WHAT SHALL BE DONE.

Teachers, did you never have some little, bright-eyed modest, good hearted girl come quietly to your table som hot afternoon and in a subdued tone of voice, with a look of hope and doubt pictured on her face, ask, " May Jenny and I go out and study under the cherry tree? We wil get good lessons and be sure to be in when the bell calls our class." Well, if so what did you do? Why you said yes, did you not? Sure you ought to have said so. Your better feelings said yes, and if you denied her request, it was because you hardened your heart. But when you let Jenny and Sarah go, did not half a dozen more come and make the same request-many who study very little anywhere; and when you refused them, the reply was, you let Jenny and Sarah go, I should think we might go." This was the bringing up point. Now what did you do, or rather what shall be done, in such cases?— Doubtless you feel inclined to say to those who complain, "do as well as Jenny and Sarah, then you can have the same privileges." Perhaps you said, "that's my business I let those go out I have a mind to." We say perhaps we trust, however you do not often make such speeches. You may silence children, but to convince them of error, need a little argument. It is best to show a good and sufficient reason for all acts that may be construed into partiality. Let it be understood that privileges follow good acts and obedience, and restriction, disobedience and wrong acts, as surely and truly as night follows the day. We know of no better way to distribute rewards and punishments than this.

"But is it right to allow pupils to go out and study? Yes. If you can properly control and manage your school, you had better let them all study under the shade of some tree, or in the shade of the schoolhouse, rather

than keep them shut up in that old dingy, filthy, narrow contracted miserable old building, these hot days. You may do more. You can hear recitations out doors. We have often done this. How much interest can be infused into a school, by announcing that so long as we can have good order and perfect lessons, we will spend the time out doors. What scholar would not do his best under such circumstances. Try it, fellow teachers. You will find that children will love to come to school. They can then enjoy the cool shade and pure air, what God designed they should enjoy. Study becomes pleasant. Lessons are fifty per cent better. A happy feeling is general among all. You feel better yourself.

F. A. A.

PRACTICAL TEACHING.

NUMBER THREE.

In my last article, I spoke of a few errors in teaching reading, also suggested a few essentials in forming a good mechanical reader. I wish now to call attention to certain facts far more important, with the hope that I may be pardoned if I intrude upon ground occupied by the discussion at our State Association, and should chance to make some statements kindred to those presented in the very excellent and interesting lecture by Mr. Bingham.My only excuse for so doing is the fact, that but a small portion of our teachers were so signally favored as myself, in hearing the truthful views there expressed.

There are in our schools a great number of pupils who are thoroughly versed in all the rules of reading, have been well and faithfully taught the mere theory as shown in our text-books; yet how very few are truly correct and fluent readers.

Where lies the

fault, is a question well worthy our consideration. I start with the broad assertion, that any child who possesses perfect organs of speech, and has ability to use them properly, can become a good reader. This will require however, very close and careful attention, skillful and thorough training, with constant and long-continued practice. A person may become a fine reader, as well as accurate mathematician, without a teacher, but none will deny that a competent instructor is an important, an invaluable aid. Very

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much, therefore, depends upon the teacher, and a majority of the faults in our readers, may be justly attributed to him. In this, as in other respects, many as is the teacher so will be the pupil." Here too, is most forcibly manifested the truthfulness of the adage "like begets like." Hence, I maintain that a lack of interest on the part of the teacher, is the greatest hindrance in teaching reading successfully.

If the instructor appears before his class with his attention divided between the recitation, and other duties, such as solving problems, or preserving proper discipline in the school room ;himself uninterested, inattentive and careless-in vain will he look for that interest, zeal and enthusiasm in his class, so greatly needed; but if every other matter is laid aside, the school-room quiet, the teacher alive to his work, showing by every feature and action that the sentiments of the piece to be read are not only fully understood, but actually felt, portraying from the eye the spirit, the soul, and breathing from the lips the language, the very thoughts of the author, in such a manner, as to cause to pass before the mind, as reality, all the scenes and incidents narrated, the pupil will almost of necessity, catch the inspiration, will become imbued with the same feelings. Now ask the child to read the same passage, and he will do it in the same tones, with the same inflections, as the teacher. Thus, more true progress would be made in a single recitation, than by an entire term's drilling merely upon the rules and directions of the text-book. These are valuable in their proper place, but the fault is, we teach them in the wrong order. If we can only teach the sentiment and infuse the spirit of the author, in the manner stated, correct tones and inflections will naturally follow; for they are simply the outgrowth of the feelings and the emotions.

The only thing then, necessary after the pupil can pronounce the words, is to teach him to feel the subject fully, to grasp it, at sight, in all its force and effect. How can this best be done? Educators will of course differ, but the method which presents itself most forcibly to my mind is this. First impress upon the mind of he pupil the importance of becoming a good reader; teach him to regard it above all other acquirements, and to bend his best ener gies toward its acquisition; show forcibly and constantly what con stitutes a perfect reader; then select pieces suited to the understanding of the scholar, amusing and interesting, as well as instructive in their character; explain the circumstances-if a matter of history, under which the words were written or spoken; if not within your knowledge of history, draw upon your imagination and thus you will both excite the interest, and strengthen the imagination of your pupil; this done, you may if you choose, read the selection before the classand if you are yourself a correct reader, you have prepared your class for comparatively easy and rapid progress in the true direction. If you are deeply

interested yourself and succeed in interesting you class, the main part of the task is accomplished; the rest depends upon the judgment in selecting pieces and in conducting the recitations, so as to maintain proper interest in the work. I have thus very imperfectly: presented a few of my own ideas, and the method which I have ever found successful,-in the hope that I may help arouse many of our teachers to a more earnest, active, and heartfelt devotion to this important part of their daily work. D. M..C..

CATCH THE SUNSHINE.

Catch the sunshine! though it flickers
Through a dark and dismal cloud,
Though it falls so faint and feeble
On a heart with sorrow bowed;
Catch it quickly! it is passing,
Passing rapidly away;
It has only come to tell you
There is yet a brighter day.

Catch the sunshine! though 'tis only
One pale, flickering beam of light,
There is joy within its glimmering,
Whispering 'tis not always night..
Don't be moping, sighing, weeping,
Look up p! look up like a man!.
There's no time to grope in darkness,—
Catch the sunshine when you can.

Catch the sunshine! though life's tempest
May unfurl its chilling blast,
Catch the little hopeful straggler!
Storms will not forever last.

Don't give up, and say "Forsaken!"

Don't begin to say "I'm sad!"

Look! there comes a gleam of sunshine!

Catch it! oh! it seems so glad!

Catch the sunshine! don't be grieving
O'er that darksome billow there!

Life's a sea of stormy billows,

We must meet them everywhere...
Pass right through them! do not tarry;
Overcome the heaving tide;

There's a sparkling gleam of sunshine
Waiting on the other side.

Catch the sunshine! catch it gladly!
Messenger in Hope's employ,

Sent through clouds, through storms and billows,
Bringing you a cup of joy.

Oh! then don't be sighing, weeping;

Life, you know, is but a span,

There's no time to sigh and sorrow,

Catch the sunshine when you can.-Home Monthly.

AN ILLINOIS TEACHER, UPON SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS.

Before us is the report of the Commissioner of Public Schools for the County of Rock Island, Illinois. Embodying, as it does, the very excellent views of a practical teacher who has enjoyed an unusually successful experience, it possesses an interest for us rarely found in articles of the kind and furnishes suggestions that will be valua ble to the teachers of Vermont, as well as those of Illinois.

The labors of a County Commissioner of Schools, when undertaken in the faithful spirit indicated by the report from which we make extracts, are by no means an unimportant element in the progress of education among the masses. The gentleman referred to reports that between the fourth of December and the twentieth of March he visited seventy-three schools, spending an average of a half day in each. Several were visited twice. His at tention was "chiefly directed to the improvement of school houses and grounds; the adoption of a uniform series of text-books; the purchase of school apparatus; the correction of errors in teaching; raising the grade of teachers; awakening an interest in schools among the people; and to correcting such abuses and violations of the school-law as come under his jurisdiction."

The subjects of "school houses and grounds" and "uni