geon, because in the earlier stages of the defect treatment and glasses may cure the squint, and when too late to do this the eyes should be straightened by an operation which is a very simple one in the hands of an expert. Otherwise the crossed eye may eventually become blind from non-use.

Now in regard to "cataract," we hear every day persons talking of a cataract over the sight, and of cutting a cataract off the eye-ball. This is an error, because a cataract, being a cloudiness or opacity of the "crystalline lens," which is the focusing body of the eye, and situated behind the sight or pupil, is necessarily inside of the eye-ball, in the rear of the colored curtain called the iris. To remove a cataract, therefore, the eye-ball must be split open, and requires an expertness and delicacy of touch only to be acquired by experience.

The care of our eyes is an important question. These organs are no exception to the general rule that moderate and rational use is advantageous to their well-being, whilst over-working them in any way is apt to be followed by bad results. In reading or studying, people should occasionally interrupt the continuous strain upon the accommodation by looking away from the page, or even laying aside the book for a few moments. In fact, this interruption is conducive to a better understanding of the contents of the volume, because clear and close thought requires absolute rest of everything except the brain. It is said that Democritus put out his own eyes that his brain might work untrammelled.

Reading in cars or carriages is injurious because the constant motion necessitates constant variation of the accommodation, which is exceedingly fatiguing.

Reading lying down is another very injurious habit, because, in addition to the regular demand upon the muscle of accommodation, there is an additional and injurious demand upon the side muscles of the eye-ball, that direct the eyes to the print; and besides this, there is a tendency to determination of blood to the head and eyes on account of the position of the body, and congestion of the bottom of the eye naturally results.

Never attempt to keep up study or reading when sleepy. The constant tendency to relax the muscle of accommodation, and the effort to bring it back to its work, causes congestion. Bad print in turn is followed by the same results, and the Lakeside, Seaside and other such publications do harm by bad print as much as by the trashy contents of the volumes.

When the strength is below par we should not overtax our eyes,

as the familiar adage of "mens sana in corpore sano" is as applicable to the sight as to the mind.

The indiscriminate use of remedies for eye-troubles because they have benefited some one else is to be always condemned. Many a good lady has seen her child's eye destroyed by a poultice recom mended by some kind neighbor who knew exactly what to do for the case. Sugar of lead has ruined many eyes, because people have heard it was good for sore eyes, and concluded it was the proper thing to buy.

As to patented eye-washes, nostrums, etc., it is marvellous how credulous the public are in regard to them, and the damage done by them is incalulable.

It is also a strange commentary on this enlightened age to see what crowds flock to the consulting rooms of pretenders and ignorant oculists, traveling quacks, etc. No rational man would entrust his business matters, his houses, lands, etc., to uncertain and traveling lawyers. Why, then, should he trust his eyes or those of his family, which are more valuable than all the houses, lands and money in the world, to the care of advertising humbugs, or to the uncertain application of some patented eye-water, which he has bought on its own recommendation?

The proper thing to do, when your eyes fail you or are in trouble, is what good common sense would dictate if you stopped to listen to it, and that is to consult a competent oculist, whose interest it is to cure you and to use all the resources of science to do it, as much as it is your interest to be cured.

Preparation of the Teacher.

What preparation does the teacher require? He requires (1) a broad range of scholarship and general culture; (2) a vivid and rich conception of the true end of education; (3) a knowledge of, and practical acquaintance with, the right methods to be used in attaining that end; (4) a knowledge of the principles upon which those methods are based; and (5) a vivid and rich conception of education values. There is undoubtedly a truth in that paradox of Jacotot's, that a man can teach what he does not know. All that a teacher accomplishes he accomplishes by being the occasion of the mental activity of his pupils. As we can do nothing in the physical world save by bringing things into new relations, and leaving the result to the laws of nature,

so we can accomplish nothing in the world of mind save by subjecting mind to new influences and leaving the result to the action of its laws. And when a teacher has thus set his pupils' minds going, they may reach results in detail which he has never thought of. A teacher of botany, who by skilful methods sets his pupils to observing flowers instead of memorizing a text-book about flowers, or a teacher of geology who sets his pupils to observing rocks, is sure to find from time to time that his pupils have observed facts or characteristics to which his own attention has never been attracted. A teacher of mathematics will often have the same experience. Pupils who are taught to think for themselves, to discover their own solutions, will often please their teacher by producing correct demonstrations which are new even to him. But though a teacher can in this sense teach what he does not know, it is unnecessary to waste words with an attempt to show that he cannot teach a subject properly which he does not understand. And the more thoroughly he understands it, the better he understands the things with which it is connected, the better he can teach it. It is not an exaggeration, paradoxical as it may seem, to assert that the complete explanation of the principles that underlie the simple process of multiplication require a knowledge of the most advanced branches of mathematics. The conception of multiplication derived from the consideration of whole numbers must be modified in order to include the multiplication of fractions, and this in order to include the conception of the multiplication of positive algebraic quantities, and this in order to include the multiplication of negative quantities. Nothing is more natural than for the teacher of arithmetic to say that it is self-evident that 6X7=7X6, and to generalize that the product of any quantity aX by any other quantity 6, equals the product of b×a. But precisely that generalization, paradoxical as it may seem, is false. It is no exaggeration to say that the absolutely ideal teacher would need to know everything in order to teach any one thing well. For every single thing is related to all other things, and the perfect comprehension of any one thing would involve the knowledge of the relation of that thing to all other things. But though in such a world as this, we must be content with something far short of the absolute ideal; we can fairly demand that teachers should have a tolerably thorough knowledge of their subjects. Fitch well says that no teacher can teach all he knows of any subject. In fact, many people first become aware of the defects of their knowledge when they attempt to communicate it to others. They hear a story and are conscious of no

gap in their knowledge of it until they undertake to tell it, and then they find that the date, or the place, or something else is wanting. Further, no one can thoroughly illustrate what he does not understand. What teacher of psychology has not known pupils to say that they understand the meaning of perception, for instance, who could not give any illustrations of it when called upon to do so? They were not consciously ignorant of it, and yet so imperfect was their grasp of it, that they could produce no instances of what they were doing in every moment of their waking life. And still further, a thorough knowledge of the subject taught is essential because the consciousness of it gives the teacher that feeling of power that enables him to speak in a tone that carries conviction. A teacher whose knowledge of a subject is very imperfect will know it, unless he is so poorly educated as to know nothing well, and the consciousness of that fact will betray itself in his voice and in his entire manner. He will be tempted to hurry along without comment, and if he ventures a remark, he will speak in such an uncertain, half-hearted, unemphatic manner as neither to excite attention nor awaken interest. If pupils care anything about a subject taught in such a manner it is not because of the teacher, but in spite of him. All his influence is exerted to create a disgust for the subject, and if that is not the result, the fault is not his. Still further, a teacher needs a thorough knowledge of his subject, that he may not be afraid of saying, "I don't know." Nothing marks the educated man more clearly than the ability to definitely bound his knowledge. The man who imagines he knows everything has no clear idea of anything. Socrates used to insist, that next to conscious knowledge, conscious ignorance is the most desirable thing, and he was right. And one of the conditions of developing in pupils a sense of conscious ignorance of that of which they are ignorant, is getting the consent of their wills to that. A man who is unwilling to confess to himself that he is not omniscient, is likely to regard himself as an exceedingly well informed man, and an omniscient teacher uses all the influence of his example to make omniscient pupils. But a teacher who feels that he is poorly prepared to teach a given subject, will be afraid to confess his ignorance to his pupils. He will either discourage questions-than which nothing. can be more fatal to good teaching-or he will evade and equivocate in the vain attempt to conceal his ignorance.

But while a successful teacher must have a thorough knowledge of his subject, he needs a general knowledge of very much besides. There have been many definitions of a pedant. I would define a

pedant as a man who sees everything from one point of view and so sees everything in a distorted relation. Thus he who knows nothing but mathematics is in danger of thinking a man a fool who has not studied quaternions, and he who knows nothing but science is likely to be a skeptic as to the possibility of obtaining culture from the study of the classics or the literatures of modern languages. And the man whose views are so narrow and contracted cannot exert a healthy influence upon his pupils. They feel that if to be a scholar is to be like that they would rather not be scholars.-Journal of Pedagogy.

Some Suggestions on Teaching Arithmetic.

In teaching arithmetic keep in mind the fact that many pupils leave school before completing any text-books on that study. Let these study mostly that which will be of practical value to them in after life.

Illustrate all primary operations by means of objects as far as possible. The idea of ten 1's, or ten, can be taught best by putting ten objects together and calling the collection a ten. Objects are much superior to pictures as a means of illustration.

Use the numeral frame freely at first, even if you must purchase one for yourself. It is a most useful piece of school apparatus.

Give pupils copious exercises in counting both forward and backward, not only by 1's, but also by combinations of 2's, 3's, and so on up to 10's or even 12's. This will assist them greatly in future rapid calculations.

Give special attention to the addition of columns-first by single figures, then by combinations. Practice in addition enters more largely into business life than probably any other process of arithmetic. Accuracy here is a prime necessity.

Add a large number of practical problems to the text-book exercises given under each topic.

Give thorough drill on the fundamental rules; all others are based on these.

Require pupils to originate problems embracing the principles they have studied; this will not only give them practice, but it will also show that they have thought for themselves, and not merely memorized the rules and "worked for the answer."

Give your pupils combination problems—that is, problems which