with the wants of their souls. They thirst for the water of life; they hunger for the bread of heaven; and never can the teacher be regarded as "clear in his great office"-as having performed his duty in the sight of God, if he fails to relieve their spiritual wants. Let the rich fruits of his reading, the wealth gleaned from his library, be poured into their lean and impoverished minds. Let his purity, dignity, kindness and refinement, distil like dew upon their rugged hearts. Let his wise precepts and noble examples gradually win them to the admiration and consequent imitation of all that is good and great in human character.

We see no reason why the teacher may not acquire some knowledge of the fine arts, their origin, history, and present state. The history of the different schools of art, and the lives of the most eminent artists, may well engage his attention. He may have small opportunities of examining works of art, he may have little time to devote to this study; still, he may read, and think, and observe enough upon this subject to open the fountains of beauty within his own soul and those of his pupils. He can "add a precious seeing" to their eyes, and enable them to detect the presence of an all-pervading beauty in the ever-shifting scene around them.

The advocates of the cui bono may smile to see it gravely asserted that the teacher should possess the first principles of an æsthetical culture. Their short-sighted, earth-born prudence may mock at everything that does not promise some tangible, material result. But, surely, that cannot be regarded as useless which tends to refine and elevate all the enjoyments of life, -to emancipate us from the thraldom of sense, and raise us into a spiritual atmosphere; to lead the soul, by a contemplation of the works of nature, up to nature's God. Hear the testimony of Dr. Channing upon this point: "No man receives the true culture of a man in whom the sensibility to the beautiful is not cherished; I know of no condition in life from which it should be excluded. Of all luxuries, this is the cheapest and the most at hand; and it seems to me to be most important to those conditions where coarse labor tends to give a grossness to the mind." It is painful to think of the mass of men as living in the very presence of all this beauty of nature, and yet insensible to it! An infinite joy is lost to them by the want of culture of this spiritual endowment. And yet every man possesses in his own breast the capacity for this enjoyment. Could his eyes be once opened, could his heart be once touched, could the fountain of beauty be once unsealed, the stream would flow of itself. "We can receive but what we give,

And in our life alone does nature live."

Nature is dead to us, until our unfolding and expanding faculties are able to detect the life and beauty that glow upon her

1

countenance. Until then her forms and sounds and hues are but fair ciphers and unmeaning words.

"We may not hope from outward forms to win

The passion and the life, when fountains are within."

What a store-house of beautiful forms does the sky become to us! no two moments alike; its expression ever varying; its beauty ever undergoing transformations! Not an hour that does not witness the birth of some ethereal being.

"A dancing shape, an image gay,
To haunt, to startle, and waylay."

passes

And yet how few-how passing few there are who receive this heaven-sent beauty! Would not the teacher be well employed, were he to labor at all proper times, to render his pupils capable of feeling its influence? They might not, it is true, be able to solve so many problems in algebra and geometry – the prescribed and regular studies might receive less attention; yet his labor would not be lost, nor their time misspent. A rich reward would be seen in the character of his pupils,-in their greater refinement, and even in their greater susceptibity of moral impressions.

We have not named all the books nor all the classes of books that should belong to the teacher's library. Such was not our purpose. We would simply insist upon his having a library of some kind. Its character must depend upon his taste and pecuniary ability. But if he is worthy of his profession, he will succeed; and thus cannot fail to have the means of furnishing himself with books. He himself will reap the first great benefit from them, his pupils next, society next. Nor will the good cease then. It will go on repeating and perpetuating from generation to generation.

LIST OF WORKS ON EDUCATION.

Theory and Practice of Teaching, by D. P. Page, 8vo, pp. 349.

The School and Schoolmaster, by Alonzo Potter, D. D., and G. B. Emerson, A. M., 12mo, pp. 552.

Lectures before the Am. Institute of Instruction, 19 vols. Lectures on Education, by Horace Mann, 12mo, pp. 38. Life and Correspondence of Thos. Arnold, D. D., 8vo, pp. 490. History of Education, Ancient and Modern, by H. L. Smith, A. M.

Report on Education in Europe, by A. D. Bache, 12mo, 666. Hints on a System of Popular Education, by Prof. E. C. Wines, 12mo, pp. 225.

The Teacher Taught, or the Principles and Modes of Teaching, by E. Davis, D. D., 12mo, pp. 79.

Lord Brougham on Education, 12mo, pp. 91.

The Teachers' Institute, by Wm. B. Fowle, 12mo, pp. 258. The Teacher, or Moral Influences Employed in the Instruction and Government of the Young, by Jacob Abbott, 12mo, 293. Some Thoughts concerning Education, by John Locke, and a Treatise on Education, by John Milton, edited by Wm. Russell, 12mo, pp. 317.

The Evil Tendencies of Corporal Punishment as a Means of Moral Discipline in Families and Schools, Examined and Discussed, by L. Cobb, A. M., 8vo, pp. 270.

The Teacher's Manual, by T. H. Palmer, pp. 253.
The District School as it Was, by Rev. W. Burton.
Confessions of a Schoolmaster, by W. A. Alcott, M. D.
Combe's Lectures on Female Education.

Fowler on Education and Self-Improvement.

Means and Ends, or Self-Training, by Mrs. Sedgwick. American Education, its Principles and Elements, dedicated to the Teachers of the United States, by E. D. Mansfield, 12mo, pp. 330.

Account of the Edinburgh Sessional School, by John Wood, Esq.

School Architecture, by Hon. H. Barnard.

Prize Essay on the Improvement of the Common Schools of Connecticut, by Prof. N. Porter.

Spurzheim's Elements of Education, 12mo, 334 pp.
Simpson on Popular Education.

Taylor's Home Education.

Locke Amsden, or the Schoolmaster.

The Student's Manual, by John Todd, D. D., 12mo, 392. Dr. Channing on Self-Culture.

The Schoolmaster's Friend, by Theodore Dwight, Jr.

Sweet's Temporary Normal School, or Teacher's Institute. The Common School System of N. York, by S. S. Randall, Esq. Lectures on School-keeping, by Rev. S. R. Hall.

Transactions of the Boston Literary Institute and College of Professional Teachers, 6 vols., 8vo.

Massachusetts System of Common Schools, by H. Mann.
Dunn's Teacher's Manual.

Davis's Teacher Taught.

Teacher's Manual, by Wm. P. Lyon, A. M., New York. The Training System of Education, by David Stone, Esq., pp. 505, London.

Levena, or the Doctrine of Education, translated from the German, pp. 487, London.

British Education, pp. 535, by Sheridan.

Dr. E. Bibber's Lectures on Education, pp. 287, London. On State Education in Holland, pp. 294, by M. Victor Cousin, London.

Dr. Fordyce on Education, an English work.

Fireside Education, by S. G. Goodrich.

Christian Nurture, by Bushnell.

Self-Formation, or the History of an Individual Mind.

Teaching a Science; The Teacher an Artist, by B. R. Hall, A. M., 12mo, pp. 305.

Popular Education for Parents and Teachers, by Ira Mayhew, A. M., pp. 467.

Educational Systems of the Puritans and Jesuits Compared, a Premium Essay, by Prof. Porter, Yale College, 12mo, pp. 95. Self-Culture and the Perfection of Character, by O. S. Fowler, 12mo, pp. 212.

Memory and Intellectual Improvement, 12mo, 231 pp., by O. S. Fowler.

Dr. Priestley's Lectures on Education.

Outline of a System of National Education, an English work. British System of Education, Lancaster's Epitome.

Sermons on the Education of Children, by Zollikofer.

Education Des Meres De Famille, par L. Amie Martin, 12mo, 2 vols.

Cours De Pedagogie, on Prin ci pes D'Education Publique, par M. Ambroise Rendu Fils, 12mo, pp. 229.

Knox on Education, English, 12mo, 2 vols.

Lessons of a Governess to her Pupils, by Countess De Genliss, 2 vols., 12mo.

[NOTE.-For a list of the principal Educational Journals, and Reports on Education. and for a fuller description of some of the above works, reference is made to Vol. I, No. 12, of the Teacher, edited by W. H. Wells, Esq. The publisher has on hand copies of that number, and can supply orders; price 10 cents.]

FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The annual, and second Report of Dr. Sears to the Legislature has been made.

It evinces great ability, persevering industry, and the most careful observation, on the part of the Secretary in the discharge of his official duties.

The people of Massachusetts have fresh occasion for continued and increased confidence in the plan of popular education, and in the wisdom and fidelity of the Secretary chosen to have an oversight over this vital interest.

If zeal, fidelity, and profound scholarship, are the necessary requisites for a fitness to discharge the important duties of this office, then indeed we cannot overrate the gentleman who occupies so prominent a place in the educational interests of Massachusetts. It is to be regretted that his Report was received so late for

this number, as we can only give a meagre review of it at this time, with the hope that our successor will do it justice in the next number.

He first alludes to the continuance of public opinion in favor of public education. One of the greatest dangers to the system arises from complacency and apathy. In speaking of the evils and imperfections in the present state of our Common Schools, he says: "There is in one part of the community a lamentable indifference to the whole subject of education. Those who belong to it are yet to be reached by some influence which shall arouse them from their slumbers and dispel their ignorance. Educational papers and books they will not read. They must be visited at their homes, and attracted to those public meetings which are held for their benefit. As a consequence of this indifference, inadequate appropriations are made for the support of schools. Some, comparing the schools of the present day, in respect to expense, with those in which they and their fathers were educated, and not seeing the necessity of the increased expense required to sustain schools of an elevated character, object to additional appropriations. Strange as it may appear, the larger portion of the substantial tax-payers in the towns are ready to appropriate a liberal amount for purposes of education. Yet a few men of selfish principles and aims, and of extensive influence, by forming a combination with the ignorant or indifferent, and persuading them that the school money is lavishly expended for useless purposes, are able to make formidable resistance to any liberal proposition for improving the condition of the Common Schools. These false notions need to be publicly combated and exploded, in order that the common people, who are voting blindly against the free education of their own children, may be delivered from their fatal error, and brought to a sense of their parental responsibilities."

Text-Books. This subject is one of great perplexity to the community, and we are glad to see the following judicious remarks. "The subject of the selection of text-books to be used in the Public Schools, is one of increasing importance and difficulty. The number of persons competent to examine them is so few, the labor of examining numerous series of books on all the branches taught in the schools is so great,-the sensitiveness of the people to frequent changes is so keen,- and the complicated machinery of book agents and publishers is worked with such amazing power, that committees stand aghast, and the whole Commonwealth, from one end to another, is ringing with complaint. Abuses and impositions of the most flagrant character are of daily occurrence. A more efficient power needs to be created; and men, who thoroughly understand the subject, and who shall be independent of authors, publishing-houses, and agents, need to be appointed for this special work."