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can be desired, enough to insure a much higher style of instruction in our schools. The subject of popu lar education may yet take a deeper hold of the community, so as to demand teachers of higher qualifications, and furnish the necessary means of educating them. But no considerable number of states are yet prepared to take this step. The wisest course now is, to provide for present necessities, and thus prepare the way for doing more when more is demanded. Already, in the opinion of examining committees-if their certificates mean any thingour common school teachers understand the studies required by law; and yet they frequently complain in their reports, that many teachers are lamentably deficient in "skill" and "aptness to teach," and are "destitute of a tact at illustration, so as to interest scholars ;" and they therefore express their decided opinion in favor of teachers' seminaries. Many of these certificates are no doubt given, not because the candidates are fully qualified, but because teachers of better qualifications can not be had. Who can doubt that one term of instruction, such as we have specified, would remedy to a very great extent the evils of which these committees complain?

For these reasons, it seems to us, that the endowment of a teachers' seminary on this economical plan, is the least that can be expected of any state of our union. The principle of public free schools for all the people, is engrafted into our institutions. None can deny the right and the duty of the state to provide for the education of every child. The only open question respects the character of the schools-the kind of education which they shall be designed and fitted to impart. That our common schools are all that can be desired, no one will pretend. They are susceptible of great improvements. They ought to be made capable of imparting to every

child, as good an education as he could obtain in the first sixteen years of his life, under any other means of instruction. They ought to be made to rank with the best private schools for children of the same age.

But if this is desirable, it is practicable only by means of better teachers and better teachers will not drop down from the skies. They must be made. Suitable seminaries for training teachers must be provided; and certainly nothing of the kind can be more economical, more within the compass of possibility, more suited to present exigencies, than that to which we now call attention. Promising at a reasonable expense, to make our public school system more efficient and successful, by providing teachers of higher qualifications, what objection can there be to its general adoption? What state can refuse to make the small appropriation necessary to carry out the plan? If it promises, at a reasonable expense, to make the schools more efficient by the better qualification of teachers, no state should hesitate to adopt it. Public appropriations for education, afford richer returns to the state than any other expenditures. Donations to colleges have brought forward young men to serve their country in the various professions, whose talents would otherwise have remained uncultivated. Colleges deserve to be liberally endowed by the state, because every rightly educated man is a blessing to the community. None but the sons of the rich would be able to obtain a collegiate education, if they were taxed for the whole support of the professors, with the interest upon the buildings, apparatus and library of the institution.

We need attempt no comparison between the usefulness to a state of common schools and colleges. The good influence of both is beyond computation and perfectly coincident. No other class is so desirous of the elevation of common

schools, or so strongly convinced of the utility of teachers' seminaries, as the graduates of our colleges. The legislature of a state could in no way confer a greater benefit on every town, district and family, than by passing an act to encourage teachers to qualify themselves more thoroughly for their work. What a delicate and responsible work it is! They have the mind of the nation committed to them, at the most plastic period of life. They do more than any others, the parents excepted, to form the mental and moral habits of the rising generation. No bungler should be allowed, far less employed and paid, to work upon the tender susceptibilities of childhood, upon the disposition, mind, heart and soul, at the very time, above all others, when every impres sion made is indelible. As Mr. Mann remarks, "No unskillful hand should ever play upon a harp, where the tones are left, forever, in the strings."

We cast no censure upon our present teachers. Many of them are able, skillful and efficient; as a body they do as well as can be expected with the facilities and advantages afforded them. Many of them are unable, with the low wages which they receive, to be at the expense of superior qualifications. Let the state come to their assistance. Let them have an opportunity at the public expense, so far as necessary, to acquire a perfect knowledge of all that they are required to teach, and of the best methods of instruction and discipline. Economy is the order of the day; and some may think that our plan pays too much respect to this passion of the people. But others more narrow minded, and representing the penny-wise and pound-foolish principle, may be prejudiced against the measure by their ruling passion. But we beg of them to consider that the truest economy looks beyond the hour and the day to reVOL. VI.

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sults often remote but cheaply purchased at much present expense and self-denial. The right education of a generation of children repays for itself by the precious returns of adult years, and never ceases to yield fruit in succeeding ages. We admire the wise economy of a citizen of Kentucky, who said to the collector of the school tax: “I would rather be taxed for the education of the boy than for the ignorance of the man; and for one or the other I am compelled to pay." We beg our narrow-sighted economists to consider the wisdom of this preference; to observe how and why our New England contrasts with Mexico and South America, with Asia and Europe; how every degree of right education diminishes the expenses of the state and of individuals; and increases the knowledge, health, peace, virtue and intelligent piety of the people,

Some may think that such a seminary as we desire must necessarily be temporary; for it would soon supply the schools with teach

ers.

This would be the case if teaching were a permanent business. But new teachers must be constantly in a course of preparation to supply vacancies, for there is no hope of permanency in the office at present. While the average length of time spent in teaching, except in a few large places, is less than two years and a half, the seminary would have enough to do; and at a future day, as soon as there shall be a demand for it, the course of instruction may be extended.

But will not teachers' institutes, or conventions of a few weeks, answer essentially the purposes of such an institution? To this it is an obvious answer, that we can not have the model school in connection with them; and this we regard as an indispensable means of communicating a thorough practical knowledge of the art of teaching.

Is it said that teachers can not be qualified by a three months' course, to instruct in the higher branches? The Report of the Normal School at Albany supplies an answer: "We have been coming down more and more to the primary studies in drilling teachers; here lies the greatest deficiency." The principal of one of the normal schools in Massachusetts has expressed to us the same opinion. To put teachers or scholars into algebra before they understand arithmetic, or into philosophy before they know enough of grammar to apply the principles of the science to the construction of sentences, is subversive of all right education. When the majority of teachers have become so familiar with the elementary studies as to be able to illustrate and teach them in a happy manner, it will be soon enough to take another step. Then, but not till then, the schools will be prepared to enter upon the higher branches. Already where schools have been organized on the best system, and philosophical methods of instruction employed, the higher branches have been introduced with success. A thorough training for the first eight or ten years, will prepare the pupil to enter upon those studies. But this advance can not be made in the great majority of schools, till the preliminary work is far better understood, and far better accomplished.

There is another consideration of some weight in this connection: when teachers are practically initi ated into the art of teaching the common branches, they will be good teachers in every study which they understand. A person skillful in illustrating the principles of interest, needs no normal instruction in order to teach geometry. The

teacher of a district school should be able to adapt his instructions to all minds, to all the mental and moral peculiarities of his pupils. The younger they are, the more de

pendent will they be upon him for help. He must throw life and interest into twenty different exercises in a day. He must be perfectly familiar with all the "little things," (always the great things in early training,) and know well how to communicate them in the happiest manner. Unlike a professor in college, he must teach mathematics, grammar, elocution, rhetoric, geography, penmanship, English fiterature and ethics-a little of ev ery thing-all at the same time. Not a day passes but he is called to instruct in the elements of all these sciences. His education, therefore, can not be too extensive and thorough. But the greatest deficiencies at present respect the mere ele. mentary studies, and particularly the art of teaching. We, therefore, think the present aim of the friends of education in all our states should be to improve the elementary instruction of the common schools, by some feasible plan, such as we propose-a seminary for teachers, having accommodations for a hundred and fifty or two hundred pupils ; supplied with apparatus and every facility for illustration; under the instruction of those who are in every way competent for the business; connected with a model school taught upon the principles laid down in the seminary; and giving, each term, one course of practical drills and familiar lectures in all the studies prescribed by the law of the state for the public schools.

The details of this plan it is unnecessary for us to suggest. Conditions of admission must of course be fixed. A certificate of character, and a declaration of intention to teach for one or more terms, would be required; and the gradu ates of the schools might be furnished with diplomas that would be current through the state, and su persede the necessity of their examination by school committees. Three terms a year might perhaps

be deemed sufficient; leaving time for teachers' conventions, which are found to awaken interest in the community upon the subject of popular education, and stimulate the zeal of teachers in the work of their

own improvement. By attending these, many would be induced to enter the seminary and receive a thorough course of instruction in the art of teaching.

ROBERT MURRAY McCHEYNE.*

THE Outward life of McCheyne can be written in a few lines. There were no great or striking events in which he bore a prominent part. Nothing links his name with the history of the state, of the church, or with literature. He passed away too early for that, as but a few of our race have made work for the historic muse, before completing their thirtieth year.

He was born, May 21, 1813, in Edinburgh, and was named Robert Murray, after some of his kindred. We are not informed where he ob tained his primary education, but it appears that his mind was bright and active, rapid in learning and retentive. In October, 1821, when a little more than eight years old, he entered the Edinburgh High School, where he continued his literary studies during the usual period of six years. The High School naturally led him to the doors of the University of Edinburgh, which received him in the autumn of 1827, being in his fifteenth year. Here he enjoyed the instructions of Prof. Wilson, (editor of Blackwood,) and attracted his attention on several occasions, by the excellence of his poetical and other compositions. A thorough course in this institution prepared him for the Divinity Hall, where in the winter of 1831, he

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commenced preparing for the ministry, under Drs. Chalmers and Welch. In the summer of 1831, an elder brother to whom he was strongly attached, was taken away, and this affliction made a deep impression on his heart. He had, at various times, alarming views of his sinfulness, but the pleasures of gay and polite society dissipated such convictions from his vivacious mind. Christ drew him to himself through his afflictions, and his piety ever after bore traces of the process by which he became a disciple. Before the close of the year he had undoubtedly passed from sin to holiness; his love for this world had been supplanted by a new power and nobler affection; and by degrees all his powers, and susceptibilities, and purposes, were brought into captivity to Christ.

He finished his studies on the 29th of March, 1835, and was licen sed to preach the Gospel, the first of July of the same year, by the pres bytery of Annan. From this time to November, he preached in various places; when he became the colleague of the Rev. John Bonar, in the two fields of labor at Larbert and Dunipace near Stirling. In August, 1836, he preached for the first time, at St. Peter's church, Dundee, where he was ordained, November 24. His ministry was laborious and successful. Near the close of 1838, sickness, to which he seems to have been very liable, compelled him to leave his parish and seek repose and health among his friends

in Edinburgh. About this time, the leading men of the now free church of Scotland, were contemplating an exploratory visit to the Jews in Palestine and other parts, and it was suggested to McCheyne that he should become a member of the deputation. His heart was in the object, and it was thought that the journey would be conducive to his recovery. Accordingly, with three co-travelers, he started in the spring of 1839, passed through France, crossed the Mediterranean to Alexandria, and from thence went over the desert and explored the Holy Land. On his return he was taken sick off Cyprus, but did not land till he arrived at Smyrna. He was brought to the borders of the grave. After recovering, he returned to Scotland through Turkey, Austria, Poland, and the north of Germany-countries where the Jews are found in great numbers-and arrived at Dundee in November. In the meantime, a wonderful work of grace had been wrought in his parish in connection with the preaching of the Rev. Wm. C. Burns. From this time, his ministry was an almost uninterrupted triumph until his death, which took place on the 25th of March, 1843.

The interior life of McCheynethe life of his mind-is worthy of study. In treating of this, what we have to say, will for the sake of convenience, be placed under the following titles, viz., natural disposition, scholarship and literary character, piety, and ministerial qualifications.

The disposition of McCheyne was uncommonly good. "From his infancy," says his friend, "his sweet and affectionate temper was remarked by all who knew him." This was a prominent characteristic during his life. It was this among other things, which made him a favorite among his youthful playmates, and his more mature companions. While in the high school,

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his associates speak of him as one who had "peculiarities that drew attention,-of a light, tall form, full of elasticity and vigor, ambitious, yet noble in his dispositions, disdaining every thing like meanness or deceit." Being of a vivacious and gay temper, he early became fond of the party of pleasure and the dance. He was thus often seduced from grave occupations, and his mind was diverted from more serious and profitable exercises. early fondness for gaiety often proved a thorn to him in after years, and was the occasion of repeated transgressions. We have no positive evidence that he was favored with strict religious training at home, yet he was remarkably free from vice and vicious associations. Aside from his love of gay society, his deportment was correct. "Some would have regarded him as exhibiting many traits of a Christian character. I have heard him say," says his biographer, "that there was a correctness and propriety in his demeanor at times of devotion, and in public worship, which some who knew not his heart, were ready to put to the account of real feeling." Yet after all," his susceptible mind had not, at that time, a relish for any higher joy than the refined gaieties of society, and for such pleasures as the song and the dance could yield."

His love of natural scenery may be mentioned here as it displays his disposition. The beautiful rather than the sublime, was congenial to his spirit. A short extract from his biography will illustrate this trait. "He had great delight in rural scenery. Most of his summer va cations used to be spent in Dumfriesshire, and his friends in the parish of Ruthwell and its vicinity, retain a vivid remembrance of his youthful days. His poetic temperament led him to visit whatever scenes were fitted to stir the soul. At all periods of his life also he had

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