PUPIL TEACHERS.

THE attainments and fitness of the candidates presented for my examination, during the present year, were, in general, considerably greater. The lapse of some months had made a sensible difference. The requisite qualifications had become better appreciated, and great efforts had been made to raise both scholars and pupil teachers up to the new standard, which, it had been discovered, was to be rigidly insisted on. There will soon be no objection to putting the most rigid interpretation that is possible on the terms in which the qualifications of candidates for apprenticeship are described. The best pupils of 13 years of age will be readily provided with them in most of the better class of schools.

In one respect the preparation of almost all the candidates was defective, viz., in their ability to manage and instruct a class. Very few of them had much notion of teaching; and yet, from the improvement I witnessed in the teaching powers of the apprentices at the end of the first year, there seems no doubt that the candidates for apprenticeship will soon be brought to a satisfactory state in this respect.

An important part of these examinations, and one which tends to lessen greatly the hardships to which many deserving teachers will be put, in striving to reach the new standard of requirement in their calling is the examination to which the teacher is invited, in the subjects of instruction, during the following year, that are prescribed for the pupils apprenticed to him. All the younger teachers, who possess fair natural abilities and energy, will thus be led gradually to the attainment of the reasonable amount of qualifications required for obtaining a certificate of merit. As soon as it is understood with what moderation, and consideration for practical ends, that standard has been set, and how assured any school teacher may feel of being able to reach it, by simply obtaining a good acquaintance with the subjects which he is teaching every day, and by cultivating the power of teaching those subjects efficiently, few of the better class of teachers, it is to be hoped, will hesitate to apply vigorously to the obtaining of this essential requisite for success in their vocation. Ibid.

GEOGRAPHY.

GEOGRAPHY generally forms part of the instruction given in the schools; that is to say, the children in the first classes (seldom those in the second) are taught the names of countries, chief towns,

chains of mountains, &c., which probably they forget a few weeks after they leave the school. They forget them, simply because the names of these places are not associated in their minds with anything in which they can take an interest; and it is seldom that any attempts are made to give the children an idea of the physical geography, the natural history, the mineral productions, or the manners and customs of the inhabitants of the countries the names of which they thus learn by heart. The following passage from the late Dr. Arnold's Lectures on History contains some admirable hints on the study of geography in connexion with history, which teachers in our National Schools would do well to bear in mind. "Let us consider a little what a knowledge of geography is. First, I grant, that it is a knowledge of the relative position and distance of places from one another; and by places I mean either towns or the habitations of particular tribes or nations; for I think our first notion of a map is that of a plan of the dwellings of the human race; we connect it strictly with man, and with man's history. And here I believe many persons' geography stops; they have an idea of the shape, relative position, and distance of different countries; and of the position, that is, as respects the points of the compass, and mutual distance of the principal towns. Every one, for example, has a notion of the shapes of France and of Italy, that one is situated north-west of the other, and that their frontiers join; and again, every one knows that Paris is situated in the north of France, Bordeaux in the south-west; that Venice lies at the north-east corner of Italy, and Rome nearly in the middle as regards north and south, and near to the Western Sea. Thus much of geography is indeed indispensable to the simplest understanding of history; and this kind of knowledge, extending over more or less countries お it may be, and embracing with more or less minuteness the divisons, provinces, and the position of the smaller towns, is that which pisses, I believe, with many for a knowledge of geography. Yet you will observe that this knowledge does not touch the earth itself, but only the dwellings of men upon the earth. It regards the shapes of a certain number of great national estates, if I may so call them, the limits of which, like those of individuals' property, have often repect to no natural boundaries, but are purely arbitrary. A real knowledge of geography embraces at once a knowledge of the earth, and of the dwellings of man upon it; it stretches out one hand to hitory and the other to geology and physiology; it is just that part inthe dominion of knowledge where the students of physical and ofnoral science meet together."

*And, without denying the usefulness of that plan-like know

ledge of geography of which I was just now speaking, it cannot be doubted that a far deeper knowledge of it is required by him who would study history effectively. And the deeper knowledge becomes far the easiest to remember. For my own part, I find it extremely difficult to remember the position of towns when I have no other association with them than their situation relatively to each other. But let me once understand the real geography of a country, its organic structure, if I may so call it; the form of its skeleton, that is, of its hills; the magnitude and course of its veins and arteries, that is, of its streams and rivers; let us conceive of it as of a whole mass made up of connected parts; and then the position of man's dwellings, viewed in reference to these parts, becomes at once easily remembered, and lively and intelligible besides."-Rev. J. J. Blandford.

NEXT GENERAL EXAMINATION OF

SCHOOLMASTERS.

WE beg to direct the attention of our readers to an advertisement in connection with the above subject, which appears in our present number. It is of great importance that Schoolmasters, who are candidates for certificates of merit, should have an accurate idea of the nature of the examination to which they will be subjected. Now, correct copies of the Examination Papers proposed at Easter last may be obtained from Mr. Foster, Printer, Kirkby Lonsdale, price two-pence each. Mr. Foster undertakes to send a copy free by post on receipt of four penny stamps, or three copies free on receipt of ten penny stamps.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

THE MULTITUDE Fed.

MARK VI. 30-44.

(Compare Matt. xiv. 13-21. Luke ix. 10-17. and John vi. 1—1.) 30. What they had done.-This was after he had sent them of two by two; on their return, they reported every thing to him. 33. Thither. To the desert place, where Jesus took his disples; it was some retired spot on the coast of the Sea of Galileethe people, anxious to be healed themselves, or to see his miracle,

flocked to him "out of all cities"—that is, from all the cities or towns in the neighbourhood, and perhaps many even from a distance.

37. Two hundred pennyworth.-The " denarius," which is commonly translated "penny," was a considerably more valuable coin than our penny, and was a sufficient payment for a day's labour in harvest time; (Matt xx. 2.) two hundred of these would be a large sum for the disciples to provide, though it would hardly buy enough bread to feed five thousand people.

40. By hundreds, and by fifties.—By this arrangement their num. ber could be more easily told, and the food more readily distributed to them.

41. And blessed.-Or asked for a blessing upon them; this would seem to be his usual custom. (See Matt. xv. 36. xxvi. 26. Luke xxiv. 30.)

43. Full of the fragments.-This they did at his command, "that nothing should be lost:" (John vi. 12.) it surely was meant to teach us a lesson of carefulness, when he who could multiply bread as it was needed, was yet so careful that none of the crumbs should be wasted. This gathering up of the fragments would serve too to prove the completeness of the miracle, when a greater quantity remained after the people were satisfied than had been provided at first.

SUMMARY.

The apostles returning from their journey, report their proceedings to their Master, who takes them aside to a retired spot; here, however, they are followed by as many as five thousand people, who, after being instructed by him during the day, are all fed in the evening with only five barley loaves and two small fishes.

LESSONS.

I. We must give in an account to our Master of all that we say and do. V. 30. (Ps. xviii. 35-43.)

II. It is well for us often to go apart from the world, and learn in private what our Master thinks of all our conduct, and what more he would have us to do. V. 31, 32. (Ps. iv. 4.)

III. The oftener the Saviour saw the people's wants, the more it drew out his compassion for them. V. 34. (Acts x. 38.)

IV. God can readily supply us with food and raiment, and all that is needful for our bodies. V. 37-39. (Luke xii. 27-29.)

V. He too can feed our souls with the bread of life. V. 37-39. (John vi. 32-51.)

VI. When we take our food let us never forget who gives it us. V. 41. (1 Cor. x. 31. 1 Tim. iv. 4, 5.)

VII. Even though you have the greatest abundance, let nothing be wasted. V. 43. (Prov. xviii. 9.)

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

JESUS WALKING ON THE SEA.

MATT. xiv. 22-36.

(See also Mark vi. 45-56. and John vi. 14-24.)

22. Unto the other side.-Towards Capernaum. (See John vi. 17.)

25. In the fourth watch.-The night was divided into four watches; this would, therefore, be between thrce and six o'clock: it was called the morning watch.

Walking on the sea.-Nothing could more strikingly prove him to be God: (Job ix. 8.) the picture of two feet walking on the sea was an Egyptian hieroglyphic, signifying an impossible thing.

26. It is a spirit.-A ghost, or supernatural appearance. Fishermen and sailors are to this day remarkable for their superstitious fears.

28. Bid me come.-This was just in accordance with the forward spirit of Peter; and our Lord probably permitted it both to prove the reality of the miracle, and to show Peter how soon his faith might fail.

29. And he said, Come.-So Christ bids us come to him. We have no more power of ourselves to do it, than the apostle had to walk on the water; but if we look simply to him, and lean only on his help, he will enable us to walk stedfastly in his ways.

30. He was afraid.-When he noticed the wind, he lost sight of Jesus; and then, even though he had been walking on the sea before, his faith failed him, and he began to sink.

33. Of a truth.-They were very slow in being convinced of this. the former miracle of feeding the five thousand seems to have produced but little impression; for, as St. Mark tells us, "their heart was hardened." Only God's grace can open the heart truly to receive instruction, whatever the privileges we enjoy.

36. Hem of his garment.—(See note on Luke viii. 44.)

SUMMARY.

After feeding the multitude, Jesus sends his disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and spends the night himself in prayerthey are overtaken by a storm, and he comes to them, towards morning, walking on the sea-he enables Peter to walk upon the water, and afterwards stills the tempest. When he arrives on the other side, multitudes flock to him, and obtain healing.