competent to the demands of the present age and our own land. Perhaps the clearest statement of this idea is found in the criticism of the paper by Supt. L. H. Jones of Cleveland, Ohio, in the following. words: "It seems to me possible to make a correlation of subjects in a programme in such a way that the selection of subject matter may be, to some extent, from all fields of knowledge. These selections should be such as are related to one another, so as to be mutually helpful in acquisition. They should be the main features of knowledge in the different departments. These different departments, from which the chosen subjects should be taken, must be fundamental ones, and must be sufficiently numerous to represent universal Culture. * * * A system or programme of correlation on this basis would seek for fundamental ideas in all the leading branches, and make them themes of thought and occasions of language exercises. The selections would omit all trivialities in all subjects, and would not attempt to correlate for the mere sake of correlation; but would seek to correlate whenever by such correlation kindred themes may be made to illuminate one another."

SEVER

EVERAL criticisms at once occur to the common mind in view of this new departure. First, was a complete estimate of child nature and a reliable catalogue of its contents possible; after all, the particular child to be taught in school is a new creature coming into a world of human life which represents the achievements and experiences of the human race from the beginning, and the working of all agencies and existences, material or spiritual, in the universe of which this world and life are a vital portion. Hence, the attempt to found instruction on what can be known of the child without constant reference to the world into which he is born and must be involved, is not only a very uncertain but a partial and narrow base of operations. Second, this ideal correlation of all studies appropriate to childhood is, at best, a philosophical or scientific theory, of very doubtful acquirement, possible only to the loftiest and broadest minds, and always dependent on the idea of human nature itself that its apostle brings to his investigation. The estimates of what is fundamental or trivial in any school study would be so absolutely contradictory between the disciple of materialistic atheism and of spiritual transcendentalism—indeed so essentially a personal estimate that the attempt to found a working programme on this basis would be little short of the reign of pedagogic anarchy. Third, the theory seems to be an attempt to transfer a habit of mind, itself the result of the widest culture and special philosophic habit to the average child, who would be thrown into "confusion worse confounded "

by the attempt to teach the "one in all and all in one." And just how this elaborate and somewhat intangible scheme could be worked by nine-tenths of our 400,000 American school teachers, in any reasonably probable state of advancement in pedagogic skill, we are not informed.

Finally, the theory seems to be another of the numerous human fallacies described in the old maxim, "putting the cart before the horse." That there is such a correlation, not only between sciences and arts but in everything pertaining to human nature and life, is doubtless true. But it can only exist in the Infinite mind, and its working must be nothing less than the unconscious operation of the law of human growth and development. Every thing taken into the mind of a child by a mysterious process goes to its own place. Kindred facts, ideas and ideals, find each other. In some way, at best little divined by philosophy, the language, mathematics, science, aesthetics, discipline and indoor and outdoor life of a school, are combined in the growing experience of the child, only to be realized with maturity by the vast majority of men, hardly suspected even by the wisest and best in any large way-a matter of speculation. The question arises, after all, is not this God's side of education, and probabably not to be improved upon by the suggestions of any "Committee of Fifteen." We can understand that an educator who, in his theory, dispenses with any idea of personal intelligence outside the human mind, or any will, intent or purpose in the universe, may assume not only to comprehend this mysterious operation, but to grasp its secret and formulate therefrom a programme of instruction for infant minds. But this implies the operation of placing man, the educator, in the chair of the infinite intelligence, and imposing upon him the responsibilities of Divine Providence.

IT

Tis just at this point that Dr. Harris, in his report, joins issue with the advocates of what he denominates "the psychological ideal" and boldly asserts that by "correlation of studies your committee understand the selection and arrangement in orderly sequence of such objects of study as shall give the child an insight into the world that he lives in, and a command over its resources such as is obtained by a helpful co-operation with one's fellows. The chief consideration to which all others are to be subordinated, is this requirement of the civilization into which the child is born, as determining not only what he shall study in school, but what habits and customs he shall be taught in the family before the school age arrives, as well as that he shall acquire a skilled acquaintance with some one of a definite series of trades, professions, or vocations, in the years that follow

school; and, furthermore, that this question of the relation to his. civilization determines what political duties he shall assume and what religious faith or spiritual aspirations shall be adopted for the conduct of his life." In other words, the majority of the sub-committee on correlation of studies express their preference for "an objective and practical basis of selection of topics for the course of study, rather than the subjective and psychological basis so long favored by educational writers," which is described as "merely formal in its character, relating only to the exercise of the so-called mental faculties."

Especially does the report take issue with "biological ideal," in which physiological psychology comes to the front, and a child is educated according to a theory of "organic changes in the brain cells and their functions." Instead of delving more and more into the nature of the child, guided by a theory of spiritual or material philosophy equivalent to a wearisome wandering through the avenues and chambers of a vast underground, mammoth cave, all the time uncertain whither your journey is leading, the Doctor would introduce the child to the real world of society and civilization into which he is born, that he might gain, through contact with men and affairs, the character essential to manhood, womanhood,-good citizenship in the Republic.

He does not disparage the careful study of child nature; indeed, would make it more careful, accurate and fruitful than at present. But instead of schooling a child as a being isolated from his kind, and, after all, a theoretical being, for a wavering and uncertain ideal, he would educate him for the world in which he lives through the wholesome activity of all his faculties. He believes even more in a true correlation of studies than his critics; the correlation of life, all the time assimilating the kindred elements of knowledge and experience, under the direction of an omniscient Providence that sees the end from the beginning and lodges in every human being the power to assimilate all the spiritual entity of the child into a character which shall make every man a special and indispensable individual in the great universe of souls. He has a perfect faith that this process of correlation will be attended to by the Divine teacher, in God's university of life, and is chiefly concerned about the most natural and effective way of bringing the different studies, language, mathematics, geography, history, natural science, aesthetics, manual training, etc., each in its due time and according to its most rational method, in range of the pupil. Each of these topics is treated from this point of view, with a wealth of insight and discrimination and a fertility of suggestion, coupled with a robust common sense and knowledge of the world, refreshing and stimulating to the last degree.

The effect of the reading of the entire report is like the jail delivery of pupil and teacher out of the prison house of a twilight psychological and physiological theory into the glorious sunshine, wholesome air and inspiring prospects of the "grand and awful time" in which we live; and this is the final outcome of a lifetime of philosophical studies; the conclusion of the scholar and thinker who, by common consent, stands on the uplands of philosophical culture, yet who, after a life devoted to practical educational work, assigns the higher place to the real, practical, providential environment of the civilization amid which all our educational work goes on, in determining the programme of elementary instruction.

Of course, this challenge of a tendency that has already captured a group of educators conspicuous for position and influence, is only the beginning of a controversy the most radical and far-reaching of the period. But every true educator must rejoice that here, at last, the issue has been joined, and the educational public, which finally controls the school systems of the country, is summoned to decide on the way it will go.

In the valley of the noble Susquehanna, midway in the course of that historic stream, there stands a school worthy of more than passing mention. Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, is a pleasant town of some seven thousand inhabitants, situated near the point where the waters of the river are joined by those of Fishing Creek, a stream wellknown in war time by reason of the "Fishing Creek Confederacy" which is said to have flourished at its headwaters. Clustering hills. surround the town on all sides, and grand old mountains lift their distance-blued summits not many miles away.

You do not need to ask your way to the "Normal" in Bloomsburg. The buildings may be seen from any part of that community, and the principal street of the town leads directly up Normal Hill to the very front door of the school. Occupying, as it does, a position a hundred feet above the town it is of the town and yet apart, a community of half a thousand lives.

Founded, in 1867, as the Bloomsburg Literary Institute, and later, in 1869, chartered as one of the Normal Schools of the state, it has passed through the vicissitudes and changes familiar to all schools, and now stands as one of the largest, best equipped and most representative of Pennsylvania's schools; a school of which the state, of whose educational system it is a product, may well be proud.

The school buildings are visible for a considerable distance up and down the valley, and, while not by any means pretentious, are neat and extremely well adapted to their purpose. The original building forms but a very small portion of the immense pile of brick and stone on Normal Hill. Some idea of the size of the buildings may be gained from the fact that there are nearly three-fourths of a mile of corridor therein, and over two hundred rooms for the use of students only. It will not be necessary in this brief article to comment upon all the points of interest to. be observed. Class rooms, equipped with all the latest devices to aid both the instructors and their pupils; the gymnasium, one of the best in the country; the manual training room; the dining room; the chapel; the porch; the