the rural school will cease to be an important factor in education. F. E. CUNNINGHAM, STEUBENVILLE. Our school system is weakest where it comes most directly in contact with the farmer. The country school has made but very little progress in the last 20 years, compared with what it might have done had the improvements recommended by educators been adopted by our township Boards of Education. Our schools are but poorly organized at the present time. Each school district is almost entirely independent of every other. That they would be benefited by supervision is apparent. Our country teachers are doing good work under the circumstances, but it seems to me that if the teacher knows that one capable of judging has his eye upon him it would prove a great stimulus to do good work. There is nothing in my opinion that will do more for our country schools at the present time than township or county supervision. A. W. SHINN, BARTLETT. The most serious problem confronting the rural schools of Southeastern Ohio at this time is the decreasing enrollment and attendance. The average daily attendance in one of our rural schools of today is not more than 50 percent. of what it was 20 years ago. This is due chiefly to three causes: First, a gradually decreasing enumeration. Second, an increase in the number of sub-districts. Third, few pupils over fifteen years of age remain in the country school, but either enter the high school or take up some line of employment which the varied and increasing industries of the day demand. The solution of this difficulty lies most surely in more thorough and systematic organization. Increase the size of the school unit gradually consolidate the sub-districts, at least; centralize wherever local circumstances render it possible. We have one great factor in our favor in applying these remedies, viz: In fifteen counties in Southeastern Ohio considerable less than 20 percent. of our rural population are tenants; more than 80 percent. own homesteads. This fact insures a permanent element to deal with and removes much of the difficulty arising from what may be called the floating element in dealing with school problems. A. B. JONES, WALDO. Were more care used in electing to township boards of education young, liberal-minded, and progressive parents, were these boards more in touch with school conditions and more solicitous to retain inspiring teachers by offering attractive salaries, and were advantage taken of the present laws making possible an increased levy, township supervision, consolidation of small schools, and establishment of school libraries, there would be fewer inquiries as to why so many rural schools do inferior work. In the absence of rural supervision there is no intervening officer between state school commissioner and rural teacher. Without a course of study, without counsel from a superior, often without experience and many times without an intention to remain in the work, the teacher goes aimlessly forward and gets nowhere. Many yearly changes occur in the teaching force of a township but few yearly changes occur in the county. I therefore, stand for an enactment which will make not optional but obligatory, county superintendency; The Ohio Educational Monthly PUBLISHED AT 57 East Main St., Columbus, O. O. T. CORSON, Editor and proprietor. F. B. PEARSON, MANAGING EDITOR. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Single subscriptions, cash, or subscriptions taken at the institutes, $1.00 each. Single subscriptions, time, $1.25. Subscriptions taken at the institutes and not paid before December 1, or within three months of date of institute, $1.25 each. Cash renewals $1.00. Time Renewals $1.25. 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It is a fascinating exercise to dig in the sand where the digging is easy but the gold is in the rock where the digging is hard. GIVE the girls and boys flowers and give in abundance so that they may know that their doing the work of the high school merits a rich reward. * * THERE are paths in Eden that our first parents never found and it is the blessed privilege of their descendents to find these new paths and enjoy. * * attention to the charming books of Annie Fellows Johnston and our gratitude to him increases as the days We have just finished pass by. "Keeping Tryst" by this gifted writer and would like all our readers to know what a delightful little book it is for the boys. * * * SPRINGFIELD is awake, wide awake. The new salary schedule provides credit for professional work and gives choice as to the character of the work done, whether reading, writing, or summer school work. Other cities will soon take note of this plan and all in good time our boards of education will discover that the best way to get the most efficient service is to reward the right sort of work. * * * OVER the hill yonder among the trees stands a little school house that, until recently, was the scene of joyous activity. The teacher of that country school will not be there next year, although the Board invited her to stay and the children besought her with tears. Somehow, all unknown. to her, the word went out that she is a good teacher, that her heart is in her work, that she is radiant with abounding life, that she does things, and, hence, the city sought her out and she goes to the larger field. * * * How must a child feel before a book whose print it can not read! What a mystery it must seem. Some one has said that everything is infinitely high which we can not see over, and, therefore, this printed page is as high and as deep as infinity to this child. If we would know what this child's feeling is we have but to open before our own eyes a page of Chinese and the truth will be made clear. If we could only get the child's point of view in all VERY wise is that new superintendent who counsels with his best teachers without dictating. They know the way which is new and strange to him and he will gain knowledge and wisdom by sitting at their feet as a disciple. Until he is thoroughly conversant with the work he will make sad business in any effort to correlate and articulate. He must know all the parts of the watch before he can put it together so that it will keep good time. The greatest of leaders is he who learns all the while from the humblest of his followers. ance. * * * HERE is a quotation from the pen of Luther Burbank: "A fragrant beehive or a plump healthy hornet's nest in good running order often become object lessons of some importThe inhabitants can give the child pointed lessons in punctuation as well as caution and some of the limitations as well as the grand possibilities of life; and by even a brief experience with a good patch of healthy nettles, the same lesson will be still further impressed upon them. And thus by each new experience with homely natural objects the child learns self-respect and also to respect the objects and forces which must be met." How long it takes us to learn that other people judge us more accurately than we can judge ourselves. A teacher, some time since, was.complaining that some of his fellows were criticising him and underestimating him. The whole episode amounted to a wail. Of course, he sought to justify his every act and to |