and put the answer in her own words, and she was not prepared. It was not a difficult question, or put in a way to embarrass her. She was a good scholar, and had committed her lessons well, quite through the book. She seemed to have a general and rather confused idea of the thing required in the question now before her; but she could not put it into words. She had some notion of it, but not definite; in fine, she "knew, but could not tell." The ladies and gentlemen present felt a great sympathy with Miss Helen in her affliction, for it was on a day of public examination in the school; and her teacher felt some degree of mortification, that so good a scholar should fail to answer so plain a question. This was not, however, an uncommon occurrence. We have often witnessed a similar embarrassment, in the daily recitations of the school, and on those occasions when fond parents and friends come in to witness the progress and attainments of the youthful mind. Indeed our young readers will bear witness, that both at school and at home, they are very often perplexed in this way, and cannot express what at the same time they very well know. And it may be some consolation to them to know, that their seniors and teachers, even to old age, are often obliged to say or think, "I know, but cannot tell."

Now, what is the occasion of this kind of perplexity, and how may it be prevented or removed? How is this confusion of thought produced, and what may we do to avoid it?

One occasion is, that students do not converse or write enough. They should talk over the subjects of their lessons to each other, or by themselves, putting the ideas they acquire into their own words, different from those used in the book. They should frequently use a pen, or pencil, to write down in an easy manner the facts they gain from their lessons, from their instructers, from each other; and also those which they meet with about the common occurrences of life. In this way they will form a habit of expressing their thoughts accurately and freely, and generally be able to tell what they know.

Another cause of confusion is, the language of their books and of their teachers, is not sufficiently plain, simple, and direct. This is a cause which pupils cannot remove for themselves; but those who teach, and those who prepare books, have begun to think of it, and we hope a remedy will soon be found. Then, if a pupil cannot always tell what he knows, he will at least be able to understand what his teachers mean.

Students often learn words, and not things, or facts; of course, they can never tell what they know, unless they can recollect the very words. They never learned any thing but words; and all the use of their knowledge will be, to repeat it over like parrots for the edification of spectators on the day of examina-. tion. It is a poor way of spending time, to cram into the mind the words of a book, day after day, and week after week, when the pupil obtains little or no knowledge of things. Some books and some teachers only tell a child a thing is thus, without explaining it; without showing him the reality, or any figure or illustration. And some pupils, when illustrations are given, are so heedless that they do not attend to them. All they wish is, to go through their lessons without blame, and wear away the time as easily as possible. The remedy in this case is, an earnest desire to learn on the part of the pupil, and a more familiar mode of instruction on the part of the teacher.

Students are often embarrassed when they wish to find their knowledge, because they are not in the practice of reviewing their studies, and laying up what they obtain. They learn one thing and then forget it while they learn another. They learn a multitude of things separately, and throw them into a confused heap in the mind, like the merchant who should crowd goods of all kinds and qualities upon his shelves, without the least order or arrangement. No wonder they cannot find an idea they have once had,or tell one thing out of a hundred what they know.. They should, while they are learning, connect every new fact, with those which they have laid up before. Frequently, as they advance, they should look back on the ground they have passed over, and make it familiar to the mind. They should fix firmly in the memory the great principles; and then the application of them will be easy, and they will know where to place a great variety of particulars that flow from them. A kind of random, helter-skeltor study is always hard study; and they who bounce over their books, and maps, and recitations in this way, will often be confounded because they do not know, or know but cannot tell.

We hope our readers will profit by these hints, and so treasure up their knowledge, that they may always know what they have once learned, and be able to produce and apply it as occasion may require. On the other hand, may they avoid the habit, which some talkative young ladies have, of showing their attainments when there is not a suitable occasion, and of telling much more than they know.-Youth's Companion.

INTELLIGENCE.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN NEW-YORK.

Extracts from the Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Trustees of the Public School Society of New York.

The Public Schools, now fifteen in number, are very satisfactorily conducted by able teachers; are held, with one exception, in large commodious brick edifices; are well furnished with all the necessary school apparatus, including maps, globes, libraries, &c.; and the Trustees are confirmed, by increased experience, in the conviction, that the general system pursued in them, offers advantages possessed by few common schools, and places. them on a par with, or above many which are considered of a higher grade.

The present number of scholars on the register of the several schools, is 4564; of whom 2874 are pay, and 1690 free schol

ars.

A proposition for the establishment of a Central School for the instruction of teachers, has engaged the attention of the Board; but as considerable diversity of sentiment relative to it was manifested, it has not been finally acted upon. The Trustees therefore repeat the invitation to teachers and others in all parts of the Union, and particularly to those having charge of the District Schools in this State, who may be desirous of acquiring a knowledge of the system of Monitorial or Mutual Instruction, to visit and spend about two months in the Public Schools in this city, which are freely open for the purpose, and which the Board believe present the best means of initiation into the system. To those benevolent and public spirited individuals also, who may be founding common schools in villages and towns in this and other States, the Trustees would suggest the propriety and advantage, after they have selected a well qualified person for teacher, of sending him to this city to acquire a competent knowledge of the system pursued in the Public Schools; and for this purpose they are of opinion, that from six weeks to two months is necessary.

NEW-YORK INFANT SCHOOL SOCIETY.

[The following paragraphs are the substance of an advertisement issued by this Society.-Journal of Education.]

Patron-His Excellency de Witt Clinton, Governor of the State. Officers of the Institution-Mrs. Bethune, Directress ; Mrs. Striker, Second Directress; Mrs. Peter Hawes, Treasurer; Mrs. Laura E. Hyde, Secretary.

This Society was formed May 23, to promote the establishment of Schools for the children of the poor, who have not attained the age at which they can be received into other schools; viz. children of both sexes, from eighteen months to six years of age. It is well known that such children generally prove a heavy incumbrance on parents who are obliged to toil hard for a subsistence. One of the objects of this institution is to lighten the pressure of this inconvenience, and leave the mother more at liberty to pursue her necessary occupations for the benefit of the family. The primary object is to instil right sentiments into the infant heart, while still soft and tender; to draw it, while yet scarcely resisting, to the side of religion and virtue; and to introduce its possessor into "the way in which he should go."

As the funds will admit, Infant Schools will be established in different parts of the city, on the plan adopted in England, where hundreds of such schools are now in successful operation, and where but one opinion prevails respecting them: "That they are calculated to produce great national benefit-first as tending to prevent the increase of crime; and likewise the loss of human life, by preventing, in a great measure, the numerous accidents to which children are exposed."

ERRATA.-Page 294, line 11, insert and before are. Line 6, from the bottom read "the temptations." Page 295, line 5, for must read might. Page 300, line 15, read may choose."

THE TEACHER'S GUIDE is published semi-monthly, at one dollar a year, to be paid within the year if delayed beyond that time, $1,50. To those who procure subscribers and pay in advance, every sixth copy gratis.

PORTLAND: A. SHIRLEY, Printer-J. L. PARKHURST, Editor.

We are not yet prepared to go on with our list of books for the use of common schools. The following paragraph, extracted from the Report of a Committee in Connecticut, published some time since, may help to confirm the sentiments we have expressed, and keep the subject alive in the minds of our readers.

"A reform in that part of the system relating to books, while it would promote economy, seems indispensable to the success of the schools. The continual fluctuation in the use of books, with which the schools are inundated, subjects the parents to a heavy expense, and prevents that uniformity without which there can be no classification-a principle highly conducive to success in every grade of instruction. The selections are not unfrequently made with little judgment, and many books are used, fit only to corrupt the taste or the morals of youth. The important business of preparing elementary books, has been left, too much, to unskilful hands-to men who have betrayed, at every step, their utter ignorance of the first principles of the philosophy of the mind; a science, to which the higher departments of education are greatly indebted, but whose aid has been little sought after in the lower, where it is most needed. This is an evil which the legislature, and the legislature only, can remedy."

It may, perhaps, be objected, that one of the evils above referred to," the continual fluctuation in the use of books,”. would be increased by the introduction of those which we have