6562 Vina Sweeny. 6563 Lutie E. Martin 6564 Janet Paterson. 6565 Emina Hoffman 6566 Morgan Gavitt. 6567 F. P. Bish. 6568 L. D. Smith 6569 Nettie Wdaver. 6570 Sarah F.Hammond

6571 1. R. Pratt.

Clearfield

Dushore. Laporte. Adams. Tylersburg. Williamsport.

6572 Estella Rockwelt.

"

6573 Cora M. Ganonng.

"

II

Clearfield

"

Sullivan.

"

II

"

10

6606 Warren P. S. Otto Huntsdale Mechanicsburg. 6607 A. H. Swartz 6608 John A. Sheaffer, Mooredale. 6609 Chester E. Frantz Coplay. 661 Nath'l N. Benfield Emaus. 6611 E. R. Hottle. IO Allentown

.

6644 Bella Y. Wilson 6645 Hulda M. Weimer.

6647 Sadie Mahoney Kerrtown 6648 Jen'tte Dennington Deckards 6649 Grace L. Cushman Cochrantown. 6650 George E. Watson Norrisville. 6651J G. McBride. Counnautville 6652 Mata D. Allee. Cambridgeboro. 6653 Annetta M.Caven. Greensburg 6654 J. D. Eckman.

6655 Kate Dooley.

6656 Sadie Tovey

.

Sunbury. Swatara. Minersville.

6657 George M. Evril. Shellsburg 6658 Jessie W. Smiley. Factoryville 6659 Edward P. Hogan Jenningsville. 6660 H. B Markley. Mechanicsburg. 6661 D. J. Driscoll St. Mary's. 6662 Mary E. Hammond Monongahela. 6663 Preston Eves. Millville, 6664 Mary E Mc Donald Centralia. 666 Hattie Bryan Pittsburgh. 6666 Clinton N. Bauder Aibertis . 6667 Mary G. Wilson. Pittsburgh. 6668 Alton D. Spoor Carversville 6669 Anna M. Duncan. Bridgewater. 6670 William P. Sipe. Fenton. 6671 Emma McLure Prospect. 6672 E E. Miller. Allegheny 6673 William F. Spidle. Altoona 6074 Benjamin F. Sandt Easton.

.

Westmorel'd Northumb'd

Schuylkill

Bedford.
Wyoming

"

15 17

6 17

Elk Washington Columbia

19

29

"

"

Cumberland

Allegheny.

Lehigh. Aug. Allegheny. Sept. 4 Bucks

"

Allegheny Blair

Northamp'n 25

" 13

........................

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

HUMOR OF DICKENS.-As for the charities of Mr. Dickens, multiplied kindnesses which he has conferred upon us all; upon our children; upon people educated and uneducated; upon the myriads here and at home, who speak our common tongue; have not you, have not I, all of us, rea to be thankful to this kind friend who has soothed and charmed so many hours, brought pleasure and sweet laughter to so many homes; made such multitudes of children happy; endowed us with such a sweet store of gracious thoughts, fair fancies, soft sympathies, hearty enjoyments? There are creations of Mr. Dickens, which seem to me to rank as personal benefits; figures so delightful that one feels happier and better for knowing them, as one does for being brought into the society of very good men and women. The atmosphere in which

JOLLY OLD SAINT NICHOLAS. Lively.

these people live is wholesome to breathe in; you feel that to be allowed to speak to them is a personal kindness; you come away better for your contact with them; your hands seem cleaner from having the privilege of shaking theirs. Was there ever a better charity sermon preached in the world than Dickens' Christmas Carol? I believe it occasioned immense hospitality throughout England; was the means of lighting up hundreds of kind fires at Christmas-time; caused a wonderful outpouring of Christmas good-feeling, an awful slaughter of Christmas turkeys, and roasting and basting of Christmas beef As for this man's love of children, that amiable organ at the back of his honest head must be perfectly monstrous. All children ought to love him. I know two that do, and read his books ten times for once that they

From "SCHOOL CHIMES."

Per. S. BRAINARD'S SONS, Cleveland.

Now, you dear old Hanging in Isn't ve

a

peruse the dismal preachments of their father. I know one who, when she is happy, reads Nicholas Nickleby; when she is unhappy, reads Nicholas Nickleby; and when she has finished the book, reads it over again. This candid young critic, at ten years of age, said: "I like Mr. Dickens' books much better than your books, papa"-and frequently expressed her desire that the latter author should write a book like one of Mr. Dickens' books. Who can? Every man must say his own thoughts in his own voice, in his own way; lucky is he who has such a charming gift of nature as this, which brings all the children in the world trooping to him, and being fond of him. ** One might go on, though the task would be endless and needless, chronicling the names of kind folks with whom this kind genius has made us familiar. Who

does not love the little Marchioness, and her friend' Mr. Richard Swiveller? Who does not venerate the chief of that illustrious family who, being stricken by misfortune, wisely and greatly turned his attention to "coals," the accomplished, the Epicurean, the dirty, the delightful Micawber? I may quarrel with Mr.. Dickens' art a thousand and a thousand times, I delight in and wonder at his genius; I recognize in it—I speak with awe and reverence-a commission from that Divine Beneficence, whose blessed task we know it will one day be to wipe away every tear from every eye. Thankfully I take my share of the feast of love and kindness which this gentle, and generous and charitable soul has contributed to the happiness of the world. I take and enjoy my share, and say a. grateful benediction for the meal.-Thackeray.

GENTLEMEN: On assuming the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, it became my first duty to commission the recently elected superintendents, to conduct the normal school examinations, and to carry into effect the new legislation relating to our public schools. The commissions caused very little trouble, because the few contests which grew out of the elections had been virtually settled by a decision of the Attorney-General, and by the careful investigations of my predecessor. The normal school examinations involved, on the part of myself and my deputies, the careful scrutiny of over ten thousand pages of manuscript. The examinations for permanent certificates in the several counties bring to the Department an additional instalment of over seven thousand five hundred pages. The new legislation raised many perplexing questions in the minds of school officers, causing a large increase of correspondence. The distribution of the annual appropriation of five millions, upon the basis of the new triennial assessment, and its somewhat slow disbursement, by order of the State Treasurer, who feared lest too heavy drafts during a financial crisis might embarrass the banks

carrying heavy deposits of State moneys,. also brought numberless letters of inquiry. The want of a trained stenographer in: the Department was keenly felt-a want. that would, no doubt, have been supplied long ago by the Legislature, had its attention not been concentrated upon much graver matters connected with the schools. Under the circumstances, the only way to keep the department from deteriorat-ing, was to retain the deputies and clerks. who had acquired skill and efficiency by long experience.

CERTIFICATES TO COLLEGE GRADUATES.

The law requiring the issue of permanent certificates to college graduates, brought to light a state of things truly astonishing. Under the Corporation Act of 1874, the county courts have been incorporating business colleges, schools of elocution, and other institutions of learning.

Some of these schools have, upon the basis of such charters, been conferring degrees upon students and others of very limited attainments. A lady, for instance, received the degree of B. A., who had read but five books of Cæsar, four books of Virgil, and four orations of Cic-ero. Arithmetic and penmanship were reported as part of her four collegiate years of study. A letter sent to the Department by the head of the institution,

abbreviates et cetera several times by the use of ect. instead of etc., and has pedagogical spelled "pedagochical," not to mention other blemishes, indicative of what Ben Jonson calls "small Latin and less Greek." Another institution was leased with its charter, and, although it is said to have less than a dozen students, and a faculty composed of the president and his wife, it has been conferring degrees from B. A. to LL. D., upon persons who are vain and weak enough to wear titles emanating from such sources. The institution even went so far as to confer a doctorate on its own president. Why should not the wife confer a degree upon her husband, and the husband upon his wife, when a state of things is threatened similar to that which was threatened in France, when a minister declared that he would create so many dukes that henceforth it should be no honor to be a duke, but a disgrace not to be a duke. At the present rate there is danger that literary degrees conferred in Pennsylvania shall become the laughing-stock of the civilized world. A member of the board of trustees of one of our theological seminaries complains that they have been distressed beyond measure at the great deficiencies manifest in the training of students with diplomas from some of these schools, masquerading before the public under high-sounding titles. A very earnest superintendent, who is himself college-bred, declares that he is obliged to reject more graduates from a given college, in the examination for provisional certificates, than he is able to pass. Sometimes, even persons graduated with honors by the institutions of this class have failed to pass the examination for a provisional certificate.

Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that superintendents and institutions of high grade, whose aim is to do honest and thorough work, entered their protest against the issue of permanent certificates to the graduates of such institutions, under the Act of May 10, 1893. An eminent lawyer warned the Department that, in view of a decision of the Supreme Court, handed down in 1838, drawing a sharp distinction between a charter to confer degrees and a charter giving the right to sue and be sued, the power to grant the latter, and not the former, being vested by law in the courts, and in view of a similar decision of the Allegheny county court, rendered since

the adoption of the new constitution, it would be a misdemeanor in office for the State Superintendent to issue a permanent certificate under the Act of May 10, 1893, to the graduates of a school holding its charter from a county court. The act was, therefore, referred to the AttorneyGeneral for his construction and advice. In an official opinion, dated October 17, 1893, he says that the State Superintendent is not required to grant, without examination, permanent certificates under the Act of 1893, except to graduates of colleges 'legally empowered' to confer degrees, and that the general incorporation of a literary institution, under the act of 1874, does not 'legally empower' it with the right."

The only course open to the Department, therefore, is to require, as conditions for issuing the permanent certificate, the following:

1. The applicant must furnish evidence of good moral character.

2. The applicant must be twenty-one years of age, and must have taught at least three full annual terms in the public schools of the Commonwealth, after graduation.

3. The applicant must produce a certificate from the school board or boards, countersigned by the county superintendent of the same couuty where he or she last taught, showing that the said applicant has been successful as a teacher in the public schools during said term.

4. His or her course of study, leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B. A.), Master of Arts (M. A.), Bachelor of Science (B. S.), Master of Science (M. S.), Bachelor of Philosophy (Ph. B.), must have embraced four collegiate years of study, exclusive of the preparatory work required by our respectable colleges for admission into the freshman class.

5. The college or university granting the diploma must have been invested with the power to confer degrees by an act of the Legislature.

The new certificate will thus be the highest in rank of all those entitling the holder to teach in the public schools of the Commonwealth. Moreover, it will serve to emphasize the difference between a full and a defective course of training, and help to save promising youths from the bitter feeling of disappointment which always saddens the hearts of those who discover, after it is too late, that their