and female normal department, and for a classical and general course, was drawn up, and regular classes were formed at the opening of the school.*

At Mr. Hall's suggestion, Rev. T. D. P. Stone was elected associate principal, and filled that office from the autumn of 1837, but resigned the next year, to take charge of the Abbott Female Academy, at Andover, Mass. The number of pupils at Plymouth, the first year, was two hundred, and during the second, two hundred and forty-eight. The seminary was pre-eminently successful. But, after nearly three years, the expectation of the ample funds that had been relied on failed. Reverses in business on the part of others, also, made it evident that the trustees must fail of ability to sustain the school, with an efficient board of teachers; and the principal resigned his office. His health had been materially benefitted by change of residence, and but for the pecuniary embarrassments of the Board, he would have continued to consecrate his powers to the education of teachers, and the advancement of popular education. He had, however, devoted seventeen years to the work of "teaching teachers;" had originated many improvements in the mode of conducting schools, had seen a new era commence in the educational advancement of the country, and was permitted to rejoice in the success of many teachers who had been trained under his guidance. He felt that his personal efforts were no longer essential in that field of labor. Seminaries were established, and other arrangements made in many places, for educating teachers, and would, he believed, soon become accessible to a large

The design of the seminary and course of study, stated in the catalogue for 1838, were as follows:-"This seminary has been founded with the hope of improving popular education, by elevating the character of teachers. The trustees have three prominent objects in view: 1. To EDUCATE TEACHERS for common and other schools; 2. To fit students for college; 3. To furnish the means for a thorough English education. The original design of making THEOLOGY prominent has, on account of eircumstances, been modified. The school embraces a department for males, and one for females. The academic year is at present divided into four terms, of eleven weeks each. The course of study in the Teachers' Department requires four years in the Male Department, and three in the Female Department; with the exception of one term each year, during which the members may be absent to teach school. Studies are pursued according to the following schedules :

TEACHERS' COURSE OF STUDY IN THE MALE DEPARTMENT.

PREPARATORY YEAR.

Fall Term.-English Grammar and Intellectual Arithmetic.

Winter Term.-History United States; Watts on the Mind; Geography, commenced. Spring Term.-English Grammar and Arithmetic, completed; Geography, (U. S.) Summer Term.-History of England; Watts on the Mind, reviewed; Geography, completed; Exercises weekly in Singing.

JUNIOR YEAR.

Fall Term.-Arithmetic and Grammar, reviewed; Construction of Maps; Physiology, (with lectures.)

Spring Term.-Natural Philosophy, (with lectures ;) Rhetoric; Botany, (with lectures.) Summer Term.-Book-keeping, (by double entry ;) Logic.

number of those who designed to enter that responsible vocation. Much as he had always "loved teaching," he loved the work of the ministry more, and consented again to be a candidate for the pastoral office. Of several invitations immediately received, he chose, for various reasons, to accept a call from the church and congregation at Craftsbury, Vermont. This town, in Orleans County, beautifully situated in the Y of the Green Mountains, is remarkably healthy, and contained a very intelligent society. The "Craftsbury Academy" in the town had long been a flourishing school. With a call from the church, he received, also, an appointment as principal of the academy, but with the expectation, on the part of the trustees, that he would employ assistant instructors to do most of the routine school work. By this arrangement, he hoped still to advance the interests of education, while, at the same time, his principal energies would be consecrated to the work of the ministry.

Mr. Hall accordingly removed to Craftsbury, in May, 1840, and,true, still, to his early convictions and impulses,—at once organized a Teachers' Department in the Academy, in addition to a Classical and General Department. It was thought advisable that the course of study in the Teachers' Department should, at first, occupy but three years, the county being comparatively new, and the means for obtaining an education more limited than in older portions of the country. The school was more numerously attended than he had expected, from its retired location. A respectable number entered the department for teachers.

During the following years, a great increase of religious interest in Mr. Hall's parish made it impracticable for him to devote so much of his time to the school, and, in 1846, he resigned the care of it wholly-except giving lectures to the students on the Art of Teaching, and on other subjects.

From that date to the present time, Mr. Hall has had little direct connection with the educational interests of the state, except to discharge the duties of county superintendent of common schools, and to co-operate with a county association of teachers, and a county natural and civil historical society. Of the latter he is now president. While the office of state superintendent of schools was continued, he was associated with that officer in conducting teachers' institutes, in several counties.

He retained his connection with the church at Craftsbury until 1854, when, in consequence of impaired health, he solicited a release; and during the following year was installed at Brownington, in the same county, a parish of less extent, where he is now discharging the duties of a New England pastor.

It may readily be inferred, from the preceding sketch, that Mr. Hall's studies, self-prompted and self-guided as he was in early life, and in working his way to his best conclusions, have been industriously pushed in more than one direction. His love of geology and natural history and his familiarity with those subjects, especially as the actual facts had come under his observation, led to his employment in the geological survey of Vermont for several seasons, and he is understood to be under a similar engagement for another year, as an assistant of Dr. Hitchcock. During the last four or five years, he has devoted his spare time to inquiries and collections for a work on the early history of Northern Vermont and the natural history of Orleans County, which is nearly ready for publication under the auspices of the "Natural and Civil Historical Society," of which he is president.

As a tribute to Mr. Hall's attainments and services, the trustees of Dartmouth College, some years ago, conferred on him the honorary degree of Master of Arts.

25

TEACHERS' SEMINARY

AT

ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

"THE Teachers' Seminary at Andover was established in September, 1830, as a department of Phillips' Academy, one of the oldest literary institutions in New England. Its object, as set forth in a circular issued by the Trustees, was 'to afford the means of a thorough scientific and practical education, preparatory to the profession of teaching, and to the various departments of business.' Though nominally a department of Phillips' Academy, it was from the first a separate institution, having its organization entirely distinct from that of the classical department.

The Trustees erected for the seminary a commodious and substantial schooledifice, and expended between two and three thousand dollars in the purchase of apparatus for illustrating the different branches of science. Liberal appropriations were made from time to time for the purpose of diminishing the expenses of the students. The institution was provided with a convenient boarding-house, and rooms for the accommodation of nearly a hundred pupils.

The seminary embraced a teachers' department, a general department, and a preparatory department or model school. The course of instruction in the teachers' department occupied a period of three years, and embraced most of the English branches pursued in our colleges, together with lectures and discussions on the theory and practice of teaching, and other kindred exercises. The course of instruction in the general department was shorter and more irregular. The members of this department were allowed to join any of the classes in the teachers' department, which they were prepared to enter.

In addition to the ordinary exercises of the general department, the study of civil engineering was introduced during the early history of the institution, and successfully prosecuted for several years, under the direction of the Rev. F. A. Barton. At a later period, special attention was given to the study of scientific and practical agriculture, under the instruction of the Rev. Alonzo Gray.

The preparatory department was an English school for boys, usually taught by a separate instructor, under the general superintendence of the Principal. Members of the teachers' classes were sometimes employed to conduct recitations in the preparatory department, but this department could not, at any time, be regarded as a school for practice.

The first Principal of the seminary was the Rev. S. R. Hall, who continued in office nearly seven years. In July, 1837, he was succeeded by the Rev. Lyman Coleman, who remained at the head of the institution till Nov. 1842. when the original object of the Trustees was abandoned, or the Teachers' Seminary was merged in Phillips' Academy.

The number of students in the teachers' classes was somewhat larger during the first six years than during the last six. The average number for the whole period was about fifty. The whole number of students that completed the prescribed course of study, during the existence of the seminary, was a little less than one hundred.

The immediate cause for uniting the Teachers' Seminary with the classical department of Phillips' Academy, in 1842, was the want of funds to sustain it as a separate institution. The limited number of students in the teachers' classes resulted in part from the same cause. In the classical department, the tuition of indigent students was remitted; but no such provision was made for the members of the teachers' classes.

The name of Samuel Farrar, Esq., of Andover, is identified with the history of this institution. If his generous and untiring efforts in its behalf had been seconded by those who had the means of giving it a liberal endowment, its usefulness would not have been brought to so abrupt a termination."

VISIT TO THE TEACHERS' SEMINARY, ANDOVER, MASS.

THE following account of a visit to the Teachers' Seminary, at Andover, Mass., appeared in the "Annals of Education" for August, 1832 :

The building for the Teachers' Seminary, in Andover, is pleasantly situated and handsomely constructed. It has two stories, besides the basement. I could not help contrasting this large, elegant, airy mansion, with the multitude of school-houses, which are every where to be found, whose narrow dimensions and miserable construction, better fit them for prisons than for places of instruction.

The first or lower story embraces the principal school room, a spacious entrance, and a room for a library. The entrance contains suitable places for depositing hats, clothes, &c., and a stairway. The second or upper story includes, besides the stairway and entrance, a room for the preparatory school, with a recitation room adjoining; a room for geological, mineralogical, and botanical specimens, and a room for lectures in philosophy, astronomy, &c., with the necessary apparatus.

Part of the basement story is occupied as a chemical lecture room and laboratory. The rest is designed as a workshop, and is, to some extent, already used for that purpose. All these rooms are furnished with appropriate seats, and with desks, where these are necessary. The desks and seats of the principal school room are on an improved plan. The seats consist of a chair firmly fixed to the floor, with a very low back. The apparatus and specimens necessary in the illustration of natural science, are arranged in the several rooms appropriated to their use. The electrical apparatus, in particular, is very fine. The minerals, and geological specimens are already numerous, and are rapidly accumulating, through the exertions of the teachers and their pupils. The chemical laboratory is well supplied. The library contains 200 to 300 volumes, very judiciously selected.

Every facility might be afforded for the comfort, and convenience, and progress of a much larger number than have ever yet attended. It does not seem to be generally known that there is a school of this kind existing in New England, sustaining the high character which might justly be challenged by this institution.

The higher department is under the immediate care of Rev. S. R. Hall. He is assisted in this department by Mr. F. A. Barton, and in the preparatory department by Mr. L. Tenney, both of whom appear to be well qualified for their task.

School books of a good character are selected, and the most approved methods of instruction adopted. But, while books, and apparatus, and hard study, are deemed indispensable to thorough and efficient progress, much is accomplished by familiar, conversational lectures, giving the student ample opportunity for asking questions, suggesting doubts, &c. No attempts are made to hurry through a science, for the sake of having gone through it; but constant, and as it appears to me, successful efforts are made to teach every thing to which the pupil's attention is called thoroughly.

In both departments of the school, there is nothing of that routine of mere memory work which is so often witnessed in our schools. Those methods are pursued, generally speaking, in every exercise, which give employment to the whole intellect, and not to certain favored faculties merely, while the rest are suffered to lie neglected. If any faculty has not been properly developed, in the early years of instruction, a course is here pursued which is most happily adapted to awaken and excite its slumbering energies, and bring it into habits of cheerful, healthy, vigorous action.

The spelling lessons are usually short. Few, if any, words are studied according to the arbitrary arrangement of most dictionaries and spelling books. Sometimes the teacher dictates a series of words, which the pupils write on their slates; at others, they are requested to select all the words of a certain class which they can recollect, and write them down, thus forming their own spelling lessons. By classes of words is meant all which belong to a certain occupation, art, tribe of animals, &c. Thus, at one time, their spelling lesson will consist of the names of all the birds of prey they can think of; at another, of all the implements used in husbandry, or in some mechanical occupation. The examination of these lessons by the instructor, is often accompanied by much useful and familiar conversation on various topics, not excluding moral and religions subjects. Many other methods of teaching spelling are adopted.

I was never before so thoroughly convinced of prevailing deficiencies in teaching reading, as while witnessing the performances of these pupils. I was so much ashamed of my own neglect of distinctness, and propriety of enunciation, that I resolved at the moment never to read or speak before others again, till I had subjected myself to a thorough drilling on these points.

Arithmetic was also taught in a very judicious manner, in both the higher and lower departments. Great attention was paid to the difficult subject of carrying. Threequarters of an hour of close attention is given to penmanship once in two days.

In both departments of the institution, every branch is pursued, as far as possible, independently of every other. By this is meant that every study has its appropriate hour and space, and when that hour arrives, it is exclusively attended to. In the higher department, the exercises for every day of the week are written down plainly and ininutely, and a monitor rings a bell at the arrival of the time for every new exercise. So exact is the order, and so accustomed to it have the students become, that, so far as