should recite poetry to the children with the right intonation, according to the sentiment or passion required. This presently delights youth, and more than anything else aids enthusiasm for noble thoughts and descriptions. When the pupils repeat and recite one after another, mere repetition fixes sentences in the memory, and they soon love to recite among themselves as a voluntary exercise.

A friend suggests to me that anything which puts the mind of young people into sympathy with high thought, and shows them how deep are the human affections, how terrible the sufferings of one from the ill-conduct of another, would act against that vile and noxious habit, so prevalent, of turning everything solemn into ridicule and bombast; which is the worst form of frivolity. A want of that imagination which enables us to conceive the position and feelings of others, is at the bottom of scorn, rudeness, and much cruelty. Our whole nation is thought by foreigners deficient in that imagination, and thereby unamiable. The cruelty of children to animals notoriously arises from this deficiency; and what shall one say of sportsmen? Moreover, the cultivation of the love of simple beauty undermines the craving and morbid desire of strong sensations."

To sum up what has been said, while industrial training seems to have the first and most urgent claims, yet moral teaching can never be dispensed with; and without delicacy and accuracy of thought, morality must remain coarse and crude. Far short of essaying anything that can be called high art, so much of refining instruction as aids morality and imparts higher tastes may surely be admitted into a national system.

IV. I have named recitation of select poetry with just intonation, expressive of feeling, as tending to aid moral enthusiasm. I might add, that the same exercise imparts a far fuller knowledge of the English language, and tends to accuracy of thought and a discrimi native appreciation of the meaning of words. I now venture to name another refining accomplishment, admirably suited to classteaching, and adapted to youthful taste; it is, the learning to chant by what is called sol fa. Mr. Hullah, within the last twenty years, has widely shown how this teaching may be conducted. No musical instrument is needed. The practice expands the chest, cultivates the ear, teaches to pronounce broad, clear vowels, opens the mind to love simple and noble melodies, instead of the rattling and noisy music fit only for barbarians.

V. My paper warns me to be brief in speaking of that information, suited to enlarge the mind, of which only the foundation can be laid at a primary school. The beginning of that knowledge by which the moderns overtop the ancients is in geography. This should be taught to mere children, for it is not at all above their understanding. Without this prior knowledge a newspaper is comparatively uninstructive and unintelligible. To one ignorant of geography the names of foreign nations are a blank, and a veil of confusion falls over the whole human world, But provided with

previous geographical knowledge, every reader of daily news gradually enlarges the horizon of his thought, even if his scholastic instruction ended too early, say at thirteen or fourteen. To those who can continue at school long enough to receive such teaching, the outlines of physical geography and of astronomy are a vast advantage for giving the rigid idea of physical law, and enlarging our conceptions of the universe, on which the grandeur of manly religion so much depends. Nothing is easier than to add to the topics on which instruction is desirable. Life itself will presently teach to all what is the political constitution and law of England; but every person moderately educated needs to know the moral foundations of the State and of Government, something of English history, something also of what is called the stream of empires. The American schools teach one modern language, or even two. How long children can be kept at primary schools will ultimately depend on the question, how much the parents value the instruction given? and I do not know on how many years we are able to count, and within what ages. I therefore fear that I have set forth enough in the topics previously named, which I here recite:

(1.) Reading and writing; carpenters' drawing.

(2.) Netting, knitting, plaiting, sewing; use of tools, when possible; indeed mat-making and basket-work.

(3.) Arithmetic taught by principles, with vulgar (and decimal) fractions.

(4.) Laws of health.

(5.) Nature of money. Laws of the market and of property. (6.) Teaching of morals.

(7.) Recitations of poetry.

(8.) Class singing of a scientific kind.

(9.) Geography.

I am tempted to add as a 10th topic, which perhaps does not exceed our power, instruction in the nature and value of wild British shrubs and herbs.

The National High Schools of Denmark. By ANNA HIERTA.

N the summer of 1868 I had an opportunity of realizing a wish,

mark. Accompanied by the daughter of the celebrated Professor S. Nilsson, and well provided with letters of introduction, we started from Malmoe to Copenhagen, and from thence we bent our course to the interior of Seeland.

With regard to its foreign politics, Denmark is a very unfortunate country, always in danger of being swallowed up by its mighty southern neighbour. In every other respect it is one of the happiest nations of Europe. In this fine and fertile country lives a rich,

laborious, economical people, enjoying great freedom under an enlightened government. An excellent education is given to everybody; attendance at school is obligatory, and is kept up to the age of fourteen, and parents neglecting to send their children there are punished by fines or imprisonment.

The subjects generally taught in the national schools are: religion, the Danish language, history, geography, arithmetic, calligraphy, singing, gymnastic exercises, and sewing for the girls. Drawing and natural history are taught in some schools, but not generally in those situate in the country.

Though diminished in geographical extent, Denmark may still hold a position and its former rank, not through a numerous population and material power, but by a high degree of morality and great intellectual culture; and to attain this they cannot afford to miss a single Danish man or woman in the ranks of those who strive for this greatness. The Danish nation, however, while keeping pace with the progress of civilization, does not adopt the exaggerated style of luxury, which causes the ruin of so many countries. Simplicity, cheerfulness, and the hospitality of former days are still reigning there. Women as well as men are very patriotic, and take a lively interest in everything that concerns the welfare of their country. There is a high degree of religious life; this, as well as the large measure of religious liberty which they enjoy, they owe in a great measure to the influence of the Bishop Grundtvig, who ranks as one of Denmark's noblest men, as poet, historian, and preacher. His disciples are called the Grundtvigians, and to this sect the majority of the clergy belong. From the cheerful religion, a religion for life and not for dogmas, which they teach, they have obtained the name of "the happy Christians." Love of their country, the devotion to their fellow-creatures, aspiration towards perfection, springing from the faith in a simple creed, are the usual subjects of their teaching. So intimately is their patriotism united to their religion, that in several churches hymns are sung on the old national (champion) melodies.

The high culture of the majority of the Danish nation may in a great measure be attributed to the influence of their National High Schools. The first practical idea of founding these was conceived by the Rev. Grundtvig, who, now eighty-six years old, has during three-quarters of a century been indefatigable in his exertions to keep awake the patriotism and the religious life of the nation.

The first of these schools was founded in the year 1844, by an adherent and younger disciple of Grundtvig, Kristian Flor (b. 1792). In 1868 there existed sixty of these schools, and eight new ones were to be opened that year. They are all founded by private enterprise, independent of the State, whose contribution to all of them does not amount to more than 1500 guineas. Private men, some eminent scholars from the university, others, the greater part, self-educated men, devote their fortune and their lives to the education of the labouring classes, without any other ambition than that

of doing good. The success of these schools depends altogether on the character and fitness of the director, whose personal character and power of influencing others is of the greatest importance. These institutions are situate in rich and populous parts of the country; some in the midst of beautiful gardens and fields, where agriculture is taught. There is only one in Copenhagen. The pupils are grown-up peasants (bonde), aged from sixteen to thirtyfive. Men and women leave their ploughs, their spinning-wheels, to attend a course at the school, which lasts five to six months for the men, and three months for the women, after which they return to their work, which they have been taught to love and honour at the same time as they have acquired other knowledge. The time spent at the school has sufficed to form their minds and inspire them with love for higher things. They have become earnest men and women, accessible to nobler sentiments, remaining all the while simple and industrious peasants. These schools have thus solved the problem of reconciling education and labour, and thus repair, in some degree, the injustice committed by the rich classes towards the poor in neglecting their education. The high-minded, kind-hearted directors are often supported in their mission by their wives, whose cheerful spirit and motherly influence transform those schools into happy homes.

The men are admitted from November till May, for the small sum of 77., everything included; the girls from May till August (till the harvest time), paying half that sum. Some pupils return two or three years running to acquire more extended knowledge; the teaching increasing successively every year; but the greatest number only visit the school once in their life.

Every education has a particular aim. The aim of these schools is and must be, no other than the imparting of such instruction as will make the young man become a living part of the nation, a conscious member of society, a useful citizen. The principal means to this end are the teaching of history (the genius of the Danes has an historical bent) and their national tongue. Their motto is," For life, and not for school." Old Bishop Grundtvig tells us his own opinion of it in these words:

"Far more of value than all red gold,
It is one God and ourselves to know."

It might be expected that the Bible would be the essential means to acquire the knowledge of God and of ourselves; but they here consider "that the teaching of the Bible and the explaining of the Christian doctrines belongs to the Church and the home, not to them." We ought to translate the Christian truths into practical life, showing by history, by the explanation of the historical myths and sagas (to the study of which great importance is given), that the nation has always been longingly looking forward to the light that appeared in the world with Christianity, thus giving a higher and a

religious meaning to the myths, which at the same time serve to develop the national consciousness.

Religion, though not taught separately, penetrates all subjects, and is never separated from the duties of daily life. Experience has proved this method conduces to a high degree of religiousness, and to a deep and sincere love of the Gospel. Every teacher here considers himself as a missionary, teaching not Christian knowledge, but Christian life; and how this life ought to reveal itself in action; how every man ought to take upon himself to execute a mission in life" a life's action." They never cease to make clear and instil into the minds of the young people that every individual can contribute to the progress and development of the whole nation.

To give an idea of the organization of these schools, I will describe one of the largest and best, situate at Hindholm, in the interior of Seeland. It was founded sixteen years ago by M. Stephenson, a venerable learned old man of seventy-six years, whose face with its silvery locks expresses as much goodness as intelligence; with the vivacity of a young man, cheerful, clever, full of humour, his conversation is both captivating and improving. He established, thirtyfive years ago, an institution for neglected children, devoting his fortune and his life to this and to the High School, which some years since has been transferred into the hands of M. Nielsen, a young man, whom he taught his excellent methods.

The subjects taught at the school are:-1st. The mother tongue and literature, comprising its grammar, etymology, and the knowledge of the best authors. They learn reading aloud well, well to express their thoughts in words and writing, to know the spirit that lives in and characterizes their language, as it has revealed itself in their best authors. Hence, acquiring a taste for good reading, they, on their return home, will procure a chosen selection of books, the reading whereof will for the whole of their future life become a source of joy and instruction.

2nd. Danish history and geography is taught so as to awaken the young men's patriotism, acquaint them with the laws and national development of their country, and the organization of their community. The history of Scandinavia, of other countries, and an outline of church history is added, some parts being treated in detail, in order to give a stimulus to private study.

A director once told us that in teaching history, he always made use of some great historian's works. Thus, to enable his pupils to realize Grecian life, he read in Danish to the elder ones some pieces of Homer; one year the whole Odyssey. They even listened with pleasure to a tragedy of Eschylus, and to a comedy of Aristophanes. In teaching English history, he used Macaulay; in French, M. Thiers's account of the French Revolution, thus acquainting his audience with the point of view of a great Englishman, and of a French statesman. He found that the young profit far more by a detailed account of some part of history, taught from the original sources, than by giving an epitome of universal history.