the wearisome work; yet eleven days have passed before you count the first million, and more than as many years before the end of the tedious task can be reached." He also supposes this mighty multitude to take up its line of march, in a grand procession, placed in a single file at eight feet apart, and marching at the rate of thirty miles per day, except on Sabbath, which is given to rest. Day after day the moving column advances; the head pushing on toward the rising sun, now bridges the Pacific, now bridges the Atlantic. And now the Pacific is recrossed, but still the long procession goes marching on, straight across high mountains, and sunny plains, and broad rivers, through China and India, and the European kingdoms, and on the stormy bosom of the Atlantic. But the circuit of the. world itself affords not standing room. The endless column will double upon itself, and double again and again, and shall girdle the earth eighteen times before the great reservoir which furnishes these multitudes is exhausted. Weeks, months and years roll away, and still they come, men, women, and children. Since the march began the little child has become a man, and yet they come, come in unfailing numbers. Not till the end of forty-one years will the last of the long procession have passed." Such is China in its population; and if Homer could preach eloquently on the vanity of man as a mortal, with equal eloquence, had he seen or contemplated the millions of China, could he have preached on the vanity of man as an individual! THE LITTLE GIRL AND HER COPY. A little girl went to a writing school. When she saw her copy, with every line so perfect, "I can never write like that," she said. She looked steadfastly at the straight and round lines, so slim and graceful. Then she took up her pen and timidly put it on the paper. Her hand trembled; she drew it back; she stopped, studied the copy, and began again. "I can but try," said the little girl; "I will do as well as I can." She wrote half a page. The letters were crooked. What more could we expect from a first effort? The next scholar stretched across her desk, "What scraggy things you make!" Tears filled the little girl's eyes. She dreaded to have the teacher see her book. "He will be angry with me and scold," she said to herself. But when the teacher came and looked, he smiled. "I see you are trying, my little girl," he said kindly, "and that is enough for me." She took courage. Again and again she studied the beautiful copy. She wanted to know how every line went, how every letter was rounded and made. Then she took up her pen and began to write. She wrote carefully, with the copy always before her. But O! what slow work it was! Her letters straggled here, they crowded there, and some of them looked every way. The little girl trembled at the step of the teacher. "I am afraid you will find fault with me," she said; "my letters are not fit to be on the same page with the copy." "I do not find fault with you," said the teacher. "because I do not look so much at what you do, as at what you aim and have the heart to do. By really trying you make a little improvement every day; and a little improvement every day will enable you to reach excellence by and by." "Thank you, sir," said the little girl; and thus encouraged, she took up her pen with a greater spirit of application than before. And so it is with the dear children who are trying to become like Jesus. God has given us a heavenly copy. He has given us his dear Son, "for an example, that we should follow his steps." He "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." "He is altogether lovely," and "full of grace and truth." And when you study his character, "I can never, never reach that," you say; "I can never be like Jesus." God does not expect you to become like his dear Son in a minute, or a day, or a year; but what pleases him is that you should love him and try to follow his example. It is that temper which helps you to grow, day by day, little by little, unto his likeness, which God desires to see. God sees you try. God loves you for trying, and he will give his Holy Spirit to help you.-Sunday School Paper. EDUCATION OF THE HEART. The teacher should ever be just what he would have his pupils become, that they may learn by the precept of example as well as by the precept of instruction. He should find the way to the heart of every one within his circle, and lead him thereby into the walks of knowledge and virtue, not driving by will, but attracting by love; and if he searches faithfully, he will find the heart of even the most wayward. It may be overlaid with temper, selfishness, even with wickedness; but it can be, nay, it must be, reached and touched. The teacher, too, should be an exemplar in punctuality, order and discipline; for in all these his pupils will copy him. He can only obtain obedience by himself obeying the laws he is to enforce. A minister who does not practice what he preaches will find that his most earnest exhortations fall heedless on leaden ears; and children of both a smaller and a larger growth quickly detect similar inconsistencies. Whoever would rightly guide youth-easier, as they ought to be, and naturally would ful footsteps must lead correctly himself; and one of our humorous writers has compressed a whole volume into a sentence when he says, "to train up a child in the way he should go, walk in it yourself." going on while the superstructure seems all safe and sound. The effect on the mind of learning a great many things at first, in a hurried and confused manner, is not only to generate intellectual habits of the worst possible sort, but to make the steps of the progress not Finally, let the teacher, recognizing the true nobility and the far-reaching influence of his profession-stretching beyond mature years or middle age, or even the last of earth, and beyond the stars to a deathless eternity-pursue his daily duties with ardor, with earnestness of purpose, with tireless energy. Hon. Schuyler Colfax. We "upon whom the ends of the world are come" are certainly living in a crowded as well as a fast age. It may be feared that its accelerated velocity is owing to the fact that its progress is downward, morally and intellectually. The passion for cramming seems, indeed, universal in our academies, and even in our town schools. It is wonderful, indeed lamentable, to observe how much knowledge is crammed into the heads of our boys, and even our girls, for young ladies' seminaries have caught the infection. Some printed outlines of instruction in what are termed Young Ladies' Collegiate Institutes, where they graduate at public commencements and proceed Mistresses of Arts, exhibit an extended course of the arts and sciences usually included in a college curriculum, with the higher mathematics. What a shame it is that any young girl in the heyday of her life and spirits should be tortured with such stuff. I noticed, the other day, a little urchin, "creeping, snail like, unwillingly to school," and counted eight books strapped between two boards carried on his back. I conjectured that he might possibly that morning have to recite to eight different teachers or professors. I must confess that I cannot help looking at the present generation of growing boys, who are subjected to this infliction, with great compas sion. It is not surprising that they become men before they have ceased to be boys-have so careworn an appearance, and look so prematurely old. The effects of an overworked brain on the physical constitution are slow and treacherous. The work of undermining is be, if every step was firmly fixed before the foot was raised to take a second, but more and more difficult. They come to do every thing by rote, without understanding or appreciating. This is not the way to create a love for study. In the race to accomplish great things we seem to have forgotten the good old motto " Festina lente"-the unquestionable axiom that accurate knowledge of the first elements, well engrafted in the mind by frequent repetition, goes much farther in making a thorough scholar than lessons, recitations, and lectures, intended to put the pupil in possession of every thing that ever was or is known.-Hon. Geo. Sharswood. A FABLE. A young man once picked up a sovereign lying on the road. Ever afterwards, as he walked along, he kept his eyes steadfastly on the ground, in hopes of finding another. And, in the course of a long life, he did pick up at different times, a good amount of gold and silver. But all these days as he looked for them, he saw not that heaven was bright above him, and nature beautiful around. He never once allowed his eyes to look up from the mud and filth in which he sought the treasure; and when he died a rich old man, he only knew this fair earth of ours as a dirty road to pick up money as you walk along. THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL JOURNAL: AN EDUCATIONAL MAGAZINE. VOL. XVIII.-No. 7. JANUARY, 1870. THO. H. BURROWES, Editor and Publisher. 1870. This is the first number in the ordinary year; and were it not that custom seems to exact some notice of the fact as an era in Journal as well as other human affairs, it would be passed by without remark. Our editorial labors have continued so long and have run on from year to year with so few and those only the gradual changes that time and the hour" bring about in the slow but sure progress of school affairs, that the occasion was well nigh passing unnoticed. It must suffice, then, to say that the year before both Editor and reader will witness the monthly issue of the Journal,-life and health permitting, in the same form, with the same purpose and on the same principles as have marked the past; and while health, success and happiness are cordially wished to its readers and friends, such support and kindly acceptance as it may be found worthy of is respectfully asked at their hands. CHESTER COUNTY DIRECTORS. By a circular in the official matter of the December No. we see that a movement has been made towards a general meeting of School Directors in Chester county, to consider school affairs. It is probable that the meeting has already taken place; but as we have not seen any account of it,-a few words on the subject may not be amiss. The movement itself is a right one, and if carried out in the proper spirit and confined to proper objects, will accomplish ends to be effected by no other means. In fact, so clear have we long been in this opinion, that several years ago the attempt was made to provide by law for the holding of an annual meeting, for several days, in each county, of the whole body of its Directors, under the lead and instruction of the proper County Superintendent: a kind WHOLE NO. 211. Associate, J. P. McCASKEY of Directors' Institute. Here might be discussed and learned the proper mode of keeping the minutes of the Board, of laying the tax, of visiting the schools, f securing uniformity in school-books, of making the District reports, of regulating the relations and contracts of adjoining Districts, &c., &c. And here also would best be made known those general instructions and explanations both of the State and County Superintendent, which the latter would be on the spot to give; and also to afford info mation in particular cases of difficulty, which so often arise and which are so unsatisfactorily disposed of by letter. Here also well managed and successful Districts could, on request, give their experience and make known the means of their success, to those requiring exactly that kind of information. But beyond this official, this legitimate ground, we more than question the propriety of a Directors' Convention, and especially any official action looking to the alteration of the school law itself. That is the province of the Legislature. To be sure, it may be replied, that suggestions of changes in any land may and generally do come from the people to the Legislature, and that Directors being also citizens may rightfully propose such changes as they deem proper. Granted. But then according to our social customs and rights, they are to do so not as directors, but as citizens; for, in reference to the suitableness or unsuitableness of any feature in the school law, the opinion of a School Director who lays the tax, is of no more weight than that of the private citizen who pays his tax and sends his half dozen of children to school. This thing of executive officers combining their influence to change a law and thus trespass upon the powers of legislation is wrong, and if generally carried into practice would destroy one of the great safeguards of our governmental system,-that of the distribution of its powers into Legislative, Executive and Judicial. Let public officers obtain obedience by himself obeying the laws he is to enforce. A minister who does not practice what he preaches will find that his most earnest exhortations fall heedless on leaden ears; and children of both a smaller and a larger growth quickly detect similar inconsistencies. Whoever would rightly guide youth-easier, as they ought to be, and naturally would ful footsteps must lead correctly himself; and one of our humorous writers has compressed a whole volume into a sentence when he says, "to train up a child in the way he should go, walk in it yourself." Finally, let the teacher, recognizing the true nobility and the far-reaching influence of his profession-stretching beyond mature years or middle age, or even the last of earth, and beyond the stars to a deathless eternity-pursue his daily duties with ardor, with earnestness of purpose, with tireless energy. Hon. Schuyler Colfax. We " upon whom the ends of the world are come" are certainly living in a crowded as well as a fast age. It may be feared that its accelerated velocity is owing to the fact that its progress is downward, morally and intellectually. The passion for cramming seems, indeed, universal in our academies, and even in our town schools. It is wonderful, indeed lamentable, to observe how much knowledge is crammed into the heads of our boys, and even our girls, for young ladies' seminaries have caught the infection. Some printed outlines of instruction in what are termed Young Ladies' Collegiate Institutes, where they graduate at public commencements and proceed Mistresses of Arts, exhibit an extended course of the arts and sciences usually included in a college curriculum, with the higher mathematics. What a shame it is that any young girl in the heyday of her life and spirits should be tortured with such stuff. I noticed, the other day, a little urchin, "creeping, snail like, unwillingly to school," and counted eight books strapped between two boards carried on his back. I conjectured that he might possibly that morning have to recite to eight different teachers or professors. I must confess that I cannot help looking at the present generation of growing boys, who are subjected to this infliction, with great compassion. It is not surprising that they become men before they have ceased to be boys-have so careworn an appearance, and look so prematurely old. The effects of an overworked brain on the physical constitution are slow and treacherous. The work of undermining is going on while the superstructure seems all safe and sound. The effect on the mind of learning a great many things at first, in a hurried and confused manner, is not only to generate intellectual habits of the worst possible sort, but to make the steps of the progress not be, if every step was firmly fixed before the foot was raised to take a second, but more and more difficult. They come to do every thing by rote, without understanding or appreciating. This is not the way to create a love for study. In the race to accomplish great things we seem to have forgotten the good old motto-“ Festina lente"-the unquestionable axiom that accurate knowledge of the first elements, well engrafted in the mind by frequent repetition, goes much farther in making a thorough scholar than lessons, recitations, and lectures, intended to put the pupil in possession of every thing that ever was or is known.-Hon. Geo. Sharswood. A BEAUTIFUL INCIDENT.-A naval officer being at sea in a dreadful storm, his wife, who was sitting in the cabin near him, filled with alarm for the safety of the vessel, was so surprised with his composure and serenity, that she cried out : "My dear, are you not afraid? How is it possible you can be so calm in such a dreadful storm?" He rose from his chair, lashed to the deck, supporting himself by a pillar of the bed-place, drew his sword, and pointing it to the breast of his wife, exclaimed: "Are you afraid of that sword?" A FABLE. A young man once picked up a sovereign lying on the road. Ever afterwards, as he walked along, he kept his eyes steadfastly on the ground, in hopes of finding another. And, in the course of a long life, he did pick up at different times, a good amount of gold and silver. But all these days as he looked for them, he saw not that heaven was bright above him, and nature beautiful around. He never once allowed his eyes to look up from the mud and filth in which he sought the treasure; and when he died a rich old man, he only knew this fair earth of ours as a dirty road to pick up money as you walk along. THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL JOURNAL: AN EDUCATIONAL MAGAZINE. VOL. XVIII.-No. 7. JANUARY, 1870. THO. H. BURROWES, Editor and Publisher. 1870. This is the first number in the ordinary year; and were it not that custom seems to exact some notice of the fact as an era in Journal as well as other human affairs, it would be passed by without remark. Our editorial labors have continued so long and have run on from year to year with so few and those only the gradual changes that "time and the hour" bring about in the slow but sure progress of school affairs, that the occasion was well nigh passing unnoticed. It must suffice, then, to say that the year before both Editor and reader will witness the monthly issue of the Journal,-life and health permitting, in the same form, with the same purpose and on the same principles as have marked the past; and while health, success and happiness are cordially wished to its readers and friends, such support and kindly acceptance as it may be found worthy of is respectfully asked at their hands. The movement itself is a right one, and if carried out in the proper spirit and confined to proper objects, will accomplish ends to be effected by no other means. In fact, so clear have we long been in this opinion, that several years ago the attempt was made to provide by law for the holding of an annual meeting, for several days, in each county, of the whole body of its Directors, under the lead and instruction of the proper County Superintendent: a kind WHOLE NO. 211. Associate, J. P. McCASKEY of Directors' Institute. Here might be discussed and learned the proper mode of keeping the minutes of the Board, of laying the tax, of visiting the schools, of securing uniformity in school-books, of making the District reports, of regulating the relations and contracts of adjoining Districts, &c., &c. And here also would best be made known those general instructions and explanations both of the State and County Superintendent, which the latter would be on the spot to give; and also to afford info mation in particular cases of difficulty, which so often arise and which are so unsatisfactorily disposed of by letter. Here also well managed and successful Districts could, on request, give their experience and make known the means of their success, to those requiring exactly that kind of information. But beyond this official, this legitimate ground, we more than question the propriety of a Directors' Convention, and especially any official action looking to the alteration of the school law itself. That is the province of the Legislature. To be sure, it may be replied, that suggestions of changes in any land may and generally do come from the people to the Legislature, and that Directors being also citizens may rightfully propose such Granted. But changes as they deem proper. then according to our social customs and rights, they are to do so not as directors, but as citizens; for, in reference to the suitableness or unsuitableness of any feature in the school law, the opinion of a School Director who lays the tax, is of no more weight than that of the private citizen who pays his tax and sends his half dozen of children to school. This thing of executive officers combining their influence to change a law and thus trespass upon the powers of legislation is wrong, and if generally carried into practice would destroy one of the great safeguards of our governmental system,-that of the distribution of its powers into Legislative, Let public officers Executive and Judicial. |