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Exercises of the School.

515

At the end of this hall, opposite the entrance, is an elevated platform, and thereon an elegant desk. This is the Principal's station. Behind him, standing against the wall, is a fine library of well selected books, consisting especially of those which may appertain to the improvement of the school. Who, till very lately, ever thought of a library in a school room, and how few are there who think of such a thing now?

But the accommodation of scholars and teachers, is not the only provision in this place of pleasantness. In one corner stands a sofa for the seating of visitors; and many from that position have beheld an enjoyment in a school room, such as made them wish themselves back in youth again-could they but be here.

Behind this hall are recitation rooms, where lessons are heard, and conversational lectures given, without disturbing those who are at their studies. This story of the building is occupied by the principal, with one female assistant, and the older scholars. In the basement there are other rooins occupied by little children, under the care of female teachers. Here, too, is comfort and contentedness.

Having spoken of the external accommodations, I would now sketch a few of its moral and intellectual advantages. I am not acquainted with the whole educational routine, and speak only as far as I know.

My first visit was made on a Monday morning, at the opening of the school. The Principal commenced the exercises of the day by reading from one of the Gospels, a chapter, in which love towards, and sympathy with fellow man, were beautifully and touchingly set forth by the Saviour. He did not read with cold formality, as if so much scripture was to be run off the tongue for conscience or custom's sake, but he did it with the understanding and the spirit. The language lived upon his lips in those tones by which the youthful hearers must have caught all that it should convey. Practical and highly improving comments were also made, as the verses were read.. Nothing sectarian, however, entered into the remarks, for no sect or party is known within those walls.

After the chapter, a charming little poem was read. It was from one of the great English poets, and corresponded with the Scripture in its topics-love and sympathy. I was particularly struck and pleased with this appending of the breathing of genius to the words of divine inspiration, in the morning exercise. It was hallowing the beautiful and pure in our literature by associations with the high and the holy of the Books of Books. It was a sanctifying of the secular muse for Christian and immortal

516

Recitations and Journals.

uses. These readings were followed by a prayer to the Father in Heaven.'.

Such were the introductory exercises of the day, and the week. These youthful spirits were still, and took heed. Why should not these lambs of the great Shepherd be won into the folds of virtue, by such persuasive callings and gentle tendance? And here let it be remarked, that one of the peculiar features of this school, is the unremitted endeavor of the teachers for the moral improvement of the pupils.

With the intellectual instructions, there is an intermingling of moral address on every convenient opportunity. The pupils are made to realize the dignity of their natures. Again, it is made a point of special endeavor to develop a taste for the beautiful in every thing; the beautiful in nature, in art, in literature. To these pupils the Material Universe is shown as crowded with countless forms and hues to delight the eye; and still farther, they are taught how the beautiful is beautified to those who are familiar with the writings of Genius.

But I must hasten to other topics of remark. The principal Female Assistant is already known to many as possessing distinghed learning, and a most cultivated taste. She hears the recitations in history and in Latin. If I may judge from convercations with the pupils, and from some of the school journals, this lady has a rare gift for teaching, and exercises a remarkable infuence over the minds of the scholars. She does not hear the lessons in history parroted off to her ears, while no thought or feeling is exercised by the reciter, except the thought to recite as well as may be, and the feeling that it is no very pleasant business-her own lips being unopened except to ask the expected questions, and help along the dry routine-not so does she teach history.

Every recitation is made the occasion of a most interesting conversation on the several topics of the lesson. From the abundant resources of a great memory, anecdotes, poetry, the things of art and science, are brought forth to illustrate this department of study, and make it uncommonly interesting to the learner. The recitations in Latin are made pleasant in a similar manner. The thousand things of Roman history, of classic fable, together wi h poetic quotations and illusions generally are introduced to cover the dryness of mere recitations with beauty, and fill the hour with pleasure. I gather this from the school journals.

But what are these? I will explain-the scholars are required to keep a journal of the proceedings of the school. In the same they record their thought and feelings on any subject connected with their education-or which may be within the compass of

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passing experience. Should a stranger visit the school and make an address, the fact is mentioned, and the remarks are recorded; the conversations connected with the recitations are here put down, and every thing else worthy of remark.

This is one of the methods by which composition, that terror to most scholars, is here taught. The pupils write about what they see, hear, and happen to be thinking of; and it is appa rently as easy as it is to talk the same to a companion at the side, or a friend at home.

PARENTAL EDUCATION,

OR, GOING TO BED WITHOUT SUPPER.

RICHARD and I always like to go to bed without supper, said Charles, one day to his playmates. What, said they, do you go to bed, then, without supper? Sometimes we do, when we have done wrong, was the reply. But I should not like that very well, said one; and I don't see why you should. Oh, said Charles, we have something better, when we don't have any supper. Last night father made us go to bed without any supper, and mother gave each of us a good piece of squash pie, a cake, and some toasted bread; and I liked them a great deal better than the supper, and so did Richard.

Now we have known many children sent to bed supperless in this manner. They are ordered away from the table, perhaps, for some misdemeanor or other, and told by the father or the mother that they must, for that night, go without their supper. Perhaps it is the father who issues the command; though the mother, at the time, approves, and thinks all is right. But prosently after the table is cleared away, Charles complains of his hard fate to his mother, or to a favorite domestic, whose heart immediately relents, and so instead of giving him a set meal,— for supper he must not touch-she gives him sundry nice things, sufficient in quantity to satisfy the hunger, and more than satisfy the necessities of a full grown man, and he goes to bed.

This is not mere supposition or fiction; it is sober truth. We have often seen and known such a farce acted over. In addition to all this we have known the same children rewarded the next morning, for their wonderful self-denial-poor perishing thingswith an amount of hearty food, twice as large as nature requires. Mother means to help you pretty largely; the indulgent parent would perhaps say. You certainly need a hearty breakfast after going to bed supperless.

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Necessity of Parental Reform.

Strange punishment this, for some trifling misdemeanor to forbid a child to eat supper, and then after all, fit him out with both an extra supper and breakfast! And yet we can assure the reader-we repeat it-such things are often done; and such punishments often inflicted !

Should it be longer a matter of wonder that children at the present day are ungoverned, and young men and women insubordinate? Can it be wondered at that parents have trouble with their children? Is it surprising that the latter are gross, earthly and sensual? Is it surprising that the world is full of depravity, in its various forms? Is it strange that the old, who are, after all, undergoing changes still greater in themselves, should see, or fancy they see the world retrograding, and be anxious to congeal it, in order to save it from further declension?

We have spoken, more than once, of the importance of consistency in parental government; and of the dangers of inconsistency. If there is any one parental error, which more than all others ruins the young, it is the latter. We pursue one plan or course of conduct to day, and another to morrow; we punish for a certain thing to day, and pass over it to morrow; we subject children to privations at one time; at another we injure them by our over kindness.

Talk as much as we will about education, in all its varied or popular forms-infant schools, common schools, sabbath schools, high schools, colleges, &c.,-and say, if we will, that it is of all subjects, next to that of personal piety, the most important; talk as we may of model schools, teachers' seminari: s, district libraries, education conventions, state superintendents, and all the machinery of elementary and higher instruction; and after all, what does it amount to while our family schools-the first and most important of all-remain as they are, and those who conduct them, remain as stupid as if they were trained in Southern Asia. Parents must awake, not only to the importance of school instruction, but of family education-as a matter of christian duty-or all else is premature and comparatively worthless. We hope the time is not far distant, when, instead of making money or even business the first thought in the morning, the last in the evening, and that of every hour between, there will be a higher object in view;--that of training up children in the way they should go.

The American School Library.

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MISCELLANY.

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL LIBRARY.

THE following is abridged from a more extended article which lately appeared in the New York Observer. It is in the forin of a circular by the Executive of the Society, under whose sanction the Library is selected. We have given a brief account of the Society itself, on a former occasion. At present it is only necessary to add that the selection by the Committee is approved by the Society in general, and by several other warm friends of education and improvement; that we see nothing objectionable in the works which are named; though for ourselves, we should have made a selection somewhat different. But any thing which is tolerable, we would say, in preference to the flood of trash which is inundating and desolating our country.

The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge present to the country the commencement of their Library for Schools, designed to embrace, when completed, a few hundred volumes, written and compiled with special reference to the wants of the youth of our country. It will include in the range of its subjects, works in the various departments of knowledge rnost interesting and useful to the great body of the people, including history, voyages and travels, biography, natural history, the physical, intellectual, moral and political sciences, agriculture, manufactures, arts, commerce, the belles lettres, and the history and philosophy of education.

The increasing interest in the subject of school libraries in several of the States, and the repeated calls upon the Committee for their Library, have induced them to issue the present selection from existing publications to meet the immediate wants of our schools, while they go on, as fast as possible, to complete the plau announced in their published prospectus. They will regard, in the execution of it, the different ages, tastes circumstances, and capacities of readers.

The Committee present the following fifty volumes, chiefly standard works of permanent interest and value, which have already received, extensively, the public approbation in this country and in Europe, as the commencement of the series, to be extended from time to time, until it shall comprise a well-selected and comprehensive Library of Useful Knowledge, worthy of a place in every school room of our country.

It will be the greatest care of the Committee, that the whole be per

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