other subjects, notably with history, literature and natural science. Protestant, Papist, Deist, Agnostic, Evolutionist-all can find many a chance to insinuate their opinions in connection with these subjects, either by their comments, explanations, or selections for reading. Yet no one thinks of excluding any of these subjects from even the most religiously mixed schools — no, not even history, over which great contentions have sometimes arisen. If, then, these subjects can generally be peaceably and usefully retained in schools, the superlatively important subject of training in good moral character respecting self, fellowman and society ought to be retained. Probably in nothing do the schools suit everybody. But that is no reason for abolishing them. It is thus far better that there should be sound and simple instruction in morals by precept, example and study, and such as nobody can reasonably find serious fault with, than that the schools should impart knowledge without wisdom also; and train intellects without training character.

From all that has now been said, it appears that moral instruction is highly, nay, fundamentally necessary; that it should naturally be more effective when given on an appropriate religious basis, than when placed on a merely secular one; that it should be imparted largely through living object lessons in character, as seen in the lives of teachers who, so far as man can be, are living models of what their pupils should be; that it should also be imparted through systematic study, attractively appealing to intelligence, to the end that when the pupil is out of reach of protecting or persuasive personal influence, he may, of his own mind, know what is right and what is wrong, and why; and so may, with wisdom of mind as well as warmth of feeling, choose the one and reject the other; and that all this necessary, excellent and beneficially influential instruction can be given without admixture of sectarianism.

What, then, is the final conclusion in view of the beginning and progress of this discussion? This: Prevention is better than cure. But if not by sagacious foresight, then it must be by regretful backsight upon a still further accumulation of embezzlements, frauds, wild speculations, corruptions and violent contentions, with accompanying disgraceful flights, murders, suicides and ruin of homes-all owing not to want of knowledge, but of character-that the lesson will at last be effectually learned that it is at least as important, and hence as much a right, that the state should protect itself against vice by teaching virtue, as that it should protect itself against ignorance by teaching the knowledge that enables one to earn his bread, and take care of his earnings; also that every child has an even better right to an education in the elements of good character-without which knowledge is possibly but a tool of mischief-than he has to any or all other learning, however precious it may be.

EDITORIAL.

E

DUCATION moves steadily along despite the hard times. The prospects of the magazine were never brighter than now. We are trying to furnish our readers with the fréshest and best educational thought. In return we would be much obliged to those who are behind in the payment of their subscriptions if they would remember us at this time. To the many who are prompt in payment we extend hearty thanks. What does your label say? Is the date in advance?

THI

HIRTEEN million children in the United States are now studying the effects of alcohol on the human system. Scientific temperance teaching has also been introduced into Canada, France, England, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, the Danish West Indies, Bulgaria, Turkey in Asia, India, Siam, China and Japan"The Child's Health Primer" having been translated into Chinese by an American missionary- Australia, New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands; and South Africa should be included in this estimate; and every State and Territory of the fifty subdivisions of the United States (five only excepted) now enjoy the advantage of a law requiring instruction on this subject. It has been well said that if the W. C. T. U. and Mrs. Hunt, its great leader in this work, had accomplished nothing more in twenty years, they would have had abundant reason to be satisfied because of the millions of children who are now building character on a higher plane than any others that have lived.

THE

HE crusade against disease, inaugurated in Boston by the appointment of fifty regular physicians to make daily inspection of every public school, has been reinforced by a movement against slates and slate pencils. It is argued that the use of slates is not neat, and trying to the nerves of teacher and pupil; that it tends to develop muscles which are not needed in writing on other materials where the resistance is much less than that of the slate to the slate pencil; and that it establishes habits which have to be unlearned and corrected by the writing masters. Accordingly, slates have been abolished in the Boston schools, and likewise in those at Cambridge. These movements show a disposition to faithful study

of the important subject of school health on the part of the authorities, and an intelligent public opinion behind them. Now let something be done to secure a properly regulated temperature in the country school houses, where, various visits have convinced us, but little attention to healthful conditions is bestowed. The heat is usually almost unendurable in at least one such country school that we know of, and the almost universal prevalence of colds among the scholars is thus easily accounted for. The simple expedient of investing in a thermometer and systematically consulting it will do something toward remedying this difficulty, and there is no question but what the intellectual as well as the physical well-being of the scholars will be subserved thereby.

AREFUL attention to little things in the school life is not only required by a sensitive conscience and a high ideal of personal attainment, but it has a positive commercial value. This is illustrated every day by countless incidents in business life, the moral of which has its significant relation to the duty of teacher as well as pupil. For instance, we were recently interested in the fate of a number of candidates who were recommended for an important position in connection with a large business house having a capital of several millions. The winning of that position meant an attractive and remunerative life-work, in all probability, for the successful candidate. We happened to call on the member of that firm having the matter in charge just as he returned from a conference with the other members, at which a decision had been reached and a choice made between the applicants. He laid several letters before us and said that the contest was very close between the writers of two of them, and that the decision had finally turned in favor of one because of the neat handwriting, careful wording, and business-like heading and addressing of his letter. Probably the candidate himself never will know about this, much less his teachers who required of him carefulness in the details as well as in the main objects of his school work. All the same it counted materially in his favor, and the slovenly methods of the other candidate were a handicap on his success. Elaboration of the point is not needful. A word to the wise is sufficient.

GENERAL MARION'S WIFE.

BY MCDONALD FREEMAN.

The Revolutionary struggle, with its battles and trials, was over. Poverty stared General Francis Marion in the face; during the war his property had wasted away until it was much reduced. He was appointed commandant of Fort Johnson, with a liberal salary, but legislative reformers reduced the salary to five hundred dollars a year. The General had never married, and just at this time, when he was in poverty and getting old, occurred the romance of his life. Mary Videau was a wealthy Huguenot lady, whose years already numbered over forty. She was yet single, and admiring the bachelor warrior, she delicately expressed a desire to some friends to become his wife. The pleasant sequel to this little romance was that they were married, and, to use the language of the dear old fairy stories, "lived happily until they died." After his marriage, General Marion led the life of a quiet, hospitable Southern gentleman. His death occurred in 1795, and his last words were an index to his lofty character. "Thank God," he said, "I can lay my hand upon my heart and say, that since I came to man's estate I have never intentionally done wrong to any one."

General Marion had no children, but adopted a grandson of his brother Isaac as his son and left him his property. The name of this adopted son was Francis Dwight, but he changed it to Francis Marion. A granddaughter of his (in the female line) is the wife of Dr. Ellison Capers, Assistant Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina. During the Confederate war he was a Brigadier General in the Southern army, and was wounded no less than three times during that struggle. He entered the ministry of the P. E. church after the war.

DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL

STUDY.

THE TEACHERS' INTERNATIONAL READING CIRCLE. FOURTH MONTHLY SYLLABUS FOR THE THIRD YEAR.

PREPARED BY DR. CHAS. J. MAJORY, NEWTON, N. J., SECRETARY,
FOR THE USE OF CORRESPONDENCE MEMBERS.

Everywhere the call is for better teachers, for teachers capable of rising above the mere routine of their daily work to a fair conception of the important task that is theirs in the training of the human mind and the immortal soul. It is this element that must constitute the professional part of teaching. The teacher who rightly attains this will not be less efficient, but more efficient, in the routine work, and will both accomplish more and enjoy more in its accomplishment.

I. ROUSSEAU'S EMILE. PAGES 100-130.

28. How are children to be practically trained in school so as to "arm them against unforseen accidents?"

29. Can a teacher be justified in adopting a willful deception in order to promote in a child that acuteness of perception that will detect the deception?

30. What relation has the sense of sight to that of touch in its earliest development?

31. What is the especial great advantage in drawing from objects rather than from copy?

32. What is the argument for combining drawing from the copy with object drawing?

33. What advantages has experimental geometry, as suggested for Emile, over the geometry as commonly presented by theorem and formal demonstration?

34. When should the latter properly come in to supplement the former?

35. To what extent should the physical exercises of the schoolroom have for their purpose muscular dexterity and agility?

36. For what chief purpose are the arts of recitation and singing to be included in the training of youth?

37. From the age of five to twelve, can all needed instruction be acquired through experience and the senses under any conditions. that can be assumed?