education, etc.; county superintend- more than eighty days, and in fortyents; the high-school question, the three townships the duration of schools State University system, the State was four months or less. To remedy Board of Education, the text-book sys- this inequality in the duration of schools tem, the Centennial school exhibit, fol- it is recommended that each township lowed by tabular views of statistics and trustee be required to levy a sufficient other miscellaneous matter. The Jour- local tax beyond the amount permitted nal has published, from time to time, by law. This would have a tendency the footings of many of the tables, to- to bring the poorer schools of the State gether with other facts gathered from up to the standard of the best, and the report, but there are many items of would thus unify the system, and make interest appearing in that portion of the it indeed a common school system. report now out that will well bear reproduction in their order.

THE ENUMERATION.

The total enumeration of school children in the State is placed at 679,230, an increase in eight years of 86,365. Number of children enrolled in the State, 516,270, including 6,963 colored children. A comparison shows that seventy-six per cent. of white children and sixty-eight per cent. of colored children are enrolled in the public

schools. In his remarks on colored schools the superintendent says: "I believe the law requiring school officers to organize separate colored schools, when enough colored children can be found in any locality to form such a school, to be a wise one." To provide for the education of colored chileren in sparsely settled localities he recommends that the present law be so amended as to read: *** “But if there are not a sufficient number within reasonable distance to be thus consolidated, the trustee or trustees shall permit the colored children of school age to attend the schools already established by law."

DURATION OF SCHOOLS.

IN REGARD TO TEACHERS.

The tables indicate the employment in the public schools of the State of 13,441 teachers-7,852 males and 5,559 females, an increase over the preceeding year of about 300. The number of teachers attending institutes is 11, 159, and the number of institutes held during the year 1876 is 4,375. In townships the average daily compensation of cities $3.28. teachers is $1. 93, in towns $2. 63, and in

SCHOOL PROPERTY.

Since 1865 the number of school houses has increased from 7,403 to 9,434, and the value of school property from $3,827,173 to $11,548,993. 67. It is observed that since 1873 the number of brick houses has increased 452; that the number of frame houses has decreased 54; and that the number of log houses has decreased 266. The log school house is becoming a thing of the past, there being but 192 in 1876. Of these one county had 35, one had 21, one had 16, one had 11, one had 10, two had 9 each, two had 6 each, and 2 had 5 each, the remaining 59 being distributed among 27 counties.

The State is well supplied with school houses, and the number will not increase very rapidly in the future. The people have spent during the past nine

The tables presented under this head show that the average length of public schools in days, in the various counties, in 1876, was 129. This makes a fair showing upon its face. But a careful inspection of the reports of the county years, $671,000 annually for school superintendents shows that there was houses. It will not be necessary to no county in the State in which the schools of the various townships were kept open an equal length of time. In some of the counties the variation was more than one hundred days, and in eighteen counties the variation was

spend so much in the future, and as the taxes for special school purposes are diminished people can better afford to increase the local tuition tax and thus be able to employ and retain the best teaching talent that can be found.

Importance of Sleep.

The cry for rest has always been louder than the cry for food; not that it is more important, but because it is often harder to get. The best rest comes from sound sleep. Of two men or women, otherwise equal, the one who sleeps the best will also, as a general rule, be the most moral, healthy and efficient.

cure.

The Movement of Storm Centres.

In Meteorology, the most interesting paper that has recently appeared is that by W. C. Lee, published in the Journal of the Scottish Meteorological Society. Mr. Lee presents an attempt at a philosophical explanation of the movements of storm centres; but it is his statistical researches that are of especial value, since, like those of Loomis, they pave the way for the correct un

Sleep will do much to cure irritability of temper, peevishness, uneasiness. derstanding of the subject. He states It will cure insanity. It will restore to that he himself belongs to those who vigor an overworked brain. It will believe that a cyclonic system is not build up and make strong a weary to be treated as an eddy in the prevailbody. It will do much to cure dyspep- ing currents, and that its westward or sia. It will relieve the languor and eastward motion is not wholly due to prostration felt by consumptives. It the force of these currents. He finds will cure a broken spirit. It will cure from his extensive studies that the sorrow. Indeed we might make a long mean tracks of storm centres show a list of nervous maladies that sleep will general coincidence with prevailing winds, and individual depressions show a tendency to travel around temporary local areas of high barometer, keeping the latter on the right hand in the European storms. A suggestion of Mr. Robert Tennent seems to have led him during the past year to examine whether there is any connection between the movement of the storm centre and the position of it to steepest barometic gradients. He finds that of 800 storms passing near Great Britain during nine years, the large majority had a tendency to move in directions parallel to the trend of the steepest gradients; thus when the isobars are closest on the southeast side, the tangents trend toward the northeast, and fifty-five per cent. of these storms move in the same direction. He finds also evidences of a less important disturbing force tending to make the depressions move toward the northeast by east. It would be interesting to compare Ley's rules with the behavior of American storms. can see no reason why they should ob

The cure for sleeplessness, however, is not so easy, particularly in those who carry heavy responsibilities. The habit of sleeping well is one which, if broken up for any length of time, is not easily regained. Often a severe illness, treated by powerful drugs, so deranges the nervous system that sleep is never aleep—is never sweet afterwards. Or, perhaps, long continued watchfulness will produce the same effect. Or hard study, or too little exercise of the muscular system, or tea and spirit drinking, and tobacco using. To cure sleeplessness the following essentials are requir

ed;

1. A good clean bed.

2. Sufficient exercise to produce weariness and pleasant occupation.

3, Good air, and not too warm a room. 4. The freedom from too much care. 5. A clean stomach.

6. A clear conscience.

7. Avoidance of stimulants and narcotics.

We

For those who are overworked, hag-tain for the storms occurring between gard, nervous, who pass sleepless the Rocky Mountains and the Atlantic

nights, we commend the adoption of coast.-Harper's Magazine.

such habits as will secure sleep, other- Men, women, boys and long green wise life will be short, and what there worms are the only creatures that is of it sadly imperfect. chew the tobacco plant.

OUR POETS' CORNER.

Children, and How to Speak to

Them.

versations, like constant droppings of water, will make an impression, and will cause him to feel that it is of no

The hearty ringing laugh of a child is sweet music to the ear. There are three use to try to be good, that he is hopemost joyous sounds in nature-the humlessly wicked. Instead of such language of a bee, the purr of a cat, and the laugh give him confidence in himself; rather find out his good points and dwell upon of a child. They tell of peace, of hap-them; praise him where and whenever piness, and of contentment, and make one for a while forget that there is so much misery in the world.

you can; and make him feel that by perseverance, and God's blessing, he will make a good man. Speak truthfully to your child; if you once deceive him, he will not believe you for the future. Not only so, but if you are truthful yourself you are likely to make him truthful-like begets like. There is child is an abomination. Sir Walter something beautiful in truth. A lying Scott says "that he taugh his son to ride, to shoot, and to tell the truth.” Archdeacon Hare asserts "that Purity is the feminine, Truth the masculine, of Honor."

A Leaf from the Life of a School
Teacher.

I went to school that morning feeling almost as if the life that was so weary was nor worth struggling for. Day after day, week after week, always the same thing, no pleasure, nothing but work, and leaning wearily against my desk I waited until the hour hand of the little clock should reach nine, when

Never allow a child to be teased; it spoils his temper. If he is in a cross humor take no notice of it, but divert his attention to some pleasing object. This may be done without spoiling him. Do not combat bad temper with bad temper-noise with noise. Be firm, be kind, be gentle, be loving, speak quietly, smile tenderly and embrace him my scholars would assemble for their fondly, but insist upon implicit obedi-daily tasks. ence, and you will have, with God's blessing, a happy child.

Pleasant words ought always to be spoken to a child; there must be neither snarling, no snapping, nor snubbing, no loud contention toward him. If there be it will ruin his temper and disposition, and will make him hard and harsh, morose and disagreeable.

"Twenty rough, rude boys to teach, a delightful way to spend one's birthday, and I am not too old at 25 to wish for something better; they will be as trying as possible, too," and I shook myself impatiently as I thought of it all.

The clock told out in clear ringing strokes the hour of nine, and I reached Do not always be telling your child out my hand for the bell, wondering how wicked he is; what a naughty boy why the usually noisy group outside he is; that God will never love him, were so quiet. They came in one by and all the rest of such twaddle and one, each with a bouquet of flowers blatant insanity. Do not, in point of which they laid upon my desk with a fact, bully him, as many poor little fel- bright "good morning," until a little lows are bullied. It will ruin him if pyramid was formed, and my look of you do; it will make him in after years astonishment had given way to one of either a coward or a tyrant. Such con- pleasure, and then to tears, as a little