age, there was no writing last year, though considerable time each week was devoted to "rhetorical exercises," of very doubtful value.

There is no excuse for this state of

things. The three branches which should be thoroughly taught in every elementary school are reading, spelling, and writing. These should receive attention, though other branches be neglected, and each should be taught from the child's first term in school to the last. The old notion that children should not be permitted to write until they are ten years of age, was long since exploded. Every child that attends school with any regularity, should write a neat and legible hand before he is ten, and this is accomplished in our best schools.

Father replies, Well, you know in them by-gone days I used to cut my wheat with a sickle, and do all my work in about the same slow way. Now I ride comfortably on my reaper, and cut more in a day than I used to in a week, and so of other kinds of work. I don't see why there may not be a short cut in the way of teaching as well as in anything else. When we taught country schools,writing I must visit the school and see how it is." was a daily exercise, and nearly all the And he does, and is interested; and pupils were members of the writing class. soon other parents "call and examine," As we were obliged "to set the copies" and the teacher is encouraged and the and mend the pens, the exercise involved children begin to feel an honest pride in not a little labor. If teachers in those their progress and deportment, a new life is awakened in the school, and the teacher have been some reason in the plea of a days had neglected writing, there would has the inexpressible pleasure of know-want of time, for it took time to write a ing, beyond a doubt, that he is filling the noblest of stations with honor to himself and benefit to his patrons. Verily, the united support of the patrons is the life

of the school.

WRITING IN COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

Within a few months we have received several letters calling attention to the neglect of writing in country schools, and asking us to bear emphatic testimony against it. We have been somewhat slow to believe that the second of the famous original "Three R's" is in danger of losing its place in any American school. But we are satisfied that writing is not

score of copies and mend as many quill pens. But the introduction of metallic pens and admirably arranged copy-books has changed all this, and the only labor now required of the teacher of writing is to conduct the exercise. The copies for the slate exercises of the smaller pupils can be written on the blackboard, and, of course, only one copy is needed for such exercise. There is no valid excuse for a neglect of writing.

A writer in The School (W.W.) attributes this neglect to the failure of examiners to test the ability of teachers to teach writing. He urges that a good handwriting is not an evidence now of qualification to teach