deficiency. One person may be too passionate, another too tame; one too cautious, another indiscreet; one too independent, another destitute of selfreliance. Of all these things, an examiner, as far as practicable, must judge; and, certainly, he has no duties which call for more serious deliberation, or are followed by more weighty consequences.

The teacher having been appointed, it becomes the province of supervision to see that he is faithful to his trust. The more constant and watchful this supervision, if exercised with discretion and in the right spirit, the more satisfactory will be its results.

The high-minded instructor, like the wise husbandman, derives pleasure from exhibiting the fruits of his toil. Competent for the discharge of his duties, and enthusiastically devoted to his calling, he delights to observe the gradually unfolding faculties of his charge, to witness the effects of his instructions and influence, and he draws no little encouragement and gratification from the intelligent approval of those who can appreciate his efforts.

On the other hand, if a teacher is disposed to make his office a sinecure, caring only for paltry hire; if he fails to maintain proper discipline; if he manifests no readiness in communicating knowledge and in bringing out the thinking powers of his pupils; if he proceeds upon a wrong system of action, or, what is worse, without any system; if he is unable to diffuse throughout his school a spirit of life, of cheerfulness, of industry, of love for the true and noble; there is surely a need of scrutiny. Authority must undertake a reformation. The causes of his failure, and the pathway of success should be pointed out. If he be

able and willing to pursue a more judicious and efficient course, well; if not, let him give place to one of higher qualifications.

Again. The faithful teacher is to be encouraged and sustained. Peculiar difficulties and embarrassments sometimes beset his path. Insubordination, or a want of docility on the part of pupils, unreasonable demands or unjust censures on the part of parents, now and then check his progress and repress his faith and energies. Under all such circumstances, the teacher should be upheld.

The selection of text-books is one of the duties of school supervision. The perfection of the work of every artisan is governed, to a great extent, by the excellence of the tools employed. So the work accomplished by the teacher is, in some degree, limited in amount and quality by the character of the text-books assigned him. If they are too concise, or too diffuse, ill arranged, obscure in their meaning, or devoid of interest, the instructor must provide for their deficiency, by increased labor, or must suffer his work to be imperfect. In the selection of books, a thorough acquaintance with the science and art of teaching, a sound judgment and the utmost care, are requisite.

In promoting the moral interests, those who have the oversight of schools lie under weighty responsibilities. It is their office to see that a high moral influence is exercised over the young; that they are stimulated to action by proper motives; that they cherish right feelings towards each other; that they are trained up with just views of their own and others rights; that they are taught to obey the mandates of an enlightened conscience, and, above all, to rever

ence that Being who has created and redeemed them. To perform this office wisely and efficiently, accurate observation, thorough examination, and a deep knowledge of the mysteries of human nature, are indispensable.

I have thus briefly glanced at the work of school supervision,—a work which we cannot fail to perceive is as important as it is comprehensive, and as difficult as it is important. Embracing, as it does, all that relates to the three great interests already considered, viz.: the physical, the intellectual, and the moral training of the young, it calls for the diligent exercise of the highest qualities of mind and heart, and should, therefore, not be undertaken without deliberation, and a full conception of its vast responsibilities.

III. The third inquiry suggested by the subject is, -Who are the proper persons to execute this work? In reply, I maintain that they should be practical teachers-men who have the requisite knowledge, and have put that knowledge into use in the schoolroom. This proposition generalized, may be thus enunciated Whoever undertakes the supervision of any business whatever, should be practically acquainted with that business. The truth of this is so manifest to the most ordinary capacity, and is so universally practiced upon by men in every occupation, from the lowest to the highest, that it may almost be regarded as an axiom. It would therefore seem to be the height of absurdity to attempt its demonstration. If I may be allowed, then, to indulge in a syllogism, taking as the major premise the gene

ral proposition just mentioned,-whoever undertakes the supervision of any business whatever, should be practically acquainted with that business,-I lay down as the minor premise, that teaching is a business: the conclusion necessarily follows, that whoever assumes to supervise the business of teaching, should have a practical acquaintance with it. Now, certainly, this seems to be in accordance with the principles of sound logic, and therefore to settle, beyond dispute, the point to be established. But, alas! when we look around us, and see that comparatively few of those who have the direction of schools, are practical teachers; that very many, if not a large majority of them, possess no special qualifications for the discharge of the duties devolving upon them, we are compelled to believe that the public do not concede the truth, which has appeared so evident. We are consequently forced to the necessity of advancing some reasons in support of our position.

Supervisors of schools, to perform well the work described, should be practical teachers, because otherwise they are mere theorists. As long as a man possesses no authority to enforce his theories, he may speculate on any subject with unlimited freedom. The college professor of political economy may construct tariffs, or establish free trade; may talk learnedly about banks, and wealth, and population; and while he only entertains his bewildered class with his lucubrations, not having power to make them the Government policy, he can do no harm. The astronomer may indulge in beautiful fancies concerning nebulæ, comets and undiscovered planets; he may even presume to question the character of the man in

the moon; but inasmuch as he cannot affect their orbits, nor disturb the equanimity of that venerable old gentleman, whose benign countenance so often beams upon us, his imagination may be allowed to roam over the universe unmolested.

The socialist may devise schemes for pulling down the whole edifice of society, and for erecting a grand substitute; but as long as he has liberty only to draw plans, we may still trust in the safety of our old social mansion.

So, too, the speculator in education may be suffered to form as many systems and modes of instruction as there were evils in Pandora's box; and, while his theories are not clothed with legal authority, they may be held with impunity.

But when men are to possess power to enforce, to any considerable extent, their views in relation to schools, it becomes a consideration of great moment, whether they are able to foresee that their plans are at all practicable, and, if so, what their exact results will be.

Now a man who has not been accustomed to observe, in any given department of life, the connection of causes and effects, the means that produce certain ends, is manifestly not fully competent to predetermine what consequences will ensue from any proposed course of action. One unskilled in medicine cannot anticipate the effects of a given prescription. One unversed in law cannot foresee the issue of a certain course of pleading. One unacquainted with chemistry cannot foreknow the character of the compound produced by the union of different elements. One unfamiliar with the operations of trade can form