6. Write the common chords of C. (Do,) G (Sol,) F (Fa) major, with their inversions; also the chord of the seventh, with its inversions.

7. Give full notes of a lesson on the following passage, under the heads, key, time, intervals, expression.

8. Show, as you would to Pupil Teachers tolerably advanced in harmony how this melody may be harmonized in three parts.

9. Fill up the following with the harmonies indicated by the figures.

10. Write out the treble and the bass of the Hundredth Psalm, in the key of two flats, or write it out with full harmony, on two or four staves, in the key of one sharp.

11. By what means would you try to train children to join in congregational psalmody, (1) In a neighbourhood where there was little taste for music; (2) Where the prevailing style of singing was loud and boisterous.

NOTES OF A LESSON.

For Students of the First Year, and for Teachers in charge of Schools.

Two hours and a half allowed for this Paper.

State

Prepare full notes of lessons on two of the following subjects. exactly what objects you have in view in giving each lesson, and for what class of children you consider it to be suitable. State also what apparatus and illustrations you propose to use; and for, one of these lessons, draw such a sketch as you would prepare on the black board.

No. 87.

PAPERS FOR THE SCHOOLMASTER.

JUNE, 1858.

Periods of Child Life.

No. IV.

After the age of 14 years, the object of School life should be to educate the reasoning and reflective faculties. The mind should be taught to draw correct inferences, and to form a right judgment The study of the higher part of grammar which may hitherto have been too abstract becomes very suitable to this age. The. grammar and analysis of sentences, as distinguished from the grammar of words, and the practice of composition belongs to this period.

Geometery and Algebra are powerful instruments for cultivating, the reflecting faculty in boys of this age. They are the more valuable because they relate to subjects that lie within the grasp of the senses as to form, distance, number, and motion.

The process, however, of rigid demonstration though it induces habits of precision and accuracy, is apt to produce a condition of mind which demands demonstration where demonstration is not to be had. Such a condition tends to underrate the just conclusions of moral reasoning or even despise the objects and actings of faith. On this account Mathematical Studies should be alternated with history, natural history with direct moral and religious instruction.

The study of the physical sciences, chemistry, geology, and botany develop the reasoning faculty in another direction. It converts the circumstances of every day life into opportunities of mental improvement and reflection. A knowledge of these sciences apart from their practical utility aids us to observe and to trace the relation of cause and effect.

The understanding of the child should be appealed to in religious education as well as his conscience and feelings. Much of revealed truth will outlie the reach of the highest intellect, but that is no

reason for not bringing down truth, as far as we can, to the apprehension. By parable the Saviour taught us, and even teachers now may employ illustration from objects within his observation.

A child is soon old enough to know the nature of sin, but the way to enforce that truth is not to present him with set terms and fixed formulas in which this truth is set forth, but to seize those occasions which will enable us to show by proof that the love of sin is natural to child-nature, however young, and which proves, not upon authority but upon fact, the sad truth of original depravity. So again the spontaneous love of God can be shewn in the gift of His Son; the spontaneous love of Jesus Christ in all His beautiful parables and merciful miracles, and self-denying, unresisting sufferings; the love of the Spirit in His softening, hallowing breathings upon the human spirit. The separate Persons of the Trinity can be set forth by dwelling upon their separate offices, the Divine nature of each by always speaking of them as Divine, and so a gradual conception of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity in Unity would unfold itself as each of these views, or at least these separate notions would fall into their places, as the mind advances in growing intelligence, though, it may be, not all at once, more clearly than if we had confounded the mind by attempting to make clear what even the most dogmatic teaching must leave mysterious to the maturest intellect. We insist upon this method of dealing with the youthful mind. Present the child with the premises, and when older he will draw the inferences. Imbue the child with consequences and the adult will understand the causes; in other words, make the child to know what God does, and the adult will know what God is.

Another principle to be observed, which is after all but a development of the last, is this-that all we inculcate upon a child should be connected, as skilfully as possible, with his own felt and conscious experience. To refer again to the doctrine of human sinfulness, we should not only enforce the truth by illus tration rather than by statements, but we should illustrate it not by facts of history, but those which come within the range of a child's 's own observation. One fact that comes home to a child's mind, because it occurs within the circle of his own knowledge, will furnish a lesson upon the depravation of the human heart

far more impressive than the doings of evil men in distant ages or lands, though they were the greatest enemies of the human race that the world has ever known. And so, again, if the overwatching Providence of God be the subject we wish to impress, we should point to an instance in the family, the school, or the neighbourhood, where a deliverance from a certain death, as it seemed, was open to their own observation, and created a sensation in every mind, and we may expect to produce an impression of the Divine superintendence more deep and lasting than were we to fetch our illustration, however more remarkable it may be in itself, from distant ages or far off lands. That such a mode of instruction rests upon the principles of our nature is proved by the practice of Him who is the Lord of Nature. He it was who taught us as we should teach our children, illustrating great mysteries by the simple accidents of every day life, and making the fresh-drawn water of the well, or the lilies that were growing in the hedge-row, or the ravens that were flying across the sky, little and earthly as all these were, to speak of the things of Heaven and of a far-off eternity.

Educational Intelligence.

EARLY WITHDRAWAL OF CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL; Being the substance of an Address by Mr. Gill at the annual meeting of the Worcestershire Schoolmasters' Associatlon, held at the Normal College,

GENTLEMEN,

Cheltenham, May 14th, 1858.

When I consented to open the discussion on the early withdrawal of children from School, I had hoped that there would be a considerable interval between such consent and the day of meeting-so that what might be offered -if not more worthy of your consideration, might have been at least more creditable to this institution.

The remarks that I have to make, in themselves may be of little value, but if they succeed in eliciting from you facts, for or against my positions, they will not have been offered in vain.

Early withdrawal of children from School is an evil to be deplored, not so much on account of their leaving with microscopic stores of instruction, as from the sad fact that their attendance is not long enough for the School to leave any deep or permanent impression either on their intellectual or moral character, or future pursuits. This early removal from School is said to be on the increase. From all parts of the country we are informed that the average duration of School life is growing shorter. Schools-it is said-are improved, but it is also said that in proportion to their improvement is the earlier withdrawal of the scholars. On all hands it is agreed - whatever the opinions as to its causes-that something is needed to arrest the evil.