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XVIII.

Age should merit veneration if it be with Worth allied :

So our Calling must be honored, since we boast, with honest pride,
That our Brotherhood has journeyed with the Ages side by side.
Countless are the faithful Teachers scattered o'er the mighty Past:
Rare at first, but soon increasing, gaining strength and numbers fast,
And I venture the assertion we ourselves are not the last.

XIX.

prepare

See the Son of Sophroniscus teaching in the open air:
Falsely charged with base Corruption, see him calm for death
Not the only Teacher, surely, who has met with bitter fare.
'Neath the Shades of Academus Plato found a better berth;
Although Sulla, sometime after, cut the plane trees down to earth.
With a warrior, fierce and bloody, what are Grecian Letters worth!

0, ye Shades of Academus! would that ye till now had stood !
To your green, inviting portals I would hasten if I could,

For my County Grammar-School house never was one half so good.

Near the shores of the Ilissus, on the old Lyceum ground,

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Aristotle, Peripatetic, "answered questions most profound.
We are also "Peripatetic "-specially when " Boarding Round."

Gorgias of Leontini taught in good old-fashioned way.
Eighteen hundred dollars Term Bill every pupil had to pay-
When will that old Teacher's wages have a resurrection day?

XX.

Farther down the line of Ages came a Teacher from Above:
Clothed with Wisdom like the serpent, meek and gentle like the dove:
Every word was pure and perfect; every deed was full of love.

Yet the World was not well suited with its Teacher from the Sky,
And the Demon, Persecution, raised its fierce and bitter cry,
“He's a Madman, a Deceiver! Crucify Him! He must die !!"'

So it crucified the Teacher! yet He rose to Realms on High.
There He dwells and by His Spirit calls His pupils to the Sky-
So shall faithful Teachers ever rise above Earth's bitterest cry.

ΧΧΙ.

Coming down to times more modern, in the old Teutonic Land
What a scene awaits our notice; what a host of Teachers grand!
How diverse their many teachings; subtle quite the schemes they've planned

And the World, without much thinking, eagerly their works has sought :
But it still remains a question how much good has yet been wrought
By those Germans so Teutonic-quite too tonic I have thought.

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THE HYGIENE OF THE SCHOOL ROOM.

Readers, I am requested to give you a few talks upon the

Hygiene of the School Room," as though the school room could be made conducive to health! as though the process of education did not lead directly to disease and premature death! Call up, now, to your minds the many cases you have all known, of young men who have "broken down" during their college course! or, if they have come through with a sound body, how many have failed while studying for their profession, and how large a proportion of those who have gone into active life, have done so with constitutions so enfeebled, that they could accomplish but little in the few painful years which remained to them. Think of the number of young ladies who have been obliged to suspend their studies for a time, before completing their course in our higher female seminaries, in order to recruit their health. Indeed, is it not rather the exception than the rule, to see a scholar robust and healthy? If such is the tendency in our higher schools, is it not the same in our common schools, only that their frequent and long vacations prevent the full development of the effect that would otherwise result from the course followed? From such facts as we have mentioned, and they may be seen every day, it would almost seem that the "Etiology of the School Room" would be a more appropriate subject to talk about than the "Hygiene of the School Room." We have all heard of the rude benches without backs, in our primitive school houses, on which children, three or four years old, were confined near six hours a day. Perhaps we have seen them, or even enjoyed the relief which a little active play brought to our weary muscles, after being freed from them. But these, and kindred nuisances are (we hope) fast being done away with in our Vermont. School houses are now constructed with some regard to the comfort of the children. Some houses, at least, have seats on which small children may sit with their backs supported while their feet rest on the floor. The warmth of the room, too, is now cared for. Stoves or furnaces have taken the place of the "old-fashioned fire-place," and so careful have we been to exclude all the cold, that we frequently exclude all

the air likewise. It may fairly be doubted whether in this respect we have not rather mis-improved than improved.

One great fault in the schools at the present day, as well as formerly, is that children are confined to the school-room too young. Many small children are sent to school merely to get them out of the way at home, aud are confined to the seats nearly all the school hours. Let the houses be ever so well ventilated, and the seats ever so well constructed, it can but be injurious to keep children, four or five years old, confined six hours a day, in nearly the same position. Their bones are too soft and flexible to bear the sitting posture so long a time without yielding somewhat and causing considerable uneasiness, if not positive pain. Their muscles can hardly be kept upon the stretch so long at a time, without, not only becoming immediately painful, but suffering permanent injury. Their bodies in every part require change of posture, and exercise, active, and in the open air, for their full and free development. The natural instincts of the child are a better guide in this respect, for the true teacher, than the formal rules which govern most of our schools, as well as much of what is called enlightened society. The first years of life are designed by the Great Giver of life to be devoted mainly to the development of the body; and the parent, or teacher, who stimulates the mind at the expense of the body, or, worse than this, who confines the body so as to prevent its proper growth, in order to teach too soon some of the arbitrary signs of knowledge, counteracts the course of nature and usually sees in the end the result of his folly, though, perhaps, in his own blissful ignorance, he ascribes such results to the mysterious providence of God, to which his religion teaches him to bow in humble submission. Could he see that God rules all things in the moral and physical world by certain fixed laws, and that these laws will never be set aside to accommodate erring man; perhaps, instead of going on thus blindly, he would set about learning something of these laws, and so by obedience avoid the penalty. But this is digressing from what I intended to say. Reader, bear in mind what I have said, and perhaps you will the better appreciate what I may say. next month.

H.

CHITTENDEN CO. TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

The third semi-annual session of this Association was held at Essex on Friday and Saturday, May 13th and 14th.

About seventy-five teachers were present from various parts of the County, and the session proved very pleasant and profitable to all who enjoyed the privilege of attending.

The first Address was delivered on Friday morning, by Rev. H. P. Cutting, of Castleton. Subject-The Liberalizing Influence of Literary Culture. The address was well written, and was delivered with that ease and grace so characteristic of the speaker. He used the word "Liberalizing" in its highest sense, as applied to that culture which makes a man nobler and better. He said that true literary culture can not be acquired without a critical and thorough study of the classic English authors. Modern literature will not give that discipline which the scholar needs.

The afternoon was occupied in a Discussion of English Grammar, which was introduced with a very able and interesting Essay by E. Conant, Principal of Royalton Normal Institute.

Mr. C. illustrated his method of initiating the student into the mysteries of this study. He was very happy in the choice of words to express his ideas, and was listened to with much interest. He showed that he is a careful student of his own language, and that his familiarity with its construction has been acquired by a thorough study of the language in its earlier stages. The subject was further discussed by Messrs. Barber, Cilley, Elliot, Allen, Worcester, Leavenworth and Cutting.

7 1-2 o'clock, P. M.

The Association united in singing. Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. Clark, of Essex. Rev. W. A. Miller of Burlington, then delivered, before a full house, an interesting address. Subject-The Object, Means and Obstacles of intellectual Culture. May 14, 9 o'clock A. M.

Prayer by the President.

Mr. S. L. Bates of Underhill, read an Essay on Reading and Elocution, which was well received and opened the way for an interesting discussion that was sustained with much spirit, by the President, and Messrs. Conant, Barber, Allen, Cilley, Elliot and Castle.

1 1-2 o'clock, P. M.

A. A. Smith of Burlington, spoke upon the best method of

conducting Recitation in Spelling. He considered that Spelling should be made eminently practical, and gave a very interesting account of the various ways in which this end may be attained. Messrs. Allen and Castle gave their experience in this connection, adding much to the liveliness and profit of the discussion. Underhill Flats was selected as the place of the next meeting, to be held on the third Friday in December next.

Mr. Castle was invited to prepare an Essay on the Duties of Proprietors of School Districts towards Teachers of Common Schools, to be read at the next meeting as an introduction to a general discussion of the same subject.

The Resolutions of the last meeting, held at Williston in December last, in relation to the Vermont School Journal, were reaffirmed as follows:

Resolved, That the Teachers of Vermont greatly need an Educational Journal, as a medium of imparting and receiving knowledge on topics of local interest, and especially such as pertain to their calling.

Resolved, That this Association pledges its aid and influence to sustain such a Journal if established.

The County papers and School Journal were requested to publish the proceedings of this meeting.

The thanks of the Association were tendered by a unanimous rising vote, "to the People of Essex, for their generous hospitality, so freely given for the entertainment of the members of the Association."

Messrs. Cutting, Conant, Miller and Bates received a hearty vote of thanks for the excellent Addresses and Essays with which they had favored the Association.

The question, "What is the best way for Ladies to govern scholars?" was handed in by one of the ladies present. Some very interesting remarks were elicited, among the most noticeable of which are the following: She should show herself to be a true woman; should exhibit energy and decision in every movement; should study the character of her scholars, and approach them as human beings, possessed of reason; should win their love, and exercise the great law of kindness; will find gentle reproofs to be, generally, the most successful; should do all that is fitted to command respect. Womanly deportment will secure a respect that man cannot command.

By request, the President made some appropriate closing remarks, and the Association adjourned.

J. H. WORCESTER, President.

A. E. LEAVENWORTH, Secretary.

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