right stamp; and in almost every respect, well qualified for the important and difficult work they had undertaken. The schools have exhibited a prosperous and improving condition compared with last year, results which may be legitimately expected from those who make teaching a permanent business. A very considerable proportion of the teachers have had long experience; others, whose experience has been less, have made up in a good degree that deficiency, by ample literary qualifications, and devotion to their duties. In making a few general remarks, I would say, that although my labors have been arduous, yet they have been greatly relieved by the co-operation of the Trustees of the several districts, of such of the parents as I have met in my visits, and by the kind, polite and cordial reception of the teachers. My labors have thus been pleasant, and I trust not wholly in vain. It is with regret, however, that I am compelled to make any exceptions; but duty impels me to say, that in some places the order and cleanliness of the school-rooms did not receive due attention, and in more, the order and cleanliness of the yards and the other necessary appurtenances to the school room, appeared to have been entirely neglected. Such negligence can have none other than an injurious influence on young and susceptible minds. I am happy to add, however, that my suggestions in regard to the removal of those evils were kindly received and duly heeded. I am an advocate for permanence in the situation of teachers. Upon close observation, I am forced to the conclusion, that those teachers who have continued longest in any one school, have almost invariably proved the most useful; and in the selection of teachers, other things being equal, preference should be given to those of our own town and of our own State. The necessity of seeking teachers abroad is rapidly becoming less, and we shall, doubtless, soon be able to supply our own wants. It is really very desirable that more attention should be given to the study of grammar—and that a suitable text-book on morals should be introduced into our schools. It is obvious to my mind, that our schools are in an improving condition; and it appears to me that the past is in advance of the preceding year, as to the qualifications and government of the teachers, their devotion to their duties and the consequent improvement in learning, and in the deportment of the scholars. In illustration of my views of the care which should be taken of the school-house and its appurtenances, I beg leave to close these remarks by a quotation from an interesting and useful juvenile work, entitled the Youth's Cabinet. "A certain school teacher in a certain village in Massachusetts, was quite neat himself, and required his pupils to be neat also. When he took charge of the school, he noticed that the children, in muddy weather, were accustomed to enter the school-room and stamp the mud on the floor, or carry it to their seats, and soil the floor for a large space around them. No sweeping could clean such a floor, and of course, none had been attempted more than once a week. Determined to make an attempt at reform, he obtained a piece of iron hoop, and nailing one end to the door, he fastened the other to a walnut stake that he drove into the ground. Every child was required to scrape his shoes before he entered the room— and the consequence was, that the true floor became visible through the crust that covered it. The next step was to get a rug for the entry, and a neat farmer's wife very readily gave him an old one that she could spare. It did not take him long to induce a habit of scraping and wiping the shoes, and the lad or miss who did not do this was soon noticed by the rest, and made to feel that he or she had not done all that was required. "Soon after the rug was introduced, the teacher ventured to have the whole floor of the school room washed, not scoured-for he had to do it himself on Saturday afternoon, and washing was all he was competent to do. When the scholars came on Monday morning, it was evident they were taken by surprise. They had never seen the like before the very knots in the floor were visible; and they gave several extra rubs and scrapes before they ventured to set foot on the beauties now so strangely exposed. The teacher thus introduced one thing after another, taking care not to go too fast, and although he had no penalty for a breach of the rules of neatness, he introduced a public sentiment, which restrained the pupils more effectually than the rod; and as his own example was always made to second his rules, the children found no hardship or injustice in them.” All of which is respectfully submitted. ZALMON TOBEY. ADDRESS TO PARENTS. "Domestic happiness! thou only bliss Of Paradise, that has survived the fall! Or too incautious, to preserve thy sweets PARENTAL DUTIES. 1st. First in importance and underlying all others, is that of parental government. We have authority from the highest source, to say, that the father is the head of the family. God has constituted him a king in his own family, and made it his imperative duty to rule his own house well, having his children in subjection. We adhere to the doctrine, that, in the father, as the head of the family, are united the three important offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. As a prophet, he is their instructor and teacher; as a priest, it is his duty to present oblations of prayer, thanksgiving and praise to the Supreme Being; and as a king he is to maintain a wise and equitable government over all the subjects of his empire. The father and mother are sometimes considered the united head of the family. In every well regulated family, the father and mother will act in union, and with a single eye to the best good of the whole, and the commands of each should be regarded by the children as of equal authority. Hence the divine command: "Children obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right." As it is the duty of children to obey their parents it is equally the duty of parents to secure obedience. Parents are the natural guardians of their children and reason as well as God and scripture, shows it to be the duty of parents to command and of children to obey. We have a happy and striking illustration of the blessed fruits resulting from the exercise of wise and judicious parental authority and discipline, in the case of Abraham. God said concerning Abraham: Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Gen. 18: 17, 20. It would be difficult to conceive of a greater honor than that conferred upon Abraham. The reason assigned for this is, he will command his children and his household after him. Abraham was first a blessing to his family, before he was made a blessing to all the nations of the earth. On the other hand we have a sad illustration of the consequence of neglecting this duty, in the example of Eli. Eli did not exercise a proper authority over his sons. He did not so command them as to secure their obedience. He was kind and indulgent. So he thought. But his indulgence was in reality cruelty to them, for he allowed them to disobey him. He used moral suasion, he reasoned with his sons. He advised them and wished them to do right. He said unto them, why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear. 1. Samuel 2: 23, 24. Notwithstanding, they hearkened not to the voice of their father. They were disobedient still; wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever; but now the Lord saith, be it far from me; for them that honor me, I will honor, and they that despised me shall be lightly esteemed. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophric and Phinehas: "in one day they shall die, both of them." We cheerfully, even thankfully, recognize modern improvements in regard to many things, but on the subject of family government nothing can supercede the necessity of the divine precepts. He that spareth the rod, hateth his son; but he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes. Prov. 13, 24. The rod and reproof giveth wisdom; but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.— Prov. 29: 15, 17. It was Eli's fault, his neglect of family government, that his sons did so wickedly, "In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken against his house; when I begin I will also make an end. For I have told him, that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 1. Samuel 3: 12, 13. We can scarcely over estimate the importance of parental government. If parents do not secure the implicit obedience of their children, home, sweet home, the place, above all others, which should contain quiet, order, politeness, harmony, all earthly bliss, will instead, exhibit a scene of confusion, uproar, division, will become a perfect Babel. 2d. Children who are not taught, compelled even if necessity demands, to obey their parents, will not love and respect them. It may please them for a time to be allowed to have their own way, to indulge their own inclinations unrestrained by parental authority, but afterwards, when they shall have experienced the sad consequences of such indulgence, in ruined fortunes, broken constitution, neglected education, vicious and ruinous habits, poverty and misery, then will they bitterly regret this indulgence, and become the accusers of their over indulgent parents as the cause of all their wretched ness. 3d. Disobedience to parents contains the very root and germ of all kinds of disobedience. How can they who obey not their parents whom they have seen, obey their Heavenly Father whom they have not seen, and how shall they who disregard the highest authority on earth, respect even the highest authority in heaven? Hence it occasions little surprise, when those who are disobedient to parents, condemn the law of their Maker, show little respect to the civil Magistrate, and bid open defiance to the authority of their instructors and teachers. 4th. Parents may see their obligations to do their duty in order to secure the obedience of their children from an ancient law in Israel, which shows the crime and consequences of disobedience. This law is based on this supposition that the fault in the case is not on the part of the parent, but that of the child. The parents are supposed to have done their duty. They have failed to secure obedience, not because of their own neglect, but through sheer and peculiar stubbornness on the part of the child. "If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of the city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of the city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice, he is a glutton and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die : So shalt thou put evil away from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear."-Deut. 21: 18-22. I am fully aware that there is scarcely a more common complaint in regard to a disobedient child, than that he will not listen to advice, to remonstrance, or entreaty. But this complaint, I fear, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, is very far from being fair. As well might the keeper of an orchard complain, that his branches will not yield to be trained. In such a case, you would say, "My friend, all this is idle talk; your season is over and gone; you have been absent, or unequal, or negligent, at a former period. Where were you ́ when these branches were twiggs? Where, when they might |