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Again, Geometry makes the student plies that you may not erect on it the careful in citing authority. He must most elegant superstructure. The power give, definitely, the proposition, or corol- of clear thinking and of concise statement lary, or axiom, employed as proof. How is not incompatible with, nor unfavorable vague and loose and inaccurate are mul- to, the loftiest efforts of the imagination. titudes of men, and some preachers, in quoting even Scripture authority!

And this suggests another advantage which this study confers on minds of a Again, Geometry requires the learner certain order-namely, those which have to distinguish clearly between what is the power of rapid deduction without the hypothesis and what is proof-between concious intervention of argument. There premises and conclusion-and never to are such men-men of sound judgment, confound the two. who reach sound conclusions, but who Lastly, under this general head, Geo-jcan not assign the reasons which led metry teaches a man, whether writing or them to these conclusions. They see respeaking, to say what he has to say, and sults almost intuitively-so much so that to stop when he gets through. they can not present to themselves, much 3. But Geometry has to do with rhe- less to others, the medium of proof.— toric as well as with logic. It not only Cromwell was such a man-a man of compels the student to think, but to good judgment, evidently, and who knew express the results of his investigations. what he was about, but who found it It tends to give a man that cardinal qual- difficult so to explain his plans and policy ity of style, perspicuity. The pupil is beforehand, as that others should commade to state his proposition and the de- prehend their wisdom. Such minds monstration in concise terms, neither giv- would be benefited by this study. It reing what is irrelevant, nor omitting what tards thought in its lightning transit to a is essential. This will make him careful conclusion and compels it to go over the in his assertions. He will not write nor ground step by step, so as to state to its speak at random. He will aim to tell own consciousness, and thus be able to the whole truth, nothing more, nothing state to others, the process by which the less. He will not overstate nor under-result was reached.

state, nor mistake. This precision of I conclude this brief enumeration by language is one of the most beautiful of mentioning one advantage resulting from all mental products-this giving an ex- reciting Geometry, which is, that it pression which just "hits" the thought, gives the student self-possession. He as the arrow goes straight to the center must not only understand the demonstraof the target. tion, but he must be able to hold it

"But what," exclaims our rhetorical while he presents it to the teacher and friend and objector, "will you make dry the class. For most persons this is a logicians of us all? Will you have us great attainment. Many a man in a enunciate our thoughts in bald, unadorn- meeting for public discussion has valuable ed prose? Will you allow no play to the thoughts on the question which, neverfancy? Will you clip style of its wirgs? theless, he dares not attempt to offer, for Will you inhibit the graces of oratory? fear lest the moment he rises all his arguWe reply, no. Nor does what has been mentative riches should suddenly, and to said imply this, any more than to urge his deep mortification, take to themselves the importance of a solid foundation im-wings and fly away.

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Now the self-reliance of which I speak By this impatient haste to become can be gained only by practice, and so far rich, or distinguished, or wise, young as practice in the recitation-room con- men are almost sure to miss the very obtributes to it—and it contributes much-ject they have in view. They get an it is secured better by recitations in Geo- earlier start on the voyage, it may be, metry than by those in the languages than others, but not having taken on where the pupil relies on his book, or board sufficient fuel, their engines soon than in other English branches where the begin to work badly, when they either recitation is conducted solely by question fall into the doldrums, or are obliged to and answer for there the student is put into the nearest port, and in either both guided and limited by the question; case are overtaken and distanced by their whereas in Geometry he is required to more patient and pains-taking competigive a connected and often a lengthy train tors. of thought.

Students who aim only at future useJudged, therefore, by the Procrustean fulness, sometimes make a mistake here standard of professional success or com- which they never afterward cease to remercial utility, we see that this part of gret. A pious young man is deeply imthe College Course is not found wanting. pressed with the spiritual desolation of But we should remember that another the world-the millions perishing for and higher object is secured by study, lack of religious knowledge-the fewness namely, the exquisite pleasure we derive of the laborers, and the exceeding shortness of the time in which to work. In from the activity and consequent expansion of our intellectual powers. Busi-view of these things, he feels that it is ness we must do; we must work; we wrong to spend much time in preparamust live. But is the life of the body the tion for the ministry. He is impatient to leave the Academy, the College, the only or the highest life of which we are Seminary, and at once to preach Christ capable? Or is it, rather, only the conto his fellow-mortals. This is a mistake. dition, in our present state, of intellectual and moral life and growth and enjoy Him is no uneasy precipitancy. He God understands His own plans. With ment? Does the eagle plume his wings hastens His work, but only "in its time." only that it may stoop upon its prey and With Him there is for every work a seasatisfy the cravings of appetite, or is it son. There is a time for preparation and that it may soar aloft with free and joyous a time for achievement. He has a purpinion, leaving cloud and storm behind, pose with reference to the seasons. and soaring upward even to heaven's autumn's harvest secured, the earth must azure gate? Shall a man fit up only one be reclothed with verdure, the processes room of his spacious dwelling, and that of vegetation must be re-commenced and one only for a workshop, and leave all the carried forward, or soon the hundreds of rest bare and desolate, or shall he not millions of living beings that swarm the rather furnish and adorn all to the exglobe, and that look to Him for their daily food, would perish. Here is a great, an immense work to be done; and looking alone at its vastness and the magnitude of the interests at stake on its speedy accomplishment, a benevolent

tent of his means, that when he retires from the place of toil he may throw open these pleasant apartments for his own enjoyment and the entertainment of others.

His

mind which did not at the same time un-ed by the thought, that the longer he is derstand the infinite resources of the in coming to the solstice of his power, Creator, might well be appalled and in reputation, and usefulness, the higher its trembling solicitude for the prospec-will be the point of his culmination and tive sufferers, would urge the immediate the wider the zone over which will be exertion of Almighty Power in the work shed the light and warmth of his lifeof reproduction. But God is in no such giving influence.

NOW.

haste. To every thing is given a time. The leaves must have their "time to fall" and strew the couch of the dying year. How slowly and gently is this [The following lines, from Household done-not in indecent haste as one would Words, are full of wholesome advice, as bustle around the room of an expiring well as beautiful imagery. They convey friend on whom he is tired of waiting to the youthful dreamer a lesson which it and whom he wishes gone-but they fall would be well for him to ponder.]

with a quiet and mournful tenderness, as of a sister watching at the bedside of a departing brother whose failing pulse she would stay and whose loved form she yields reluctantly to the tomb. Then, when the leaves and flowers "all are in their graves," Winter must have his surly reign. The winds must have a time for their fierce sport, and the snows their great fair-day in which to weave and display their stainless robe. Long months of cheerless days and lingering nights must intervene, ere the violet appear or the grass-blade spring. Yet during all this time the great Householder is carrying on the work of preparation for another harvest. With one hand He holds the bough all whose new buds He has so silently folded, while to greet and to call forth its hidden beauty, with the other hand He is again slowly wheeling up the life-giving orb to the Northern Signs.

Let the student learn from Nature to be patient and thorough in the work of preparation for the great duties of life. Let him remember that he must have time to grow and to blossom, if he would bear abundant and perfect fruit. With the noiseless but unwearied perseverance of the sun, let him toil up the ecliptic steep of discipline, cheered and stimulat

Arise, for the day is passing

While you lie dreaming on; Your brothers are cased in armor;

And forth to the fight are gone;
Your place in the ranks awaits you;

Each man has a part to play;
The past and the future are nothing

In the face of the stern to-day.
Arise from your dreams of the future-

Of gaining a hard-fought field, Of storming the airy fortress,

Of bidding the giant yield; Your future deeds of glory,

Of honor, (God grant it may!) But your arm will never be stronger,

Or needed as now-to-day. Arise! If the past detain you,

Her sunshine and storms forget;
No chains so unworthy to hold you

As those of a vain regret;
Sad or bright she is lifeless ever;

Cast her phantom arms away,
Nor look back, save to learn the lesson
Of a nobler strife to-day.
Arise! for the hour is passing;

The sound that you dimly hear,
Is your enemy marching to battle!
Rise! rise! for the foe is near!
Stay not to sharpen your weapons,
Or the hour will strike at last,
And from dreams of a coming battle,
You will waken and find it past.

For the Journal of Education.
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

ful objects in the room, on which to rest the eye when not engaged in study. This many iilustrious examples abundantly prove. Why not then let whitewashed walls and bare floors supplant the present ornaments, the papered wails, the pictures and the statuary of the schoolroom? With one accord, from the farthest East to the remotest West the answer is ready. It is sufficient. It covers the few words "we have erected these bui dwhole ground and may be expressed in ings for our children, as places in which we intend they shall spend years of the most impressible portion of their lives." It is then no more wonderful that we should ornament our school-houses than

AMONG the many blessings for which the people of this "happiest country in the world" have to be thankful, there is scarcely any one more prominent than the consciousness that any public work of utility or benevolence is directly for the benefit of themselves, or their children. A traveler in the old countries of Europe has brought under his notice many institutions which the piety or munificence of wealthy individuals, monarchs or subjects, have provided for the alleviation of some of the many woes which afflict mankind. He sees magnificent hospitals, that we should decorate our houses, our alms houses, and buildings in which the last days of old veterans, disabled in the parlors, farms or gardens, or anything service of their country, are rendered free else which we hope our children to enjoy. Strange as it may seem, a prover from care. public sentiment on this subject has been He will, however, look in vain for any-of slow growth; or rather, it needed the thing similar to our glorious public example of some pioneers to cause the schools. There are, to be sure, in several people to regard it in a proper light. In parts of Europe, systems of public each State there has always been some schools, but "they are provided for the city cr other locality which-awakening people by beneficent rulers," not insti- to a proper sense of its duty-would be tuted and sustained by the people them- found to initiate a healthy state of feelselves, and for themselves. This is ing in this respect. In this manner, the great difference between our public when a properly conducted system of schools and those of any other country. public schools was placed under the obThey are, here, intended for us, for those servation of the people, they-verifying whom we prefer even to ourselves our the old proverb that "Example is the children. This, we apprehend, is the best method of teaching"-forthwith true reason why the people of the adopted it for themselves, and so correct Northern States, have everywhere evinc- ideas were largely disseminated. ed such unanimity when called upon to place which thus becomes, in any State, meet the expenses attendant on such a the herald of a better order of things is system of education. It may, indeed, be deserving of praise and remembrance. said that a competent education may be This praise, so far as Wisconsin is conacquired in less expensive or less beau-cerned, will, we think, be awarded to tiful buildings than those everywhere de- Kenosha. Kenosha took the initiatory voted to the cause of education. A pupil step in this grand march, and when we might become a good scholar even if there consider the difficulties which obstruct were no carpet under his feet or beauti-such an undertaking in every new place,

The

where everything is to be done, and so of it, the school attained a reputation few exist to do it, we cannot fail to ap- which is, of itself, sufficient to show that preciate the noble spirit which prompted its friends did not in the least relax their the commencement of a work of such exertions.

character.

Within the last couple of years, the Previous to the year 1849, there were school buildings of the city were found here no conveniences for education fur- totally inadequate to supply the demands ther than those furnished by basements of the increasing population. To obviate of churches and other unsuitable places, this, during the past summer-having the abuses of which led to the entire ex- previously adopted the Union School tinction of public schools. Immediately System-an additional building, in size the proper men for the times made their 75 by 50 feet, of the most durable and appearance. We would name them, were tasteful construction, comprising all the we not aware that their modesty is equal modern improvements, was erected.to their merit, and that they worked for Together with this, the old school builda reward in which human praise is not a ing has been thoroughly repaired, altered constituent. These noble men, after a and decorated, such improvements being couple of years exertion, succeeded in adopted as their experience suggested, procuring the erection, in the South part and the size of the house would permit. of the city, of a fine brick building, much Furnaces of the most approved construcsurpassing in size any edifice devoted to tion have been placed in both these buildsimilar purposes, previously erected in ings, furnishing a comfortable temperathe State. They were fortunate in their ture without the clatter and unsightly selection of a responsible Principal. To pipes necessary, if stoves were employed. Mr. Graves, of Ohio, who took charge of We might descend more into particu

J. M. L.

the school in the Fall of 1849, was first lars, but this article is already long; and, confided this important charge. Mean- from what we have written, our readers while, another building was erected in will readily perceive that Kenosha is not the North part of the city. Here Mr. to be left alone in the race, and that she McMynn, at present of Racine, and wide- is determined not to sully the laurels, ly known as an excellent teacher, first which of right belong to the city, which taught public school in Wisconsin. He first introduced Common Schools-proafterwards removed to the larger edifice, perly so called-into our noble State of in the South part, of which he had Wisconsin. charge-we need not say, to the entire satisfaction of his patrons-for two years, when he removed to Racine, taking with him the regrets of all acquainted with him in Kenosha, together with the talents, experience and adaptation to the situation, which have enabled him to make that, than "$13 a month and board around." Racine schools-what they are. Under the administration of his predecessors,

The salary of Principal of a Boston Public School is $2400, with $100 addition per year, until it is $2800. The Principal of the High School of St. Louis receives $2200; of the High School of Chicago, $1500. Better

By the Fourteenth Annual Report of Messrs. Graves, Marks and Coe, and those the City of New York, it appears there are in who succeeded him, Messrs. Dewolf and the city 271 Schools, in which are taught 137,the gentleman who at present has charge 874 pupils, at a cost of $918,000.

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