Connecticut Common School Journal and Annals of Education

In this way a very fair recitation is made out; and neither teacher nor pupil appears to know that if the pupil had been left to stand independent and alone, he would have made almost an entire failure.

The practice of asking questions that suggest, directly or indirectly, the desired answer, has been exposed and condemned again and again in educational conventions and educational journals, but it has not yet been banished from the school-room. Many teachers who are careful to avoid leading questions, still ask altogether too many questions. Instead of giving the pupil a general topic, and expecting him to exhaust it, they kindly throw in a number of additional questions, to draw out the particulars which the pupil ought to associate with the main thought, and present in full, without this aid. Younger pupils require more questions than those more advanced; but even younger pupils should be allowed to carry some portion of a recitation without assistance.-W. H. Wells.

POLITENESS.—It is a graceful habit for children to say to each other, "Will you have the goodness?" and "I thank you." We do not like to see prim, artificial children; there are few things we dislike so much as a miniature beau or belle. But the habit of good manners by no means implies affectation or restraint. It is quite as easy to say, "Please give me a piece of pie," as to say, "I want a piece of pie." The idea that constant politeness would render social life too stiff and restrained, springs from a false estimate of politeness. True politeness is perfect ease and freedom. It simply consists in treating others just as you would like to be treated yourself. A person who acts from this principle will always be said to have "sweet, pretty ways with her." It is of some consequence that your daughter should know how to enter and leave a room gracefully; but it is of prodigiously more consequence that she should be in the habit of avoiding whatever is disgusting or offensive to others, and of always preferring their pleasures to her own.-Home Journal.

THE POWER OF ONE GOOD BOY.-" When I took the school," said a gentleman, speaking of a certain school he once taught, "I soon saw there was one good boy in it. I saw it in his face. I saw it by many unmistakable marks. If I stepped out and came suddenly back, that boy was always studying, just as if I had been there, while a general buzz and the roguish looks of the rest showed there was mischief in the wind. I learned he was a religious boy and a member of the church. Come what would, he would be

for the right.

"There were two other boys who wanted to behave well, but were sometimes led astray. These two began to look up to Alfred, and I saw, were much strengthened by his example. Alfred was as lovely in disposition, as firm in principle. These three boys began now to create a sort of public opinion on the side of good order, and the master. One boy and then gradually another sided with them. The foolish pranks of idle and wicked boys began to lose their popularity. They did not win the laugh which they used to. A general obedience and attention to study prevailed.

At last, the public opinion of the school was fairly revolutionized; from being a school of ill-name, it became one of the best-behaved schools any where about, and it was that boy Alfred who had the largest share in making the change. Only four or five boys held out, and these were finally expelled. Yes," said the teacher, "it is in the power of one right-minded, right-hearted boy to do that. He stuck to his principles like a man, and they stuck to him, and made a strong and splendid fellow of him."

MY MOTHER. I am now so far advanced in life that my friends begin to call me old. But I have not lived long enough to learn why I should not still respect my mother, and regard her affectionately. She is quite advanced in years, and has nearly lost her sight. She sits within a few feet of me, sewing up a rent in my linen coat while I write this. She knows not what I am writing. She has been a widow eight years, and is still toiling for the welfare of her

children. She has never studied grammar, nor philosophy, nor music. These things were seldom taught in her young days; but she knows their value, and has toiled many a hard day to purchase books for children, and support them at school. And shall I now curl the lip in scorn, or blush in company, to hear her substitute a verb of unity for one of plurality, or pronounce a word twenty years behind the Websterian era? Never-no, never! The old dilapidated grammar in my library might testify against her style; but its testimony would be infinitely more terrible against my ingratitude. I recollect well when she rode seven miles, one cold winter's day, to sell produce and purchase that book for me, when I was a little boy. It required a sacrifice, but "mother made it."-Home Journal.

THE SCHOOLMASTER ABROAD.

It is already obvious that our schools for the coming winter will be seriously affected by the war. A large number of our best male teachers have enlisted in the army. The "schoolmaster is abroad." He may be found as far south as the gulf of Mexico. He is extending his visits to every state which can be approached by civilized man. He is even pushing his way further south than has been his wont. With gun in hand he has gone not to "teach the young idea how to shoot," but to shoot the old ideas themselves, and thus prepare the way for the juveniles to receive right training so that they may be led to shoot in the right direction. Yes, the schoolmaster is indeed abroad. Duly examined and approbated he has gone on his mission and a glorious one it is. But we may rejoice that he has not left us, educationally, entirely destitute. The "schoolma'am is at home,”—ready and qualified to do good service in our schools. While her best wishes, and sometimes even her heart, is abroad and on southern soil with the "master," she is prepared to devote her tine, her talents and energies to the cultivation of the intellectual vineyards that he has left.

Many of our schools which have usually been taught by males, must for the present be placed under the charge of females. Nor do we believe that the results will be unsatisfactory. We have scores of competent and earnest young ladies, who will honorably and usefully and gladly occupy the master's chair, and we are sure they will well fill it— morally—intellectually-physically. Let them be cordially received and kindly treated. Let school visitors and parents take special pains to sustain these teachers and coöperate with them in every proper way and our schools will not suffer. We would earnestly bespeak for these teachers the kind consideration and friendly aid of the people in whose behalf they may labor. If these may be extended to them our sorrow that the schoolmaster has been called abroad will be greatly assuaged by the thought that the schoolma'am is efficiently endeavoring to keep the school-lamp neatly trimmed and brightly burning.

A LESSON IN ENGLISH WORDS.

A little girl was looking at the picture of a number of ships, when she exclaimed, "See what a flock of ships." We corrected her by saying that a flock of ships is called a fleet, and that a fleet of sheep is called a flock.

And here we may add, for the benefit of the foreigner who is mastering the intricacies of our language in respect to nouns of multitude, that a flock of girls is called a bevy, that a bevy of wolves is called a pack, and a pack of thieves is called a gang, and a gang of angels is called a host, and a host of porpoises is called a shoal, and a shoal of buffaloes is called a herd, and a herd of children is called a troop, and a troop of partridges is called a covey, and a covey of beauties is called a galaxy, and a galaxy of ruffians is called a horde, and a horde of rubbish is called a heap, and a heap of oxen is called a drove, and a drove of blackguards is called a mob, and a mob of whales is called a school, and a school of worshipers is called a congregation, and a congregation of engineers is called a corps, and a corps of robbers is called a band, and a band of locusts is called a swarm, and a swarm of people is called a crowd, and a crowd of gentlefolks is called the élite, and the élite of the city's thieves and rascals are called

the roughs, and the miscellaneous crowd of city folks is called the community or the public, according as they are spoken of by the religious community or secular public.-Pitman's Phonographic Magazine.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR.

1862.

Gen. Burnside's fleet sailed from Annapolis,

Col. Garfield's defeat of Humphrey Marshall,

Sec. Cameron retires from the Cabinet, (about)
Battle of Mill Spring, and death of Zollicoffer,

Expulsion of Mr. Bright of Indiana from Senate, (about)

Capture of Fort Henry,

Capture of Roanoke Island,