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but it does not give him science and virtue; it only puts him in a situation to discover the one, and to love the other. It then calls for his own co-operation, which becomes more important from day to day, in proportion as his strength increases, and his experience is enlarged. At last tutors retire; and in the eyes of superficial men, the whole education seems finished. Yet the means alone are changed; and, under its new form, it acquires peculiar importance and usefulness, at this third period. To external succeeds spontaneous education; or, rather the internal education, which, secretly, having seconded, more or less, the education received from without, renders it efficacious, and remains to influence the rest of life.-Degerando on Self Education.

ORAL RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

[Prof. Stowe thus describes the method of imparting oral religious 'instruction in the German schools. The pupils in the class of schools referred to, were from six to eight years of age.]-Ohio Educational Monthly.

The main studies are, of course, the elements-reading, writing, numbers, and singing. But in addition to these studies, one of the stated, regular exercises of the school is a familiar conversation between the teacher and the pupils, intended to cultivate their powers of observation and expression, and also their moral and religious sentiments. The teacher brings the scholars around him in an informal sort of way, and engages them in lively conversation with himself, sometimes addressing all together and receiving simultaneous answers, and sometimes addressing individuals and requiring individual answers.

The subject of conversation varies, of course, from day to day. Suppose it to be a garden. The exercise would proceed somewhat thus. If a garden is given to a class for a lesson, the pupils are asked the size of the garden; its shape, which they may draw on a slate with a pencil; whether there are trees in it; what the different parts of a tree are; what parts grow in spring, and what parts decay in autumn, and what parts remain the same throughout the winter; whether any of the trees are fruit trees; what fruits they bear; when they ripen; how they look and taste; whether the fruit be wholesome or otherwise; whether it is prudent to eat much of it; what plants and roots there are in the garden, and what use is made of them; what flowers there are and how they look, etc. The teacher then reads them a description of the garden of Eden in the second chapter of Genesis-sings a hymn with them, the imagrey of which is taken from the fruits and blossoms of a garden, and explains to them how kind and bountiful God is, who gives us such wholesome plants and fruits, and such beautiful flowers for our nourishment and gratification.

HUMILITY. A French bishop said lately in a sermon: "Let women remember, that while putting on their profuse and expensive attire, how narrow are the gates of Paradise."

SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS OF READING.

Give short lessons, and take special pains to to select such pieces for reading exercises as are suited to the capacity and adapted to the needs of those for whose use they are intended. Although the reading lessons in our Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and High School Readers are, for the most part unexceptionable in a moral or in a literary point of view, yet very few of them are suitable pieces for children of any age who are learning how to read.

The surest and the quickest way to kill out any interest that young persons may have in reading and elocutionary exercises is, to require them to practice upon pieces which they can neither appreciate nor understand.

Pass over all pieces in the reading book which are characterized by a loose, redundant, fanciful, florid, ornamental or highly rhetorical style, and select those only in which the meaning or the sentiment is clearly expressed, in plain, simple and appropriate language.

Insist upon pupils studying their reading lessons thoroughly, until they know everything about them, and understand everything in relation to them, that it is necessary for them to know and understand, in order to read them correctly.

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Frequently subject pupils to a searching examination, for the purpose of finding out to what extent they have mastered the lesson. And here let me remark, that no teacher is competent to drill a class in reading on any example, until he (the teacher) himself has mastered the passage or the piece, and is able to tell and explain in his own language, to his pupils, whatever it may be necessary to tell or explain to them, in order to give them clear ideas and a correct conception of the piece. No one can talk intelligently about that which he does not understand; neither can any one teach another how to read a passage who has not in every way mastered the page himself.

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Make it an invariable rule to call the attention of the pupil to any fault or mistake immediately after it is committed. If the attitude was wrong in any respect, point it out to him and make him take a proper position. If he does not manage the breath right, explain the fault to him. If he does not give the necessary force or quantity to his emphatic words, call his attention to it, tell him what he should do, and show him how to do it. If his voice is not pitched right, if he speaks too loud or not loud enough, too fast or too slow; or if he does not appear to understand what he is reading,-in short, whatever the mistake or fault may be, call not only his attention but the attention of the whole class to it,—and have him repeat the word or sentence on which it occurred, again, until he gives it as it should be given.

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When the pupil discovers that his slightest fault or mistake will be noticed and instantly pointed out, and that he will be drilled upon the word or passage in which it occurs until he gives it correctly, he will be much more likely to study his reading lesson carefully, and to make whatever preparation may be necessary, in order to read it as it should be read.

Pupils are frequently, I might say generally, permitted to read the paragraph

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through without interruption, though they may have made a dozen mistakes in the reading of it. In the majority of cases, the pupil's faults and mistakes are not pointed out to him at all; if they are, it is done in an improper manner; hence such criticism and corrections make but little impression on the pupil's mind, and so far as regards the good they do, might be dispensed with altogether.

If teachers would take one half the pains to make their pupils good readers, that they take to have them excel in some other branches, a wonderful and most gratifying improvement in the reading and elocutionary exercises of pupils of every grade, would soon be very apparent.-Prof. KIDD, in Indiana School Journal.

COMPOSITION.

The question is often asked, "How shall the writing of composition be made a pleasant exercise ?" We believe we are approaching a solution of this question in our schools. These exereises commence in the Primary Schools in connection with the Language and Object Lessons. The children begin the written exercises by reproducing the Object Lessons on their slates. In these schools the lessons are reproduced on the same day that they are given, and and in the Junior Schools, the day following. This gives a written exercise as often as three times a week, in which attention is given to expression, punctuation and the proper use of capitals. In these exercises the children take pleasure, and they are an excellent preparation for the more formal exercises in the higher grades. The great mistake in regard to these exercises is that no proper preparation is made for them by previous training in the right use of language, in which they gain facility of expression, and in that, when first put upon exercises of this character, they undertake to express thoughts they never had, on subjects they know nothing of. Now children can do impossibilities no better than adults, and that composition writing should prove a failure or at least be unsatisfactory, under such circumstances, is not to be wondered at. The subject of language is sadly neglected in the schools, and demands more careful attention and cultivation. We believe that first to observe accurately, and second to express with accuracy the result of these observations, should be the foundation stones in every system of education. Important as these principles are, they have hitherto been too much overlooked in our educational processes. Public attention is now being turned in this direction, and we look for immediate and decided improvement in these respects.—A. E. SHELDON, in Report of Oswego Schools.

MEN want restraining as well as propelling power. The good ship is provided with anchors as well as sails.

MORAL COURAGE.-Without courage there can not be truth, and without truth there can be no other virtue.

HOME INFLUENCE.-There is no selfishness where there is a wife and family. There the house is lighted up by mutual charities; everything achieved for them is a victory-everything endured is a triumph. How sweet are the links -how tender the "cords of love" which bind them together. With what disinterested fondness the mother labors and provides all requisite comforts for the family, and with what implicit confidence do they, in turn, rely upon her for the expected supplies! How many vices are suppressed that there may be no bad example! How many exertions made and fond endearments tried to recommend and inculcate a good one! Happy the home where love and confidence bind all the members of the family together. The storms of adversity may rage round that dwelling and seek to scatter its inmates; but strong as a rock in the might of their united strength they will outlive the storm, and go on rejoicing in their happy state.

SELF COMMAND." He who desires to influence others must learn to command himself," is an old aphorism, on which, perhaps, something new may be said. In the ordinary ethics of the nursery, self-control means little more than a check upon temper. A wise restraint, no doubt, but as useful to the dissimulator as to the honest man. I do not necessarily conquer my anger because I do not show that I am angry. Anger vented often hurries toward forgiveness; anger concealed often hardens into revenge.-Bulwer.

A GOOD RULE.-A certain mån, who is very rich now, was very poor when he was a boy. When asked how he got his riches, he replied: "My father taught me never to play till my work was finished, and never to spend my money until I had earned it. If I had but an hour's work in a day, I must do that the first thing, and in an hour. And after this I was allowed to play; and then I could play with much more pleasure than if I had the thought of an unfinished task before my mind. I early formed the habit of doing everything in time, and it soon became easy to do so. It is to this I owe my prosperity." Let every one who reads this do likewise.

COURTESIES.-How much does it cost you to say "I thank you" to your husband, your children, your domestics? If a stranger does you some little act of courtesy, how sweet your smile of acknowledgment. Why not use freely that golden coin of courtesy? How sweet they sound, those little words

"thank you!", or "you are very kind." Doubly, yes thrice sweet from the lips of those we love, when heart-smiles make the eyes sparke with the clear light of affection.

AFFECTION.-I am more and more convinced, as the years pass away, that the choicest thing this world has for a man is affection-not any special variety of affection, but the approval, the sympathy, and the devotion of true hearts] --Titcomb.

YOUTHS' DEPARTMENT.

The space devoted to the Young Folks must necessarily be brief, but we do not intend to overlook them. There are many excellent publications for the young, some one of which would be a useful visitor in every family, and an aid to the teacher's work. If we borrow from them occasionally, we hope the selections may induce many of our young friends to become subscribers to some one of them. Among those most widely known and approved are Merry's Museum" and the "Student and Schoolmate" both published in New York, at $1 a year.

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SURE CURE.

“I am really concerned about Alfred," said Mrs. Morrison to Uncle James, who had just come to town on marketing business; "he has no appetite, and grows so pale and thin. He lies down on the sofa after breakfast and tries to study his lessons, but it is too much for him to hold his book almost. I am really afraid he is going into a decline."

"Does he seem to have any settled disease ?" asked Uncle James.

"I do not think he does. The doctor gives him cod-liver oil and tonics, but he does not seem to get any better." At the mention of those delicacies the boy turned away his face with a contortion of disgust.

"No, and he never will so long as he is shut up here in this dark room. He can't thrive any more than a potato plant in the cellar. He needs a little hothouse treatment-real sunshine. It beats galvanism all to pieces, for a eure. Why, they have a great institution in London just on this sun-cure principle. I tell you, my poor boy, you are in a bad way. Can you make an effort to save yourself? You are really in danger of dying of a disease that takes off thousands—that of—nothing to do. I have heard of a sure cure, if you have courage to try it. I don't believe it will be half as bad as your doctor's medicine. It is "a blister on the palm of the hand." It is not to be made by any of your poisonous irritants, but by good, honest friction, the handle of a rake, hoe, or garden shovel being especially recommended. It beats opium to make you sleep well. Iron can't strengthen your muscles equal to it, and you won't need any tonics to make you relish even cold pork and beans for dinner. Now, come, my boy, won't you go to the country with me this afternoon, and try a little farm work for a month. It shall be much or little, just as you please. You must, of course, begin very carefully at first, and increase as you find you can. Take my word for it, you will come home in September as hearty as a bear, and ready to take hold of your books with vigor."

"I'll do it if you say so, mother," said the boy, his eye kindling at the hope of knocking off the dreadful chains then fast binding him down.

So the city boy actually pulled off his kid gloves and took hold of the hoe, rather awkwardly, it is true, at first, but he managed to "hoe his row," and

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