their country and sustaining the historic renown of the City and State in which they have had their birth and education. -From J. D. Philbrick's Report of Boston Schools.

A LESSON FOR TEACHERS.

VERDICT OF A JURY OF BOYS.

WHEN Dr. Nathaniel Prentice taught a public school in Roxbury, he was very much a favorite; but his patience at times would get very much exhausted by the infractions of the school rules by the scholars. On one occasion, in rather a wrathy way, he threatened to punish with six blows of a heavy ferule the first boy detected in whispering, and appointed some as detecters. Shortly after, one of the detecters shouted:

"Master, John Zeigler is whispering!

John was called up, and asked if it was a fact. (John, by the way, was a favorite both with his teacher and schoolmates.)

"Yes," answered John; "I was not aware of what I was about. I was intent on working out a sum, and requested the boy who sat next to hand me the arithmetic that contained the rule which I wished to see."

The doctor regretted his hasty threat, but told John that he could not suffer him to whisper or to escape the punishment, and continued:

"I wish I could avoid it, but can not, without a forfeiture of my word. I will," he continued, "leave it to any three scholars you may choose, to say whether or not I omit the punishment."

John said he was agreed to that, and immediately called out G. S―, T. D—, and D. P. D. The doctor told them to return a verdict, which they soon did, (after consultation,) as follows:

"The master's word must be kept inviolate,-John must receive the threatened six blows of the ferule; but it must be inflicted on voluntary proxies,—and we, the arbitrators,

will share the punishment by receiving each of us two of the blows."

John, who had listened to the verdict, stepped up to the doctor, and with outstretched hand, exclaimed:

"Master, here is my hand; they sha'n't be struck a blow; I will receive the punishment!"

The doctor, under pretense of wiping his face, shielded his eyes, and telling the boys to go to their seats, said he would think of it. We believe he did think of it to his dying day, but the punishment was never inflicted.-Middlesex Journal.

TRUTHFULNESS.

TRUTHFULNESS is the foundation of character, and to instill this virtue into the minds of children is of the highest importance; and any teacher who does not endeavor, by all proper means in his power, to engraft and cultivate habits of truthfulness in the children committed to his charge, would be considered guilty of a breach of trust.

By truthfulness, we understand accuracy in stating facts, sincerity, candor and uprightness.

How, then, is a teacher to fulfill this portion of this high mission?

1. By his own example-Scholars have keener perceptions on some points than we usually give them credit for; and if, for instance, they see the teacher has better order during the presence of visitors, or that extra work is done for a short time previous to examination, or that he does not, by his own example, endeavor to enforce that punctuality or neatness which he considers necessary in them, his admonitions and example will have little or no influence. A teacher should, therefore, at all times and in all respects, be what he - wishes his scholars to be; and if this maxim be faithfully carried out, he will soon find that what is called the moral tone of his class will be raised considerably.

2. Confidence of the children in him.-To gain the confidence of his children, the teacher must show an interest in

their welfare; he must carefully and patiently listen to the tale of their little joys and griefs, which seem of so little consequence to him, yet are of great importance to them. Children are naturally fond of sympathy; yet, if the one whose name should be connected in their minds with all that is good and kind, treats them with such indifference, their sympathies with him are soon dried up, and the teacher no longer possesses any moral influence over them; he finds them reserved, and, in some cases, deceitful; but if this confidence be gained, the child is no longer so strongly urged by fear, as to tell a lie.

3. Discouraging vanity.-One cause of untruthfulness is vanity. Most people love praise, and to gain it we sometimes lay claim to higher pretensions than justly belong to

us.

Children are actuated by the same motive-a desire of appearing better than they are-when they show a copied exercise as their own; when a vain child does wrong, it has a strong temptation to hide its fault by a falsehood, lest it should be less thought of. In such cases the teacher should endeavor to show the child how foolish and sinful vanity is.

4. By placing confidence in the children.-This is the most powerful of the means for training children to truthfulness. If we place implicit trust in any, even the worst of characters, we shall rarely find ourselves deceived. In many instances we shall find depravity is aggravated by harsh treatment and want of confidence in children at home. To such children, the new pleasure of finding themselves trusted is so sweet, that they are at once bound to the teacher by indissoluble ties of affection, and become frank, ingenuous and sincere; but if we treat a boy with suspicion, he is strongly inclined to be what we suspect him to be. Children should, therefore, always be treated with full confidence by the teacher, unless they have previously deceived him. should treat them as if it were impossible for them to lie.

He

In the case of a confirmed habit of lying, the teacher, in addition to employing all the means above described, must, first, remove all temptation to the sin; he must never allow that boy to speak to him on any subject about which he can

lie, and, as far as possible, prevent any connection between him and his schoolfellows. Secondly: He must endeavor to convince the boy that the sin is degrading, and to awaken him to the dreadful punishment threatened in the book of truth against such offenders, illustrating his counsels by examples from the same authority; and, finally, the good teacher will pray earnestly to the Almighty and most merciful Father, that the poor boy may be led in the right way.

Such endeavors can hardly fail in their object, yet, in either case, the teacher will have the sweet satisfaction of feeling that, to the best of his ability, he has endeavored to do his duty.-Pupil Teacher.

PRACTICAL TEACHING.

THE USE OF THE DICTIONARY.

[IN the Indiana Journal we find a series of sensible and practical articles from the pen of Prof. Hoss, the Editor. We believe the following contains hints which will prove valuable to the teacher.-RES. ED.]

In our last we closed by defining by Properties and Uses. After practising upon these until the class becomes ready and accurate, I would introduce an exercise in primitives and derivatives, using the terms radicals, prefixes, and suffixes.

1. Have the class define and clearly understand these five new terms: primitives, derivatives, radicals, prefixes, and suffixes. This done, show the modes of defining under this classification. Thus, take the term man. 1, Define it. 2, Take the term like, and define it; then suffix it to man, making manlike. 3, Define the new word, manlike. 4, Take ly, define, and substitute for like, making manly. 5, Take un, define it, and prefix it to manly, making unmanly; then define the new word. 6, Point out the elements; thus, man, both the radical and primitive, ly the suffix, un the prefix— and unmanly the derivative.

This mode of defining will lead to the use of Latin and Greek elements. These should be used so far as may be

practicable, whether the class knows anything about Latin and Greek or not. The Dictionary itself furnishes enough for a very extended use of the Latin, but in Greek it leaves you without the alphabet. Get a card, or chart, with the Greek alphabet upon it, or get a Greek Grammar, and from this print the letters on the blackboard, and have the class learn them from this. If, however, you think it best to do nothing with the Greek, proceed with the Latin. Thus, in the word antecede, we find ante to mean before, and cedo I go, or cedere to go. Hence, cede being the radical, and ante the prefix, we have antecede, to go before.

Then let the class prefix ante to any words they may be able, as date, chamber, &c.

After this let them take anti, the Greek particle, meaning against or opposite, and use it in the same manner, making from slavery, anti-slavery; from christian, anti-christiau, &c. This exercise may be carried to any extent your time and inclination may dictate. But by all means carry it far enough to induct the class into both its mode and merits.

2. Call attention to the etymological and conventional meaning of words, these not always being the same. Thus, etymologically, benevolence means simply well-wishing, being derived from bene, signifying well, and volens, wishing; hence, well-wishing. But conventionally, it means well-doing, i. e. doing good to another.

3. This will lead to an examination of words having many meanings, such as case, which means a box or sheath for holding costly or fragile articles; a suit at law; a relation in grammar; or a position or condition in society or business.

In order to illustrate and enforce this, give an occasional exercise requiring original sentences, in each of which the same word shall occur with different meanings. Thus: The jeweler keeps his wares in a neat case.

The court was three days trying the case.

The young grammarian is much perplexed in disposing of

case.

The physician says of his failing patient, it is an obsti