GOTHA.

IN the 10th of September I found myself in Gotha, my principal object in visiting

which was to examine the great Kindergarten institution presided over by Professor Köhler. I may say at once that few things in the course of my life have ever interested me more than my visit to Das Gothaische Lehrerinnen-Seminar und seine Zweiganstalten' the Gotha Normal School for Governesses and its branch establishments. It will be seen from this title that its main object is that of training female teachers. The Kindergarten itself is only one of its departments—a sort of practising ground for the Kindergarten governesses. The institution embraces, in fact, six departmentsIst, the Kindergarten (for children from two and a half to six years of age, fee about £1, 16s. per annum); 2d, the Girls' School (age from six to fourteen, fee about £2, 14s. per annum); 3d, the Higher Girls' School (Fortbildungschule), (age from about four

teen upwards, fee about £4, 10s. per annum); 4th, the Normal College for Kindergarten Governesses (girls above sixteen years of age, fee £9 per annum); 5th, the Normal College for Teachers preparing for the Primary Schools (fee £9 per annum); 6th, the Boarding House (£45 per annum, including the school fee). All these departments are closely connected with each other, especially by the principle which reigns throughout and determines the character of the instruction. That principle is that of Fröbel, of which, both theoretically and practically, Professor Köhler is a distinguished expositor. He has written several separate works upon it, and his Praxis des Kindergartens (in two volumes, to be followed by a third) is one of the best guides to its practice. After receiving from my interview with Professor Köhler a very favourable impression of his benevolence and intelligence, I went first to the lowest class of the Girls' School, where I found twenty-two children (ages six and seven). The class consisted, I was told, properly of thirty children, but eight were absent from measles. They were marching very prettily to a measured rhythm of three beats, the last of which was strongly accented. Then they were supposed to come to a wood, where they all

lay down to sleep, from which they were roused by a loud 'cuckoo!' from the teacher. Then they all jumped up, shouting 'cuckoo!' dancing, and clapping hands, and went to sleep again. It was, in fact, a Kindergarten exercise introduced into this elementary class of the Girls' School.

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I next went to the Kindergarten itself, where I found the same teacher who had just before been in the Girls' School. The children, about thirty or forty in number, were variously employed division, the youngest, were engaged with little sticks (stäbchen) making various forms of objects on the table. One of two and a half years old was very earnestly busy, but not very successful. She did not quite perfectly 'conform the outward shape of things to the desires of her mind.' Now and then she looked round to see what her neighbours were doing, and then, appearing to have gained a hint, went on again, nodding her head with approval when she had made a point. There are many exercises with stäbchen; amongst others, exercises in counting.

At another table the children had needles, with coarse thread, which they passed through holes already pricked as a pattern for them in cards, thus producing a sort of embroidery (Ausnähen). This,

though, I believe, very common, I had not seen before. The effect was pretty, and the children seemed much pleased as the picture grew under their hands.

I thence passed into the sixth class (lowest but one of the girls' school), about twenty-five in number, ages seven and eight, where a very intelligent and painstaking teacher (Miss Ulrici) was cleverly developing the principles of Umlaut; that is, the modification of the vowels in nouns. I was surprised to hear how fully these little ones entered into the lesson. They answered the questions put to them exceedingly well.

In the next class that I entered the lesson was in English, about thirty girls, of whom fourteen (thirteen or fourteen years of age) were here learning English. The teacher (Miss Rothstein), who is a pleasing person of gentle and refined manners, was conducting the lesson. Each girl had before her 'Earth's Many Voices' (published by the Christian Knowledge Society), a nice little book, well adapted to the purpose. The lesson was given in German, not English, and all were most attentive to it. The pronunciation was far from good-too soft and mincing-but they seemed to know very well what

they were about, and translated the text into German quite fluently.

In the afternoon of this day I was present at what was called a trial lesson (Probe Aufgabe) in the Kindergarten governess department. Twenty-four children came merely in to be experimented on by six teachers in the presence of all the other teachers (who took notes), and by Professor Köhler himself. Dr Haas, also of Wiesbaden (whose Kindergarten I had visited the previous summer), and another gentleman, were present. Five out of the six teachers successively told stories to the children. The sixth superintended a lesson in gymnastics, in which there was much jumping over spaces marked out by long staves laid on the floor, etc. The success in storytelling was various, but all the teachers spoke with I have frequently

great fluency and distinctness.

had occasion to notice the firm and unhesitating manner in which German teachers speak in their classes. There was never any stammering, hesitating, bungling, or recalling words, as is common enough when English teachers deliver themselves in a set narrative or speech. All seemed to know exactly what they had to say, and how to say it; yet, as I have said, the success of these teachers in their trial