governed. They are not so well taught. They are a great hindrance to those more advanced. They are exceedingly troublesome to the teacher. It is bad economy. They occupy part of the time of a teacher who is paid, it may be, at the rate of forty dollars a month, and are less benefited than they would be under a female teacher whose services could be had for half that sum. It is not necessary to repeat what has so often been said in regard to the happier adaptation of the female mind than that of the male to the government and instruction of children. How many a tender child is injured by the stern administration of just the man required for full-grown boys; by harsh decisions formed in haste, when there was not time to weigh all the circumstances of the case; and by the ill-treatment, rough language, and bad example in morals and manners of the older scholars! The intellect of children stands equally in need of the training which woman is best qualified to give. She is accustomed to take concrete views of things. Neither her mental constitution, nor her habits, have led her to contemplate things chiefly in the abstract. She paints to the imagination, where the male teacher defines and reasons. She gives form and color and life to what the male teacher treats as an abstract principle. She can more easily bridge over the chasm between the natural life of infancy or childhood, and the artificial thing called a school. It is only by putting himself under an unnatural constraint that the male teacher can, in this respect, perform what is easy and natural to the female. He is prone to take too long steps in his instruction, to which the minds of the pupils are not yet adequate. Not only has his mind been disciplined by severe study, which may be as true of the female teacher, but it has received its masculine type with fixed habits of thought. He has not the patience to graduate his elementary instructions by so minute a scale, and to advanee by so slow a pace as is required by the conditions of the young mind. He is full of energy and power, and wishes to rush forward with his pupils to the higher studies. The very same qualities of mind which unfit him to be a teacher of young children, qualify him both to govern and to teach boys of more advanced years.'

(To be continued.)

PROBLEM.

(1.) x2-50x+xy+x2y5+xy6=50y.

(2.) x2y—100x+xy2(1+y2) (1+x)+xy3=100y.

T.

THE PRIMARY TEACHER.

WE are told that when Sir Robert Peel was quite a child, his father would frequently set him on a table and say, "Now, Robin, make a speech, and I will give you this cherry." The few words stammered out by the little fellow were received as a praiseworthy effort, and he was applauded accordingly. Stimulated by the attention and encouragement thus given, it is said that before "Robin" was ten years of age, he was able to address the company with some considerable degree of eloquence.

It appears that Sir Robert's father designed, from the birth of the child, to educate and train him expressly for a seat in Parliament. With what success the father's project was carried out, requires no recital at this time. The point to which the attention of teachers, and especially primary teachers, is called in this incident, is the early age at which the child's education commenced, the assiduous attention and efficient manner by which he was carried forward in his course of training till the great object was attained. When we are informed that in mature manhood, a member of Parliament, he was able to remember accurately for a long time, the speech of an opponent, and answer in correct succession every point of his arguments, we are not to conclude that the simple exercise in his boyhood of treasuring up in memory the sermons he heard in Drayton church, and repeating them word for word to his father, as he was required to do, was the only means by which he acquired such a wonderful command of memory. When mounted on that table, there was an effort of will put forth, which acted as a bond to hold together, in their proper relations, all the faculties of mind necessary to accomplish the object. Perception,of an object to be attained; conception,-of ideas to be presented; memory and judgment, with respect to words to represent the ideas,—all the faculties which the Baronet employed in his greatest efforts, in the councils of the nation, were in the infantile trials brought into active exercise, feeble, imperfect indeed, but not destitute of a powerful influence in the formation of the character of the future statesman and orator.

The great secret in this case, well worthy the serious consideration of every parent and teacher, is that the faculties of mind were early, very early preoccupied with one leading, controlling object; whereby other less important, perhaps vicious ones were forestalled. The child may have had all the amusements and childish employments needful for relaxation and enjoyment, yet the great object is at no time to be subordinate to anything else. For many years the boy himself may be almost wholly

unconscious of the great object for which his present training is qualifying him; but there is a controlling mind, the father's, which for the present is a substitute in that respect for his own, and will withdraw its agency whenever his own shall be able to comprehend and act for itself.

It was, undoubtedly, this preoccupying of the mind with musical taste, whether it was innate, or very early created, that rendered Mozart, the son of a distinguished musician, a prodigy at three years of age, and conferred upon him an immortal fame in after years. Is it not a fair inference, that the influence of wise and judicious parents, in impressing a love for truth and all that is good on the infantile mind of Washington, did more to make him what he proved to be, than anything else? On the other hand, who is not painfully convinced, that that child whose appetite was early perverted and pampered with sweetmeats and whatever could gratify the palate, in whose mind a luxurious style of living became the engrossing theme, till pecuniary embarrassment as a consequence led him to crime and an ignominious death, was swept irresistibly along that rapidly descending current, whose source had been opened freely to him through mistaken kindness of friends, while those springs which might have imparted a salutary influence, rendered him an invaluable citizen and maintained him on a commanding literary and scientific eminence, were forever sealed to him?

A French infidel is said to have asserted, that if he could have the exclusive control of a child during the first five years of its life, he could teach it to violate every law of God and man without compunction, ever after.

If there be truth in the foregoing, how critical is every step of the first decennary of an intellectual being! Instructed he will be, principles will be established,-habits formed;-but under whose supervision? It is the object of this article, to call the attention of primary teachers, more particularly, to the great responsibility they assume in performing the duties of "teacher of little children." Too generally the impression prevails that almost any one is competent to teach little children, but when advanced in age and studies, more competent teachers must be provided. While this may be true, in some respects, it is most seriously important that certain qualifications of the teacher of little children should be of the very highest character, in all cases.

The teaching of letters, the primary branches of study, are made the first, too often the sole object of school attendance. The requirement of proper deportment usually goes but little further than to meet the convenience of the teacher and school, in conducting the operations of school exercises. But how

small a part of the education even of a child is comprehended in this, if successfully accomplished? Suppose with the increasing strength, mental and physical, the passions become rampant, -the desires become uncontrollable,-taste perverted,-judgment distorted or paralyzed, and the will with despotic sway urges each to extremes,-of what service will it be that the mind has become more enlightened? Better would it be that such a beast of prey should be enshrouded in midnight darkness, that his victim might escape the notice of his malignant eye.

One of the very highest qualifications, then, of a primary teacher, consists in an ability to cultivate right affections,regulate the desires,-form proper habits of action,-to associate in a proper manner with companions, and manifest becoming respect to superiors ;-in short, to teach the child how to think and act right under all possible circumstances. Then, how easy to ingraft on anything, desirable to such a character, whatever of an intellectual nature may be required. The farmer who should sow his grain on ground unprepared for its reception, would scarcely expect an abundant crop from the sickly blades, struggling amidst the luxuriant weeds overshadowing them.

Experience seems to prove more and more clearly every day, that dulness in learning, disinclination to mental effort and improvement, spring, in most cases, from injudicious management of the child in its earliest stages of life, by parents first, and next by its first teachers.

At the outset care is not taken to present proper objects in a suitable manner so as to preoccupy the mind, and give it bent in a right direction. What a vast majority of minds of children are left to be formed at hazard, by the thousand occurrences of each day, just as they may chance to meet the desires of the child? Is it a matter of wonder, then, after being accustomed for a time to receive or reject external influences at pleasure, that he should reject the influences of his teacher when they fail to correspond with his wishes?

The parent is first to give right impressions, and as the teacher stands for the time "in loco parentis," must receive the charge from the parents' hands with all due care, and feeling of responsibility. Farther than this, if it is not the teacher's duty to make amends, so far as may be, for the neglect, ignorance or incompetency of parents, upon whom may or can it fall?

Allusion has been made, thus far more particularly, to the formation of character of the child. The first instructions given, and their influence in after life, are of no small importance, and may receive attention hereafter.

Springfield, Feb. 1851.

P.

TEACHING PHYSIOLOGY.

[We commend to the attention of the public school teacher especially, the following article, written by a distinguished female teacher who has been long connected with the public schools of Massachusetts.]

THE following Act, requiring Physiology and Hygiene to be taught in the public schools, was passed by the General Court, on the 24th of April, 1850.

"SECT. 1. Physiology and Hygiene shall hereafter be taught in all the public schools of this Commonwealth, in all cases in which the School Committee shall deem it expedient.

"SECT. 2. All school teachers shall hereafter be examined in their knowledge of the elementary principles of Physiology and Hygiene, and their ability to give instruction in the same.

"SECT. 3. This Act shall take effect on and after the first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one."

In the practical application of the above enactment, I will attempt to enumerate some of the many points which may receive more or less attention.

1. That part of the human system which has been termed "its frame-work," namely, the bones, may be described in its general structure and uses. In this connection, those means and practices that have a tendency to cause deformities of the bones of the extremities, and distortion of the spinal column, may be profitably pointed out.

2. After a consideration of the bones, the muscles (lean meat,) may be considered. The general structure and action of a muscle may be detailed to a pupil, and then the conditions upon which their development, energy, and health depend, may form profitable topics of instruction. These would include the action of muscles with their alternate rest, the effects of compression upon their size and energy, the influence of different states of mental and moral feelings, together with the varying condition of the blood with which they are supplied, upon their tone and action.

The appropriate methods of training or educating the muscles in reading, singing, writing, drawing, and in the practical mechanical pursuits and other vocations, would be useful topics of attention in this connection. The consideration of the above named points would embrace the examination of the proper and improper position while sitting, standing, and walking, together with the adaptation of the seats and benches in school-houses, halls, churches, and shops, to the imperative requirements of organic law in the locomotive apparatus of man.

3. The general conformation of the teeth, their uses, and the conditions upon the observance of which their health and beau