What, though no green blade arise;
Auguring the full grown ear?
What, though with a longing eye,

Ye look in vain from year to year?
Reap ye not what others sowed

In the long, long years gone by?
Sowed they not as ye do now,

With many a tear, and wish, and sigh?

Lift up then the eye of faith,

To a prospect fair and bright;

In the distant future look,

See the fields already white.

Sower of the seed of Truth,

In a hard and stubborn soil,
Faint not, fear not, though it seem
Te be unrequited toil.

God will watch each seed ye sow,
He will guard the tender shoot;
And while ceaseless ages roll,

Ye shall yet behold the fruits.

GROTON, May,

1855.

S. A. 0:

THE RIGHT SPIRIT.

(Extracts from Correspondents.)

A teacher in Illinois, whose heart seems to be devoted to his impor tant vocation, and whose spirit is such as will lead him to acquire those qualifications that will fit him for usefulness as an instructor, thus writes:

"I look on the Common School Journal as a most valuable aid, and would not be deprived of it, for three times the amount of its subscription price.

I have been teaching, or had the name of doing so, for several years; but I much regret to say, that it was more in the name than in the spirit of the teacher; and I might have kept on in that way, had I not received the numbers of your invaluable paper last fall, which in a manner opened my eyes to the immense responsibilities resting on teachers. I have, at times, felt like giving up the profession in view of my own inefficiency; but I have at length resolved to commence on the right track, and endeavor to gain the true spirit of the teacher. I have, therefore, set about the cultivation of that spirit and the pursuit

of those qualifications that will tend to make me a useful member of my favorite profession.

I am endeavoring to gather the materials as my means will allow, and have commenced with purchasing such works as Page's "Theory and Practice," Northend's "Teacher and Parent," &c., &c. I have also subscribed for "The Mass. Teacher," the "New York Teacher," and the "Ohio Journal of Education," and only regret that my limi ted means will not enable me to take every publication of the kind in the United States. Every No. of these valuable Journals affords me new light, new suggestions and new ideas on subjects of which I was before totally ignorant. I rejoice in the belief that I can already feel amply compensated in the more favorable results attending my efforts and though 1 yet feel as an humble laborer, I hope by perseverance to elevate myself to a higher grade of usefulness.

W. A. G.

While we thank our friend for his kindly expressions in behalf of our Journal, we wish him the abundant success his enthusiasm deserves. He is certainly on the “right track,” and if he perseveres, he will surely find his reward. No teacher can expect to attain a high position of usefulness, who neglects to read educational papers and educational books; and if the selection of teachers rested with us, we would make it an indispensable requisite that they should take some periodical on education, and be the owners of suitable volumes bearing upon the important subject of teaching.

ANOTHER OF THE SAME SORT.

A successful and efficient teacher in the city of Troy, in sending his subscription for the Journal, says:

"I cannot consent to do without the Journal, so long as I have the means to pay for it. Why, I should as soon think of refusing a letter from my dearest friend. In the language of an Ohio brother- It is doubly interesting to me, for from it I learn what my brethren are doing at home.' Education is rapidly progressing in our city. Our free schools, which have not long been established, are becoming more and more popular. The children of our most wealthy and influential citizens are now attending the public schools. The teachers are alive and cheered in their work. They assemble every week for mutual improve ment and for the advancement of education."

The letters from which we have made the above extracts, are cheering as approvals of our Journal, and also as evidence that the writers are fully alive to the importance of their work, and are determined to be up with the times. There are no surer indications of vitality and efficiency in a teacher, than a manifestation of interest in the perusal of Teachers' Journals, educational works, and also in sustaining Teachers' meetings. Teachers of this class cannot long remain in the profession without exerting a salutary influence on the cause of popular education, at the same time that they promote their own improvement and secure their own elevation. We trust the time will soon come, when no one will presume to enter upon the business of teaching, who does not manifest a spirit similar to that exhibited in the above extracts.

DO IT YOURSELVES, BOYS.

MR. EDITOR:

One of the greatest problems in school teaching, as you well know, is how to lead young minds to encounter and overcome the difficulties which lie in the way of sound scholarship. It is hard to make our pupils see that these difficulties-these hard lessons, so blind, intricate and perplexing, are the very means to make scholars of them; and harder still, to induce them to put forth that patient, persevering and laborious effort, which alone will ensure them success and complete victory. The following article from the Schoolmate, contains so good a lesson for scholars on this point, that I have thought perhaps the teachers who take the Journal, might like to read it to their pupils and comment upon it; and I accordingly send it to you for insertion in the Journal, unless your portfolio is full of something more valuable.

"Do not ask the teacher, or some classmate to solve that hard problem. Do it yourself. You had better let them eat your dinner, than "do your sums" for you. It is in studying, as in eating; he that does it gets the benefit, and not he that sees it done. In almost any school, I would give more for what the teacher learns, than for what the best scholar learns, simply because the teacher is compelled to solve all the hard problems, and answer the questions of the lazy boys. Do not ask him to parse the difficult words and translate the hard sentences in La

tin. Do it yourself. Never mind, though they look as dark as Egypt. Don't ask even a hint from any body. Try again. Every trial increases your ability, and you will finally succeed by dint of the very wisdom and strength gained in the effort, even though at first the problem was beyond your skill. It is the study and not the answer, that Look at that boy who has just succeeded,

really rewards your pains.

after six hours of hard study, perhaps ; how his large eye is lit up with proud joy, as he marches to his class.

He treads like a conqueror.

And well he may.
he waked at dawn.
his last thought; but a new thought strikes him as he ponders the last
process. He tries once more and succeeds; and now mark the air of
conscious strength with which he pronounces his demonstration. His
poor, weak schoolmate, who gave up that same problem after his first
faint trial, now looks up to him with something of wonder, as to a su-
perior being. And he is his superior. That problem lies there, a great
gulf between those boys who stood yesterday side by side. They will
never stand together as equals again. The boy, that did it for himself
has taken a stride upward, and what is better still, has gained strength
to take other and greater ones. The boy who waited to see others do
it, has lost both strength and courage, and is already looking for some
good excuse to give up school and study forever.

Last night his lamp burned late, and this morning
Once or twice he nearly gave up. He had tried

HOME PREPARATION FOR SCHOOL.

The teacher has occasion for special preparation for his daily school duties, as well as his pupils. Formerly such an idea as this would have been thought perfectly absurd. If the teacher entered the school room at 9 o'clock in the morning, and remained there the number of hours prescribed by law, faithfully attending to his duties, he had done all that was required; and after school was dismissed, there was no necessity for his knowing there was any such thing as a school, till the time for opening it the next morning; unless it was found expedient to procure a new supply of birch.

But in these more enlightened days, such an opinion is rejected. Any progressive teacher will not rest satisfied to confine his efforts to the school-room. Many things will often occur which will require consideration as to the best plan to be pursued in regard to them, and to which sufficient attention cannot be given in school hours.

Those who have been striving to fit themselves for this profession,

will consider, when entering upon the field of action, that the foundation only has been laid, and that now commences the work of self-instruction. Every one should desire and labor for intellectual improvement, but particularly should the teacher who has a two-fold encouragement to persevere, not only that he may improve his own mind and character, but also that he may be better fitted to influence the minds of others and make himself more useful in the world.

He should not only perfectly understand the subject he is to teach, but should seek to know the best manner of presenting it to the various minds which are under his care; this requires much patient thought and earnest study. A knowledge of the character and disposition of the pupils can best be acquired by being in their society out of school hours, by calling on them at their homes, and thus learning the peculiar circumstances of each. No two will be under the same home influences; and without this knowledge, the teacher may sometimes unintentionally do one some wrong or injustice.

Faithful preparation for recitation on the part of the scholars should be insisted on. As so much of the time in school hours is necessarily occupied in recitations, illustrations, and other exercises, it is important that regular lessons be assigned the pupils for study at home, and the co-operation of parents may often be secured by sending them, weekly, a record of recitations and deportment.

If scholars are sufficiently interested in their studies and have a real love for learning, there will be little difficulty in inducing them to be prepared for recitation; and when pupils are truly and deeply interested in their school and its exercises, they will usually succeed in awakening an interest on the part of their parents. S. A. M.

A WORD FROM NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

We have proposed to notice from time to time the condition of our schools, and point out some of the bright and dark spots of the State.

Among the marks of progress in New Haven County, are to be found the works of the enterprising village of Naugatuck. There is in this village a Union Public School, which in most respects is a model for imitation. The building is pleasantly located, sufficiently retired from the highway, and has suitable yards and play-grounds around it.

The school is divided into three grades, one teacher to each department. The senior department is under the immediate charge of Mr. Sabin, who is the principal. The others are taught by females.