speaks of "Cervantes's experience in life." What will the exquisites do, on whose ears the sound of the English possessive 8, grates so harshly? This goes almost beyond the claim which I make for myself. But, after all, I believe Ticknor is right.

There is one class of words about which there may be a difference of opinion in regard to the manner in which they should be written and pronounced, in the possessive case. This class consists of words from foreign languages, and especially of proper names. Take, for instance, the French Bouhours, De Piles, Des Cartes. How shall these, and such as these, be written and pronounced in English, in the possessive case? Dr. Campbell, in his Philosophy of Rhetoric, says "De Piles' original performance," and "Bouhours' version." This is the mode generally adopted of writing these and similar names. This mode of writing implies the French mode of pronouncing; so that without the apostrophe, the final s of the word is silent, with the apostrophe, the final s is sounded, like the simple English apostrophic s. De Piles, the s silent: De Piles', in sound, the same as if written De Pile's.

8

But there is another, and, I think, a better way of writing such phrases; and that is to add the apostrophic 8,- as "De Piles's original," &c. In this way the mere English scholar, who knows nothing about French, would very properly pronounce the word Piles's as an English word, giving to each s its distinct and appropriate sound; while the person who should prefer the French pronunciation, would sound only the added apostrophic s, leaving the other silent as in the original word.

But, Mr. Editor, I must draw to a close. I do really feel very sensitive in regard to the annihilation with which I have been threatened. If the schoolmistresses and schoolmasters are against me, who will be for me? What will soon be the value of my life? It is true that the greatest and most thorough scholars are in my favor; but these men are few and far between. Their books are not generally fitted for childhood and youth. They are rather fitted for and read by a select few of adults. But the Teachers, they are all over the land. They it is who mould the speech as well as the character of the community, with a power almost irresistible. I call upon them through you, to reexamine my claims to a respectable and honorable place in the English language. I believe they mean to do what is right and honorable by me, but that they are prevented from doing it by some unaccountable delusion. Possibly they may awake from their delusion and rescue me from ruin. Possibly they may reinstate me in those gaps which I was intended to fill, and from which I have been so long excluded. Hoping that this may be the case, I subscribe myself very respectfully,

Your Obdt. Servt.

POSSESSIVE CASE.

USE OF TEXT-BOOKS IN SCHOOLS.

USE

THERE is much said at the present day, about the use of text-books in schools. And there are many who would drive them from the school-house altogether, and have oral instruction and inductive reasoning take their place. It is said that ideas are the great desideratum for scholars to acquire, and not words: now we would say that ideas and words are both necessary to be learned.

Perhaps we might discover the origin of this opinion by glancing at the past. There is no doubt that there was a great deficiency in all our public schools fifty years ago. The teachers were men wholly unfit for their station, except, perhaps, in physical ability. There were but very few books used; and those that were used, were not best adapted to the young mind. When men who were thus educated, grew up, and reflected upon the manner in which they had been instructed, they thought they could remedy the defects in the school system by the introduction of more and better books. With the introduction of books, came the demand for teachers who had "book learning;" and for a series of years, the chief thing that was required in the examination of teachers, was a knowledge of books. But experience has shown that this system too is defective. The true Yankee spirit is ever seeking for the practical, and not for pleasure or show. Yet we still believe that books may be used in the present state of things, to great advantagethat they must be used, if we would do the greatest possible amount of good.

If text-books were not used in schools, we should require very different teachers from those that are now employed. In order to be fitted for a teacher, a man would need not merely to have a general understanding of the branches he was to teach; he must be a perfect master of them. The common-school teacher must have, in his own mind, a perfect system of Arithmetic and Grammar and Geography; and he must have them at perfect command. It would be a poor time to stop and study, and philosophize about the best method of unfolding a new principle in Arithmetic to the young mind, when the class were all assembled on the recitation seat, anxiously waiting to catch the words of wisdom as they fell from the lips of their teacher. We have no objection to teachers who are thus qualified; on the contrary we would rejoice to see such teachers, and such alone, employed. But it might be a difficult matter to find a sufficient number of this kind. Moreover, if such teachers only were employed, many of us who are now engaged in teaching, might be left out of business; so that if we wish to continue in our present calling, it would be well for us to let this matter rest.

If we consider the number of scholars, and the diversity of their ages, capacities, and attainments, we shall see that there is great demand for text-books. It is a fact, admitted by all, that the best way to keep scholars out of mischief, is to keep them busy. But if a teacher has forty or sixty scholars of all ages and dispositions, he must have a very peculiar faculty to invent business, if he can find something better for each one to be engaged in, than the study of a text-book.

But I have said that it is necessary to learn words. I am well aware that in saying this, I speak contrary to the opinions of some who consider themselves good judges of an education. Words are not the natural companions of ideas. A man may be replete with good ideas, and still bear a poor comparison with another, who has fewer ideas but an abundance of words. It is one thing to have the naked form, but it is altogether a different thing to so clothe that form and cover its deformities, that it shall appear beautiful and attractive.

It is no more than reasonable to suppose that a man who has spent a long time in the preparation of a book, should find out the best possible manner of expressing the thoughts contained in his book. If he has done so, I can see no objection to requiring a child, who knows nothing about the words belonging to the science of which the book treats, to commit to memory the exact words of the book. I would indeed have him understand what the words mean; but it would be vastly easier to teach the meaning of words alone, than to teach both the words and their meaning.

There is need too, of exciting a love of books in the mind of a child. It is a lamentable fact, that we are by nature lazy beings; and especially is this true in respect of natural love of books. Children do not love books until they find in them the natural aliment of the mind. Now so long as we neglect to show the young tyro that there is thought contained in books, so long will he be without a natural love of books. If we give him oral instruction, he will find that it is obtained much more easily than it would be from books; and if he is required to study books, he will come to feel that it is a drudgery rather than a pleasure; and there will grow up in him a dislike of books which might otherwise have been avoided.

S.

INFLUENCE OF EXAMPLE IN EDUCATION. Example is of great importance in the education of children, in consequence of their natural propensity to imitation. The influence of this propensity is not sufficiently attended to by parents and teachers. Dugald Stewart has very ably treated this subject and shown its great importance in education. Not only should the propensity

of the youth to imitation be regarded in teaching "accomplishments and everything connected with grace," but in forming the moral character also. Every person knows "that the imitation of any expression strongly marked by the countenance and ges tures of another person, has a tendency to excite in some degree, the corresponding passion in our own minds;" and when it is considered how prone children are to imitate, we shall feel the importance of habitually exhibiting, both in looks and actions, only such feelings as we wish them to exhibit. Parents who are constantly manifesting fretful and unhappy dispositions, will do much towards producing like dispositions in their children. From these observations, those who have the care of educating children, cannot fail to see the importance of the example they set them they will also reflect that whatever is inculcated upon children is of trifling consequence compared with that which they learn by example, and if they wish their children to possess a spirit of benevolence, kindness, and humility, they must cherish and cultivate these virtues in themselves, and be particularly careful not to let any contradiction exist between their expressed opinions of the value of these dispositions and their own habitual exercise of them.

Editors' Cable.

Resident Editors'

Resident Editors

JOSHUA BATES, JR. WILLIAM D. SWAN, of Boston.
J. D. PHILERICK,

THAYER,

HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE OF THE SCHOOL REFORM IN MAINE.

IN the winter of 1843, Hon. E. M. Thurston, being a member of the House of Representatives in the State Legislature, and Chairman of the Committee on Education, reported a bill to establish a Board of School Commissioners consisting of thirteen members, one from each county, to be appointed by the Governor and Council. The duties of said Board were very similar to those now required. The bill was reported by himself, the Committee not being willing to assume the responsibility. When the subject was first introduced, it was regarded by most of the members as a show without substance, emanating from the brain of an enthusiast or fanatic; while some of the better informed members, though they approved the plan, advised him not to present it, lest by so doing he should lose the respect and influence he might otherwise command. But the bill was presented, regardless of the opposition, he feeling, as we all should feel, that a man who by his position in life is en

abled to cast a broad look over society, and behold the impediments and obstacles to the improvement of the rising genera tion, and does not raise his voice and exert his influence to remove those obstructions, is recreant to himself, to his fellows, and to his God.

The bill had a full and animated discussion in the House, and finally passed that body, but was killed in the Senate. During the year the subject was somewhat agitated and discussed in the papers, the press generally sustaining him in his high and honorable position. In 1844 he was not a member of the Legislature, and the Governor recommended the subject to the favorable consideration of that body, and, though somewhat discussed, not much progress was made in its favor.

The year following, an extended report on the subject was made by Hon. T. H. Chase, Chairman of Committee on Education in the Senate, and a bill introduced to establish a Board of Commissioners, consisting of three or five members, to be appointed by the Governor and Council, whose duty it was to examine the condition of Common Schools-to collect such statistical information as would serve as a basis for legislative action, and to make a full and specific report of their doings to the Governor and Council; but it was rejected in both branches of the Legislature.

In January of the next year, a Convention was held by the friends of education in the State, at Augusta. A Committee was appointed by the Convention to memorialize the Legislature in behalf of a Board of Education. Mr. Thurston was then Chairman of the Committee on Education in the Senate. A bill was reported by the Committee, to establish a Board of Educa tion, to consist of thirteen members, one from each county, each to be elected by the Superintending School Committee of their county. The bill became a law. Mr. Thurston was appointed by the Governor, to attend the Conventions of School Committees and to assist in organizing the Board. Immediately on his appointment he issued a circular to the Committee of each town in the State, calling their attention to the subject. The Conventions were all attended but one by Mr. Thurston, and addressed with that enthusiasm which should characterize all, acting in so glorious a cause. W. G. Crosby was elected their Secretary December following. In May, Mr. Thurston was returned to the Senate, and again appointed Chairman of the Committee on the Board of Education.

A bill to establish Teachers' Institutes, to be held annually, one in each county, the general direction of each to be under the member of the Board for the county, was reported. Each Institute to be held not less than ten days, and the expenses not to exceed $200 for each Institute, to be paid by the State.