the Leaves Came Down." Tuesday Memorize the fifth stanza. Wednesday Memorize the sixth stanza. Thursday Original story suggested by a picture. Friday Complete poem. SECOND WEEK Monday Language game for teaching "It is I," "It is he," "It is she," etc. Select six children to pass to the front of the room and perform some act. The others guess what was done. Teacher I wonder what John is doing. Pupils John is beating a drum. Teacher Are you beating a drum, John? Teacher (looking at John) Who is beating a drum? Tuesday Tell a story for reproduction. Wednesday Reproduce the above story. Thursday Dramatize above story. Friday Complete above. SECOND WEEK Monday What is a cotton gin? Who made the first one? Are the cotton seeds of any value? Tuesday Do we use all the cotton raised in this country? Collect pictures descriptive of a cotton mill. Wednesday If we should visit a cotton mill, what should we see? Thursday Continue above. Friday Complete study of cotton. THIRD WEEK Monday If you live in the country, see if you can answer the following: Name the principal roads running north and south. What brooks, rivers or lakes are in your neighborhood? Are there any prominent landmarks to be found? If you live in a town or city, see if you can answer the following: On what street or streets is the schoolhouse? Name the principal parks in your city. Can you locate them? Tuesday Of what use to a community are parks? Full discussion. Wednesday Where do you secure your supply of meat? Describe a meat market. Thursday What do we call the flesh of a cow? Of a pig? Calf? Sheep? Deer? How is meat cut for steaks? Roasts? Stews? etc. Friday Collect pictures and information about large cattle and sheep ranches. Who takes care of this stock? What do we call these men? What kind of pasturage is necessary? Why? your neighborhood. Where does it grow? What shape is the tree? Has it leaves? Why do you suppose they are called needles? (If there are five needles in a bunch it is white pine, Friday One kind of evergreen has flat, shining, green leaves, with points and red berries. It is used for Christmas decorations. Do you know its name? (Holly) Is your evergreen covered with something black and sticky? (Pitch pine) Some evergreens have two long, very coarse needles in a bunch. What kind is it? (Yellow pine) THIRD WEEK Monday From what evergreen does the needles fall off quickly? (Spruce) Which one keeps its needles? (Fir) Why do the scales of the pine cone overlap each other Tuesday Of what use are the wings to the pine seeds? How many seeds are found packed within each scale of the pine cone? Why can the pine cone scatter its seeds in all directions and quite long distances? Does the pine tree hold its cones differently according Why do the squirrels visit pine forests in the spring? Wednesday Study of the cranberry. If possible, have a cranberry for each child, or at least each small group of children. Describe it as to color and shape. Where do cranberries grow? What kind of soil is best suited to them? What is the difference between low bush and high bush cranberries? Thursday Cut a cranberry in two so the cells may be clearly seen. Notice the arrangement and number of cells and seeds. Do the birds always have an easy time getting food and water in the winter? Can we help them? How? Tuesday. How many remember the deer we studied earlier in the month? Now let us study a different kind of deer. Can you guess his name? Yes, a reindeer. Wednesday Describe one as to size and appearance. Can horses live where the reindeer do? Why not? Tell something about the country in which they live. Thursday What do reindeer eat? Where do they get their food? Of what use are reindeer? Why do boys and girls like reindeer? Friday A brief study of mistletoe from a specimen. FIRST WEEK Arithmetic Monday How many have ever heard of an inch? Which do you think is longer, an inch or a foot? Give each child a foot ruler and show him an inch. Reproduce the markings on the ruler on the blackboard (large) so all may see, as you explain one inch, two inches, etc. Now find it on your own rulers. Tuesday Continue ruler dtill. How many inches in a foot? Did you ever hear of a yard? Can you show me how long it is? Show the pupils a yardstick. Show them by actual measurement how many feet it contains. What do we buy by the yard? Wednesday Measure objects in the room. Thursday How many inches in a foot? In a yard? In one half foot? One half yard? One third yard? How many feet in a yard? Friday Work on number book. SECOND WEEK Monday Count by 1's to 30. Count backwards from 30 to 1. Tuesday Count by 1's to 40. Count backwards from 40 to 1. Wednesday Review pint, quart and gallon. Thursday Review inch, foot and yard. Friday Give each child a card bearing a number which he recognizes. Frank, if you had one more added to your number, what would it be? Mary, play the number on your card represents apples. If you had one more, how many apples would you have? THIRD WEEK Monday Give pupils cards as above. Now add 2 to each number. How many does it make? Tuesday Continue work on number booklet. Draw a 2-inch line on the blackboard. How much longer must I make it to be 7 inches long? How much longer must a 3-inch line be made in order to make it 9 inches long? Thursday Recognition and writing of figures 10, 11, and 12. Friday! Complete number booklet. Continued on page 656) For though the song was in my heart I did not understand, Until at last it burst in word, because at last And then he looked at me and laughed and And right across the misty fields I heard the church bells ring, The star-song echoed far and wide for all the But still the tiny Child stood there the We sang His birthday song His Christmas morn. we did upon -"Nursery Lays of Nursery Days," by M. Nightingale. The Miracle Play of Good King Wenceslas The Prologue speaks Marion Goodwin Eaton The Queen Why do you stand there, then, shivering We are the Christmas waits, friends, neighbors here, in the cold? You celebrate in ancient wise this day In France and England; others from that world New born of long endured suffering, That stretches out its hands for help to us (Some carols here, by all and by the Prologue. All the waits go off but the Prologue.) Prologue speaks And now we would recall by our short play And on Saint Stephen's night through moonlit snow To share not goods alone, but very life, With those who dwelt in sorrow by his gates. For settings to our play we seek the grace Of your imagination on these screens, A peasant's hut, bare earthern floor, bare walls, SCENE I The Castle Wall King The night is very lovely. The moon's so bright that I could see the faces of those who walked along the path, if there were anyone abroad in this cold. Queen Wise people stay at home on such a night and keep their fires fed. King Here comes a woman from the town, walking slowly, bent with the weight of what dead branches and dry furze it looks like. Page, come here and tell me who she is and what she is doing. (Page runs to the window and looks out.) Page That is the wife of old Peter, the woodchopper, I think. He broke his leg last month. They say he is too old and feeble to use his axe, and so she gathers firewood along the edge of the forest, where the dead pine branches are low down. See, now she has found the chips the castle men left when they hewed out the yule log fro m the fallen oak. King Where does she live? Is it far from here? Page It's clear through the wood by the forest fence, there by Saint Agnes' spring. King (as if speaking to himself, musingly) She is old and feeble and he lies helpless by a cold hearth. They are hungry, too, no doubt. Queen If they had been provident, they would have laid in a store of winter wood two months ago, and then this broken leg would not have mattered. King (as if not hearing the Queen) My hearth is piled with logs, my store-house is full of food. I sit here in my warm room and watch an old woman who is cold and hungry struggle through the snow. (He turns to the page and takes him by the shoulder, pushing toward the door.) Boy, you and I are going to take baskets of food and pile a sled with pine logs and drag it to old Peter's cottage. We will pile his hearth with blazing logs and watch him warm his shivering body in the glow. And we will feed his old wife hot meats and warm rich pastries. Queen (rising and barring the door) Sire, are you crazy? To go out on this freezing night in the deep snow is madness. You and the boy will be frozen stiff. You give money to the bailiff and the priest for the poor. They must have given these woodchoppers all that they deserve in the way of help. King I saw the woman out there in the snow gathering wood. Surely she would not be out to-night except in dire need. She must be cold and hungry. And old Peter The King The frost to-night is cruel. The rime is lying helpless must suffer for her pain more than for his own. thick on the window. Queen You can send the men in the morning with fuel. It doesn't look well for you to go out yourself lugging wood and food to woodchoppers. King The woman is cold and hungry to-night, and tonight I must help her. Come, boy. Queen (still standing in the door) You must not take the pastries that we are saving for the New Year's feast. Plain bread will do and a smoked ham. The men will go early in the morning. You must not go out in the cold to-night. King I must go. Come, boy. (They go out. The Queen stands despairing for a moment and then follows them.) SCENE II The Woodchopper's Hut (The screens are pulled to hide the window.) The Prologue speaks. (Fhe characters enter and take their places as she suggests.) This second scene is Peter's lonely hut. Peter You gathered a fine lot of wood to-night, wife. Poor wife, abroad on such a night and I here useless. Page and monarch forth they went, Sire, the night grows darker now And the wind Blows stronger, Fails my heart I know not how, I can go no longer. Mark my footsteps, my good page, Tread thou in them boldly, Thou shalt find the winter wind Freeze thy blood less coldly. In his master's steps he trod Which the Saint had printed. Shall yourselves find Blessing. Wife I got the best of it where the castle men had cut the fallen oak and left the chips and little branches. When it catches it will make a fine hot fire to warm your broth. The bailiff gave me a ham bone to put in it for a flavor. (There comes a knock at the door, and when the Wife goes to open it, the King and the Page appear with the gifts. The presence of the King seems to brighten the dim room.) King I saw you gathering wood by the path, when I looked out my window to-night. Wife (in great agitation) But I meant no harm. I only took the chips the men left a week ago. It was King I have not come to find fault with you. I that did the harm when I failed to send you half that tree for your winter's woodpile. So I come humbly to-night to beg your pardon for my thoughtlessness and to bring you wood and food to cook over the fire that I shall build for you. (He comes to the hearth, lays on the logs and sets the meat an pastries out to warm. Peter and the Wife watch him fearfully.) Peter Are you truly our lord and king, or is this some trick of my old eyes and feeble brain? It seemed to me as if the whole room lightened when you entered, and your |