"Left unstained what there they found

Freedom to worship God."

Nor will they forget the thrilling incidents of savage warfare, nor the emotions which possessed them as they, in imagination, saw the mother with her helpless children rush from the flaming cottage only to become a prey to the merciless savage. Well do they remember the peculiar characteristics of the founders of the Empire State, of the heroes of the Old Dominion, and of the grave Peace Maker, whose name is still revered by the untutored son of the forest.

Still less will they forget, as they read of that great and good man whose memory and whose immortal fame is the treasured inheritance of every American, how, with hearts beating high with noble purposes, they resolved to imitate his virtues and to emulate his example. And as they followed him through the fearful scenes of the Revolution, now flying before a victorious foe through the wintry blast, and now nearly betrayed by a pretended friend, disasters crowding thick upon him till Liberty's sun had nearly set in blood, with what a thrill of patriotic emotion did they behold him triumph at last, and the enemy sullenly retire from our shores, while exultation breaks forth from one end of the continent to the other. He who thus traces the history of his country, lives over again the days of her trial, shares her sufferings, fights her battles, participates in her victories, exults in her glory. Every throb of her mighty heart finds a congenial response in his own. As he looks abroad over rich prairies decked with flowers of gold and waving in surges of luxuriant vegetation, as he beholds her lofty mountains towering in craggy grandeur to the heavens, as he gazes upon the placid bosom of her inland seas, as they mirror back the glories of the morning or the star-lit beauties of the evening, as he looks upon her busy millions engaged in the peaceful avocations of life with none to molest or make afraid, and then remembers the cost at which all this prosperity was purchas

ed, his heart swells with patriotic sympathies as he exclaims," This is my country, for her will I live, for her, if need be, will I die." He treasures up her teachings, as with the truthful lips of history she speaks to him from the past and utters the voice of by-gone days. He learns to love his country, not merely because he was born within her limits, nor yet because her history is engraven upon the tablet of his memory and interwoven with the texture of his soul. Were it the law of the land that every youth should be well instructed in the history, not of Greece and Rome, but of his own country, we firmly believe such a course of training would foster and perpetuate in every American, a sound and healthy national feeling and an incorruptible and undying patriotism. C. A. C.

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.

A HALF HOUR IN THE SCHOOL ROOM.

Our lesson to-day is the rule and the reasons for dividing one fraction by another. We shall not miscall this exercise a recitation, but call it an explanation. A recitation is wholly the work of the class; an explanation is the work of the teacher. Each has its own time and place, and one cannot be substituted for the other. Our object now is, to give the class a clear view of the principle involved in the rule by the use of an example. Afterwards, the same lesson should be recited by each member of the class. We will divide 3-4 by 2.7. First, the rule. vert the divisor and then proceed as in multiplication.' have now, 3-4 x 7-221-8, which, by the rule, is the correct answer. But why? In the first place, for the sake of illustration, we will divide 3-4 by 2, which may always be done by multiplying the denominator by 2, (as by rule previously explained). Thus 3-423-8. But my divisor is not 2, but 2-7; hence, it is seven times too large, and if seven times too large, the quotient, 3-8, is

"In

"We

seven times too small. And if so, we shall have the correct quotient by multiplying 3-8 by 7. This is done by multiplying the numerator-thus, 3-8 × 721-8, which is the same result as the one obtained by inverting the divisor and multiplying numerators for a new numerator and denominators for a new denominator. Now what is the argument? We have analyzed the process, and, independently of the rule, obtained the correct answer. But on examination, we find that every step in the process, is precisely what the rule requires. Hence, the rule must be correct.

Still another method of explanation may be adopted. The fractions 3-4 and 2-7 will remain the same value, if reduced to a common denominator. Thus 21-28 and 8-28 are the same in value as 3-4 and 2-7. But as the denominator is common, the numerators stand in the relation of dividend and divisor to each other. We divide 21-28 by 8-28 therefore, by dividing 21 by 821-8 which is the same result as before. And if we examine the process of reducing to common denominator, we shall find that the same course has been followed as when we inverted the divisor. In the first case, by the rule, we multiply 3-4 by 7-2 (2-7 inverted), the 3 by 7 and 2 by 4. When we reduce 3-4 and 2-7 to a common denominator, to obtain the numerators, we also multiply 3 by 7 and 2 by 4, (each numerator into every denominator except its own.) Hence, this last method must be correct.

After this explanation, and the fact is settled that every member of the class fully understands and can explain the same, the pupils should be furnished with a variety of examples and thrown upon their own resources. Everything done for them, beyond this explanation of principles, is an absolute injury. Let teachers remember this fact.

FOR WHOM IS THE SCHOOL JOURNAL DESIGNED ?-We answer, for all classes interested in the prosperity of our schools. It is a mistaken notion that articles prepared for Teachers are of no importance to parents, or those

prepared for parents are not adapted to teachers and pupils. Each class is concerned in all that affects the interests of the others. Their obligations, duties and rights are mutual and inseparable.

But it is our purpose to insert, every month, articles adapted to each class separately, though it does not seem practicable to make a formal division of the Journal into Departments. With our new arrangements and promised assistance in our editorial labors, we hope to make it a welcome visitor to every home and to every class in community. Will not teachers and parents encourage us by their aid and co-operation. All who will, shall share our reward the satisfaction of well doing.

ENCOURAGING EXPRESSIONS.-It is cheering to us weary from toil and care and disheartened by the indifference of many from whom we have reason to expect encouragement, to receive such notes as the following:

Dear Sir: Please send my Journal to Simonsville, I cannot do without it. I have the two first volumes bound; they make an invaluable book and should be in every teacher's library. I want one copy of Vol. IV, and will try to get new subscribers. Yours, without end to the Journal." H. C. P.

"Dear Sir: Send me 13 copies of the School Journal for 1862. I will undertake to find subscribers for them and send you the money within a few weeks.

Yours, Truly.

E. S. C." "Dear Sir: Please add to your list of subscribers for the School Journal the following names (13 in all), and send them accordingly. The 12 are all teachers in Peacham at the present time and their names have been forwarded to me by their Superintendent. Yours, &c. J. K. C."

And why are not all the teachers in all the towns in the State among our subscribers? If we had such Superintendents in every town, might we not expect similar results? A little generous effort is all that is necessary.

A NEW SCHOOL HOUSE.-The people of Weston are building a School house which will cost, when completed, some $4000.

596 Broadway, N. Y.

Of c

WRITE FOR THE JOURNAL. Who? "Board of Contributors," and we trust, many send us occasional articles. Let them be brief, and carefully prepared, and send them in befo teenth of each month.

SPELLING MATCHES.-With the commencemen schools there is a revival of "spelling matches. tleman in Spencertown, N. Y., writes: "We spelling match on Monday, December 9th, as I Twenty-eight spellers contended for the prize, Webster's Dictionary, pictorial edition, unabrid but two of the spellers were silenced in an h half. These were two girls, one eleven and fourteen years of age. They continued the co nearly an hour longer, on words the most diffi spelled, till the audience became so wrought they proposed to buy a second dictionary, and the contest. The money for the purpose was the spot."

NOTICES OF BOOKS, PUBLICATIONS, Constitution of the United States.-This is a handso prepared by Geo. S. Williams, A. M., and dedicated to of our country. Its contents are, a Synopsis of the C the Constitution, and an Analysis of the Constitution. by means of questions and answers, aims to show what t tution is, what its framers understood it to be, and what tion has been put upon it by the Supreme Court and the departments of government. Washington's Farewell A Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Con close the work. Welch, Bigelow & Co., Cambridge, M